I hope you enjoy this chapter, as it was both an effort to get down on the page (screen? whatever) as well as one that despite it fighting me, I really like aspects of.
Thank you to all my readers, and thank you for the reviews. Also, special thanks to miss-zei for loaning me Apollo. ;-)
Quick bit of housekeeping—I revised chapter four to reflect that Kagome actually gets out of class at 11:45 a.m., not 11:00, so if you really want/need to know, in this chapter, she's probably meeting Natsumi around 1-2ish after class and meeting with her professor.
Quote:
"I don't bother chasing mice around
I slink down the alleyway looking for a fight
Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night
Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry
"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy"
I wish I could be as carefree and wild
But I got cat class and I got cat style"
–Stray Cats, "Stray Cat Strut"
It could have been worse.
On the other hand, it could have gone better too, and Kagome winced, shoulders drooping, as her conversation with her advisor played on a constant loop in her mind. Saito-sensei didn't have to be quite so harsh. "You have compiled some impressive research, yet you have little else. I expected more from you, Higurashi-san."
He'd also been less than appreciative of her quip about just writing a literature review rather than an argument-based research paper, giving her a lecture about how she wouldn't get into graduate school or get very far in the professional world with such a lackadaisical attitude. Never mind that she'd always done extremely well in his classes. Then, he'd added, "It would behoove you, Higurashi-san, to remember that you require a passing grade in this independent study to graduate."
Sheesh. Some people have no sense of humor. That said…she wasn't sure she'd ever actually seen her professor smile.
Despite knowing that he wasn't completely wrong, her advisor's dissatisfaction had been a bitter pill to swallow, and disappointment weighed heavily on her as she took the train to Ukiyoe Town.
There's no point dwelling on it, she told herself sternly. As Mama would say, "The fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch."
Cramming the feelings of defeat into a far corner of her mind to deal with later, she focused instead on her destination. After all, if anything could cheer her up, it would be playing with some kitties. Maybe they'll have some kittens!
The prospect did brighten her mood considerably, and she found herself walking out of the subway purposefully and with more excitement than she'd entered it.
Though Kagome didn't lower her mental shields, on the periphery of her senses she could feel a very subtle, constant pressure of myriad yokai energies upon entering Ukiyoe Town. Rather than being uncomfortable or frightening, however, the presence of youki was oddly soothing, like the way a familiar scent brings back pleasant memories.
I want to work on isolating individual energies…or at least doing a better job filtering and limiting the range of my sensing.
She sighed. It would be so much more helpful if she knew a yokai personally and could enlist their help.
Keep dreaming, Kagome. Snowball's chance in hell…
Pushing the negative thoughts about her independent study and yokai aside, Kagome rounded the corner onto Fourth Street, and a little ways down the block, she spotted Natsumi standing outside a nondescript building that was adjacent to a small cemetery.
"Natsumi-chan!" Kagome waved.
She made her way down to where her friend stood and hooked a thumb toward the graveyard. "This part of the sanctuary too?"
Natsumi tilted her head as if considering. "Kinda? It's technically their property, and they're working on a trap-neuter-release program with the strays, but it's not really part of the official Bakeneko sanctuary."
Gazing out over the cemetery, Kagome spotted cats lounging among the gravestones. A ruddy-coated lean one and a tuxedoed tom perched on tops of the stones surveying the landscape, while others sunbathed and snoozed in the plots, under trees, and along walls. A couple young-looking calicos tussled and tumbled before getting distracted and chasing after a leaf skittering by, and both Kagome and Natsumi laughed at their antics.
They turned around to the shopfront, and Kagome spotted a small sign in the window, which read, "help wanted, inquire within."
The fact that the cat sanctuary might be hiring someone rather than simply relying on volunteers surprised her. She thought about it for a moment and found the idea appealing. She'd been lamenting the state of her bank account the day before as it was.
She'd had a part-time job up until this semester, when she'd decided to quit it in order to focus on her last semester of school—she wanted to finish with good grades and she also knew her independent study would take up a lot of her free time.
Because you knew you'd likely let yourself get obsessed and hyperfocus to the detriment of other things.
Unlike most of her friends, Kagome had worked part-time during high school and then worked full time during summers and breaks in between semesters in college. So she had enough money saved up to cover the cost of her bills through the end of the term, though it would be tight. Having a part-time job would make things a little less stressful financially, so it couldn't hurt to see if it was actually a paid position.
Natsumi held her hand out toward the doorway, inviting Kagome to go first. But before she could open the door, Natsumi pulled out her phone and said, "Oops, I've got to make a quick call… I'll be in in just a sec!"
Shrugging—given the fidgeting and shifty eyes, there was no telling what Natsumi was up to—Kagome went ahead, the tiny bell on the door chiming to announce her presence.
The door opened into a medium-sized room, and Kagome looked around the facility. The room she stood in had a reception-style desk directly in front of her, with a computer, phone, a few filing cabinets, and a closed door behind the counter. To her immediate right was a long narrow table with some gift shop type items, plus some hanging from a display on the wall behind the table, and diagonally to her right farther away was another closed door.
To the left was a wall composed entirely of glass, a door in the middle bearing a sign instructing visitors to use hand sanitizer both before entering and upon leaving, and to take care not to let any cats out. Through the glass, she could see it was quite a large space with rows of cages along the back and far wall, and windows looking out to the road and cemetery at the front. Cat beds, scratching posts, and kitty hammocks dotted the floor space, most occupied by feline residents, and little shelves and nooks were strategically placed in free wall space. Those not snoozing or lounging were playing or roaming, a few peering through the glass to slow blink at Kagome. Jingle balls, fur-covered plastic mice, and other toys were scattered on the floor here and there, and more toys, including cat dancers, were contained in a couple baskets. Several litter boxes were tucked in corners, under tables, and in other out-of-the-way places, as were food and water bowls—though not near the litter boxes—and it occurred to Kagome that the sanctuary had a distinct lack of odor, a remarkable feat given the number of cats. The owners obviously ensured the facility was kept clean and sanitized.
I'm impressed! And I definitely hope they have a cat for Mama, as they clearly take good care of them.
"Hey! So you want a cat, or not?" a harsh voice asked.
Kagome jumped. She'd been so preoccupied looking around, she hadn't even noticed anyone walk up. In front of her stood a young woman with her hands fisted on her hips. Her sharp eyes were a pale green with flecks of gold, and underneath a black baseball cap, she had a ponytail that was a strange mixture of black, dark brown, and copper all swirled together. Kagome wondered briefly if it were natural or a really talented dye job.
Apparently taking too long to respond, the woman snapped, "Well?"
"Um…" Kagome began when someone spoke quietly, interrupting.
"P-please, excuse my sister. Miki sometimes doesn't think before she speaks." A second, much more soft-spoken, woman appeared. She was similar in features to the first, though her hair was a light coppery blond, with a broad teal bandana functioning as a headband, and her eyes were more yellow-green than her sister's.
The woman named Miki rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. Then, faintly, Kagome heard her mutter, "Sorry."
Her sister extended her hand, smiling a little shyly. "I'm Momo. Welcome to the Bakeneko Cat Sanctuary. Um, are you just visiting or were you looking to adopt?"
Kagome shook her hand and returned the smile. "I'm Kagome. I am looking to adopt a cat, but also I saw the sign in the window? Are you hiring or looking for volunteers?"
Momo's eyes widened slightly. "Oh! Well, um, actually, the thing is… We've got plenty of volunteers, but only one can commit to a set schedule. Because of that, we want to hire at least one other person besides the two of us who can work a regular schedule. So, um, if…if you're interested…you would be paid," she explained, her gentle voice not much louder than a whisper.
"Well…" Kagome hesitated. "When you say regular…could I work part time? I'm finishing my last semester at the university."
Miki shrugged. "Don't see why not. You okay with that, sis?"
"Of course! Demo…" Momo paused for a moment, looking uncomfortable. "Do…do you have any experience?"
Relieved that her hesitation hadn't been over something else, Kagome grinned. "Actually, yes. It's been a while, but the summer before my first year of college I worked at a veterinary clinic as a receptionist. So I'm by no means an expert, but I'm not totally clueless."
Momo's face brightened, and even the aloof Miki managed to look pleased.
"Oh, oh, that's wonderful! Since you're here to possibly adopt today, um, what if you come back tomorrow before we open and we can work out the details and your schedule?"
Kagome nodded. "Perfect. I can come at eleven, which should give me plenty of time to get to my afternoon class."
A musical tinkling came from the bell on the door, and then Natsumi skipped up to stand next to Kagome.
"Did you find a cat for your mom?" she asked a tad too cheerfully.
What's she up to…Kagome wondered, making a mental note to ask later.
"Actually, I found a job!"
"Huh?" Natsumi tilted her head in confusion. Then her lips curled in a feline grin. "So you're going to work here at the cat sanctuary? In Ukiyoe Town?"
Kagome gave her a look. "Yes…"
Momo seemed baffled as well, while Miki merely rolled her eyes and stalked off toward the rear of the building.
"That's great!" Natsumi said. Grabbing Kagome's arm, she turned to Momo. "Momo-chan, we're gonna look around, see if we can find a kitty for her family shrine?"
"Oh! Of course, I'll come too in case you have questions," Momo said, grabbing a squirt of sanitizer from the bottle at the reception desk before heading over.
Kagome rubbed the hand sanitizer in thoroughly and followed Momo into the room, gently scooting back a solid black would-be escapee with the side of her foot and sidestepping a hyper gray tabby kitten who careened stiff-legged across the room. Natsumi slid in behind her, narrowly avoiding another wired kitten thundering after the gray tabby. Meows and trills and chattering in a wide range of pitches met her ears, and to Kagome, it sounded a little bit like heaven.
Upon seeing Momo, several cats wound through her legs and mewed loudly, and the woman giggled quietly. "They know I'm a soft touch when it comes to giving treats," Momo said guiltily.
Kagome shook her head, smiling. "I have a feeling I'll be the same way!"
Momo gestured to the room. "P-please, look around, play with the cats, and um, feel free to get any out of the cages unless it says otherwise. I'm going to give these demanding babies some treats."
As Kagome meandered through the room, stooping to scratch behind the ears of a cat here and peer into a cage there, Miki was working on changing litter boxes and refreshing food and water. Though the woman came across as brusque and cold, what Kagome observed told a different story.
Miki was gentle with overexcited kittens that suctioned themselves to her hand or arm like furry limpets, and she was attentive and thorough with the geriatric residents who were sometimes irritable and less appreciative of her attentions. And once or twice, Kagome saw a faint smile tease her lips when she paused to play with a cat.
Then, as Kagome glanced up from where she was kneeling to pet an affectionate tabby, she saw them.
Ears?
Miki had leaned down to place a bowl of fresh water in one cage when, from the cage above, a paw shot out, batting playfully at the hat Miki wore and knocking it back to the point it almost fell off. Hidden underneath her hat, Miki had cat ears.
Quickly directing her gaze down toward the orange tabby she stroked and pretending not to have seen anything when Miki readjusted her cap, Kagome focused hard and attempted to extend the tiniest strand of her senses out, hoping not to alert Miki—or any other yokai in the area—to what she was doing.
"Kagome-chan? Whatcha grinning for?" Natsumi asked, coming to crouch next to her.
I'm grinning because this cat sanctuary is run by—a second check confirmed it—two cat yokai. As a thought occurred to her, Kagome almost smacked herself in the forehead. Holy hell, I'm an idiot. "Bakeneko Cat Sanctuary"? Of course they're cat yokai…
"Huh? Um, well, he's just so sweet," Kagome said, nodding toward the tabby headbutting her thigh and rubbing against her leg.
Natsumi plopped on the floor cross-legged, and the feline hopped in her lap and curled into a ball, purring loudly. Natsumi giggled. "Clearly! Looks like I'm stuck here for a bit. Let me know if you find one for your mom!"
Kagome reined in her powers tightly—before she either got caught or her focus failed and she was overwhelmed by the energy in the area—and resumed perusing the sanctuary occupants.
Suddenly, a paw reached out from a cage and slapped at her leg insistently, yet gently. When Kagome looked down, a pair of green eyes the color of peridots met hers. Squatting down, she found a white-with-black-spots adult cat with a bright pink nose and slightly kittenish face, whose name according to the card on the cage was "Apollo."
Kagome caught Momo's eye and gestured at the cat. "Is he available for adoption?"
"Oh, y-yes, Apollo is ready to be placed in a good home." Momo eyed her speculatively. "You don't mind getting an adult?"
"Actually, an adult would probably be better for Mama. She wants an indoor-outdoor cat to keep down rodents and other pests at the shrine."
Momo nodded. "Why don't you get him out, play with him for a bit? He's quite sweet. Here"—Momo handed her some ring-shaped toys—"if you toss these, he'll fetch for you."
Kagome did as Momo suggested, and after several minutes of playing with Apollo, she was completely smitten.
"He's precious! Why the name Apollo, just out of curiosity?"
"Nee-san must've been in a Greek myth mood. 'Cause we've also got Ares, Eris, and Aphrodite," Miki answered.
Momo flushed slightly. "I…I like using themes to come up with names sometimes…"
Kagome grinned. "I like it! It's cute." She pointed to Apollo. "We'll take him, today if you have a carrier I can borrow."
Miki gave her a sharp nod and disappeared through the doorway at the back of the room, returning with a small cat carrier. "Bring it back when you come tomorrow, will ya? We don't exactly have a ton to spare."
Kagome gave her a cheery smile and a thumbs-up, and Momo shook her head in exasperation at her sister.
"Let me, um, get some paperwork for you to fill out and then copies of his records for you," Momo said.
Natsumi stayed seated on the floor in the cat room, giving treats and amusing the cats with toys, while Kagome followed Momo into the reception area, where she filled out paperwork and Momo gave her a rundown of everything—shots, microchip, adoption fee, et cetera.
They were just finishing up when the front door opened, its bell ringing brightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Natsumi leap up and come in from the cat room.
"Kuro! What are you doing here?" Natsumi asked, and for some reason, though she couldn't be certain, Kagome thought her friend's surprise sounded a little forced.
"H-hi, Kurotabō-san," Momo stammered, inclining her head to him slightly. Just before Kagome turned to meet Natsumi's boyfriend, the bell rang again, and she saw Momo's eyes go wide.
"S-sanda— Rikuo-sama! Please, come in!"
Kagome spun to see none other than Nura Rikuo standing in the doorway, dressed in black slacks and a crisp royal-blue button-down, with a couple buttons at the top left open. Next to him was a man dressed in a pinstripe suit, his black hair pulled into a tidy ponytail. When her gaze met Rikuo's, he initially looked startled. Then he winked at her, and her brain short-circuited momentarily.
Ehhhhh? What's he doing here?
Natsumi bounced up to the two men, wrapping her arms around the forearm of the one Kagome assumed to be Kurotabō. Something about him niggled at the back of Kagome's mind as she stared at him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but for some reason he reminded her of Miroku.
She was almost about to ask, not even considering how odd it might sound, if he had any ancestors by that name—or Sango's—when Natsumi spoke.
"Kagome-chan, this is Kurotabō, and Nura Rikuo, his…boss. Guys, this is Higurashi Kagome."
Rikuo gave a slow smirk. "Oh, we've met."
This time, Natsumi appeared genuinely surprised, yet her boyfriend's expression remained unreadable.
Refusing to lose her composure around Rikuo a third time, Kagome raised an eyebrow, regarding him sternly. "Yes, we have. However, I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Kurotabō-san. It's so good to finally meet you!"
Rikuo seemed lightly taken aback at her reproach, and Kurotabō's lips twitched. Then he bowed his head briefly. "Likewise, Higurashi-san." He gazed down for a moment at Natsumi, his look shifting to a mixture of amusement and long-suffering. "I was not informed that Natsumi was accompanying anyone today."
Natsumi shot him a look. "And I was not 'informed' that Rikuo-kun knew Kagome-chan… Did you by any chance know that?"
"Well…"
The two began speaking earnestly in lower tones, and even though it was evident Natsumi was giving him a hard time, the sparkle in her friend's eyes told Kagome that she was enjoying herself thoroughly.
Meddlesome matchmaker… I'm not surprised she conned Kurotabō into helping her, albeit without his knowledge…
"So, how long were you planning on making me wait?"
Kagome jumped. Rikuo was suddenly standing very close to her, and she wasn't sure she'd even seen him move.
"What?" Oh, the text… She felt her cheeks grow warm. "I, um… You see, I was busy, and…"
He gave her that little half smile she found so damned appealing. "No problem, Kagome-chan. How about I take you out tonight?"
She opened her mouth, but before she could respond, Natsumi burst in. "Oh no, you don't! First we're taking Apollo—the cat—to her mom's, and then tonight she's my date, and I won't have you poaching her, not after how long it took me to get her to actually do it!" Natsumi enunciated her statement with pokes into his chest, and Rikuo waved his arms in defeat.
"Oi, oi, Natsumi-chan, relax. You win. I won't steal her from you. Not tonight anyway…" He gave Kagome a sidelong glance from under his tousled black-brown bangs that made her heart race.
Natsumi went from looking fiercely possessive to calculating, her catlike eyes zeroing in on their interactions.
Oh hell. I'm going to get interrogated tonight.
She was saved momentarily by Kurotabō asking, "So you were here to adopt a cat, Higurashi-san?"
"Oh, yes, and I found one. But also I saw their sign about hiring, and I actually got a part-time job here too," she said, glancing over her shoulder to smile at Momo, who was silently watching them, a slightly shell-shocked look on her face.
"Ho? Is that right?" For some reason, Rikuo appeared smug, and Kagome pinned him with a glare.
"What, is there a problem? Not that it's any of your business who they decide to hire," she said, hands fisted on her hips.
To her amazement, Rikuo started laughing, Natsumi and Kurotabō both widened their eyes, and from behind her, Momo cleared her throat softly.
"Ah… Actually, um, Rikuo-sama is…kind of our boss… His"—she hesitated—"um, family, um…owns the property. So it is his business."
Great. Just fucking great. Only I would manage to be rude to my bosses' boss before I even start working.
Kagome smiled apologetically, trying to figure out exactly how to remove the feet she'd figuratively planted in her mouth without making things more awkward.
Natsumi, perhaps picking up on Kagome's discomfort and hoping to change the subject, piped up. "So, Kagome-chan, how did you meet Rikuo-kun?"
"At the library," they said simultaneously, and Natsumi rolled her eyes.
"Of course…she practically lives there…"
Kagome started to protest, when Kurotabō spoke. "Natsumi, I assumed the two of you would require transportation, but I have some business to attend to, so I contacted Kejōrō. She's outside as soon as you are ready."
Kagome blinked. She'd forgotten that Natsumi refused to take the metro, though since she now had Apollo, this would be more convenient.
"Here, let me help," Rikuo said, taking Apollo's carrier and opening the front door for her and Natsumi.
She said good-bye to Momo and Miki, assuring them she'd bring the carrier back tomorrow, and Natsumi gave Kurotabō a brief squeeze, causing him to blush slightly, before both girls preceded Rikuo out the door.
He then opened the car door for them, and Kagome scooted in first, taking the carrier from him, and Natsumi slid in after.
"Yo, Kejōrō! Take good care of my girls, will ya?"
The woman in the driver's seat, who had extremely long, wavy brown hair covering one side of her face and large, expressive green eyes, had swiveled around to regard them, and she smiled prettily at Rikuo. "Of course, Rikuo-sama!"
An unexpected flash of jealousy shot through Kagome, catching her so off guard she didn't even process Rikuo's inclusion of her as one of "his girls."
Just who is this 'Kejōrō' woman? And what's she to Rikuo? Not that it mattered to her… Nope. Not one bit. She didn't care at all about the beautiful, buxom woman who evidently Rikuo knew well.
Apollo's mrow of annoyance at being in the carrier drew her out of her green-eyed thoughts, and when she looked up, Rikuo's gaze met hers. One side of his mouth lifted in a smirk that made her feel a little breathless. "You still owe me a text. I'll be waiting," he said cheekily, and with a quick wave, he shut the car door.
The other two women in the car peered her curiously, and then, Kejōrō asked, "So…where are we headed?"
Natsumi explained the plan to drop off Apollo before going to Kagome's apartment, giving her the address for the shrine, and as they pulled away from the cat sanctuary, Kagome saw Kurotabō join Rikuo outside, both watching as the car drove away.
Rikuo heard the bell chime as the cat sanctuary door opened. "Kejōrō? Really, Kuro?" he asked as the man approached.
"Yuki-Onna was busy with the Arawashi family, plus Kejōrō offered," Kurotabō replied.
Rikuo snorted. "Offered? You mean the nosy woman leapt at the opportunity to see 'Rikuo-sama's miko' firsthand." No matter how many times he denied that Kagome was his anything, the Nuragumi persisted in referring to her that way.
Kurotabō said nothing, a pensive expression on his face. Then, "She has youki."
Rikuo stared at him, bewildered. "Kejōrō?"
The monk sighed deeply. "The miko."
"Oh, okay… Wait, what?! She has Fear? Kagome?" Rikuo asked incredulously. Though, the more he contemplated it, it would explain why her aura had felt off to him.
"Miko and obvious reiki notwithstanding, she most certainly has yokai-centric energy—youki. Whether she is even aware of it, or has used it enough to make it her own Fear… That I do not know."
Rikuo scoffed. "How could she not know? She's a miko."
"Rikuo-sama, have you considered that perhaps she is unaware of her miko abilities?" Kurotabō asked patiently.
It was, in fact, something Rikuo had not considered. He'd just assumed she knew. "If you're right, then she's hardly a threat to the Nura clan," Rikuo said, feeling decidedly pleased at the possibility.
Kurotabō nodded. "However… It is unwise to be hasty and jump to conclusions. You said she met with the Keikain onmyoji? Perhaps he has some insight into whether or not she knows, about either her reiki or youki."
"He referred to her as a miko, but so have we. And…" Rikuo paused, recalling the conversation he'd had with Ryūji. "Now that I think about it, that bastard knew she had youki… And had no intentions of telling me." He sighed, annoyed at both himself for being so obtuse and at the onmyoji for being such a smug asshole.
He saw Kurotabō fight back a smile. "Somehow that does not surprise me. But we can continue this discussion later—Momo and Miki are no doubt waiting, impatiently on Miki's part, to give you a tour."
Rikuo nodded and then grinned. "Oi, Kuro, a thousand yen says that Miki makes a rude or inappropriate comment and Momo gets flustered."
Kuro laughed. "No deal, Rikuo-sama. Now if you want to wager on how many times it happens…"
They headed inside the cat sanctuary, talking in low voices as they worked out the details of the bet.
Author's Notes:
1. Kagome still doesn't know that Kuro and Natsumi are getting married, hence her thinking of him as Natsumi's "boyfriend" rather than fiancé.
2. The cat sanctuary is largely based off one I visited several years ago in Rome—the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. It's an incredibly cool place, and if you ever find yourself in Italy (well, Rome, specifically) and you like cats, I definitely recommend a visit. Obviously some things have been tweaked for the purposes of my story, but that's where the bulk of the inspiration came from.
3. And thank goodness Natsumi did us all a favor and gave Rikuo and Kagome a little nudge in the right direction. We can only hope that Kagome actually does text him sometime within the next century.
Thanks again for reading!