AN: Another brief venture into the realm of Fushigi Yuugi. Not my characters. Prompt 23 - Cat. I could see Miaka owning a cat.

"Shh, Seiryu, it's ok." Miaka murmured to the cat, who hissed at her through the bars of the wire basket. It was no more than a routine trip to the vet for a booster injection, but the bad-tempered animal didn't know that.

"Miaka Yuuki?" The vetinerary nurse called her through. Miaka picked up the basket and walked into the room.

"If you could put him on the table, I'd appreciate it." A husky voice spoke, though she couldn't see anybody else from where she was standing.

Seiryu didn't want to come out of the basket any more than he'd wanted to go in it, but eventually she got him onto the table as requested.

"Miaka Yuuki? So, this must be Seiryu."

"I'm impressed already. Most people have to ask how to pronounce his name."

"It is unusual. Where does it come from?"

For the first time, Miaka looked at the vet, and almost gasped. With his long red hair and unusual eye colour, he was the spitting image of the long-dead Tasuki. It took a few moments to realise he'd asked her a question.

"I... uh... spent some time abroad when I was younger, heard it and liked it."

"I see." He turned his attention to the cat, now sitting demurely on the table, no trouble at all. Not even a howl was heard when the needle slid into flesh. Normally, by this point, Seiryu had attacked everybody in the room and tried to escape at least twice.

"There you go, all done," the Tasuki-lookalike murmured soothingly as he placed the cat back into the basket.

"Thank you." Miaka fastened the basket and went to pick it up.

"Allow me, Miss Yuuki." Miaka smiled, allowing him to take the basket and carry it out to her car.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"My parents brought me up to be a gentleman. Besides, I thought you might be more likely to say yes, then, when I ask you out on a date."

"Is that an offer?" Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him.

"Yes, Miss Yuuki, I believe it is."

"I think, if we're going on a date, you'd better call me Miaka.

"Genrou." He put the basket where she indicated. "Seven o'clock at Phoenix?"

Phoenix was a popular restaurant in town, one of Miaka's favourites. "Sounds lovely."

"See you tonight."

Miaka watched as he walked back inside. He had the same swaggering stride as Tasuki, a fact which didn't surprise her. She was excited, already eagerly anticipating the evening ahead.