Chapter Two:

"Ash, wake up."

A certain cherry-haired female rolls away from the sound, eyes squeezed shut. Her face is buried into the pillow beneath her and the covers form a giant ball around her body. Mufasa sits on top of her head, curled up into a small ball of silver.

He shifts as she does, to keep from getting squished.

Iro rubs her temples, "Ash, your alarm went off. You have to go to work." The blond grabs the charcoal colored covers and yanks at them. Most of the material is stuck under the cherry's body, but after several hard yanks, Iro is able to rip the covers off.

Ash's body curls up into a tiny ball on her side.

"Wake. Up." Iro growls.

She doesn't respond.

The blond carefully picks Mufasa up off her head, moving him aside. She grabs one of the spare pillows that had fallen to the ground and begins to repeatedly bludgeon her sister. "You're going to be late!"

"I'm not going!" Ash shouts back, flinging her arms and legs out in an attempt to stop the painful blows, "I am sick, dammit!"

"You were sick last week!"

"I'm a ginger, this shit happens!"

"Ashley!" Iro throws the pillow aside. Ash hides her head beneath a pillow, grumbling under her breath.

The blond's fingers curl around her ankles.

And yank, hard.

"Owe!" Ash whines, clinging to the bedpost to keep from flying off the bed. Iro grunts, one foot pressed against the side of said bed, "Then get up!"

The redhead scowls, "Okay, okay, I'm up!"

Iro drops her ankles and steps back, eyes narrowed. Ash sits up and rubs at her wrist, her lips twisted into a pout, "I'm taking Mufasa."

"You can't take Mufasa." Iro deadpans, "What if he has to poop?"

"He can do it on Nikki's desk."

"She'll skin him alive." Iro sputters, trying hard to bite back a laugh. Nikki is an old friend of theirs who had inherited her grandfather's bookstore when he'd passed.

Ash rolls her eyes as she crawls off her bed, "I won't let her touch him." She makes her way to the closet and opens the doors. She pulls out a pair of jeans, a sweater, and a scarf, "Plus she's a total cat person."

Iro falls to the bed in a fit of laughter, "Yeah, that's why she has two pitbulls."

"Hey, Princess and Buttercup are awesome!" Ash grins, sliding into a pair of brown strappy boots, "And besides, you can totally tell. The cat-lover is in there, hidden beneath that thick tough exterior."

Iro giggles, "I know. I love them~"

Ash shakes her head, walking over to the vanity mirror across from her bed. She adjusts her hair, pulling the long strands back into a pony tail, and brushes her fringe-bangs back behind one ear. After adding a little mascara and eyeliner, she turns back towards the bed, "Ready to go, Mufasa~?"

He meows in response and slithers over towards her, on his stomach.

Iro stares at the kitten, "Why...why does it look like he's trying to swim?"

"He's talented." Ash picks the kitten up, hugging him to her chest. She grins and leaves the room.

Arthur and Lizzy sit on the kitchen counter. They watch the redhead approach and Lizzy cringes as she scrubs his head. Iro rushes to the end of the hallway and pokes her head around, "Don't forget to get gas on your way home! I need you to drop me off at the college tomorrow. I need to get my books."

"Yeah, yeah," Ash grabs her keys and blows a kiss, "We'll be back later."

She closes and locks the door behind her. Mufasa shivers slightly in her arms. She wraps the end of her scarf around his small body and hurries to the truck.

"Here we are," She mumbles, unlocking the vehicle and stepping up onto the step outside the doors. She carefully unwinds her scarf and sets it in the passenger seat, Mufasa curled up on top. Then she climbs into the driver's seat and turns on the engine.

Grell watches from the window. He frowns, "What is that thing?"

"What thing?" Sebastian appears at his side.

"Bassy!" Grell fan-girls, "My love, did you really come all the way over just to talk to little old me? I'm touched."

"Don't get your hopes up." Sebastian watches as the strange redhead moves an even stranger piece of machinery out of a painted square. It rolls forward and then disappears from view.

Grell pouts and goes to whine, but Sebastian vanishes, reappearing beside a grumpy Ciel.

Iro sets a fairly large bowl of kibble down in front of them, "Eat up, my loves!"

Ciel glares at it.

Sebastian smirks, "Well?"

"I'm not eating it."

Iro pauses in front of the kittens. Her eyes narrow and she pokes Lizzy's forehead, much to his distaste. "You both better eat, or else I'll make kitty-burgers tonight."

Ciel's scowl deepens. Sebastian elegantly bends over, tongue lightly lapping at the kibble. Satisfied, Iro walks away, off to change and shower for the day. Ciel watches Sebastian and smirks when the inky kitten stiffens, tongue darting back into his mouth for good.

"Delicious?" The navy kitten inquires.

"I could make better." Sebastian's nose turns up stubbornly.

"Hey, Nikki." Ash greets, "Lovely weather, eh?"

Nikki glances up, hunched over the check-out counter. A magazine lays open in front of her, an article of tattoo ideas displayed. The woman's dark eyes narrow, "You're not going to ask for a raise, are you?"

Ash pouts, "Of course not."

Nikki rolls her eyes. She's older than Ash, in her early thirties, but looks to be fresh out of high school. Her hair is cropped short -colored a vivid violet- and frames her pale face beautifully.

Her tongue ring clicks against her teeth, "Then why did you bring up the weather?"

"Isn't it lovely?" Ash gestures to the dark skies, clouds rumbling in the distance, "Iro and I got some new kittens."

Nikki is still suspicious, "Okay?"

"Mhm~" Ashley sets her scarf down on the check-out counter, not too far away from Nikki's magazine. The purplette's eyes dart over to the small ball of fabric, blinking as she notices something poke its nose out of it.

A small silver head appears, beady eyes blinking innocently as they fall on Nikki. The woman's hands clench into fists, eyes narrowing at the furry creature.

"What is that?"

"What's what?" Ash starts to sort through the new shipment of books Nikki had set aside for her, making piles of books around her.

Nikki reaches into the scarf, fingers curling around the small kitten. She lifts him up, his paws slipping between her fingers, and glares at Ash, "I will punch you."

"Don't hurt Mufasa."

"Mufasa?" Nikki blinks in confusion.

"He is my ferocious kitten of pure doom and evil. I'll punt you if you hurt him."

Nikki sighs softly and sets the little kitten down. Mufasa steadies himself before looking around slowly, taking in the multiple rows of books and shelves. Musty red curtains cover the windows and paintings hang from the walls. The floors are wooden, old and worn, and small day-lillies decorate the front desk.

"He can be our mascot."

"Excuse me?" Nikki scowls at the redhead as said girl stands, balancing a stack of books against her hip.

She grins sheepishly, "You heard me. Mufasa can be the bookstore's mascot! All the little kiddies can come in and play with him and shit. It will be fabulous."

Nikki's left eye twitches.

Before she can protest, however, Ash all but vanishes with the books. Nikki sighs softly and stares at the kitten for a few moments. Then she shakes her head, eyes narrowing, "I should throw you out while I have the chance."

Mufasa meows at her -the sound eerie, almost like a creepy kitten laugh.

The girl's eyes widen. Blanching, she shakes out of it and turns away from the kitten, finger swirling around inside her ear, "My music must be way too loud."

Augh, it's crappy, I know. I feel like shit and it wasn't coming out right.

But at least it's an update :D

-Cherry(;