Hey, everyone. This is my new story, Neko Gilbert. In this story, you will find (strictly platonic) PruCan and UsUk. There may be other pairings, such as GerIta and Spamano. There will be a plot line at first, but after a while it'll turn into short stories and one-shots.
In a busy city, there wa a small pet shop. This pet shop was just what you would expect of it. Food for animals, toys for cats and dogs, little fish and hamsters for you to look at and buy. They even had a little cage in the window for the puppies and kittens that people can adopt.
But there was one thing different about this place. If you walked in, they had another cage more towards the back of the store. This one was bigger than the dogs' or cats' cages, and only had one animal in it.
This 'animal' was diferent than most. A lot of people who walk in the store had never even heard of it, and quickly got weirded out. This made the owner of the store very frustrated with the animal, and didn't teat him well. He was kept inside all day, stuck in the cage with poorly prepared food and bitter water. There was a cheep bed in the corner and a cheap red colar around the animal's neck at all times.
Now, you're probably wondering what this animal looked like. Matthew can tell you. He had walked inside this store one day, just wandering around the town on a day off from work. This unusual creature had caught his eye. This animal reminded him of both a cat and a person at the same time. It looked like a person, but had many feline looks about him. He was shorter than Matthew, at least a head shorter. He also had fur instead of hair, claw-like nails, long canine teeth, and a tail.
This animal looked up egerly as Matthew walked over to the cage and peered over the railing. This human-like creature had pale skin, odd red eyes, and white fur on his head and tail. His shirt was torn from where his long claws had scratched it accidentally, and his pants had tears in it. He wore no shoes or socks, and appeared to rarely get a bath.
Matthew stared at him, wondering what exactly he was. He put his hand over the railing and pet his head, feeling the white fur. "Hello." He mumbled, not expecting any response. "What's your name?" He looked for a sign or nametag.
"Gilbert." The cat-person spoke, his tail flicking back and forth with excitement. Not many people actually stopped to talk to him. Could this be the person who would rescue him from this place?
Matthew looked at the creature with wide eyes, unsure of how to respond. He slowly pulled his hand away, but seeing his hurt and worried look at the action, Matthew hesitantly began petting him again. It felt weird to pet a being that was half human.
"I'm sorry, but what are you?" Matthew asked, looking him over. He looked so strange, but it was a good strange, at least to Matthew it was. But as he took in the living conditions Gilbert was in, he frowned. What kind of person would do this to any sort of creature?
"I'm a Neko." Gilbert answered easily. "A Neko is half-cat, half-human." He watched as Matthew frowned. Did the boy not like him? Would he dub Gilbert 'unnatural' like other customers who walk in do?
"How old are you?" Matthew asked, thinking about how much it would cost to take him home. "How long have you been in here?" He added.
"I'm seventeen." Gilbert told him. "I've been here for three years. My old owners couldn't take care of me anymore, and they dropped me off here."
"W-Well," Matthew started, reaching for his wallet. "Would you like to come home with me?"
"Really?" Came the excited answer. Gilbert straitened up and watched Matthew with wide eyes. This couldn't be happening. Someone actually wanted to take him home?
Matthew nodded with a small laugh. "Yes, really." He answered, standing up again. "Let me go pay real quick and you'll be out of here soon." He walked up to the counter and payed for the Neko. The man behind the counter walked over to the cage with a leash and put it on Gilbert. He handed Gilbert over to Matthew with a heavy plastic bag and papers with information on it.
Matthew walked out to his car and let Gilbert sit in the front seat. He watched the Neko in amusement, watching how happy he was to be outside once again, and how he obidiantly jumped into the car without question or complaint.
The Neko put on his seatbelt eailsy and wiggled with the excitement of finaly being adopted.
"Here," Matthew reached over and took off the collar around his neck, thinking that after being in that place for so long, he should let Gilbert completely break away from the store.
"Thank you!" Gilbert exclaimed, rubbing his neck with his hands. "That feels so much better."
Matthew nodded and peeked into the bag he had gotten along with Gilbert. He wasn't told what was in it. Inside was things to get Gilbert settled in his new home, such as special food, simple toys, a cat brush, and a faded red blanket.
He set the bag to the side, deciding to reach over the information and guidelines later, and began to drive.
"Do you have anyone you live with?" Gilbert asked as he began to play with the window, rolling it up and down curiously, and enjoying the wind blowing through his fur.
"Well, I live with my brother Alfred," Matthew answered. "But he is out of the house a lot."
Gilbert nodded with understanding, finally leaving the window alone and sitting back in his seat. "Do you work or go to school then?" He asked.
"Yeah, I work." He said, pulling the car onto the next street. "I've been volunteering at a bookstore since I began highschool. Now the owner is retiring and he's teaching me how to run the store."
Gilbert nodded in understanding and they talked off and on as they neared the house. As the cat pulled into the garage, Gilbert became excited again and he quite literally leaped out of the car and ran up to the house.
Matthew grabed the bag again and followed more slowly. He pulled out his keys and opened the house. "Go look around. Alfred won't be home until later, so feel free to explore."
Gilbert nodded and walked in. His ears swivlled forward and he crouched down low as he moved through the new territory, going from room to room an trying to take in everything all at once.
Matthew watched him move to the kitchen. Sitting down on the couch, he pulled out the things from the bag again. He looked at the food. Cat food? If Gilbert could eat normal cat food, then he could have human food too, right? Had the Neko been forced to eat cat food the whole time he was in there?
Setting it to the side, he pulled out the green brush and tested it against his hand. It was a cat brush, not too sharp, but still enough to pull out loose fur. Then there was the red blanket, and Matthew set it out on the counch. Until they could buy the Neko a bed for himself, he could sleep out in the living room.
In the bag was also little toys made for cats, pet friendly shampo, the leash, and the papers of information, which Matthew skimmed over lazily.
Gilbert wandered back into the room as Matthew was setting up his bed. "I'm hungry." He announced, looking at the newly made bed curiously.
Matthew looked up at the clock and nodded. "It is getting late." He agreed.
Gilbet looked over at the box of cat food with a disgusted face. "You're not giving that to me, are you?"
"This?" Matthew took in the look and shook his head. "No. Can you have human food?"
"Of course." Gilbert answered, following his new owner into the kitchen now. "But it's been so long since I've had anything good."
"Well then I think I know just the right thing for you." Matthew smiled as he got out the ingrediants to make his favorite food. "Want to help?" He asked and Gilbert nodded eagerly and moved closer to the counter.
The two worked on dinner, Gilbert talking about how his old owners had never let him help, and Matthew giggling at how clumsy the Neko was in the kitchen. Finally, the two settled down at the table with their plates, and an extra stack in the microwave for when Alfred returned home.
Matthew covered his pancakes in just the rght amount of syrup and then handed it off to Gilbert, watching in amuesement as the Neko tried the new food for the first time in a long time.
"Like it?" Matthew asked, beginning to eat too.
"Ja!" Gilbert exclaimed with pure happiness, stuffing his face. "These are awesome! Can we have them every night?"
"I wish." Matthew laughed. "But no, we can't. It would drive Alfred crazy."
Gilbert fumbled with the knife and Matthew helped show him how to cut his food. Just as Gilbert got down the new skill, the front door opened. Gilbert looked up from his plate and turned to watch as the new arrival walked into the house.
"Hi, Alfred." Matthew called, listening as his twin dropped his things and took off his shoes. "There's pancakes for you in the microwave."
"Thanks, Mattie." Alfred said tiredly, finally walking into the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway though. His eyes landed on the Neko who sat in his normal spot at the table. "Who's this?" He asked. Gilbert couldn't tell if he was happy or not.
Matthew stood to grab his brother his plate for him. "This is Gilbert." He asnwered, bringing the plate to the table and handing him the syrup bottle. "He'll be staying with us."
Alfred watched Gilbert closely, scanning his still torn clothes, his messy hair, feline features, and now sticky hands. Then he suddenly grinned, "Hey, dude! Welcome to the family, I guess. Those ears and tail you have are awesome! What are you? You're like half-cat." Alfred reached out curiously and touched one of his cat ears.
"Thanks." Gilbert flicked his ear with a small smile. "I'm a Neko. Half-cat, half-human." He answered, continuing to eat. "Matthew rescued me from a pet shop."
Matthew finished his plate, relived that his brother was okay with all this. He hadn't been sure, as Gilbert isn't a creature you see every day. Thankfully, his brother is weird enough to accept this without question.
"We have to get you out of those clothes." Alfred said, "I think I still have an old shirt and shorts that might fit you."
They finished their food, Alfred washing the dishes and putting them away. Matthew fought with Gilbert over washing his syrup covered hands. Gilbert had insisted on just licking it off, but Matthew disagreed.
The brothers got Gilbert new clothes, and Matthew helped him settle down for the night on the couch. He curled up, clutching his red blanket and purring softly as he watched his new owner turn off the lights and head up stairs.
Gilbert was thankful for Matthew and Alfred. Not even his first owners had treated him this nicely. And after three full years at the pet shop, he couldn't ask for more.