"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
Prime Minister, Love Actually
x
Tuesday 3rd December 2012: Arrivals
Haru's journey to the Cat Kingdom was considerably longer than her feline counterpart's. Lacking the money to book a taxi short-notice, she had packed up a lone suitcase and made her way to the nearest transportal via an amalgamation of public transport. So after over twelve hours straight travelling and negotiating her way through the port, Haru was slumped against her suitcase and was steadily falling deeper towards the temptation of sleep. This would have been a lot easier if the cab had any suspension.
Despite the Cat Kingdom and Human World sharing good relations, they weren't up for sharing technology. The Cat Kingdom had its magic, and the Human World its science, and there was an unspoken agreement that they were both quite happy with their own way of doing things, thank you very much, so the Cat Kingdom lacked quite a few of the conveniences Haru was familiar with.
This wasn't to say that the Cat Kingdom didn't have its counterpart to Human devices – for instance, most things were run on magic, and some it was better for it – but it did mean they didn't have motorised vehicles.
Which meant rabbit-drawn carriages. For some reason or another, rabbits appeared to have grown huge in this world, and had replaced the role horses had once played in the Human World. This also meant that the carriage was noticeably – and uncomfortably – bumpier than her usual mode of transport.
A vague wave of nausea rose over Haru and she leant forward to the window separating her from the driver sitting outside. She pulled it open. "Is it much further to the DuBois mansion?" she asked weakly.
The driver gave a chuckle that indicated he was well aware of what she was thinking. Haru didn't appreciate the humour. "Not accustomed to our carriages, miss?"
"How far?"
"Not long now. There's a sick bag under your seat if you need it, miss."
Haru grimaced and closed the window. The bumping of the ride was sending her suitcase skittering across the floor and she already had some nicely-coloured bruising from where it had slid into her. By now she had learnt and had her feet crossed before her as she watched her suitcase jump half a foot in the air with each bound of the rabbit. Luckily, she mostly had clothes and a few books in there; she had no idea how breakables were possibly transported in the Cat Kingdom, except by very, very thick packaging.
She tried to think back to the exchange programme and remember what little she could of her last time in the Cat Kingdom. But then, that had been a school trip and there had been thirty other kids sharing the same experience. Here, she was just a young woman in a strange land. One, she remembered as she held back a sneeze, that was still suffering from a cold.
Ten minutes later the carriage careened to a stop, sending Haru slamming into the side and her suitcase into the door. She made a muttered remark about seatbelts and gingerly stepped out, dragging her luggage after her. Still numb from the journey, she paid the driver, pausing only to glare once at the rabbit, and finally turned to the DuBois mansion.
Mansion was the word for it. Haru had no qualms about her small cottage – she had always felt that it was just right for her – but she really wouldn't have minded owning a home like this. This huge, sprawling, beautiful home, bathed in warm summer sunshine all year round. She was faintly aware her jaw had dropped.
The front door opened and possibly the roundest, largest Cat Haru had ever laid eyes on stepped out. "So are you coming in or just gonna stand there all day, Chicky?"
Haru consciously closed her mouth and hurried inside. The interior was no less impressive than the exterior – a wide, curving staircase led upstairs and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The rooms that Haru could see from her vantage point of the hallway were open, airy affairs, some of the rooms on the south side covered in a wall of windows that bathed it in warm summer sunshine.
"You're gaping again."
Haru closed her mouth – again – and rubbed her jaw in faint embarrassment. "Sorry, it's just so..."
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Haru returned her attention to the huge white Cat standing before her – it was giving her a slight crick in the neck to do so, but she felt meeting his gaze would be a good first impression – and gauged this must be Louise's uncle. She offered a hand that felt very small in comparison to his wide, padded hands. "Haru Yoshioka. I don't believe we met before."
"You wouldn't have. Louise's parents were still around then."
Haru opened her mouth, closed it, and lapsed into momentary silence. "I'm sorry."
The Cat grunted and turned to the kitchen. "You want something to eat, Chicky?"
Haru's stomach rumbled loud and clear, and it was at that point that she remembered she hadn't had a proper meal since leaving her home, twelve hours before. "If you're offering."
The Cat grunted again and started raiding the cupboards. Haru tried not to stare at the wide open kitchen in envy. You could hardly swing a cat in hers – pardon the expression. "So... what do I call you?"
"Muta. Everyone else does."
Haru was pretty sure that wasn't a real name, even in the Cat Kingdom.
ooOoo
"Did Louise mention why she wanted to get away?"
Haru shook her head as she bit into the freshly-grilled fish. If Muta's cooking was always as good as this then it was a wonder Louise wasn't the same size as the huge Cat before her. He even put Hiromi's cooking to shame. She swallowed her mouthful. "I assumed she just needed a holiday, and if it was something more then it was her business, not mine."
"Yeah, well I'm only telling you this because you'll find out sooner rather than later. Better you learn it from me than from that slimeball."
Ah. So this was about a guy.
"What happened?"
"The classic. She discovered her no-good boyfriend was cheating on her and needed some space."
"Isn't that personal? If she had wanted me to know, surely she would have told me herself."
Muta rolled her eyes. "I'm only telling you this because there's a good chance Machida's going to turn up again trying to win her back. If that happens and I'm not around, then you should be aware of the creep that he is."
"Oh."
"And I give you full permission to drive him off this land whichever way you see fit."
"Oh." A slow smile spread across Haru's face. "Really?"
"As long as it doesn't involve breaking anything too valuable, yes."
"Oh," Haru said for the third time. Her smile widened until she was reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat. "I look forward to meeting the guy already."
ooOoo
Haru stepped into the expansive room with a now-familiar open-gaped expression. "This is... the spare room?"
Muta leant against the doorframe, watching the young woman's reaction with tempered amusement. "Good, isn't it?"
"It's... it's ginormous! It's ridiculous." Haru nodded to herself at the truth in her words. "Yes, it is utterly, ridiculously ridiculous. It's a small trek just to get to the bed. I mean... Wait, is that a balcony? Who even has enough money to have a spare room the size of a small apartment?"
"The DuBois family, obviously." The large white Cat nudged Haru's suitcase inside and turned to leave. "I'll leave you to pack; I'll be in the lounge if you need me."
"Uh-huh." Haru barely registered his absence as she continued to stare at her appointed room. She began to suspect that Louise had got the raw deal out of this. But, then again, it had been Louise's idea...
She released a rather girly squeal and ran over to the bed, jumping onto the mattress and collapsing across the queen-sized bed. From downstairs, there was the gruff shout of, "No jumping on the bed!" Haru ignored him and grinned up at the canopy above her. She should really start unpacking... even if her suitcase did feel tiny compared to the Goliath room around her. She would barely have enough stuff to fill one set of drawers.
A small frown crossed momentarily over her features. Yes, this room was huge – huge and impractical and slightly... slightly overwhelming. It would be all too easy to feel lost in this expanse. Her home was small, but cosy, and one never felt like the house was looking down on you.
She rolled off the bed and made for the double-doored balcony, taking refuge in the fresh air as she swung the glass doors open. A soft summer breeze caressed her skin and woke her up to the fact that she really was a whole world away from her home, in the beautiful Cat Kingdom. She lowered her arms to the balcony railings, passing her gaze over the DuBois grounds spread before her. Carefully kept lawn surrounded the building, giving way only to bright beds of blossoms and, further out, something that looked like a duck pond, only tenfold the size.
All in all, it was beautiful but... very tame. So very orderly and open; Haru would have liked something a little bit more adventurous – something she could explore without always having the mansion looming over her. As she stared across it, she spotted another building out in the distance – a neighbour of sorts, with exactly the same style of living as Louise. With a jolt, she realised just how far and few neighbours were when you happened to own a small estate. Would she even see anyone else during her stay here?
She gave her head a sharp shake and returned to the interior of the room. She had a whole mansion to herself – well, almost, but Muta didn't seem too interested in being around for much apart from making sure she settled herself in – if she couldn't find something to occupy her during that time, then she was doing something wrong.
She smiled faintly to herself and began to unpack.
ooOoo
"Dinner's ready, kiddo."
Haru grunted and remained curled up on the armchair, book clasped tightly in hand.
"Did ya hear what I said? I said–"
"Yes, sorry. I'll just be a... moment..." She lingered over the last few words of a chapter before hastily inserting a bookmark in. "You don't have to worry about cooking for me, by the way. I know I'm a guest, but I can look after myself, if it's more convenient for you–"
Muta waved her offer away with a padded hand. "I'm sure you could look after yourself, but the kitchen's my territory."
"Yes, but I can't help feeling that it's not fair on you to have to cook for me–"
"Are you saying you don't like my cooking?"
"No – no, of course not! It's the best I've ever tasted, it's just–"
"Then what's the problem?"
"I..." Haru met Muta's gaze and decided that she wouldn't win this argument. She finished with mumbling, "I just don't like being an inconvenience."
"Chicky, if you were an inconvenience, you'd know about it."
"Oh."
"Now come on. The food's getting cold."
Haru moved to drop her book onto the table and then, after a brief moment of thought, tucked it under her arm and followed Muta into the kitchen. Despite the DuBois mansion having at least one official dining room and several other smaller cousins, Muta seemed to have a preference for eating at the kitchen table of all places. Haru took a seat and finally registered one of the major differences from her last visit to the Kingdom.
"Don't you have any servants?"
Muta grunted his amusement and set a plate of roast chicken before her. "Why?"
"Well... you did use to–"
"Louise's parents did, Chicky. Not me."
Haru paused to absorb this, not entirely sure how to read Muta's tone. Muta, however, didn't give er much time to ponder over this, as he quickly picked up the conversation.
"Anyway, who needs servants? I'm probably a better cook than any chief I could hire."
"I know," Haru said, "but it's just such a big house..."
"Sure, but there's usually only me and Louise. It's not like we have a lot to clear up after ourselves."
Haru pushed her peas around her plate, aware that she was hungry but not quite able to find her appetite anymore. "Such a big house..." she echoed. "Too big for so few people. This place must get terribly lonely at times."
"It wasn't always."
