#and called him and he murped from under the bed

[severalowls]

Fucking. Benny kicked open the bathroom door while i was showering and was curious about the water so I let him snoop around... unfortunately the steam set off Both fucking smoke detectors and they wouldn't turn off until the windows were wide open so now I'm Very Deaf :)

[up-sideand-down]

Sephiroth Week: Shapeshifter

From the Love Potion No. 2 Universe of Course

AO3

Cloud patted the bed until he found a lump. It murped at him when he pulled the covers off, but he smiled. Sephiroth looked less than amused.

“Sorry,” he said, “I’m goin’ to work though. I left some cash if you don’t mind getting some groceries for me. We’re out of milk again, so get two gallons instead of one.” The cat stretched its paws out and gave a nod. Cloud kissed him on the head.

“See you tonight,” he said.

Seven minutes later the cat stretched one more time…and then walked off the bed as a man. Sephiroth stretched his back one more time, finally getting the crack he wanted and then went off to find Cloud’s shopping list.

He didn’t mean to stare for so long. He always found so many things he liked in people and he couldn’t help himself. He got more polite before he met Cloud…but Cloud encouraged all his bad habits.

Strike that, Cloud just said they weren’t bad habits.

The girl took notice. Her eyes looked a little red around the edges and she rubbed under them. Neither one wanted to bring up that they’d been in the chocolate aisle for five minutes.

“Sorry,” Sephiroth said, “you just—Your eyes are a very pretty color.” She blinked at that.

“Do you mind if I…” Sephiroth faltered, “It’s fine if you think it’s creepy for me to copy your eye color in front of you.”

“Oh,” she said, “no it’s fine.”

“Are you sure,” Sephiroth asked, “I get the whole creepy shape-shifter thing.”

“I’m sure,” she said. He changed quick, pulling out the cell phone Cloud made him get to look at himself.

“They’re very pretty,” he said, “thanks.” He didn’t notice her smile as he walked away, now touching beneath her eyes gently.

Sephiroth was having trouble deciding. Skim milk…or spoil themselves and get some 2% deliciousness. He didn’t pay attention to the conversation behind him until the end.

“No one likes curly hair like mine,” he heard. He turned and saw the person saying it. They were gesturing to him and his current very long, and very silvery mane of hair. He felt a twinge of jealousy looking at the top of their head

The argument ended when Sephiroth walked away with his two gallons of 2% and his hair now shorter…and floofy mess he already loved touching.

Sephiroth didn’t like the way the man in front of him was talking to the cashier. He supposed part of it was Cloud. Cloud didn’t like bullies and this man qualified. He liked making people feel small.

Well…Sephiroth was someone who could make himself tall. He didn’t even think about it until it was done.

“I think she’s doing her best,” Sephiroth interrupted. The man stopped when he realized the man who was about his height a few moments ago now towered over him and looked angry. He accepted that his expired coupons didn’t work and finished checking out.

“Sorry about the wait sir,” the cashier said as she started scanning his things. Sephrioth just nodded in reply.

He was in the apartment hallway when Marlene Wallace came in. They lived down the hall. She absolutely lit up in a way few people had when the learned he was a shapeshifter.

“Mr. Sephrioth!” she called jogging down, “if you’re not busy…can you transform for me?” Sephiroth was never busy for her.

“Can you turn into…a Komodo Dragon?” she asked. Still in her reptile phase it seemed. She looked ecstatic at seeing a full sized Komodo Dragon walking groceries into the apartment.

Cloud came in and dropped his keys in the little dish for them. Seph was enjoying a bowl of cereal at the table and waved. Cloud didn’t hesitate. He buried his hands in Sephiroth’s new hair and looked at his new look.

“I love it,” he said, and kissed him gently on the lips.

[boarix]

Cat Empathy

My beloved Artemis has passed on. Away to whatever comes next. I’ll do my best not to linger in sadness for too long. After all, life is for the living.

I would like very much to tell you an Artemis story. My golden boy, my golden-stripy-fuzzy-britches, possessed great empathy.

“Boarix, Artemis was a cat.”

True. And some say we will never know exactly what they think and feel. I disagree. I knew. I raised him. I could always read what was going on under those fuzzy, pointed ears.

 For a time, Husband and I lived in a tiny bungalow. That came in handy when one was sick and wanted to be in bed but then might have to suddenly sprint for the restroom.

Norovirus. Whooo, boy! It’s sometimes called stomach flu but it’s not influenza. What it is, my friends, is hell on earth.  This particular case I believe I picked up from the dentist… grrrrrrr…

It was bad. I lost time it was so bad. Husband didn’t want to go to work on a Saturday (when a commissioned employee could potentially make the most cash) when we were super-broke, bad. It was sit-on-the-toilet-holding-a-bucket-only-we-didn’t-have-a-bucket-so-I’ll-have-to-clean-the-tub-later, bad.

In my delirium I remember only vague snatches of reality and most of those memories were of Artemis. He had a particular fondness for wandering around while holding his toys, caterwauling. It was his way of bragging and demonstrating his ability to provide. So, in-between passing out in my bed and expelling all fluids from my body, I would hear his yowling. He would come traveling from the living room, down the short hall to the bedroom, singing the song of his people, “MYAAARRRROWW! MMEEEARRROOO! MMAAARRRRROOOOYYY!”  

He would then jump up on the bed, do a few laps and… well, I’m not sure. I think he stayed with me, briefly, a couple of times.

When I finally swam up through the fog to gain consciousness and knew that the worst was over, my first thought was “I need water or I’m literally going to die!” I sat up and swung my feet around and set them on the floor… amidst a sea of cat toys. My lil orange bean had brought me every last toy from his bin. Even the most coveted Blue Knit Catnip Ball.

“Oh dear, it appears as though you are actively dying. Well, this just won’t do. Here now, this is important to me and makes me feel happy, so why don’t you give it a go? Um… hello? Not working? Oh, well let’s try again! Don’t give up! Surely one of these…”

I staggered to the kitchen and drank and drank and drank… Husband had bought me some sports drink or other and I drank that too. Electrolytes!

I heard a small “murp?” and I turned around to see Artemis was sitting next to my foot, holding the Blue Knit Catnip Ball. He dropped it and gave me a big ol’ cat-smile (for those who don’t know, it’s when a cat winks/long blinks at you).

“Ah! I knew this one would work!”

 If he had been worried about self-preservation only, I would imagine he would have stayed as far away from an obviously sick individual as possible. Or, along those lines; if he wanted food he would have simply pawed at my head/face like he was want to do. He would not have tried to make me feel better.

I’ll stop anthropomorphizing as soon as it’s non-applicable.

 I’m terribly sad right now. He was 18 and I like to think that I gave him a good life. I found him in the woods when he was about 5 weeks old and brought him home to my apartment in a bird cage. I almost named him Bird. Catbird. Get it? Anyway, since he was possessing of empathy I know he wouldn’t want me dwelling in sadness overlong. I will do my best to move through my grief in as healthy a way as is possible; Husband and I will support each other. After all, life is for the living. =^..^=