With the hounds of hell coming after you

Two eyes glinted in the moonlight as a lean white cat with coal-black paws prowled through an area near the Community Center. He had been hunting for mice and trying to decide if he wanted to stop in to the Community Center for a bit to see who was hanging out. Tadashi liked most of the people he had met here since he started coming by, but lately a few serious incidents had been threatening to ruin his calm. So outside in the chill he lurked, very glad for his fur.

Just as Tadashi had made the decision to head back to the dorms and curl up by the radiator, he heard the sound of growling and someone apologizing. Tadashi turned to look over his shoulder and noticed someone who looked a lot like Galvão fleeing around the corner of the Community Center. He had seen Galvão run off in panic before and normally he would have just let him have his space but tonight he wanted to at least try to help him. The cat ran to catch up and turned the corner as the weasel was disappearing into the distance. He chased as fast as he could but with the gap widening he slowed back down. Galvão wouldn't be able to run forever and Tadashi figured it would be better to approach after he had tired himself out a little. Those spikes of his were sharp and there was no telling if he might lash out in his panic.

It actually wasn't that long before Tadashi caught up with Galvão after all. Before he could even see the weasel he heard the heavy breathing. It sounded like he wasn't going to run any more for the time being so Tadashi silently looped around so that he wasn't coming from behind. The cat came within sight of the weasel and then sat down where Galvão could see him clearly. He knew no matter what he did it would probably startle Galvão but to reach him he needed to be able to talk.

Tadashi's cat form stretched and reformed until he was just a boy in his plain white button-down shirt, unassuming grey pants and shoes and of course his gloved hands. He sat there cross-legged and smiled over at Galvão. "Please don't be scared Galvão, I just want to help. If you want me to go I will but I thought maybe you would like a calm and friendly face right now." He pulled at the edges of his gloves a bit and then made a point of looking down and away from Galvão.

I don't really know how to help him but I know touching won't work and staring won't help. Maybe just having me here talking will work? It's worth a shot anyway.

"I have an idea that might help. Just relax and maybe I can just tell you a nice story."

Tadashi winced as Galvão squeaked in panic, afraid that he was scaring him away. He quickly went back to smiling however when he noticed that Galvão was not actually fleeing. Good, at least he seems to recognize me. Maybe this will work after all.

He wasn't really able to see super well in the darkness- not being there as a cat had some serious drawbacks. Instead he relied on the little bit of light glinting off Galvão's eyes to show him what the weasel was doing. Tadashi wasn't entirely sure but from the eye movements that indicated the shaking and nodding of the weasel's head he guessed that Galvão didn't want him to leave and wanted him to stay.

Tadashi really didn't mind the squeaks of Galvão, though they did remind him a little of the sounds mice made when he was hunting them. He treated it much like a human would regard a foreign language. The sounds were not necessarily decipherable but tone could sometimes be inferred.

The scratches in the dirt were heard more than seen by Tadashi, and he completely missed what Galvão had been trying to write out. Either way he really didn't plan on leaving unless the weasel tried to run away again or attack him.

When Galvão finally nodded and led Tadashi to the bench he was beyond ecstatic. Long gone were his concerns about his own stress in the Community Center as of late and he was entirely focused on the bench and on helping Galvão. He wasn't sure why the weasel was so insistent on the bench, he would have been just as happy to sit on the grass and dirt if that was what was needed, but there was no reason to argue.

Tadashi wasn't sure if Galvão would be bothered by eye contact so he decided to close his eyes. It would also help him to remember the details for his story. It was one of his favorite memories from before. When he was still just a cat with very few cares in the world. It wasn't as exciting as the day he found Tomomi again, but this situation required a gentle story without so much excitement.

"It was a chilly winter day," he began with a smile on his face as he recalled it, "I had curled up by the radiator while the old man got up to make his tea and breakfast. A little steamed rice and miso soup, but the best smelling part was the small portion of grilled fish. It was salmon I think." Tadashi licked his lips unconsciously. "There was no reason to go outside into the cold and the plan was just to relax inside all day and keep warm and cozy. He even woke me up to feed me a little of the fish. 'Not too much, you're already fat enough' he had said, but we both knew he was just poking fun."

Tadashi leaned back and let his head hang over the backrest of the bench as he continued, "After we ate I just curled up in his lap for hours and watched him draw. He never used color, and I actually don't know if he could even see colors. Eventually I got restless and jumped down to stretch my legs. I accidentally landed on his tray of charcoal sticks and spooked myself. I bolted and left little gray paw prints all over before I realized what had happened. The old man just laughed and laughed and told me he thought I should take up art too." Tadashi paused to let the happiness of the memory linger in the air. He wasn't about to explain that the man was being extra nice because Tadashi had been losing tufts of his fur at the time and the man feared the cat was dying. Or for that matter that it was only two days before the man died.


@Boop