A/N: Hello, guys! I can't believe how long this has been sitting on my laptop. Every day I've been planning to return to it, but could not find the time. It has been a while since I finished Death Parade, so there might be few mistakes in the last part.
Anyway, to the fic: it was intended as a prequel for something longer, where the main pairing would be Clavis/Ginti - but since I have too many long-fics on my plate, you should not expect that made soon. But still, I've left a few of those original plot points in this fic. And while I absolutely think Ginti's a bastard, I still can't bear to see him without his favorite pet. So I decided to send him a replacement - one that will cause him just as much trouble as help.
Memine runs gracefully (Cats must always exclude grace. Every movement they perform, every twitch of the ear, every lick of the tongue has been well-planned. Tiring, but such is the life of royalty.) towards the moving box. The Pale Miss always disappears in it, when she wants to leave the Red boss. A green giant leaves through the open doors and Memine enters.
'Shiny,' meows she. Light comes from the celling of the moving box and Memine looks at it. Much brighter than in Memine's home. No wonder the Pale miss likes it so much. Yet the moving box lacks so many critical furniture! Where are the food bowl and the toilet and the fluffy bed? No, giants hide their food bowls from others in scary dark places, where it is too dangerous for Memine.
The cat's curious (because cats must also be always curious) gaze looks at the buttons on the wall. Buttons are used for guests. How could so many giants fit? They would be more stuffed than sardines.
Memine licks her paw, imagining all the sardines, dressed like guests. Tasty!
The Pale Miss does not come – very rude of her. Why is she so inconsiderate? Memine has taken the Miss as her new giant, but she left her in the box. Should Memine return to the Red Boss?
'No,' meows she once again – quietly and gracefully, so that the Red boss will not hear; he is conscious about her opinion. 'The Red Boss is mean. Memine will live with the Pale Miss because she did not lie to the Gentle Girl. Cats never doubt. They are inevitably in the right, and the two-legged giants are in the wrong. The Red Boss hurt the Gentle Girl and Memine will leave him.'
The doors open once again. Memine turns around and jumps, ready to fall in the Pale Miss's hands. She is a short giant, so Memine aims lower and…
'Meow!' She says a quite curious but absolutely not graceful word because her head has hit a giant's leg.
"Oh, hello," the green giant turns to Memine. She hides in the corner, giving him her meanest glare. It always wards off scary guests and even the Red boss has shivered in front of her. Memine smirks (as much as a cat could) and watches the green unknown.
The green smiles and pets Memine on the back. "Have you run away from Ginti? I can't risk leaving you alone. Guess we'll stay together until we find you a proper place!" He smiles even wider and for a second Memine looks at him confused. No, the Pale girl should be Memine's giant – not the green one! And Ginti? Who is he?
The green hugs Memine and presses one of the buttons. Memine jumps as the room starts moving. "Hm?" frowns the green man for a moment, but in the next smiles once again, "Don't worry. It's safe – I have operated it for hundreds of years without accidents. There was that time Ginti's clothes got stuck in the door and ended torn off. Then he shouted and tried to drown me with my own spit," Green laughs, "yet the view made it worth."
Spit? The water in people's mouths – only Red Boss can direct that! Has Ginti copied the red boss? Memine prepares to fight – she needs to find that Ginti and make him pay, because of the Red Boss… No, the Red Boss is mean! He does not deserve Memine's revenge!
Memine cowls at the edge of the nightmare box. He strokes her once again – it feels pleasant. No guest has had so smooth skin – their bodies felt rugged and stiff. Green smiles – warm, but mischievous, like a kitty's…
"Who's the sweetest kitty in the world? It's you, Memine, aren't you?"
Memine purrs. Green makes her feel comfortable and he is so homely – like Kitty Mom, who cared for Memine…
She meows proudly, happy that she has found the answer. Green is another Kitty Mom! That's why he has such soft skin (but too little fur; he must be some strange breed) and a so curious smile (all cats have to be).
"Terribly sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a kitty," Green says, but then thinks for a second. "Yet it would be nice to live as one; lie all day and be petted and looked after…"
Green is not a kitty? Naturally – Memine can't believe she's made such a mistake. Green looks as huge as giants – he is a grown-up cat! "Meow!" Memine says, even prouder.
"No, you flatter me, but I am not a cat at all," Huge Cat turns to Memine and she sees his smile has broadened even more – like a Cheshire Cat's (and he insists he's not a cat – liar!).
Memine sits at the corner, purring very wisely. If the Huge Cat is not a cat, then what can he be? Some rare breed of a giant?
"A giant?" Huge Not-cat asks, somewhat confused. "Oh, you mean me! Don't worry – I'm a gentle giant."
All giants are gentle with Memine! Does Not-cat think she is foolish? Memine looks at him with a stare that will make fish boil in the sea. Not-cat laughs at Memine. How dare he? Giants must respect cats because cats always will overcome them at everything. She hisses and arches her back, warning the giant. If he does not stop, then she will make him pay. There will be liters of blood and many starches!
Not-cat laughs once again and Memine jumps.
Where is Clavis? Nona glances at the elevator doors opposite her with enough rage to shame even Ginti. So angry that she cannot stand still, Nona walks back and forth in front of the doors. She has to make plans, outsmart second-to-God fools and reform a corrupt afterlife system! What time does she have to wait?
Nona breathes, trying to calm herself. Throwing her fiery rage on the nearest object will not help. But the weird smile on Chavvote looks like it will burn brightly…
No, she cannot afford to light bonfires. If she starts one, she will have to invite Castra. Then she will blow it out of proportion, helping Nona burn all the junk of the past (not everything in the attic is junk!). Nona can do it in secret – but then Castra will find with her observing program and pout for days to come.
Few bags of candy could fix that – with that addict candies fix every problem – but there's no time to send Clavis for them…
Taking a phone from her pocket, Nona starts making notes. She needs more candy for Castra; plus, she has promised another bottle of human whiskey to Quin. It would be easiest to send Clavis shopping. Then, there's the billiard with Oculus; the loser still believes he could win over her.
Later, she has to find a new arbiter after Novem moves to the administrators (at least he will be Castra's problem after that). There's some free time before her last task – she'll go grab a celebratory drink by Decim and check on his guest…
"Terribly sorry to keep you late. Where to today?" The familiar voice snaps Nona out of her plans. She enters the elevator and looks at Clavis. His whole face is covered in scratches. A bloody wound reaches all the way from his cracked lip to his eye. And yet he still wears that foolish smile.
"We're going to the Void. I must repair you once again." A whole day of planning sent to the dogs! Clavis cannot enter the human world in such a miserable state. At least, Castra will take care of finding Novem's replacement (but that means more candy). Oculus can wait a few more days (or in best case – years; Nona doesn't like being around him at all). "How did you end up so broken, Clavis?"
A voice meows. "Oh, right," he says with his musical voice and takes an affectionate cat, "can we keep her?"
Ginti's cat (Meowmine? Meowine? However it was called.) jumps straight into Nona's rather unwilling arms. "Clavis," she speaks like he is a young kid and not an immortal being as old as only Oculus, "Ginti shows affection only for that cat. Return it to him as soon as possible, or he will end up even more unbearable."
"But she already prefers us! She says Ginti is mean and she will not return to him." Clavis smiles warmly enough to melt an icy heart – but arbiters lack even that. Yet Nona has no time left to argue as she has stretched her hectic schedule too much…
"We can keep the cat. For a brief time. Imagine Ginti without his beloved pet." Arbiter's imagination has always been limited – another of Oculus' prospects. But even Decim could foresee the disaster.
Clavis only smiles as he takes the key to the Void. A mischievous smile. Nona recognizes the meaning perfectly. She moves all her duties for tomorrow one day later, replacing them with 'Ginti Disaster Management'.
She can stop Clavis – in theory, she's his superior. In practice the process would take too much time, requiring even more bribery and time – she doesn't have that. It would be faster to let her valet do whatever he wants and leave him and Ginti clean the confusing mess later.
Ginti sits tiredly on his chair. The last guest's judging took too much time – why did Castra think it was a clever idea to direct him that bastard Light! When Ginti received his memories he knew the teen had headed directly for the Void. After a half-hearted game, about which Nona should not learn (not that Ginti dreads her. He can defeat her whenever he wants – she merely wastes his timer, that's all), he sent him to the deepest pit of… something. No one – not even Nona or the lotus grandpa – knows what lies in there.
Now Ginti wishes only to rest. He extends an eager hand to pet his little kitty but stops. Right – the black fur loaf betrayed him for that girl and ran Oculus knows where! Ginti has ever needed her – he can torment the guests all alone. Alone. In his bar. The water slowly flows. Waves build up the crashing echo in the corners, raising it higher. It piles to the ceiling, filling every room to bursting with not-loneliness. Alone - but Ginti needs nobody.
The evaluator door opens. Ginti jumps at the ring and runs there, only because he wants to end the stupid visit as soon as possible. He does not seek the company, nope! After all, it's either the bossy gal or her strange servant.
"What do you want? Speak, or I'll…" The threat falls in the air. Empty, huh? Do those evaluators get errors? One time when his shirt did stick in the door, but Clavis was guilty - he wanted to push Ginti further. Well, not Ginti's problem.
He retreats to his lonely den and sits on the cramped chair. His hand reaches to pet Memine - the soft fur he ruffles soothes him dow…
"Meow!"
Even before Ginti turns around, he has recognized the irritating voice. "What are you," he asks Clavis, "doing here?"
The smiling creep points at his fake cat ears and the ugly bell he has tied around his neck. "Isn't it clear? I'm going to serve as your cat replacement until Memine comes back!" He doesn't lie on the bar chair like a cat -he won't fit - but he nonetheless tries. "Will you let me again?"
Time doesn't flow in the afterlife, but for Ginti it is far too early. "Go away." Ginti growls. "Or I'll snap you in two."
Clavis leans too close. What are those ugly marks on his face?
"You have drawn yourself whiskers?" Why did Ginti ask? Naturally, Clavis has.
He pretends to purr - those cat-like mannerisms fit him well - but it's still far too early. And probably will stay forever. "Please, pet me again. Cats enjoy this." He leans close again.
Ginti thrusts him back. "Leave me… -" he shouts, but Clavis quenches his gruff reply.
"Alone. You were going to say that. No person can bear with loneliness for long." Clavis' smile seems as wide as ever, but - Ginti swears - it has never been closer to a frown.
"We aren't people, are we? I don't need to entertain myself. Especially you." Ginti turns back. He can't make Clavis leave - he listens only to Nona - but nothing says he must show him personal attention.
"I can prove you don't want me to leave."
No! Don't turn! Yet as the say, curiosity kills the cat. Although Ginti might kill the too affectionate cat this time.
"You can't. I don't want you anywhere close to me."
"Really? Because you haven't attacked me with your powers so far. And you stayed here to talk with me. Does the clever kitty get a pet?" Another fake purr.
"Leave." A loss of time, as Ginti had predicted. He storms out of the bar - at least, he would, if Clavis didn't take his hand. "Why are you still here?"
"No person can bear with loneliness for so long," Clavis repeats his used line like a spell. "You can use a little company. After Memine left you, -"
"Leave!" Ginti punches his beautiful wall; later he will argue with Nona about repairs. "She ran away. Don't you understand why?" Even Clavis won't stay after this show. "Because she knows I am a cruel bastard!" The raging water in the bar crashed, endless repeats of destructive tsunamis in distance. Nothing to damage the place too much, but just enough for the effects. "The joke's not worth it, right?" The cruel smile on Ginti's haggard face, disfigured into a horrific grin, always works on guests.
Except that green bastard does not know when to stop. "You think this is a joke." His expression - again warm - lights up. "Haven't I repeated it enough? I'm not pranking you - I'm here because I care for you."
"Care? About me?" The cruel joke is so boring that Ginti has to laugh. "How crazy must you be if you genuinely care about someone like me?"
"Nona has always said I'm not the most normal person." Clavis replies
Ginti scoffs. But he doesn't say anything when Clavis pushed himself under his palm.