Remie was humming a bright and cheery song as he trotted along, curly tail waving behind him, his bandanna a deep red in the sunlight. The sun was soooo bright, he almost needed sunglasses! He wondered if he could find a pair in the dumpster, so he padded over to a large, green dumpster. With only a second thought about getting dirty, he hooked his hands on the rim and hauled himself up. It was quite comical, actually, legs flailing and tail flicking as he attempted to balance and dig through. "Oooh... FISH!" he said, popping a piece of half-eaten salmon in his mouth, the flavor WONDERFUL. "Ohhhmahgoddd so good!"

---

What a fine day for midwinter. Takashi was not wearing his typical ANBU clothing, forgoing it for the sake of blending in with the crowd. It was . . . strange for him. He had not been able to let go of several kunai hidden on his person, so it wasn't "technically" normal: not every cat had a weapon after all. Nor did every cat feel a need to glance suspiciously over his back, as if to make sure they weren't being followed. Taka was making his usual way to find an apple to nibble on for the hour when he heard an odd exclamation about fish in the alleyway next to him. Turning, he saw a youth dumpster diving and producing half-eaten salmon - fresh still by the smell of it. All the korat did was raise a brow at this boy's choice for a meal; he certianly didn't /seem/ ill-fed.

---

No, not ill-fed at all; Remedy had been gorging himself on the food at Ongaku University, where he lived with his bff, Emma-lee. Still, hunger soared on this kitten as easily as if he'd been starved half his life and the half-eaten salmon was just so freaking beautiful that he couldn't pass it up. After licking his fingers, he dug around some more but couldn't find any sunglasses. Dropping back down to his feet, he stretched, back cracking, before he noted the strange, blue-furred cat peering at him. Remie's expression went from contemplative to excited as he bounced over to the korat. "Helllooooo there, friend! You lookin' to find a meal in the dumpsters today?" Ever nosy, as he was.

---

"No." What an odd question: why would he be? Did he look as though he was desperate enough to jump into the trash of humans for food? Hmm . . . The ANBU operative eyed the kitten with a slight frown, which was to say he was with the same expression he always had. "Why are you?" And how were they friends?

--

"Oh. Huh. Strange, you look kinda hungry." Remie offered a broad, easy-going smile as he laced both hands behind his head, elbows pointing out. He looked so darn grumpy...! "Uh. Well, see, the sun's bright today." He waved a hand upwards. "And I figured, 'hey, maybe some silly human left a pair of mostly intact sunglasses in the dumpster' so I, of course, had to check. And then I got sidetracked by a particularly beautiful piece of fish...and I had to eat it, of course. But I didn't find any sunglasses." He gave a small pout, but grinned it off a moment later. "I'm Remedy. You can call me Remie! Who're you, friend?"

---

What a strange cat, to think he would find much of use in the garbage of humans. "There are stores for what you look for," Takashi answered, blinking. "Why look here?" Perhaps this kid was alone and had no means of buying, he considered, but that didn't seem to fit. Several sniffs also told him that this Remedy character was from either a family or a territory, if not both. A runaway perhaps? "Diseases manifest amongst trash, you should be aware." And of course, he avoided the question of his name.

---

Remie shrugged lightly, as if he didn't care. "Yeah, I know, that's what they say..." He pulled out the empty pockets of his loose, skater pants. "But I don't have money or anything. Well, once I found this dollar bill on the ground; I think some tourist dropped it or something, but I spent it on candy a long time ago..." Mm. Now THAT sounded good; for a moment, Remedy wished he had the dollar back--he would buy a large chocolate bar. Or perhaps some skittles. His stomach gave a rumble and he grinned. "Disease? I'm not worried! I've never been sick...like ever!"

---

"That would be tempting Fate," he answered rather seriously. "Disregard the safety of your life and you risk causing others pain." And then Takashi had to stop and wonder why on earth he was bringing in all this heavy material on a stranger's kid he'd just happened to find dumpster diving. Why would he care? ANBU might be the "police" of Ikebokuro, but it wasn't in the job description to bother with every other cat he passed. And yet. ". . . I am on my way to the market if you are hungry."

---

The words made Remie pause, considering with a finger placed upon his lip. Risk causing others pain? ...would Emma-lee miss him, if he was gone? His eyes took on a surprised gleam and his small ears flicked back. "You make sense, friend..." he admitted softly. "I wouldn't want Emma to worry about me if I got sick...or worse, DIED!" Gasped a little at the thought of him in a coffin and then laughed, at the absurdity of it. At the korat's offer, he smiled. "Food? I'd love that!" he said with a bounce.

---

A deeper frown for a moment: what an odd-acting cat, he thought as they moved. Surprised one moment, bouncing the next. "How long have you been in the city?" Takashi asked after a while. "It can be labyrinthine at times even for a born and bred cat in Ikebokuro."

---

Remedy was one to switch moods like wildfire, though never one to show a temper. He bounded along at the older male's side as they walked, looking through white-blond, slightly curled hair at him with a wide smile. "Um. Well, I still have this." He tugged at his bandanna--something he needed to remove, but couldn't really work out the knot. "But I've been around a little while, a few months. I stay at Ongaku University. I'm friends with the master's daughter," he smiled. "But I like the city? It's really big. And there's alot of places to have fun and stuff." Like the candy store. Mmm.

---

"Ongaku . . . Ah, one of Alice's. The university is a good place to stay if you are artistic." He nodded slightly in acknowledgement, then glanced at his bandana. "Eventually you will find a way to take that off, Remedy. It is not as hard as it seems, and the knowledge that it's not constricting your neck is freeing." they were now entering the market, slightly bustling but not as busy as it usually was; it was on the cold side that day, and both school and work were still in session.

---

"Yep!" he said brightly. "I take lessons from Miss Gwin. I'm gonna be a master painter someday, yanno!" He padded alongside the stranger-who-was-not-such-a-stranger as he looked around the marketplace, the smells of food in the crisp, winter air heavenly. His stomach rumbled again for good measure. "Ya think?" He touched his bandanna--the idea of being without it was...odd? But Emma-lee had taken off her collar. Maybe he'd get her to take off his, too. "I suppose I could live without it. I know my owner put it on me, but it's been a long time since I saw him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I took it off, yeah?"

---

"I doubt he would." Takashi was facing forward now, actively eyeing the stands for a fruit vendor. Would there be one out in this weather? Probably not . . . Damn his cravings. It had only been due to his boredom that he had acted upon those cravings to begin with; normally Taka was very good at restraining such impulses. "You are among your own kind now; it's best to discard memories of any owner."

---

Remedy saw the glance the korat gave to the stands and vendors, wondering what the stranger was thinking about. But the words he gave him made him consider--among his own kind? Cats... That was true--he'd been warned about the cruelties of humans, but he couldn't recall his human ever being less than nice to him. He frowned, tapping a finger on his lips. "Did you forget about your owner?" he asked, head tipping to the side and his bangs waving slightly, pallid green eyes curious.

---

"No." Most of his focus was on finding something to replace his fruit cravings. Milkshake? Too cold . . . Pretzels? He wasn't in the mood for something salty. Someone was vending hotdogs rather ostentatiously, and Taka gave up and sent them onwards to the stand. "One please," he said, and the man got to grabbing a hot one to bundle up in a napkin.

---

Hm. The answer was quick enough to tell Remie that the korat hadn't forgotten his owner either. Maybe that was a good thing! He flicked his tail back and forth, eying the hot dog stand with some interest, though he said nothing, just smiled. "Was your owner nice, then? Did you have a collar?"

---

The smell of the hotdog was delicious, and any notions of apples left his head as he paid for the snack and thanks the man. "All cats have had collars at one point or another," he replied, and then bit into his hotdog, chewed, and swallowed. Really, a ninja getting a hotdog! "It is the beginning of our growth and development when we free our Wild Spirit from these collars." He frowned at Remedy, wondering if someone had ever taught him this or the legend that followed.

---

Remie watched him with big, round eyes as the korat took a bite, then continued talking. "Oh? Is this a legend or something that I don't know about? I like stories!" he piped up, lacing hands behind his head once more as he looked at the man expectantly. Really? A story to tell Emma-lee? She would be pleased!

---

Takashi gave him a look. "You do not know the story of Wild Cat?" he prompted, somewhat incredulous at the notion. Was that even possible? How could a cat remove his collar without knowing the purpose of it? Like running through tradition without understanding the full meaning behind each action.

---

Remie shook his head, looking a little doleful. "Should I? Know him? Is he a super hero or something?" He leaned forwards, eager, his thick, curled tail wiggling at the tip. "Tell me, tell me!" All thoughts of hotdogs and sunglasses were forgotten.

---

The ANBU operative finished his hotdog, almost deciding to voice his disapproval of the tom's lack of education. "Wild Cat is the greatest fighter known in our history. It's said that he was the first to tear his collar off and become a trained warrior, and that all Abyssians are his descendants or closest relatives. Some believe that Wild Cat's collar is still located somewhere in Ikebokuro, and that whoever finds it gains Wild Cat's power."

---

Oh. My. Gawd. "Aweeeesome," Remie said, in awe of the story. His mind began to spin stories, of Wild Cat the brave and wise and powerful and the La Perm gave a little dance. "I'm going to find his collar then! Then I will be the biggest, baddest guy in Ongaku!" the little tom announced boldly. "Oh, wait til I tell Emma-lee!" And she would just -love- the story...of course, he would spice it up a little, tell it dramatically, expecting 'ohhs' and 'ahhs' from the little queen. "Thank you, friend," he said, running both hands through his blond hair. "But I gotta go now! Bye!" And with that, he was off and running, bandanna fluttering behind him. He would get Emma-lee to take it off when he got home. After the story.

---

And . . . what? Takashi watched the little guy go before he could say so much as a quick "sayonara". If Remedy wasn't so partial to whatever his mood was, he thought, he might have been a potential ANBU spy. And then Takashi had to wonder why he would scout out little children at a time like this. Was it so quiet, so boring? He pondered this as he walked down the cold street of the marketplace, alone.

{fin}