Peel Me A Grape
Title: Peel Me A Grape
Author: Yukito
His pillow rose and fell gently, warm and firm beneath him. He woke to the first rays of sunlight through window and gave a luxurious stretch, arching his back and extending his legs with a contented wiggle. Taking his sweet time, he flopped back over and snuggled into that relaxing warmth. Then something purely outrageous fully woke him from his half-slumber. His pillow had the audacity to begin to softly snore beneath him.
Rising to all fours, Snow padded his way up Yukito's chest and started bapping the man on the mouth with his paw in a valiant effort to make the noise stop. It took a few swats and boxes to the jaw, but the little sylvan grumbled and half-opened his eyes. So, of course, Snow placed a paw directly over his eyelid and meowed good morning. Yukito attempted to move him away from his chest so that he could roll over and go back to sleep. Snow dug his claws into the light coverlet and clung, protesting loudly. This made his roommate give up his efforts to dislodge him, and Snow watched the boy try to simply ignore him. Hmph!
Snow was fully awake, however, was now aware that he was hungry. Ravenous. STARVING! He glanced around. Nope, no food. Indignation rose in him as his blue eyes narrowed on his empty bowl. This was outrageous! He COULD go out and get a meal on his own, but... No, no. This was OUTRAGEOUS and it wouldn't stand.
Stalking forward, Snow heavily planted his fuzzy butt right on his roommate's face. Yukito let out a sound that was part groan, half growl, and sat up, dumping him onto his lap. Snow huffed and leapt down from the bed and haughtily padded toward his bowl. Every moment that he had to wait as the sylvan took his sweet time detangling himself from the fluffy covers was carefully noted in the feline's mind for future retribution. He decided to make his distaste clear and started griping at his roommate, listing all of his grievances in a loud voice.
Finally... FINALLY Yukito got himself together enough to stagger toward a rhimar-lined chest in the corner, pulling out a selection of meat. As the fresh fish was finely minced, the salty/savory smell made Snow's stomach grumble, and he yowled again, his bobtail flicking behind him in anticipation. Yawning cavernously, Yukito wandered over and slid a nice, juicy portion into his bowl. Snow descended on the dish as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, ignoring the sylvan behind him as he did whatever it was that bipeds usually did with themselves in the mornings. A fresh dish of water was placed by his near-empty bowl, and the half-grown kitten daintily lapped at the deliciously cool liquid.
When every bit of his breakfast was gone and the bowl licked clean, Snow trotted over to a floor cushion and sat down to groom himself. Yukito constantly wandered back and forth in the small room to get dressed, an act that the cat could never fully understand. Once, the sylvan had attempted to share in this daily ritual, putting a knitted torture device over Snow's head. Both Yukito and the scratchy covering were in shreds by the time Snow was finished expressing his disapproval. It had never happened again, which proved that his roommate was somewhat intelligent. The memory, however, made Snow grumpy, and he decided to pay the sylvan back AGAIN sometime soon, just to ensure that the lesson was fully learned.
When Snow finished attending to his morning ritual, he glanced up at Yukito, watching the sylvan swish the end of a tattered twig over his teeth. A wary look in Snow's direction told him what was about to happen next. Yukito carefully shred the tip of another twig until the end was soft, and approached him. Quiet, soothing mumbles emerged from Yukito's lips as he knelt down and futilely tried to appease Snow with scratches behind his ears.
Oooh.. Ohhh.. That felt nice.
A spreading feeling on contentment and lassitude washed over his senses as the sylvan's slim fingers danced over his head. Never too much, just enough to make Snow feel content. Every time he was ready to lash out with his claws, Yukito drew back to allow him to bask in the feel of those gentle scritches and pats. By the end, Snow was willing to allow the gentle swish-swish of the twig over his teeth, though he put up a token protest and batted Yukito's hand away a few times. To be fair, it did feel somewhat good, and it was a chore that he couldn't properly do it himself. It was only right that he be served in such a way, after all.
Yukito stood and discarded both bits of wood, clearly looking to sit at his desk for the next eternity. Deciding to leave him to it, Snow leapt to the window and slipped out, landing daintily on the cobbled ground below. He left the serene neighborhood with its colorful cottages and gardens, wandering instead through the docks and ports of Marshtown. As he neared the bridge to the city proper, Snow caught sight of a plump and juicy mouse. Immediately, he ducked low and slipped to the side to ambush it. The kill was quick and clean, though Snow sincerely hoped that he would grow big and strong so that he would be able to hunt the viscous rats of the city. As it was, he was still too small to take on large prey.
A mouthy pelican attempted to accost him for his kill, but Snow didn't have time to deal with the brainless bird. He darted off toward the gleaming Lornon arch with the pelican swooping at him from above. It didn't take long for the pelican to lose interest once Snow reached the steps of Andelas' temple. The crowd of full grown cats lingering near bristled threateningly and chased off the interloper, leaving the little white kitten to freely wander inside.
Briefly, Snow crouched low inside the entrance, dipping his ears in reverence to the great and mighty Cat God. His Lord's true name was not known to those that walked on two feet, nor would they understand his ways. The temple was an adequate means of appreciation for His glory. Barely. In any case, it allowed Snow to visit with others in his seaside community. He made his way toward the garden and triumphantly dropped his mouse onto a small pile of dead rats, birds, fish, and toys. Feeling satisfied about his contribution to the weekly potluck, he darted off to play with the other kittens, romping around the wooded space in the middle of the city.
When Snow finally tired of chasing, and his claws had scratched at every tree, he took his leave and made his way back home. A detour through North Market greeted him with the sight of a familiar older biped, clad in bright metal. Snow boldly walked over to him and sat on a large, heavy boot. The man bent and affectionately scratched him behind the jaw. Snow would have stayed for more love and pets, but a rat glared at him balefully from within the tall man's beard. Hissing bitchily, Snow left as if it had been his idea all along, almost tripping a dark elven woman as he wended his way around her legs. She grinned delightedly and gave him a stroke, glittery lights dappling the air around her. Another white cat brushed against his side and groomed his ears for a moment. Shyly, he licked her on the cheek and got a haughty sniff in return, though she bapped him with her tail affectionately. He playfully pounced on her, and darted off before she could swipe at him. Satisfied with receiving his proper due in cuddles, the kitten left and continued on his way.
The sun was sinking low as he approached his home, and a warm light glowed from inside. Snow popped in through the wide bay window and sat on the cushioned sill, staring at his sylvan in disapproval. Had he been sitting there all day? How lazy! The kitten cleaned its paws neatly and attended to his fluffy fur before leaping over onto the desk in front of his roommate, scolding him.
At first, Yukito only patted him on the head absently, staring at the scribbles on the page in front of him. After a cursory glance to be certain the squiggles weren't damp and would sully his fur (ink tasted terrible), Snow plopped right on top of Yukito's book, refusing to budge. The young sylvan male attempted to spill him off, but Snow clawed at his hand, narrowly missing soft flesh. Yukito finally sighed and laughed before pushing his strange glass eye coverings up onto his forehead. He rubbed his eyes and face as if only realizing how tired he was. Honestly, he was so hopeless. Taking care of him was a chore, but Snow felt fond of the young man, and deemed it his duty to make sure he stayed healthy. Maybe tomorrow he would shred some of these papery things to encourage the sylvan to get up more often.
Slender arms reached for him, and enveloped the white kitten in a warm hug. Pretending disinterest, Snow ignored the wordless coos of affection for a moment, before melting into the comforting embrace and rubbing his cheeks all over his sylvan, scent marking him. Kneading gently at the cloth covered arms cradling him, he allowed himself to be carried over to a fluffy chair to share in a little nap.
This young sylvan belonged to him and him alone. If this wasn't love, Snow didn't know what was.
"Peel Me A Grape" - Shirly Horn