A/N: Sorry, I got caught up in a work issue and forgot to upload yesterday. although since I'm GMT+11, it might still be Friday for most of you :)

Enjoy.

The Curse of the Cat

021. Born

Koichi awoke feeling drained; his chest still ached, but his body had warmed under the blankets and quelled the shivers raking his body. The comfort far outweighed the dull ache though; it was another thing associated with the form of the Cat, but at least that wasn't wholly disadvantageous. After all, cats craved warmth, and sunlight…and the sun was streaming in through the open curtains to add to that effect.

Too comfortable to want to leave really; he wanted his mind to lull away into shadow waves and settle back into sleep.

A disadvantage to that attraction to warmth was the ease at which his skin burnt without his notice, leaving open new doorways to infections. Sunburn was a given even with long sleeves and a cap covering his face in the summer; it was unavoidable even if he did manage to stay indoors the entire season. Somehow just having the winders open on an especially hot day resulted in leaving burns along his exposed (and sometimes unexposed) skin…typically down his face and neck and arms. Soaking them with cold water was entirely unpleasable, and he would gladly put up with the burns and the comfort of dry warmth if his skin wouldn't sting in the dry air afterwards…or swell with fluid and tinge green. Even between their best efforts, his skin managed to attract infections throughout the summer like mosquitoes; he was luckier in winter, but the months left him feeling drained and despondent. And it didn't help matters that New Year's fell within that time.

But there was nothing to be done but tolerate it all, because he could not control his circumstances for birth any more than his mother – parents – could. All he could do was accomplish something, find a purpose in something, within his life.

After all, nothing lasted forever. And that warm fuzzy feeling drained away, leaving his body even more exhausted but his mind somewhat more alert to the nurse's questions and his mother's worry.

And he would have to get up soon in any case, if only because his mother was taking him home.

022. Murmur

There was something comforting about having nonsensical phrases murmured in one's ear in a half-conscious state. It was reminiscent of one's childhood, before they learnt to comprehend speech and all words were the same. Something soothing about hearing to g one's mother sing lullabies in a soft year while stroking the few strands of hair that clung to a still strengthening skull.

Even eleven years later, feeling those soft fingers through a firmer head of hair and whispers his mind failed to understand – maybe his mother was speaking too quietly, or maybe she was recalling himself as a baby being gently coaxed to sleep. Either way, it was warm and gentle and lulling all the same, just enough to sleep without thinking of anything else.

023. Devious

As the younger brother, Shinya got very few opportunities to come up on top of his brother, and he was not one to pass up the opportunity when it showed.

As such, it was with great pride and little regret that he snuck up to the taller form. 'Mum's going to be ma-ad,' he sung loudly, causing his brother to whip around and scowl and several stragglers to give them curious looks.

'Be quiet Shinya,' Takuya muttered, turning again.

'But you goy sent to the principal's office again.'

'I didn't do anything,' the other grumbled. 'But did anyone listen to me? Not to mention Kobayashi used it as an excellent opportunity to get me into trouble again.'

'What did happen?' Shinya asked, having enough experience with his elder brother to know that "didn't do anything" had a vast array of meaning.

'Not sure.' Takuya shrugged. 'We turned up in time to see him knock an asthma inhaler out of somebody's hand…I think the Vice-Principal said his name was Kimura? But he was having an asthma attack by the looks of things –' The brunet clenched his fists. 'Shoving someone around under normal circumstances in one thing, but people die of asthma attacks.'

Shinya was silent at that; not only was it really not his brother's fault in the least, even if he did punch the other's living daylights out, but he was right. That boy had crossed a second line; the first was picking on his best friend.

Hold on…

'Kimura?' he repeated. 'Isn't that the name Tommy told us yesterday?'

The two brothers looked at each other. Apparently, the world was small as well as cruel.

'But you still got a detention.'

'Yes, because he never passes up the chance to get me in trouble.'

A pause.

'Why don't you like him?'

'Do you have to ask?'

Yes, he did. Because that dislike came before they found out about him bullying Tommy.

024. Isolation

The house, and his bedroom in particular, felt dark and empty. Not in the sense that it was bare; he had a rather large stuffed lion in one corner, complete with mane thinning with age. He had a photo on his desk, beside a lamp and before an assortment of books and stationary. Some of those books were his own: novels and even a couple of picture books treasured from his childhood. The futon was spread out on the floor, and he had a few other miscellaneous items scattered about; his school uniform was, albeit neatly, cast over his chair and a nice warm jacket was hanging behind the door.

But, even though the apartment was small for the average household and its rooms even more so, the room lacked something personal within it.

Except perhaps the darkness itself.

But he had never really put much effort into personalising it; one had to understand themselves first, picture themselves in a positive light, and that was something he preferred not to attempt. Somehow, the ambiguity was comforting…usually. But that afternoon the shadows were taunting. Suffocating.

He pushed the covers tiredly off his body, seeking solace in the company of his mother instead. It was a common occurrence; when he had a nightmare he would thereafter crawl under the covers with her and she would comfort him, tenderly stroking his hair or fur and rubbing soothing circles into his back.

The empty space next to her was also a painful reminder of the state of their family.

'Mum?' he half asked, half whispered into her bosom. His mind was still somewhat fogged by the need to rest: a consequence of an asthma attack and the medication he had taken thereafter. He would be fine in a few hours, if even that…but there were times when the state he currently possessed was far more welcome than his normalcy. Even as he continued his statement, his mind was only half paying attention to the words of his heart. 'I think I saw Koji today.'

Tomoko stifled a gasp at that, half sitting up. Koichi however did not move, the black cat curled into a languid ball in the crook of her arm.

'You have less than a year left,' she said finally.

'I know, but…I don't want to fight him.'

Silence again. Tomoko sat up fully, gathering the Cat into her lap and stroking the fur. 'I can't tell you what to do,' she said quietly. 'I don't know, and I wish to God I did. But you know the consequences; if you don't fight and win, you'll be locked in that room for the rest of your life.' Blue eyes met blue; it was fortunate that the phenotype did not bring about deafness in the cat as was the norm. One was shadowed with fatigue, the other with worry and diluted pain.

'I wish you could have gone far away.'

'I couldn't. I can't leave you Mama…'

The tone was soft, drowsy, but oh so tender, and it make her heart wail.

She wished he could to; maybe if he had been willing, they could have found away to escape the large realm of influence that tied them down. For her, anything was better than her son isolate forever, but he would not leave her, or his grandmother.

The only other option then was to defeat the Rat, and she couldn't, despite being a mother to both, wish for the Rat to win. Nor could she wish the tie of brotherhood be strong enough for the Cat to forever refrain. As a mother, she knew it was still a rather large possibility.

After all, isolation was his greatest fear, and no amount of reason worked in its face.

025. Starve

Katsuharu came home to pandemonium. Two sisters, one older and one younger but far more achieving in the academics, were arguing about something. Their mother was alternating between chasing the two youngest brothers, a pair of twins at the mischievous age of three, and their rather unhelpful and bratty six year old elder brother. Their father was, presumably, still at work; his shoes at least were absent, but he rarely added to the pandemonium of the house anyway.

No, they had a dog to help out, currently attempting to claw his way up to a late lunch to no-one's notice. Except Katsuharu.

His "I'm home" went unheard; only the dog barked a brief greeting when he came over to rescue the other from its plight, and that was before it fell upon the food as though starved.

He departed a little while later to a little changed situation; only the dog had eaten his fill and curled up on the living room mat. His detention slip was left on the table; like everything else, it would probably be forgotten…assuming it was one of the lucky bits of paper concerning him that were read at all.