Sharp rings mutilated the silence as Nepeta's alarm shrieked for attention. It earned itself a sharp rap upon itself as Nepeta flailed an arm, finding the 'silence' button. With a groan she pulled her green pillow over her messy cinnamon hair in a futile attempt to block out the sun's harsh rays. She was sure that she had closed the curtains the nigh before to prevent the light from illuminating her room. Apparently not. The shifting of her legs brought out a cranky little mew as she unintentionally prodded Pounce's tired body..
"Errgh... 'morning, Pounce.." She removed the pillow from her face and forced herself to sit up, slouching slightly. As she stretched, she examined her messy room with little interest. The eggshell walls were covered with large posters of her favorite animes and TV shows. Pictures of her favorite places and friends dominated her ceiling, as well as some green and purple Christmas lights she had salvaged from her mother's storage closet. Her lamp was plastered with little stickers of cats and other cute little critters. Books and useless pieces of paper littered her floor, as well as a couple DVD cases and clothing, begging to be washed. Granted it was a mess, but it was better than the cramped bedroom she had when she inhabited a tiny apartment with her mother. And the messy appearance made it seem just as cozy as any other room in her house. Equius gave her a hard time about her home's cleanliness, threatening that if she hadn't picked up the place by the time he showed up again, he'd sweep through the entire building and spiffy up the place. Granted, it was a tempting offer, but her home didn't feel like home without a little pile of nothings here and there. Besides, what was the use in cleaning when she ended up trashing it in the next second? It got her nowhere. Besides, Pounce De Leon seemed to like it. Well. A little. Nepeta didn't know what went on in her kitty's little head, it was a mystery! An unfathomable mystery.
With a long, squeaky yawn, she lazily removed her person from her bed and moved to shut her blinds. She tip-toed around the worn comics with careful footing and held out her arms for balance. Hee, how silly she must have looked with her hair kinked in different directions.
"Today," she announced sleepily. "I am going to get on my laptop, and watch Nyan Koi. Aaaall day. All day. And I'll finish the series, and then, I will make lunch. Yes. That sounds awesome." She raised her arms above her head and tensed her body into another stretch. "Laaaaaaaaaaaaazy daaaaaaaaaaaay, Pouncy girl, Tuesday is going to be a lazy day, yaa-" Her friendly nonsense was interrupted by the sound of a ring tone. Her ring tone, to be precise! There was no mistaking the sound of the familiar tune. "-ay. Who in the world could be calling so early?" She picked up her electric blue phone and studied her screen, rubbing her left eye to chase away the blurry image.
Oh. Why was Karkat calling..? Her heart fluttered to life, and she could feel warmth upon her cheeks. She snapped out of her daze with a sharp shake of the head as her phone continued to ring impatiently.
"Helloooo?"
"Nepeta, I wanted to remind you that we're meeting up tomorrow." A pause. "I'm also going to look over your notes."
"Which ones..?"
"Uh, your fucking math notes? That I clearly ordered you to write down?" Oh shoot!
"Oh those notes! Right I've been working hard on them!" She didn't have the courage to tell him that she only studied for about fifteen minutes before she found something else to do. That something happened to be role playing online. Exactly what he told her not to do. Hee hee...
"Good. Alright I'll be happy with at least three pages covered in formulas. I don't care if they're right- Wait, no, agh." She heard him mutter something quickly, his mouth muffled by something, most likely his hand. It made her giggle.
"Not enough sleep, Karkat?"
"As usual," He admitted. "Alright, enough about my poor sleeping habits, all that matters is that you're getting some studying down. Your grades will be up before you know it."
"You called just to tell me that?"
"Well, excuse me for being troubled with the thoughts of my friend flunking college. Oh but you know, I shouldn't give a single fuck about whatever the hell you feel like doing. Don't mind me, I'm just trying to be a good person, something I happen to suck at."
"Karkat, it's not like that. I'm just a little shocked you called so early in the morning." It was silent on the other side of Nepeta's little phone. Well, not completely silent. She could hear the silent chattering of people on Karkat's side, betraying the fact that he was currently in a class.
"It's eleven o' five, idiot."
"What?" She squeaked, looking over back at her alarm clock. But she had set it for seven thirty! The blue digits betrayed the numbers eleven o' six however. What the heck, why was her clock's alarm set hours late? "No way, my alarm went off late!"
"Part of me isn't surprised," came the grumpy response. "Look, break is over and class is starting up again, I need to go. Get your nose in those notes and study the shit out of them, understand?"
"Yes, Karkitty. They'll be done tomorrow. See you at Folly's." She liked that name. It suited the little coffee shop nicely.
"We're not going to Folly's tomorrow, you're coming over to my place." What? "You remember where it is, right?" It was about three miles away...
"Yes, but-"
"Great, fantastic, see you tomorrow, bye."
Pounce looked at Nepeta curiously as she stood frozen to the spot, listening to the dial tone. She must have looked rather silly, standing there with her mouth open.
"..Over.. To his house?" Gosh, what was she supposed to do? Well, obviously head over there tomorrow, geez, she was such a dummy. I'm only going over there to show him my notes. He'll lecture me about some sort of problem, and then I'll leave. No big deal, in and then out. Maybe I can run some errands afterward.
Actually... Maybe she should stop procrastinating and tackle those errands today. All she had to do is study anyway. It wouldn't hurt to flick off a couple hours of study time. After all, judging by the intensity of the light that woke her, it was turning out to be a really nice day! The kind of day shouldn't ignored by withering away inside. That was just boring! Karkat's notes will have to wait, she had things to do. Oh, she had to do laundry today, too. Agh. Fun. Might as well stop by the local bookshop for the latest magazine to help tide over the wait for clean clothing. Oh man, what if she couldn't find time to study? Oh. She could study while waiting for her clothes to wash! There's a clever way to manage time! Then when she got home, she could make lunch or dinner, depending on how long she wanted to stay out, then study for the rest of the night.
Sounded like a plan. Nepeta then realized that she hadn't hung up yet, and she ended the call with a bashful smile.
"Ahaha, oops."
As she had assumed, it was a nice day outside. Beautiful, in fact. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and it was a the perfect balance of warmth and chill, with a hint of a breeze, touched with a small feather of heat. The sun's attempt to sting Nepeta's eyes were foiled by her slightly tinted sunglasses as she continued walking at a steady pace, iPod providing her ears with the calm beats of Owl City. Her camera was stashed carefully in her trusty little bag, along with some dirty clothes and a grocery list. And Karkat's notes, of course. She couldn't forget those, right? The charms attached to the carrying unit tinkled happily against one another. Most of the people in the area were used to seeing Nepeta walk long distances on nice days. Even though she had earned her drivers license, she loathed cars. Something about them scared her. She didn't like being in them, or behind the wheel. Rather than a second instinct it felt alien. Just the thought of long car trips made her shiver. Walking was better anyway. It got her places and allowed her to meet new people. She even got to take pictures easily without having to park a large hunk of metal just to take one lousy picture. Besides, music and exercise went excellent together.
As Nepeta halted at a stop light, she took a moment to examine the many old-fashioned buildings for some sort of a change. The flower shop seemed untouched, bright pink flowers cascading over one another towards the sun on the other side of the shop window. The lady who worked at the pawn shop was sweeping the sidewalk slowly, as if something were on her mind. From the look of her expression, whatever it was appeared to be heavy. The supermarket on the other side of the busy road was bustling as usual. The park further down the sidewalk was flourishing with plant life. Briefly Nepeta pondered the decision on whether or not she should buy some tulips for her small lawn, then decided against it. She tended to forget simple things. The poor things wouldn't last more than a week under her care.
The light flicked to "walk," and she happily crossed, waving to a person behind the wheel of their silver car. As she approached the market, a certain car caught her eye. Red, sleek, and scary looking, a Mercedes was parked under the protective shade of a small aspen tree. Dave was here! Excitement bubbled up within Nepeta as she did a little happy dance. Dave was soooo cool! He was funny in an ironic way and always had an opinion on something, not to mention that the music he created was awesome! He also had a job dj'ing at the club downtown. From what she had heard, Dave had graduated from his college and then returned for some sort of Master's degree. Some day fame would find him and play his sick beats on all the radio stations. The way she had met Dave was a little awkward, (It involved a collision with cart to cart at this very store,) but after a brief explanation on her part they had hit off nicely. Maybe she'd run into him in the store, perferebly without a shopping cart. Not that she needed one, she thought as she removed her sunglasses upon walking through the open entrance of the store. She only needed a week's worth of food and cat necessities. Alright, so maybe this outing won't last a long time. Maybe she could go to the park and take pictures or something. That'd count as a project, right? Trying to capture the right amount of light and shade. Something nearly impossible in her book.
"Let's see, where is that list... There it is. Maybe I should keep it in my pocket. No no, what if it slips out?" Some glanced at her as she mumbled to herself. She brushed it off casually, not taking any offense, and carried on with her shopping.
She proceeded to collect items with haste, quickly tossing them into her basket and keeping an eye out for sales and clearances. As Nepeta strode past the frozen food aisle, the person she was watching out for caught her eye, face framed with carefully styled blond hair and topped off with a pair of ever present sunglasses. He was dressed in black tight jeans and a red tank top, a hand in his left pocket as invisible eyes examined frozen pizzas. Lungs expanding from a deep inhale, Nepeta prepared to call to him. He shocked her by glancing her way and saluting with his free hand. She exhaled, disappointed. Could she ever catch him by surprise? Guess not, she figured as Dave stared at her expectantly.
"Sup," he said coolly as soon as she came into hearing range. "What's with the overflowing bag?"
"Laundry day," She chimed, stopping by his side. "I forgot to go to the cleaners last Monday, so I gotta go today or I'll be wearing the same thing all week."
"Harsh. Maybe you should put sticky notes on your front door or some shit like Egbert." That actually wasn't a bad idea.
"Do you use sticky notes too?"
"Nope. I never forget anything."
"Cool."
"Word." Dave opened the freezer door and loaded his arm with a load of chilly pizzas. Nepeta made a face.
"Is that all you eat?"
"Do you eat fish all the time?"
"... Heehee, touch'e." Dave nodded, light reflecting off his shades. It reminded her of an anime she watched recently. "Um, so whatcha doing tonight?" She asked, attempting to start up a conversation. Dave pushed his cart down the aisle, in search of his own needs. Nepeta trotted by his side, trying to keep up with his long strides.
"Got a gig at the theater."
"As in a concert?"
"Something of the sort."
"Wow, Dave! At this rate you'll be a professional DJ!"
"I already am professional. People just took their time trying to find my ill beats and sick rhymes."
"Before you know it you'll make enough money to move out of your apartment."
"I already have enough money to do that. I just want to finish school before I go out and let people plaster my face all over billboards and magazines."
"Will I still be able to see you?"
"I'll send you CD's and shit. Strider buddy perks or something like that."
"Yay! When I'm a famous photographer, can I take pictures of your concerts?"
"You'll be the first person I'll call." That was one of the great things about being a photographer. You made money by traveling around the world and being able to capture stunning images that everyone could admire for hours. Not to mention you'd make money doing so.
"I look forward to it," She giggled, grinning up at him. "It'd be so much fun trying to find the perfect spot to shoot some pictures."
"Whatever floats your boat. This is my good side, by the way." He gestured to his left with his chin. Nepeta nodded mock seriously.
"The Strider's best sides are their left, got it." She was almost positive she heard him stifle a chuckle as he shook his head.
"You are seriously something, you know that?"
"In what way?"
"Because your happiness spreads real fast or some sappy shit. I was having an ironically bad day 'til you came trotting down that magical aisle of frozen food products."
"That's a good thing?"
"In most cases. Anyway, you were heading to that laundry place, right? The cleaners close in two hours, so you should hurry."
"Oh no, you're kidding! I should go then, I'm sorry. I wish we could've talked longer. I hardly ever see you."
"If you're willing to chill for about fifteen minutes I could give you a ride." She cringed.
"..No thank you, Dave. I appreciate it but I don't like cars all that much. I'll catch you later?"
"Sure, sure. Don't get ran over, Leijion. I'll need your photography skills later in life." She waved back at him as she ascended to the nearest checkout clerk.
I should start attending his concerts.
The trembling of the drying machine beneath Nepeta made it difficult for her to read Karkat's writing. But she refused to give up her seat. This was way too much fun! Granted, it made it hard to write, but she was still able to jot down some eligible sentences. Karkat's notes and tips made it painfully easy to whizz through the questions he had thrown at her. Sure she got stuck and frustrated and threw a tiny tantrum above the shaking machine. The people around her laughed at the sight, and she ended up joining in the chorus. She ended up with four pages filled with numerical values and letters. Her brain hurt. Mr. cranky wanted three pages, she filled out four, front and back. That'll keep him happy.
"WH-EE-EE-EE-EEE-EEEE, HEHEHE." Apparently the dryer was about to stop, judging by the sudden strength of its movements.
"Nepeta... what are you doing? That is completely inappropriate. Dismount that machine, now." She knew that voice anywhere! Standing next to the bench, armed with a basket of clothes, was none other than her closest friend, Equius. The light reflected off his perspiring form and cracked shades as he watched her, dripping with dissatisfaction.
"Hi-i-i-i-i-i Equ-iu-s-s-s-s!"
"Nepeta, I will order you one last time to remove yourself from that cleaning unit, before I take you off myself." With an irritated huff she pushed herself off, back arching gracefully. She landed promplty on her feet, notes resting in the crook of her arm. She shot a pout at Equius as he approached.
"I was having fun! There's nothing remotely dangerous about sitting on top of a dryer. It's fun, too! It's like a broken kiddie ride."
"It is highly inappropriate. If I wasn't the one to ask you to get off the machine, somebody else would have. The looks people are giving you are full of disapprovement. I insist you rethink your choices carefully.
"Equius, nobody minds if I sit on the washer. Little kids do it too. Most people do it too. It isn't, "uncommon", or "inappropriate". It's fun!" She could almost see his eyes roll as his jaw clenched. The dryer stopped with an urgent ding! "Aww. And now I'm done with laundry. Darn it, now I have to wait for the next time I- Hey Equius? Are you doing laundry?"
"I will not allow you to ride the machine like a domesticated animal." Ugh.
"Equius, you are just no fun. If that's the case," She babbled, prying open the dryer's door, "I'm going to go home, where I'll roleplay aaaaaaaall night. So I'll see you on the chat client tonight!"
"Very well then- Nepeta, have some shame! You should take care in hiding your... undergarments from the public eye.."
"I'm not even wearing them, I'm just putting them in my bag! Sheesh, calm down a bit." She scraped the contents of the machine into the maw of her gaping bag. "I'll talk to you tonight, okay? We can talk for as looong as you want." She slung the strap over her shoulder as she stood and embraced him from behind, causing him to stiffen. "Goodbye!"
"I will see you later then. Now. I... I need a towel..."
"There's one right there on the rack." And with that, she exited the stuffy little building, welcoming the dusk breeze that came to embrace her figure. "Ooh, the sun is setting! I gotta get a picture of that."