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Just as Kendal reached his dorm, the skies tore open and unleashed a torrential downpour.
Kendal blinked in surprise as the rain plastered his hair to his skull and soaked through his sweatshirt in seconds. He'd experienced rain before in Vash-the-city, sure, but never so suddenly or heavily. Maybe it had something to do with Vash-the-god's storied history of fighting the storm gods and winning. Maybe it was something about the geography, the lay of the land that made it harder for rainstorms to sweep over the city. Either way, it had never matched the intensity of this rainstorm here, now, in Asera. Kendal wasn't sure if he liked it or not. It made him sense a lot: the cool wetness on his skin, the smell of petrichor in the air, the steady pounding of the raindrops, the added weight to his sweatshirt. It felt… interesting? It grounded him in his body, made it feel less like a separate thing he happened to be piloting and could still misread, and more like it just was him. It was weird. Kind of nice.
Probably wasn't great for the notebooks and stuff in his backpack, though.
A wail from beneath the bushes reached Kendal's ears.
Yeah, and probably not great for whatever poor creature was hunkered down over there, either.
Kendal shrugged off his backpack and held it in front of him to shield it from the rain—well, somewhat—then knelt down to peer between the leaves.
Luminous pupils and eyes as yellow as egg yolk stared back at him from the shadows. They were set in the black-furred face of the scrawniest, most woebegone cat that Kendal had ever beheld. Its pointed ears were pressed flat against its skull, its short fur damped down and clinging to its ribs. It didn't look like it was starving yet, but it did look underfed. It also looked miserable, the poor thing. Thunder rumbled, and the cat trembled. It let loose another pitiful wail, its mouth stretching impossibly wide. The noise cut to Kendal's heart like a knife. It sounded like a suffering infant.
Okay, he definitely couldn't leave it here.
Kendal crouched with an absolute stillness that no ordinary mortal could pull off, giving the cat a chance to get used to the sight of him. Then, slowly, he reached out, offering his fingertips for the cat to sniff. "Hi," Kendal whispered.
The cat sniffed his fingers. It blinked once. Sniffed again. It mewed tentatively.
Kendal thought, maybe, it was confused. The strays back in Vash had used to be confused by his scent, too, until they'd gotten used to him. Falst had once remarked that Kendal didn't smell like a normal flesh-and-blood human, even though he mostly looked like one. "It's okay," he said softly. He held still, didn't move, didn't invade the cat's space or retreat. "I want to help."
Lightning flashed. The cat jumped.
Kendal stayed put.
The cat stared up at him, then nosed the tip of his fingers.
Kendal smiled softly and scratched it under the chin. Not feral, then. Feral creatures liked to climb on him when he was just sitting, but they'd flee as soon as they realized he was a living, sometimes-breathing thing. But it didn't have a visible collar. Maybe it would have a microchip, or maybe not. Maybe it was lost, or maybe someone had abandoned it. He could figure that out later. For now…
The cat rubbed its face against his hand and crept forward, arching up beneath his fingers.
"Come on," whispered Kendal, and opened his backpack. Thankfully, the fabric was somewhat water resistant. Even though some dampness had gotten through, his notebooks weren't completely soaked, and it'd be dry enough to be an inviting shelter for the cat. Kendal made a couple of soft, cooing noises at the kitty, like he'd seen Alinua do with the cats back home, and encouraged it with a light press of his hand.
The cat, mercifully, crept into the backpack and settled there without protest.
"Good cat," Kendal praised, and scratched behind its ears. Then he zipped the bag mostly shut, oh-so-carefully cradled it in one arm, and entered the dorm building.
It was late—late enough that most people were done with classes and dinner, and were either holed up in the library or rec center or holed up here. The common area was crowded with people poring over books and scrivenings at the cheap foldable tables, or else curling up and chattering on the moth-eaten couch. Kendal bypassed the lounge area, silent as a ghost. No one paid him any mind. He stayed away from the weird juddery elevator and prowled up the steps with the deliberate smoothness of a bobcat, so as to avoid jostling his passenger. At last, Kendal opened up his dorm room and peered in.
Dainix glanced up from where he was sprawled on his bed, then grimaced. "Wow. That rain caught you out, huh?"
"Yeah." Kendal closed the door behind him.
The bag wiggled in his arms.
Dainix froze. His single, carnelian eye widened, and he stared at Kendal's bag intently. "Did the bag just—?"
"Mew."
"Kendal, what—?"
"Oh," said Kendal, "it probably wants to step out." He knelt down and unzipped the bag.
A blob of black fur scrambled out, sodden and graceless, stumbling in its haste. Its eyes were round as marbles, its ears flicking this way and that as its thin tail swished. It caught sight of Dainix and froze.
Dainix went deathly still. "Kendal," said Dainix slowly, "did you just… smuggle a cat into our room?"
The cat in question eyed him for another moment, then set about pacing the perimeter, stopping to sniff every few steps. Its tail rose like a banner pole. Its ears drifted forward.
Surely, Dainix would sympathize once he explained.
"It was caught in the rain," Kendal said, "and it looks underfed. I think it's lost."
Dainix took a deep breath. "Kendal. I understand why you want to help it. I do. But it's a strange creature armed with teeth and claws, and we don't know if it's carrying any sicknesses. And we can't let the R.A. or anyone else catch us with it or—"
"Mew."
Dainix stopped and looked down.
The cat stared directly up at him, its head tilted ever so slightly, its tail curled neatly over its paws. Its fur was still slicked down with damp, but its eyes were clear and bright, its pupils dilated. Kendal watched, relieved and slightly amused, as Dainix visibly melted. It occurred to him that this cat's vivid yellow eyes were vaguely reminiscent of Falst's—and everyone in their friend group, except perhaps Falst himself, could tell Dainix had a soft spot for him.
Dainix took another deep breath. "Okay. We can help it dry off and warm up, then figure out what to do from there."
"Thanks." Kendal smiled warmly at him. "I mean it."
The cat reared up, stretching like a scraggly black slinky, and pressed a dainty paw against Dainix's bed frame. Tentatively, Dainix extended his hand, and the cat headbutted it.
Over the course of the next several minutes, Kendal settled cross-legged on the floor while Dainix leaned farther and farther out of bed, until he, too, sat cross-legged. The cat migrated between Kendal and Dainix; it seemed to have quickly acclimated to the idea that they were both friendly and willing to give pets, and now that it'd figured this out, it wanted physical contact constantly. It rubbed against Kendal's knee and rumbled unsteadily beneath his hand. It arched its back as Dainix tentatively scratched along the ridge of its spine, then clambered into his lap, flopping down and kneading its paws on his thigh. There it stayed, ignoring Dainix's bewildered expression, though it occasionally looked over at Kendal as if to ask, hey, what're you doing all the way over there? Get over here.
Kendal obligingly scooted closer and stroked the cat's dainty little head.
"Why's it claiming my lap?" whispered Dainix, even as he continued to pet it.
"I think it likes your body heat," mused Kendal. "The stray cats back in Vash liked warm things. Maybe it likes your sweatshirt too, because it's soft."
"...You had cats back in Vash?"
"Yeah." Kendal pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the still-slightly-damp cat, purring and kneading away in Dainix's lap. "Sometimes they'd sit on me or curl up against me when I was sitting completely still and keeping watch." He opened up his contacts and selected the first one: Alinua. "Did you not have cats back in Raua?"
"No," said Dainix softly. "I didn't." He looked down at the tiny creature in his lap with an expression of wonderment. "I... I've only heard a little about them and seen pictures, and I haven't really interacted with them before now."
"I like them," said Kendal decisively. He felt like, sometimes, he didn't have as many opinions about things as people expected. So much was new to him. New stuff was interesting, but it was often difficult to decide whether he liked it or not, and he preferred to take his time to think it over. Cats, though, he'd had ample experiences with. And he definitely liked them. He liked the soothing sound of their purr and the softness of their fur. He liked that he could cradle them in his lap or arms, if they let him. He liked their quiet, deliberate way of navigating the world.
Dainix's lips quirked. "I can tell."
Kendal scooted up next to Dainix so they could both see Kendal's phone. Their shoulders brushed, and Dainix leaned into him as his thumbs poked and prodded the keys.
[Kendal] Hi, Alinua. I found a cat caught out in the rain and smuggled it inside.
[PICTURE SENT]
[Kendal] Want to help us help it?
A minute passed, during which Dainix continued to pet the cat and the both of them stared at the phone, waiting to see if Alinua would respond. She often replied quickly, as long as she wasn't in class, and as far as Kendal knew she didn't have one scheduled this late in the evening. But Alinua could be engrossed in homework, a later-than-usual meal, or any number of things.
A reply popped up with a cheery chime.
[Alinua] You found a cat??
[Alinua] I'll be right over
[Alinua] Wait, no, I'll text our group first
Kendal dutifully switched over to the ChatterBird app and watched, fond and amused, as the messages poured forth.
[Alinua] Apparently Kendal found a cat? And smuggled it into his and Dainix's dorm room??
[PICTURE SENT]
[Alinua] Look at its little face! And its paws! It's so skinny, poor thing! Kendal, you haven't noticed any signs of sickness or fleas, have you?
[Alinua] You don't have canned fish or something you could give it, do you?
[Kendal] I didn't notice any, but maybe you could check. I don't have canned fish. I'll ask Dainix
Kendal peeked over at Dainix and opened his mouth to ask, but Dainix was already reaching around the cat to fish his own phone out of one of his many cargo pockets. Dainix shot Kendal a wry smile and started typing.
[Dainix] I have dried lentils and some protein bars stashed away, don't think that'd be good for the cat though
[Dainix] It has teeth designed to puncture. Obligate carnivore, right?
[Alinua] Yes.
[Falst] ur gonna need newspaper or a sandbox or smth
[Falst] if that cat has to pee
[Tess] It's a cutie! But yeah lol Falst is right
[Tess] Hi from a clifftop with the most gorgeous view btw
[PICTURE SENT]
[Tess] Loving the wildlands near Argist. Best campsite ever
[Tess] And the city's great. Ships'll always hire more hands for loading and unloading, no questions asked. Thought I saw some kitties prowling the docks too
[Tess] But ANYWAY
[Tess] Kendal YOUR cat
[Tess] Looks like a particularly woebegone Erin :3
[Erin] HEY!! I will have you know that I never look woebegone! Pensive and brooding at most!
[Tess] yuh huh
[Erin] Kendal will back me up. Right, Kendal?
[Kendal] This cat seemed very sad and wet. I haven't seen Erin caught out in the rain like that
[Kendal] I think it's drying off a little but I might towel it if it lets me
[Alinua] Toweling is a good idea. I'm on my way over. I'll give it a little check-up with, you know... I don't have anything to feed it, though
[Erin] I can acquire supplies and bring them to you. Mind you, I'd rather not handle the cat myself; I'm not fond of how much they shed, and their claws can be quite sharp.
[Tess] If I weren't busy adventuring I'd totally come over just to pet the cat. Adorable little woebegone scamp :)
[Kendal] Erin, Alinua, thanks. Tess, maybe you can pet the dock cats?
[Tess] Yeah!! I'll try to remember to send some pics if I get good ones
[Kendal] :) thanks
[Falst] ...wait is the cat fully draped over Dainix's lap
[Dainix] Yeah
[Falst] not clawing you or anything right
[Dainix] Nah. I'm handling it carefully and it seems to be more or less domesticated.
[Falst] K
[Falst] I'll get canned food
[Erin] Falst, are you able to do that legally? Or are you going to pickpocket or steal from a convenience store again? I can pay for everything, you know
[Erin] It would be more tactical to just go together. Then you can help me find and carry things faster than I could alone. We can meet in front of my dorm building, since I believe it's closer to the supermarket.
[Erin] Falst?
[Dainix] Erin has a point. See you guys soon?
[Falst] ...Fine.
[Alinua] Almost there!
Kendal pocketed his phone, then gave Dainix's shoulder a light, grateful squeeze and eased away to fish a small towel out from under his bed. The cat lay contentedly in Dainix's lap, its eyes closed in bliss. Dainix's gaze softened as he studied the cat. He scratched gently behind its ears and ran his fingertips over its flank.
Just as Kendal started running the towel over the cat's back, three quiet knocks sounded at his door.
"Hi," said Alinua breathlessly as Kendal let her inside. Her pink, curly hair sprung out in a wild cloud, and she had a sweatshirt thrown over her pajamas. She grabbed him in a brief but tight hug, which he gently returned. Then she peered around him to stare at the cat. Her verdant eyes were intent, assessing, and her brow furrowed. "So you ran into this cat... where, exactly?"
"Right outside the dorm."
"No collar, no signs of an owner?"
"No. But cats can be microchipped, right?"
"Yes, they can be." Alinua approached the cat (and Dainix) cautiously. The cat's eyes cracked open, revealing silvers of lurid yellow and gleaming black, but it didn't move or bristle as she crouched down near Dainix's knee. "Good cat," she murmured, and extended one hand. "Let me have a look at you, alright?"
The cat yawned, then delicately touched the tip of her fingers with its nose.
Alinua's eyes glowed bright green. Tendrils of Life magic crept down her arm and wound around the cat, sinking into its fur. The cat flinched, startled, but settled and permitted it.
Alinua took her time with the examination. Kendal remembered her describing to him, once, what it was like to peer into a living thing's structure, to sense the way life flowed through it and what that said about its makeup and density. The detail was a lot to parse. That being said, it still took Alinua a mere minute or two—far faster than any doctor without magic. The glow in her eyes faded, and she withdrew her hand. "She's not carrying anything especially dangerous, but she is underfed and has a few fleas. We should give her a bath and comb her out."
The cat's ears twitched at the word "bath."
"She'll likely hate it," added Alinua ruefully. "She—um, what should we name her, by the way?"
"Name?"
Alinua gave Kendal an exasperated look. "We need to call her something, even if it's just a placeholder."
Kendal remembered, unbidden, when he'd first met Alinua—when he'd first been born. It hadn't occurred to him to name himself then. Hadn't seemed important. Likewise, names hadn't really seemed important when rescuing this cat. She'd been soaking wet and fragile-feeling, and she'd let him carry her. That was all he'd needed to know. Also, there was only one cat here, so "the cat" identified her well enough. But Alinua had always insisted that names were important, and they'd either learned or come up with names for the many stray cats in Vash, so...
The cat stared up at Alinua, then Dainix, then Kendal. Her mouth stretched open in a yawn, her tongue curling, her needle-sharp teeth gleaming, then snapped shut. She blinked slowly. For an instant, her golden eyes disappeared into the black void of her fur.
Looking at this cat, Kendal thought of black holes and the spaces between stars in the night sky. Darkness thicker than shadow, darkness liable to swallow everything whole. The cat's inside-out mouth looked ready to do that. Kendal frowned. "Void" or "black hole" seemed sort of... They didn't fit right, for a creature this friendly. But perhaps something else space-themed would fit. Her eyes and teeth were bright. After a moment's thought, Kendal offered up, "Nova?"
"Nova," repeated Alinua, sounding it out. She smiled. "I like it." She scratched the little cat behind the ears, smiling all the wider as the creature pressed up into her touch. "We'll call you Nova for now, alright, sweetie?"
"Mrrow."
Dainix frowned as he scanned something on his cellphone. "The Internet says cats with fleas should have specialized shampoo... unless... dish soap can be used? Apparently?"
"Yeah," confirmed Alinua. "Kendal and I used it before, back home."
Dainix hummed. "I have dish soap. And that plastic wash basin." Carefully, he shifted Nova off his lap—gently at first, then more insistently when she sank her weight and did her best impression of a barnacle. Once Nova was dislodged, he rooted around under his bed and retrieved the basin, then stood up. "I'll get the water. Be right back." And with that, Dainix left.
Nova watched him go, then padded up to Kendal and headbutted his knee.
Kendal stroked her back, already feeling guilty. "Sorry in advance," he told Nova, even though he knew, logically, that she couldn't understand him. "I don't think you're going to like this, but you need it."
"Mew?"
Nova took the abject betrayal for what it was.
They let her drink from the fresh tap water in the tub first. Her tail stuck up like a banner pole, and her eager licks sent ripples across the water's surface. Dainix had the bright idea to start an episode from the Creatures and Beasts channel and turn up the volume, to help disguise any noises from Nova. Alinua had the even brighter idea to cover the floor with as many towels as they could find, to soak up splashes. Then Kendal scooped up Nova, Alinua added a tiny amount of dish soap to the water, and Kendal put her in...
...and she immediately tried to make a break for it. Kendal just barely stopped her in time. She swatted at him, spitting.
Kendal winced in sympathy and adjusted his grip. "Sorry," he said again. He kept ahold of her scruff as he lathered sudsy water into her fur. Nova glared balefully up at him and yowled her complaints to human resources, Dainix looked on with an expression of deep concern, and Alinua touched Kendal's forearm, grimacing. Life magic cleared away a mess of shallow scratches, quick as an eraser swiping equations off a chalkboard. Kendal quietly thanked her and refocused on scrubbing near the base of Nova's tail, then the back of her neck. Those were the places the fleas tended to gather on cats.
Nova wailed, her ears pressed flat and her body hunched.
"I think that should be enough," said Alinua. To Nova, she murmured sympathetically, "I know, sweetie, we're sorry. But it had to be done." She brought a bottle of fresh water to help rinse the suds off Nova, then grabbed a clean towel and passed it to Kendal.
Kendal tried to mask his relief as he extracted Nova from the tub, bundled her up, and toweled her thoroughly from head to tail, cradling her against his chest as he did so. The scratches had smarted, but every hiss and mew of distress had stabbed him in the heart. The distress had been his fault. He hated causing distress.
But it'd been worth it. Tiny bug bodies floated dead in the water.
The second Kendal released Nova, she bolted away from him and hid under his bed, her ears plastered to her skull and her back bristling. Her pupils shone like full moons, and she mewed accusingly at him.
Kendal felt another pang of guilt.
Alinua rested her hand on his shoulder. "We had to."
"I know."
"She's better off not being bitten by tiny parasites."
"She is."
"I know you hated doing it. But I'm sure she'll forgive you."
"...Yeah."
Nova stayed in the shadows and glared at him.
Kendal winced internally. He wasn't so sure he'd be forgiven.
Dainix cleared his throat. "Erin just texted. He and Falst are coming up with supplies."
"Good," said Alinua quickly. "She'll probably be a lot happier once she's given food."
Kendal nodded, then slunk up to his bed, sat cross-legged on the side farthest away from Nova, and let himself go motionless. If he let himself fade into the decor, perhaps Nova would have an easier time calming down. He didn't want to upset the little cat any more than he already had.
Alinua gave him a look of sympathy.
Knock, knock, knock.
Dainix glanced over at Kendal, as if expecting him to answer. When Kendal didn't move, Dainix hauled himself upright and opened the door. "Hey guys," he said, visibly brightening. His shoulders sagged with something like relief. "C'mon in."
Erin entered first, resplendent in his embroidered sweater vest and with his bag slung over his shoulder. Kendal could envision the cat hair getting all over his pristine slacks and shirt, and he could also envision Erin's scandalized reaction to having his ensemble mussed.
Falst prowled close behind him. Bright yellow eyes swept the room. They lingered on Dainix, then twitched away in embarrassment as Dainix touched his shoulder in greeting. His attention paused on where Nova hunkered beneath the bed, and again on Kendal. Falst's eyes narrowed, studying him. His tail flicked.
Kendal couldn't help but smile, a little. Falst really did remind him of cats. Or maybe cats reminded him of Falst.
"We have supplies!" Erin announced triumphantly. He reached into his bag—a plain, old-fashioned leather satchel on the outside, seemingly limited to carrying a textbook or two. But Kendal had learned early that it was one of those weird pocket dimension bags, a relic of the ancients, so he wasn't shocked when Erin pulled out more than twice the satchel's apparent volume in goods:
- Two shallow dishes covered in paw prints
- Ten cans of food
- A litterbox
- A sack of cat litter
- A stuffed toy mouse
- A canister of treats
- A cat carrier
- A towel
"I wasn't sure how much we'd need," Erin puffed as he set down the bag of litter. "None of these were terribly pricey, so I thought it best to acquire more rather than less." He made a show of dusting his hands. "Now. Where is the little beast?"
Falst's rough voice cut through the room. "It's hiding under the bed." Falst hadn't ventured much farther than the doorframe. He leaned against it, arms crossed, and addressed Kendal. "Want me to clear out? Cats hate me. Predator instinct thing."
"No," said Kendal quickly. "You can stay. I already broke Nova's trust by giving her a flea-killing bath, anyway."
Nova mewed indignantly.
"...Yeah, that explains it." Falst bared his teeth in a sharp smile and clambered onto the bed next to Kendal. The mattress dipped beneath his weight—Falst was surprisingly physically dense, though not as dense as Kendal. Falst's tail brushed Kendal's calf, a barely-there ghost of a sensation. "I'll stay up here and out of the way, then."
"I'm sure Nova will warm back up to you," Alinua said earnestly. "She seems like a sweet—oh! Erin, can we put food out for her?"
"Ah," said Erin, "yes, perhaps you could do that while I fetch some water. "
Dainix piped up. "While you take care of that, I'll set up the litterbox."
As Dainix set the box in a corner and hefted the sack of litter, Alinua opened a can of food. A blob of brownish meat plopped into the food dish, and she stepped back with a grimace. Erin fetched the water, then dusted his hands off and declared that he would commandeer Kendal's desk, identify vets and shelters in the local area, and devise next steps. If the rest of them could just keep the cat occupied in the interim.
Falst snorted. "Cat's still hiding under the bed. Don't think that'll be difficult."
That was, of course, when Nova finally decided to poke her head out. Her gaze fixed on the food dish. Her whiskers twitched. Her head swiveled to face Dainix, then Alinua, then Erin. Then back to the food. She prowled toward it on silent, wary paws, her belly low to the ground and her ears pricked for signs of betrayal.
Dainix held very still in the corner with the litter. Alinua leaned back against a bedpost. And Erin silently settled into the desk chair and steepled his fingers, watching Nova as warily as she observed him. And, of course, Kendal and Falst stayed on the bed, carefully still and out of Nova's line of sight.
Nova crouched by the dish, dipped her head, and wolfed the food.
"Good girl," Alinua murmured.
Gradually, the tension melted from Nova's crouched body. By the end of her meal, she was purring, rumbling away in unsteady little stop-starts between gulps. She drank some water, then strutted confidently over to headbutt Alinua's ankle.
Alinua cooed and scratched her behind the ears and along her arched back. "You're a sweetheart, aren't you?"
Nova rumbled heartily, then sauntered off toward Erin.
Erin glanced down at the press of warm fur against his ankle. "No thank you," he said primly, and scooted away. "You're going to get hair all over my—now, stop that—really, you ridiculous cat, I can't help you if I can't research—"
Nova mewed. After a few more face-rubs and attempts to solicit attention, she seemed to gather that Erin would not be swayed into giving her pets. She stalked off with a mildly offended air about her, and she approached Dainix next.
Dainix promptly sat down and let her crawl into his lap. She curled up with her back against his abdomen and her head pillowed on his thigh. Dainix tickled Nova's chin. Alinua plopped down next to Dainix and leaned against him as she scratched Nova's ears.
Kendal felt the strangest prickle of envy. He... wanted Nova to snuggle him too. He shouldn't be feeling hurt or bothered that Nova didn't want to be near him right now, though. Dainix radiated warmth like a living furnace, and Kendal had just subjected Nova to torment via bathing. It was understandable. He kept telling himself this, silently, as Nova's purr settled into something softer and steadier.
Falst glanced sideways at Kendal. "They're lucky, huh?" he grumbled.
Kendal agreed with a quiet hum.
Dainix looked up, and a shit-eating grin bloomed on his face. "You can come over here too if you want snuggles."
Falst's face flushed red. "I—what—d-don't be stupid, that cat'll spit fire the second I come near!"
Dainix's grin softened into a contemplative expression. "I wonder... Let's test that. Maybe Nova will let me carry her over."
"N-no, wait—"
But Dainix had already slipped an arm beneath her and bundled her up against his chest. Nova looked almost comically tiny in Dainix's arms, half-shielded from the world. Her eyes were round and befuddled, and she voiced a puzzled "mew?" But she didn't squirm, bite, or protest as Dainix stood up. He sauntered over, gently but securely carrying an alert-looking Nova, and stopped in front of Kendal and Falst.
Falst's ears pressed back, and he shrank away.
Kendal did not breathe.
The fur on the back of Nova's neck bristled, and her pupils were blown wide. But her ears stayed pricked. After a few seconds' tense silence, she stuck her head forward and sniffed. Dainix held her a little closer. She sniffed again. Cautiously, Kendal offered his fingertips for her to examine. She did so, her nose and whiskers brushing up against his skin, tickling him. Kendal didn't dare try to pet her.
Dainix deposited her right in Kendal's lap.
"Meow?"
Nova's paws pressed into his thighs: tiny, concentrated pressure points, digging into him. She stared up at him. He did not dare breathe, did not dare move. At last, she turned her head imperiously and lay down on his lap, her flank up against his stomach and her tail flicking idly. She studied Falst with a contemplative gleam in her eye, then extended one paw toward him, as if beckoning.
"What the fuck," Falst whispered.
Dainix grinned, triumphant, and plopped down next to Falst on the far side of the bed. His light, warm-toned hoodie contrasted with the comforter's deep blue.
Alinua wedged herself into the space between Kendal and the bedpost, shifting his pillow aside so she could sit down. She snuggled up against him happily and reached over to scratch behind Nova's ears. The vibration of Nova's purrs sank into him, and the weight of Alinua's head felt familiar and comfortable on his shoulder.
Falst, with encouragement from Dainix, finally dared to let Nova sniff his fingers. He didn't try to pet her, even when she blinked slowly at him, but he relaxed a little, scooting closer to Kendal again. His tail flicked against Kendal's ankle. Falst flushed as Dainix leaned against him to watch the cat, but he allowed it.
"She's such a sweetie," cooed Alinua.
"Yeah," agreed Kendal, "she is."
Falst snorted. "She's way too trusting."
Kendal pointed out, "Trusting helped me help her, though."
Falst fell silent.
Alinua mused, "Falst has a point: she is very trusting. She can't have been a stray for long. She probably has someone looking for her, right?"
"Probably," agreed Kendal. She probably had a home she missed, and people she missed.
His heart twinged.
Just then, Erin uttered a soft "aha" and looked up from his laptop. "I've found both a veterinarian's office within walking distance and a notice board on the Aseran community forum for a lost black cat named Winona, fitting her description. And they say she's microchipped!" He smiled up at Kendal, looking quite pleased with himself. "Well, that didn't take long at all. We can bring the cat to the veterinarian tomorrow, since it's gotten rather late."
"Winona?" asked Falst incredulously. "What kind of name is that?"
"Kendal's was better," agreed Alinua.
Dainix hid a laugh behind his hand.
"I can bring Nova—uh, Winona—in tomorrow morning," said Kendal decisively.
Alinua looked at the cat, looked at Kendal, and set her jaw. "I'll come with you."
Kendal blinked. "Don't you have biology lecture?"
"Don't you have elemental mechanics?" countered Alinua.
"Oh. Well, yeah." Kendal shrugged. "But I can study extra at night to make up for missing it."
Alinua gave him a disapproving look. She knew full well he didn't need half as much sleep as normal mortals, but she never liked it when he pulled all-nighters. Kendal had tried to assure her that he could tell when he needed to sleep, now—that when his thinking got fuzzy and his vision weird at the corners, he knew to lie down instead of waiting for a collapse—but for some reason, his efforts to convince her had backfired.
"Only one or two nights," Kendal clarified. "I'll sleep before I hit the fuzzy zone."
"You'd better."
"I can lend you my notes from when I took that course," called out Erin. "I believe you'll find them quite thorough and helpful!"
Kendal smiled. "Thanks, Erin."
Erin beamed at him, then snapped his laptop shut and stowed it in the enchanted depths of his bag. "With that settled, I ought to retire for the night. I have an early morning class, myself."
And so, the gang dispersed. Falst muttered something about his algorithm course, slipped out from between Kendal and Dainix, and stalked out the door. Winona tracked the tip of his tail as it disappeared around the corner. Erin gathered his things, excluding the cat things, and saw himself out with a brisk goodnight.
Alinua was the last to go; she lingered, her side pressed against Kendal's and her cloud of pink curls tickling his cheek. Her jaws split in a wide yawn, her mouth cavernous, her teeth clicking shut.
Kendal asked her, "Want to take my bed and sleep here?"
"Nnnooo," protested Alinua groggily. She sat upright and shook her head. Sounding slightly more awake, she added, "You should use it, and I should sleep in my own."
"Okay."
Bright green eyes scanned his face, searching. After a moment's pause, Alinua said softly, "I'll be here first thing in the morning. I promise."
"Okay."
She squeezed his hand. "Sleep well."
"You too."
"Good night, Dainix," Alinua added, leaning past Kendal to address him.
Dainix offered her a kind smile from where he sat at the foot of Kendal's bed. "Good night, Alinua."
And with that, Alinua left, too.
Which left just Kendal and Dainix. And the cat.
Dainix looked between Kendal and Nova—Winona—and offered him a lopsided smile. "Well, I'll get ready for bed. You probably should too, at some point."
"Yeah."
Kendal made no move to do any such thing. Dainix, meanwhile, shed his hoodie and shirt and changed into soft, lightweight pajama pants. He undid his ponytail and let his hair hang loose; it was even longer than Kendal's, falling down past his hips. Winona tracked Dainix's movements for a bit, then appeared to grow bored; her tail twitched idly, and her gaze drifted off to stare at nothing. Eventually, she abandoned Kendal's lap to saunter over to the litterbox.
Only then did Kendal change into soft flannel and cotton, and it was with unspoken reluctance that he slipped beneath the covers and lay down. Kendal didn't feel like he needed to sleep, really. And he felt… Restless wasn't the right word, because he didn't get restless the way ordinary mortals did, didn't feel the urge to move. But his head felt crowded with memories, and with thoughts about Nova—Winona.
Winona showed no signs of settling down for the night, anyway.
She sprang up onto Dainix's bed and walked across his legs. When Dainix grumbled and hid his head beneath the pillow, she mewed insistently and headbutted him, demanding attention.
"Help," said Dainix plaintively.
Kendal took pity on him and approached to scoop up Winona. He was careful to do it smoothly, to slip his hands beneath her chest and her legs and lift her so she'd feel supported. Safe. Winona let him, though she mewed and flicked her tail.
Dainix peeked up at Kendal. "Why's she so insistent with me, anyway?" he asked. "You're right there."
"I think she likes that you're warmer. Better for snuggling."
"Not always. Not good for summer, when everyone's too hot."
"Fair enough," Kendal acknowledged. "But she was out in the cold spring rain today."
Dainix yawned. "True."
Kendal hesitated, then shifted Winona to the crook of one arm and reached out with the other. He tugged Dainix's comforter up to his shoulder. Dainix blinked up at him, looking bemused but not displeased. Kendal smiled softly, then headed to his own bunk. Once again, he lay down, though more carefully this time, so as not to jostle Winona. He let the little cat settle on his chest.
She crouched, peering down at his face, and tipped her head inquisitively.
Dainix stretched to reach the lights and plunged the room into darkness.
Well, almost. Kendal's night light cast a faint bluish glow from the corner. Sparkles swirled in its bulb like miniature galaxies. Winona's eyes lit up, too, their pupils flashing an eerie, Life-like green in the dark. The rest of her was nigh impossible to make out. Darkness within darkness. A patch of void black that was just a little deeper than the rest.
Gently, Kendal scratched behind her ears. She leaned into his touch.
This was… something new.
Most of the strays and even the outdoor pets that Kendal had known back in Vash-the-city weren't quite this friendly. It always felt more like they wanted to climb him as they would a piece of architecture, or shelter in his shadow because it felt safe. He and Alinua had a theory about that, actually. Cats, and other creatures, seemed to think Kendal was just… an automaton, or sentinel, or something, when they first met him. Some not-quite-living thing, capable of utter stillness, akin to a statue. Something that couldn't want to eat them or hurt them. That couldn't want, period.
Of course, once he started moving and trying to interact like a living soul, quite a few got startled away, while others stared at him in confusion, until eventually they figured him out. The friendliest ones would sit with him while he kept vigil over the city. They'd curl up against his side. They'd rub against his ankles and accept a fly-by ear scratch if they found him wandering the streets. They seemed to prefer Alinua, though, for prolonged interactions. Kendal could understand that. Alinua had a knack for affection and expression, a lively warmth in the way she touched the world.
None of the cats back home acted quite as attention-starved or affectionate as Winona for either of them, though.
Kendal felt the steady thrum of Winona's purr sink into his chest. The softness of her fur beneath his fingertips. The kneading of her dainty paws. Did her owner love her? Did she get lavished with attention and affection? Had she known enough kindness to be unusually trusting of people? Or had she not been given enough attention to begin with, leaving her starving for it? Kendal kind of hoped she'd had a warm, loving upbringing, given that Erin had found that online posting about her. Her owner must care. Winona must have a cozy home that she missed, and that hopefully Kendal could help her get back to, tomorrow.
Home.
Kendal thought of Vash's protective walls and the sloping geometry of the crater, of lively streets running out from the ancient temple in the center like spokes from a wheel. He thought of towering apartment buildings and vibrant parks, their growth touched by Alinua's magic and Vash's gardeners. He thought of nights wandering the city, and quiet moments with stray cats. He thought of time spent with Alinua, stars streaming overhead as they sat together on a rooftop. His heart ached.
Fabric rustled, and Dainix's sleepy voice reached his ear. "Kendal?"
Kendal turned his head toward Dainix. "Yeah?"
Dainix's eye glowed like a dying ember in the dark, in a way that most humans' eyes didn't—even most fire mages'. "Are you alright?"
Kendal's brow furrowed. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know, I just…" Dainix turned fully onto his side. "It's just an instinct. An impression, I guess. You were talking about the cats back in Vash, and you sounded wistful."
"Oh."
Dainix considered him a moment, then guessed, "Feeling homesick?"
"Yes." The admission was barely above a whisper, scarcely louder than Winona's purr.
"You'll get to visit soon." Dainix's tone was all too understanding. Somehow, his words were free of bitterness, though Kendal knew full well Dainix struggled with a different kind of homesickness—one he still didn't know he would ever be relieved of. The university's archives hadn't yet yielded the answers he sought. Not enough of them, anyway. Kendal thought, maybe, Dainix was trying to offer him a smile, though it was hard to tell in the dark. "End of the school year's just a few sindahlans away."
Kendal considered this, then considered Dainix. "You could come with me and Alinua. To Vash, I mean, over break."
"...Really?"
'Yeah. Vash is happy to have people of all kinds, from all over." The more Kendal talked, the more the plan gained definition and appeal. "You could stay with me, if you like. Vash-the-god gave me an apartment near his temple, alongside his emissary. Alinua's got a cottage just beyond the city walls, too." He tried to envision how he could configure his apartment to make space for a guest. There wasn't a whole lot in it, compared to Alinua's place or most regular mortals' dwellings, but he had a couch that swallowed anyone who sat on it, plus a basket of fuzzy blankets and other creature comforts that people from the city had insisted on giving him.
"That's—that's very kind of you. I'd like that." Dainix's voice warmed. "I'd like that a lot."
"Great. Falst could come, too. Ferin are treated more fairly in my home city than they are in... a lot of places. Erin can also come, if he'd like. And I know Tess is traveling, but she could swing by if she wants."
Amusement laced Dainix's next words. "So the plan is, you gather us all and take us all into your home, like strays."
Kendal chuckled lowly. "Maybe."
"You should ping the group chat tomorrow."
"Yeah, I will." Kendal had the fleeting thought that maybe he should try to talk to Vash about it, too—reach out over their faint thread of connection and tug on a fraction of his attention, just for a minute. Or he could e-mail Beran to give him a heads up and ask for advice about hosting. Beran was good for that kind of stuff, for when Kendal needed advice about being a person, though Kendal tried not to bother him too much.
But break was still many sefs away, and Kendal needed to get confirmation from his friends first.
He suspected, though, that they'd say yes.
He smiled. "I can show you all around the city. We can visit the parks and the library."
Dainix shifted. "Do you think Vash's library would have anything about... about soulfire?"
Kendal sobered. "I haven't seen any books about it. But we can try."
"Okay. Thanks."
Kendal's hand rested on Winona's soft, warm little body. "Even if we don't find anything, I can introduce you to the cats. Most of them are shyer than Winona, but the most outgoing ones will let you pet them as long as you're patient."
"So... we'll collectively befriend and pet all the friendliest cats."
"Yes." Kendal paused. "And sit on rooftops with them."
"Stargazing?"
"Yes. I usually watch over the city too, when I'm awake, but... you don't have to."
"Stargazing and city watching. And cats." Kendal could hear the grin in Dainix's voice. "Sounds great."
"It does," said Kendal softly. He could see it, now: all of his friends together, sitting in the park, simply existing while cats wandered up to them. It would be nice, he thought. It would be lovely.
They lapsed into comfortable silence. Dainix's breathing settled into the light, steady rhythm of sleep. Winona snored softly on Kendal's chest. She twitched. Maybe she was dreaming—dreaming about chasing something, or running, or playing.
Kendal would need to say goodbye to her tomorrow. He needed to make sure she'd be okay, that she'd get home and be taken care of. But for now, he basked in the feeling of having a warm, trusting little life snuggled up against him. He took comfort, too, in plans to bring his friends to his own home. To return to Vash for the summer. To say hello to all the cats back there, and to gaze upon the stars together.
A sense of peace settled over Kendal, and his eyes drifted shut.