Adopting A Cat

Kiyomi took a deep breath and bounced one leg on the other, her paw taptaptapping against the coffee table in front of her.

The walls of the mental health clinic’s waiting room were painted in warm, earthy colors, and every poster on the wall was gently welcoming. The very environment around her suggested contentment. Still, anxiety flicked through her. Her ears and tail twitched in time to her tapping. “There’s nothing wrong with fidgeting,” one of her doctors had once assured her. “Most people would agree that it is, in fact, a healthier outlet than bottling up your nerves until you reach the point of screaming.”

None of her doctors were with her now. Just one of the nurses, an imposing lady with red hair and golden scales patching her skin, who also functioned as a social worker, stood by with her usual grim politeness. Kiyomi had learned by now that all the other, odd, non-Japanese words she instantly understood when she heard were from other, large, big, strange, non-Japan places in the world. Because the world was more than Japan, apparently. This nurse’s name was from somewhere called Scandinavia, and translated in her mind to “wealthy of scale”. Kiymomi liked to call her “Ms. Scales”. Ms. Scales had yet to object to the name, which Kiyomi appreciated. She was one of the nurses who had remained assigned to her since the beginning, teaching her little bits about the wider world, and holding her down if necessary. Ms. Scales hadn’t had to hold her down for a while now, which was good. It meant she was getting better.

“So,” Kiyomi said quietly. “This new lady, she will not be like Owner?”

Ms. Scales shook her head, a small, stiff motion. “Not at all. We’ve thoroughly screened anyone applying to adopt you, to prevent a repeat of that. Ms. Lockwood seems to be a good match.” And it'd been decied that she needed to be adopted, she needed someone to look after her carefully. Seeing her uncertain frown, the nurse continued on. “You will be attending therapy through the Academy now, so you can always voice any concerns you have there. But I suspect you’ll like Ms Lockwood.”

“Mrrrrr,” she couldn’t help but mewl back. “Kiyomi accepts this.”

@Zora

The door of the room swung open, startling Kiyomi out of her rhythm.

Her jaw dropped a little bit. The woman who walked into the room was gorgeous, dressed in a sleek, modern dress, a pair of dainty fangs flashing from behind her smile.

Ms. Scales stepped forward and offered her hand out to the lady. “Yes, you’ve arrived in the right place. I’m Ms. Rikaskalor. We just need to introduce the two of you, to make sure you’re compatible, and finalize some of the paperwork. Kiyomi is a bit of a special case. But, you knew that going into this, I hope.”

Special case. Kiyomi’s ears flicked up. She’d heard those words a few times over, but she wasn’t quite certain what that was supposed to indicate what was special about her, or if it was good. She didn’t think it was good. But not-good things could be improved, she had been told.

“Kiyomi, why don’t you step forward and say hello to Ms. Lockwood?”

It took her a moment to respond. Shyly, Kiyomi finally closed her gaping mouth shut and smoothed down her yellow hospital gown, rising to her feet. After teetering over, she bestowed Ms. Lockwood with a startled bow. It wasn’t quite adequate. Ms. Scales continued to give her an expectant look. Oh! Yes, she remembered now; she was allowed to speak. But what to say? She had to make as good an impression as Ms. Lockwood had made on her!

“Kiyomisayshello,” fell out of her mouth in a hesitant mush.

Oops.

Kiyomi practically sagged with relief as her fumble was met with no reprimand or distaste. If anything, this gorgeous stranger seemed… pleased, maybe? That was how Kiyomi was choosing to interpret the reply and the smile, anyway. Ms. Lockwood did actually seem like a step up from Owner. If she leaned in — just slightly, trying not to draw attention to the action — she caught the faintest whiff of blood. The smell whetted her apatite, slightly.

Clicking her red pen, Ms. Scales nodded. “Unfortunately, she only had one other outfit.”

The NEK0 pricked up. “That was the dress Owner left Kiyomi in when he sent her to the place that smelled like fear, the one with cages and other cats,” she added, knowing the answer.

“The trading post she was retrieved from,” Ms. Scales elaborated for Ms. Lockwood, pulling out a couple of forms from many papers attached to the clipboard under her arm. “And those clothes were thoroughly ruined by the time she arrived here. We haven’t had much opportunity to rectify that since, as we’ve been more focused on her recovery. I suppose she does need more to wear now that she’s ready to reintegrate with society, doesn’t she?”

“Kiyomi thinks so.”

The nurse flashed a smile back at her after she spoke — maybe she was getting a handle on this “conversational participation” thing after all. Kiyomi’s tail curled at the tip as she allowed herself the tiniest bit of pleasure at her success. “Let’s see… Most everything looks to be in order… you’ve filled out the residential information here, and... ahh, I suppose that just leaves the signature on this form. It’s just to confirm that you’ve read over her dietary restrictions properly.” The muscles around Ms. Scales eyes twitched together as she glanced at Ms. Lockwood’s fangs, a dragon’s way of smiling. “I’m certain you’re plenty familiar with that sort of thing.”

Kiyomi thought about the bloodsmell again, and licked her lips hungrily. "Kiyomi gets meat, like vampires get blood," she announced cheerfully. "Much in common."

”Everything seems to clear out, so… yes, certainly,” Ms. Scales replied, flashing an almost human smile.

Kiyomi herself barely heard the words. She was too busy gawking at the clothing she held; she’s never had something with such thick fabric before, let alone a coat. Why would she have? Owner kept her an inside cat, and his penthouse had always been at his preferred humidity. “Wish Kiyomi had this at the cold fearsmell place,” she murmured thoughtfully, slipping it on. “Lavender dress was sleeveless. Brrrr.”

It was a little short, but she didn’t particularly mind. She flashed Ms. Lockwood a bright smile. “Gives thanks.”

“Are you ready to go now, Kiyomi?” Ms. Scales asked.

She glanced between the nurse and Ms. Lockwood, shifting back and forth on her paws. She didn’t exactly have anything to pack up. And she’d already said her goodbyes to the other patients, so… “Yes, nyihh. Will leave now.”

Pinning her pen back to her clipboard, Ms. Scales guided them out of the waiting room, and out to the clinic entrance.

Kiyomi hesitantly entered the passenger side of Ms. Lockwood’s sleek, shiny car. She didn’t very much like small spaces, but she could forgive the car, because it had windows, and it was going to take her to nice, new places. It could be small, because it was going to make her world bigger.

Plus, the seat was pretty cushy.

“Kiyomi does need some books for school,” she admitted cheerily as she worked her way towards figuring out the buckle. “Looked at her new schedule. Has all the titles memorized! Thinks…” At the thought of the word ‘toiletries,’ she trailed off, eyebrows knitting together. She mentally translated the word into Japanese, and then into a few more languages, trying to get a feel for what it meant. That part of her brain was pretty nifty. “Doesn’t exactly know what’s needed, for living normally. Things for washing? Fur-brushing? Eating? Sorry. Owner used to take care of all of this, so Kiyomi is not familiar with it yet.”

After a few seconds, she couldn’t help but add a reassurance; an attempt to please, really. “But I will learn!”

Frowning, Kiyomi closed the door, nearly shutting it on her tail by mistake. She’d another thought, and she felt compelled to entertain it. Politeness had been woven into every fibre of her being as she’d been stitched together — both in DNA and life experience. Now that she was talking, she wanted to do it properly, if she could.

“What does Ms. Loc— err, you want Kiyomi to call you?” she asked, a bit quietly. “Since you are not Owner.”

In her head, she was still working out this relationship was going to function.