Once upon a time, cat lovers met.
(Skip beat-AU-Christmas-modern-version)
I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.
They live in America, in New-York in this story. Kyoko is 24 and Ren is 26 in this.
Updating his last jumping stunt on his account, he watched his body make standing jumps then grab for the closest climbing wall. Within seconds he threw backward and his body somersaulted in the air before landing safely on the ground again. He played it once more, checking for the last time everything was good and there wasn't any glitch in the video. He was switching to the viewing of final stunt he did today when one of his cats jumped on his shoulders.
Smoke sprawled himself from right to left letting his front paws hang off from Ren's right shoulder and his tail from the other. He ignored it, focused on the stage fight taking place on his laptop. Whiskers came to tickle his ear at some point but he was still busy removing taping of the face of his opponent in the scene. The person had asked for some advises but was originally a model and wasn't allowed yet to show his face, until the contract would end.
The furry pitch black cat dropped from his shoulders with what look like an audible sigh and rubbed himself against Ren's chin. Getting no response whatsoever he finally let himself fall on his side right on the keyboard the user was working with.
Ren lifted an unimpressed brow at his oldest main coon doing a caprice as random letters typed on his screen and as his laptop eventually bugged at the assault. The imposing mighty thing licked his paw before starring straight back at him, clearly stating his good rights to behave like this and even glaring a bit.
"I'm still working" he told him and, as in answer to that, the impressive muscled hairy thing rolled on his back, stretching himself to its most and started to groom himself.
He raised his hands to remove Smoke but his youngest newly adopted kitten, Fluff, a light grey and white main coon, climbed on his desk too. The ruffled tiny cat began to roll on the smooth surface under the steady gaze of Smoke until it managed to stick some of his long hairs in the keyboard.
Ren was ready to intervene when Smoke rolled back on his paws and slowly grabbed Fluff by the nape unfolding the stuck fur swiftly.
Ren rewarded him with a good caress on his forehead and behind the ears and still purring, Smoke jumped down with the kitten still locked in the mouth. He dropped him then and that's when Ren noticed Sweater, his dark grey main coon, also waiting at his feet, sporting a pitiful look.
Ren chuckled and caving with a shook of the head and a smile, he stood.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming. I guess it's diner time" he told them and taking back Smoke in his arms, he headed to the kitchen.
"Thank you for warning me, buddy" he said to Smoke, "I know it's an undignified move for you to stoop to the level of asking to be fed and you did it for the others two because I had been busy for too long. Good cat" he cooed and granted his cat more petting as his graciousness straightened his posture in an even more dignified standing. He then miaowled in agreement and Ren promised him an extra ration of food today.
Later in the evening, he sat on his couch already in his nightwear and started to browse on cats and pets sites on his phone. He needed to look for cat courses to install in his flat. Besides Smoke he took everywhere he went anyway, he didn't have as much time to take them for a walk as in the past and they needed the exercise. The Main Coon breed was also too sought after for him to feel comfortable asking some random stranger to give them in his stead. Especially in New York.
Smoke joined him, laying his belly on backrest of the canape, just behind Ren's head. Soon Fluff came too and curled himself in his lap.
Not finding what he was looking for, he checked his mails, sighing as the repeated request from his model agency to post new picture on his model account. Smirking, he decided to once more follow their orders while escaping them all the same and post group pictures of his latest promotional gig and series of individual pictures of all the models of that shooting. With him in a few of them, of course. But however you looked at it, the focus was never only at him with the way he posted. Either he wasn't the only one on pictures or else there were several other pictures with other models.
He didn't like the constant demands. If it had been once in a while, he might have agreed on doing it but it was mostly nagging at this point. The promos of the ads were supposed to be more than enough to show him off as a model and for the brands to be displayed. But they wanted him to add ten pictures of him by day on a personal account. It had tired him off quickly and he had decided to use a trick.
He didn't have time for that anyway. He was too busy with his stunts job.
Eyeing the dark falling upon Manhattan, he checked the hour and switched to his pets Instagram account with a breath of relief. He posted the last pictures of Sweater and Fluff playing together he had taken yesterday. The small video of Smoke carrying Fluff again followed. It was the only account he was daily active and posting. Even his stunt one, it was only every 3-4 days.
His deft fingers scrolled through the numberless adorable pictures of cats and other pets, taking his time relaxing with the cute videos available. He was beginning to think he would head to bed to read some and wake up early for some work-out when he fell on several advertisements for sites selling cat products. Those weren't the ones he checked earlier so he looked them up a bit but without much result.
He did find some playgrounds for cats but there were small and unfitting. It was merely so cats could play a bit but didn't really work as some true cat course. He needed more than a few panels of wood fixed on one wall. Main Coons were big cats that were used to walk outside a lot. It wasn't possible in the present condition but jumping on one panel then walk to a few others wouldn't even serve as an exercise for them. It would be too easy.
Lifting Fluff from his lap with one palm and making sure of not waking him up, he crossed his legs in frustration. Wasn't there any pet stores selling a proper course for cats in the areas? Should he just buy like twenty times that quantity so it would make a real path on the walls for them?
Thinking he would sleep on it and do some more searches next day, he was about to close the app when a tiny ads appeared at the very bottom of the propositions for pet stores.
Thinking he could just check a last one, he clicked on the image and was sent to an official account broadcasting some of the toys the store was selling. And there, just in the middle of the posts laid a video with a big cat course and a Siamese cat trying it out. He scrolled down more and found 5 other types of cat courses available. He was won over. Ren taped the link to the official site and discovered it was an online store only. No wonder.
That must have been the full reason he didn't fall upon it in his primary researches. He had been looking for stores you could go to try out and see with your own eyes the material before buying it. He should have looked the online only pet shops too. But the only one he had fell upon when he started browsing didn't allow returns so he had quickly modified his search filter.
Ren massaged his neck with a groan. He had been at it for too long. He had been bent to this phone all this time and felt the stiffness and tiredness growing.
He quickly verified the returns policies and was very happy to find every customer had up to three months to send back an article if there was any issue or discontentment with it beside toys.
He spent the following half choosing an appropriate course for his cats as he admired the professional work of the done. Out of the brands of course available, 2 were handmade but an additional time was asked to ship it. The 3 others were still very high quality, in wood and fake fur for the comfy parts, with details explanations of the fabrication, of the potential risks when using a course for the cats, eco-friendly and with different sizes available. On each of them were also advises which breed of cats could appreciate it.
He eventually ordered 3. He lived in the last floor of a building in a penthouse and he had many room to spare so he thought he would be able to set up several. Plus, it would mean they could be all each on their own the times they weren't in sharing mood.
…
His order arrived soon before the end of the first half of November and he came back with Smoke still in harness and carrying a fair amount of big packages.
The headaches begun after that. It has been 3 days since it had arrived, we were November 12th and Ren had managed to set up one out of the three. And despites his best efforts, researches and even the reading of a carpentry book, he was nowhere on the building of the others two. He even tried a forum for cats and looked for past customers. To no avail.
So, with no other choice, he contacted the shipper of the cat courses to ask if there weren't any plans for those he could use or further explanations.
A response came a few hours later barely, saying it was unfortunate but there was no plan for the handmade one as he built it, though the person explained he was currently working on making one. Furthermore, the seller admitted he avoided sending the plan for the other one because it was even more confusing than without it. But he proposed his help if he really couldn't figure it out.
He still asked for the unsent plan; and regretted deeply.
The following day was Saturday and he had the full day off exceptionally. Thus he was contacting the seller right out of bed and sun barely rising.
The person quickly replied and told him they should switch way to communicate. Mails weren't handy to talk this issue out and the seller told him he needed to know where his problems were to be able to help him.
Ren proposed Instagram and asked if he was to go the main account of broadcasting about the pet store but the seller refused. He told him he had hacking issues recently on this account and that it was meant to be only for questions concerning the toys or site and would make it impossible to handle the other request on this account at the same time.
He didn't really understand but accepted right away. It didn't matter to him anyway. He just wanted to help fix this for his kitties.
The seller gave him his other account, Fairy cat girl, and he contacted him from his own cat account, Bubbly main coon worshipper.
The first thing he saw when the account appeared was the cute cats shown in mostly every pictures and videos. There weren't many though. But indeed it was only about cats.
Another thing he noted quickly is that, this person hadn't posted any picture showing his face so far. He understood but also felt kind of a misplaced conflicted feeling when he realized he would have preferred seeing the person's face. Which was highly hypocritical when you knew he was doing the exact same thing with his own cat account.
He was waiting for that person reply when something he hadn't noticed so far stroked him in some of the short videos of the cats present. The hands of that person were feminine 'ones. Not that it mattered but he started to question his exchanges of mails with the seller, wondering if it was actually a woman.
His new assumptions were quickly confirmed when the seller finally replied. That way of wording things was far too thoughtful and sweet for him to believe it was a man at the other end of the chat, unless he was proven otherwise. She also introduced herself soon after and there was no more places for any doubt.
8:45 a.m-
Bubbly main coon worshipper:
"Hello, I'm the buyer of the cat courses. You told me to contact you on this account."
Fairy cat girl:
"Hello sir, just to be sure, if you really are the shipper Tsuruga Ren, of the cat courses with the account number *******, could you please show me a picture of your bill number and the parts of the cat courses, please."
He fetched it quickly and sent of the receipt and a few of the mess at his feet.
Fairy cat girl:
"Thank you sir. I apologize for the immediate lack of trust but we are never careful enough with online transactions. My name is Kyoko Mogami, I'm the seller of the Fairy dust cats store. I'm going to do my best to help you building up of the courses."
The discussion that followed moved forward quickly as she proceeded to give him precise instructions and Ren was quickly able to assemble the handmade course and fixed it to his other wall.
Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky on the last set. The one with a plan that one would better not lay eyes upon it to take back her words. After further discussion on his issues and the clear evidence she wouldn't be able to resolve it from distance, she proposed him some direct help. Sending someone to his flat to figure this out was quickly decided.
They were wrapping the discussion as they settled for an appointment where the person would come though Ren was fast to warn her he most likely wouldn't be there that day.
Fairy cat girl: "No problem. Should I warn the person that will come to be careful of the cats or would they be secluded in one room?"
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "Sure. I usually take one of them with me to my work place but the other two will be there."
Fairy cat girl: "Noted."
They wrapped it up once the 6nd of December was decided and cut off the chat. Feeling satisfied he had at least another course fixed in the meantime; Ren lounged in living room, his cats gathered around his shape.
4 days passed easily as he watched over the using of the courses, happy to notice at least two out of the three liked them.
It was Friday morning. Ren was feeding humid cans food to his cats, or tried to as they were much more intrigued by his plate. Taking turn and desperately attempting to rob him of his breakfast. Ren took a tentative nib at his quickly made sandwich before putting it back on the tiny plate he had retrieved from the cupboard.
Fluff, already in position for a hunt, butt high in the air, tore apart half of the ham in between the two slices of bread and slurped it up in one pull. Snorting, Ren watched as the little thief begun to groom his nose, licking his mouth and rubbing his tiny muzzle with a post-wetted paw with a very smug look.
Giving up, Ren opened back the slices and removing the cheese and ham still inside, he started to cut those in square pieces. Once done, he took the bread and salad from the plate and threw them in the rubbish bin.
He came back and was ready to remove the plate too when surprisingly enough Smoke was taken by a sudden urge to play and went rolling several fruits from their basket. An orange came to his direction and grabbing it with a hand with an amused look, he figured as well eat it and sat back to do so with his coffee.
He felt a chill run up his back and looked at the date. It was cooling down fast. He would turn heater on today and plaids and decorations would be the next things to be brought back down next weekend.
Well, the plaids that weren't constantly present to protect the diverse furniture of his flat or makeshift a cushion or basket for his cats.
Thinking about it, he realized only the festive plaids weren't there. He shook his head. Not having comfy stuff was a contract break when you had cats. If you didn't have suitable, most luxurious and softs textures where they could curl up to sleep, they would make it the vow to stay on you to keep themselves warm. And if you have more than one cat, good dear, they would fight for the warm spot that you were, directly on you. Or in the bed if you were lucky.
Worse, they could nearly disappear from your sight as they sulked in a corner and wouldn't come back until you had more proper settings for them.
He would have hesitated turning up heater already if it wasn't for the cats. But they would vacate his bedroom to move in in bathroom for all winter if he didn't turn it on quick.
He internally laughed at himself. It was ridiculous, really. But Winter months were harder to handle alone. In his big bed, it could become lonely. He stretched his limbs above his head, making crack his neck a bit and pulling a roll on his back until he felt suppler.
He was usually better at loner game.
I guess I could unwind a bit, it's been a while…
A brief thought to seek a more serious companionship for once, started to take shape but he made it deform in an huff of air. Some occasional encounters satisfied his needs most often and he was already labelled as cat man for the majority of women. Thus, unworthy of their times. Because a man just couldn't be normal if he loved cats and had a few. It was as ridiculous as the cat lady concept. The idea a person could be unsuitable for a relationship because they were fond of animals and had a few of their own was just too unfathomable for him to grasp.
A notification pulled him back from his outraged thoughts and warned him of something on his phone. Wondering if it was a new mail, he unlocked his phone.
It was from Fairy cat account. She had apparently posted something new. He knew because he had subscribed to her account. He hadn't been able to resist. She had also several cats and they were so adorable. He had recognized one to be a main coon. A white one. He thought it looked female but as he didn't ask the owner he couldn't be sure. Another one was clearly a Siamese. The last one present in the pictures was of an unknown breed for him.
He watched with a big smile the cute display as the Siamese did some crazy acrobatics while running away from the white one and went to his next location for the stunts of today.
…
November 16th in a much less extravagant side of the city.
She was pulling her hair out. Well not literally as she had her hands full of pastry dough but the situation was maddening. Her assistants had dropped her for the afternoon so she was completely overloaded for the day. She wasn't even supposed to work today, as privilege of the owner, she usually only worked half of the time at the bakery. She didn't have time for that.
She was supposed to update more pictures on her account. She hadn't been very active on it and it saw. But December and Christmas were coming and she couldn't have that. She would already have to close the bakery right in the middle of December and renovations would have to start. And as it was in direct link with kitchen area, she wouldn't be able to cook and stay to cook. So realizing she would be a little short on resources, she had begun to promote her online shop more. Consequently also doing the same with her hobby account, as it still displayed her cats and some of the things available in her shop. She had preferred to keep both accounts separated in the past but didn't have that luxury anymore.
So, since the beginning of November, she had been uploading many more pictures and videos of her cats and it were slowly starting to pay off as more customers got aware of her site.
But it still wasn't completely enough so Kyoko had also proposed her services on some other pet sites. To help some new people with pets or to install some furniture for cats and the such. She usually let it to some special hired people to do this as she didn't fancy going to stranger places. But again, she didn't have much of a choice.
The day dragged on and she felt herself day-dreaming about reuniting with her cats and playing with them more than once during the day until finally, the closing time came.
Later in the evening, when she was back at home and finally snuggling under the covers of her bed with Snow, Moonlight and Staru; she let go of her anxiety and begun to decompress. This was really the best. She made a mini shooting of her cats as her main coon curled and half sprawled on Staru. Though the strong Savannah cat didn't seem to mind and he flattened himself on the mattress to accommodate her as a big purring rumbled out to Kyoko.
She posted the pictures and pulled out her latest purchase with instant setback and boredom: A book on how to make it big on Instagram.
She really would have preferred to enjoy herself with some epic novel of fights and magic or sweet fairy tales but if she wanted to survive the next few months while all her money went in the renovations, she needed to bring more income from her online site. Now, it wasn't all that bad. For something she launched just 3 years ago and had heavy competition with big brands pet stores and food for animals, it was even rising well. It's just her bills were overtopping it all since a month and will still do for at least three more. She rubbed the side of her head. It was so elevate she even had to diminish her food budget and reduce the supplies for the bakery. Consequently, the pastries proposed decreased a bit too. Though she always had been stocking carefully for 'what ifs' so it wasn't seeing much so far.
It would still be a stretch but she could probably make it.
Foreseeing this, she had been diligently following online courses about networking and reading about quantity of books on the subject for two months. And for last month, her customers had increased steadily and her online shop was starting to show in pet trends. So just three weeks ago, she had thought it would pass easily. Be that as it may, the technician she hired announced her some upsurge of cost due to pricey materials needed, to be sure it wouldn't fail the foundations of the bakery. So Kyoko had begun to sweat her energy, literally, into hoisting her income.
She finished the damn book an hour later and closed with a grumble. It hadn't taught her much more than what she already knew. She guessed the only thing remaining to go was taking it to actions even more.
She sighed at the prospect of more exposure happening. Because she just knew there was a risk she wouldn't be able to keep her comfortable privacy at this point. Not if she wanted to tie up the loose ends until March.
She dropped the offensive book on the ground and was about to switch off the lights when her phone buzzed. Once. Twice. Fifth times.
She took hold of her phone. It couldn't be the likes of the recent pictures; she had turned off the notifications for those. Petting Moonlight who had been miaowling as the ungodly ignorance she had been getting, Kyoko frowned when she unlocked her phone. It was still Instagram.
What does this app keep getting past my settings?! How annoying!
But when she got on it, she saw it was a private message. Okay, that was normal. She hadn't blocked private messages from buzzing her phone.
I'll give this to you, damn app…
She tapped on the message. It was from one of her latest customers. The one with cat course troubles.
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "Hello miss Kyoko. I hope it won't be a bother but I couldn't help my curiosity. I recognized the white Main Coon on your pictures and the Siamese. They are females, right? But my biggest interrogation was on which breed was your third one? It looks like a small wild cat or an enormous domestic one, it's very cute."
Kyoko grinned. What a curious customer though she wasn't surprised. It wasn't the first time someone asked her what type of cat was Staru. And adding to that cat owners loved to talk about cats, herself first, all the conditions was filled.
Fairy cat girl: "Hello. You're very right on that. The white Main Coon and Siamese are both females. You are also on point on tiger thing, though the spot dots are alike to cheetah for most. The breed is called Savannah. It's coming from a crossbreed between a Serval-a small wild cat- and a domestic female cat. This one is male."
She got an answer instantly.
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "He looks really long and high on paws."
Fairy cat girl: "It's not just an impression. He is one of the biggest cats existing with Main Coons. Though I have to admit this one is even bigger because it's an F1 generation."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "I'm ashamed as a fan of big cats, I didn't know about this. Which size is he?"
Fairy cat girl:" About 45 at shoulder height. He weight 14 kg."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "That's huge. Compared to a main coon, isn't it different?"
Fairy cat girl: "Yes. The Savannah is taller in height than a Main Coon but shorter in length. It's normally also more robust than a Main Coon. It doesn't have any special illness as it wasn't crossed nearly as much."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "That must not have been easy to get. It looks like such a special breed."
Kyoko laughed at that one.
Fairy cat girl: "Hahaha…It was actually. But not because it usually easy, just because I had some luck."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "Oh? Is it that hard to obtain one? What do you mean by luck?"
Fairy cat girl: "It's not that hard in the States to find a kennel, no. But the difficulties reside in the price. You can count between 2400 and 24 dollars to buy one depending on the animal breeding and the generation the cat is issued to. I would have never been able to put that on the table. This one, I adopted it. The former owner wanted to throw him away when he was barely 3 months."
What Kyoko didn't say was the owner could have asked her still a fair price for it and didn't. She didn't think he had cared very much how to get rid of it at some point. She had felt he just wanted to ditch it and if someone wanted it, suit them. If she was being honest, Kyoko didn0t think either the man had been really aware of the worth Staru had. He had been so young at the time, for someone who didn't know breeds, it was easy to not recognize it.
For her, he was priceless anyway. He was such an adorable and playful boy. Always so patient with Moonlight and Snow. Females could be so difficult at time and she was very lucky he was so laid-back. Savannahs weren't usually. They were ball of excitement and energy. Oh, he did have energy and much more strength than any other cat she had known. But often, he was also very chill. Personality of a cat really did make everything.
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "I'd love to see one, one day. He looks very relaxed. On the site I just looked it up, it says they are usually very playful and energized."
Fairy cat girl: "Oh, he is. But that's right; he's quieter than his breed usually is. I'm thankful for it though as I can't always be around with the online shop and the bakery."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "A Bakery. You mean you are working at a bakery on top of the online shop and the designing?"
And once more person who was being an ass about holding a bakery, she was going to let it go this time!
Fairy cat girl: "Yes. I know I'm young! But I inherited it from my mother who didn't want it after my grandmother died."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "I don't see anything wrong in this. Why would I criticize your job, miss? And I don't even know your age."
Fairy cat girl: "I apologize, sir. I get quite the doubtful critics about the fact I own a bakery at my age and I got on edge instantly. I'm only 25."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "And I'm only 27 miss. You don't need to always call me sir. There is no need for that. I know I ordered something from your shop but I would feel awkward if someone of nearly my age refused to use the familiar form. It would be totally fine with me if you call me by my name and I would do the same for you."
Fairy cat girl: "Alright, if you are sure then I will call you Ren."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "I'm sure. And in passing, rather than doubting you, I was in fact impressed you were doing so many things at the same time. Holding the bakery, sending packages for your online shops, working on making new objects for cats and caring for your cats as they aren't as independent as some. It's quite a busy schedule you have there. So, it was actually a compliment."
Fairy cat girl: "Oh. Sorry and thank you I guess. I behave like an ass without any calling. And yes, it's kind of busy. But I'm not working full-time at the bakery, only half of the time. And I have big renovation started in the house holding the bakery and my flat so I don't have much of a choice. I hope I'm not oversharing. As you asked, I answered."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "You aren't. I was actually curious and it makes more sense how you could fill all of this. So…The cats in fact have access to the pastries..? Dangerous…^^"
Fairy cat girl: "Dear lord, no. If I can help it, they don't. I'm doing my best for them to not penetrate into it in fact."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "But it's cats. They entered. You stood no chance."
Fairy cat girl: "Hahaha…I didn't. You don't let me disillusion myself. I distract them with treat and toys, it usually works. Mostly. Half of the time."
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "My apologizes that I had broken your head-in-the-sand purposeful move hahaha…They do not enter the bakery. Never and ever. Did I fix it?"
Fairy cat girl: "Why do I get the impression you are quite the tease, Ren?"
Bubbly main coon worshipper: "Because you have the sharp eyes of a cat?"
They continued to chat about cats for a while as she explained to him the differences between a classical Savannah-which Staru wasn't in her mind- and other breed. She told him she had specialized in the cat courses when she had realized how much Staru needed it to exert himself. They shared anecdotes about their cats. They both possessed cats with a demanding and clinging attitude so they could easily relate.
Then the conversation begun to deviate to more human matters about they did in life and how they accommodated their needy cats in it. Because they just couldn't help themselves, cats were always involved. Kyoko eventually checked his account and gushed over the three imposing and beautiful Main Coon.
They chatted easily for a little more than hour and then also the following days. Sharing funny things their cats did that morning or this one. She thought he wouldn't contact her again. Or at least until the man in charge of helping him fix the last course would have come. But instead he kept talking to her.
To be fair, she wasn't displeased by it. Quite the contrary in fact. She was even looking forward to their talks each day. They had several common ground points and he seemed like a mature person which was relieving in a way she hadn't imagined. You couldn't guess what sort of customers she was dealing with in her day-to-day life. So the levelled-headed man was a refresh. Plus he could appreciate the solace of solitude all right.
Five days passed and they kind of became online buddies while Kyoko stepped up her game even more on the postings. Her friend, Kanae, even advised her to just plainly make videos with her clearly in them and stop hiding behind camera. She had even proposed to be the one to film her while she would be playing with her cats. She was pondering it but still wasn't very fond if the idea. That account was for the cats, what if people didn't like what she looked like and stopped going to her online shop because of it?
Still, she knew it was serving as a con for her as most people did it and as it brought down the quantity of videos and made it harder to film naturally her cats.
She kept thinking about it while pulling from the sliding drawer the cookie cutters for the new batch she would be making.
The last days of November were nearing and she wanted to try out the Christmas cookies she would be making once before putting them to sell.
She put flour in a jar, added bicarbonate, almond powder then oranges zests and cinnamon. Did the same for another batch but with rice floor this time and adapted the amount before adding cocoa powder instead of almond one. Then in another dish she penetrated sugar into room temperature butter and whipped it all with yolks and orange juice. She poured half of the gooey liquid in each flours and added white chocolate chips in the rice mixture once properly mixed.
She let both doughs rest in the refrigerator for two hours while she started the process of making the icing.
She was sorting out colours and tastes when her phone chirped. Since she hadn't her hands full yet, she picked it up and grinned.
FCG(Fairy cat girl): "Hi Ren."
BMCW(Bubbly Main Coon worshipper):"How are your cats doing?"
FCG: "Pawing at the closed door of the bakery's kitchen while miaowling their souls out."
BMCW:" I'm still amazed you can resist their cries and refuse them the access to the glory kitchen. I gave up long ago. They do as they please and even steal my breakfast time to time without any complain from me. I can't resist their 'poor martyrized puppy faces'."
FCG: "That's enslavement. Are you telling me you aren't eating properly? There is a limit; you cannot skip meals because of your cats or whatever. It's important. Especially as a stuntman as you exercise a lot."
BMCW: "Haha…What a cute worrywart you are. I'm not hungry usually. I'm pretty sure the contract signed with our cats stipulate absolute devotion and servitude, right? Or did you get a more advantageous deal? Be honest."
FCG: "Sigh…Sanitary obligations when owning a business, Ren. I don't have a choice. Even if, yes, I would prefer to have them near me. Happy?"
BMCW: "Genuineness is always a great thing to receive. What are you up to? Your replies seem sparse thus the reason I'm asking."
FCG:" Go eat something now, I'm worried you will pass away out of starvation soon otherwise. I'm making the icing for my new winter cookies. GO EAT!"
BMCW: "I'm flattered you care about my wellbeing but I'm alright. I'm not much of an eating person."
What was that man going at? It didn't make any sense. How could he not eat? It was pure insanity. And with all the work-out he did in one day…
FCG: "Everyone is an eating person! You don't survive if you don't nourish yourself! Just eat an apple or something if you aren't hungry."
BMCW: "I can assure you I'm good. So you are making cookies, would nearly make me hungry but just nearly."
FCG: "Eat! Or I'm not answering anymore…"
BMCW: "…Fine. You win, Kyoko. I'll go eat something."
FCG: "Good."
A reply came back half an hour later as she had just finished the first half of the preparation of the icing.
BMCW: "You're pretty bossy when you want…"
Kyoko feared she had mingled too much suddenly and apologized.
BMCW: "Not necessary. I like someone who can affirm her ideas. I was astonished because you are always so sweet and endearing otherwise, I didn't expect it. But I should have known it. From what I've got, you are pretty stubborn after all…It's also pretty sexy.-smirk emoji-."
Kyoko didn't know why but she blushed at his comment and thought for a second he was flirting with her. But it wasn't first time he made nice comments about her since they began to talk and she kind of concluded he was the compliment type. At least it really flowed out of him so naturally she just couldn't imagine any other reason. It was so flawless she never knew when she would receive one and consequently couldn't avoid them. Ren's way of speaking also regularly hits her as artfully chosen.
FCG: "You've got a smooth tongue mister."
BMCW: "Really? Now, the question is: does it work on you? Or rather, I wonder…"
Work on me? What does he mean? What was he pondering? He was taking his time, cutting his sentence with a heavy break. Was he hesitating about something?
FCG: "You wonder?"
She insisted as she put her first batch in the oven.
BMCW: "Would you still think of it that way if we were to meet in person? Because I can promise you-…"
FCG: "You can promise me?"
BMCW: "…The crafts and skills of a tongue's moves have no secret to me…"
She went beet-red as she read and re-read the message again and again unable to come to any other conclusion that the innuendo blatantly dropped in her lap.
What the hell is the man sprouting about?!
She could nearly imagine the deep suave voice whispering to her ear the devilish things, ingratiating and full of promises. A shudder run down her back and she shook the feeling off.
It was ridiculous. She had never heard the man's voice, she couldn't know what type of voice he had. On the contrary, she most likely fantasying this and maybe he even had high-pitched tone.
She must have read it wrong, seriously, it couldn't be what she thought she was reading, right? But the words wouldn't bulge, wouldn't change.
She sent a few blushing emoji and didn't type any more words, unable to formulate a proper answer to this.
BMCW: "Did I tick you off?"
She shook her head then stopping with a start, she replied a short no and he hummed in answer before going back to innocent chatting though a compliment still slipped here and there from him.
She finished her biscuits and iced them and when he surprisingly asked to see them, she took a picture and sent it.
BMCW: "Ohh. Its fairies winter cookies. It's beautiful."
FCG: "Right? Right?! It is, right! I wanted to immortalize how fairies look like on the biscuits."
She gushed about all the fairies she imagined and how precise it needed it to be.
BMCW: "You're very cute."
She blushed again.
She even briefly evoked her childhood fairy friend and Ren listened to her religiously, very acceptant of her gushing and fondness towards fairy creatures. She was very grateful for this. She couldn't really talk about this to Kanae, she wasn't interested. Even cats weren't her cup of tea. She didn't dislike them but didn't understand Kyoko's love for them. She would much rather prefer a home without any pet. She thought it was too much of a hassle, like a child to cater for.
They continued to chat regularly to each other. Getting titbits of each other life along with the ones of their cats. But little by little Kyoko felt an awareness rising as she realized she wanted to know the man more. That she felt curious about him and enjoyed tremendously their talks. But she couldn't do anything about it, she had realized it too late. Now she felt too attached. She liked how much he liked his job and his cats. It made her laugh he was even more of a cat-moron than her and couldn't refuse a thing to his main coons. She loved his way of talking and his kindness and tactful ways. Hell, she even loved his teasing.
She thought about keeping her distance but he wouldn't let her and she gave up quickly on that idea. Though Kanae tried to convince her to just do that several times after she told her she stupidly got attached to an online buddy.
But the dam broke some time later. Ren was at a set, playing double for an actor risky scene and she asked what sort of stunt it was. When he named it and she didn't get it, he threaded a detailed explanation of what the stunt consisted of.
FCG: "That must necessitate heavy hip work." She had said impressed by the way that move sounded.
It had taken him some time to reply and when he did it was with a lot of broken in laughs emoji.
BMCW: "…I swear you just did this on purpose…"
When she failed to understand what he meant by that, he replied her former comment.
BMCW: "You're right. Strong hips are needed and I happen to have them…And it would be my upmost pleasure to demonstrate it to you…"He had typed with no shame whatsoever.
This time, even her roots had been turning scarlet but she had resolved herself to clear it up so she asked the question. She fell in her own trap, it was her fault anyway.
FCG: "…Are you-…Flirting with me?"
He had replied instantly.
BMCW: "What if I 'am?"
FCG: "I don't believe you!"
She had closed the app without explaining her more and had avoided to connect again for 3 days now. She refused to believe it. He didn't even know what she looked like. How could he be hitting on her so-so seductively and so repeatedly?
That's right. It must have been a scam. He had been making fun of her to spend time and that was it. It didn't' fit the character but to think he could have been serious was even more absurd.
There was just no way he was hitting on her so passionately without having ever seen her. Plus she was pretty sure he would even have less done that if he had seen her appearance.
She decided to focus on her jobs. The dates for some of the special errands she had accepted were coming and she didn't have time for this anymore anyway.
PS: Hello dear readers and merry holidays. It will be the first part of this fur kind of-Christmas fic. Normally, it will only be 2 part. I hope to not make more. I'm still working on next chapter of Evolving to reach each other, don't worry, I'm not forgetting.
Kisses everyone. I wish you a merry Christmas and an happy New Year. Hope it will a better one for everyone.
Xoxo.
Mimagfan.
AUTHOR OUT.