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"Regardless of what they say in the jokes, cats do not go in Chinese food. I am not going to be sweet and soured, you- you cute-thing eating fiend." She took a bite of her freshly-cooled salmon. "Thanks for the food." her tail was flicking side to side, her spine arched- she tried to make it go down, but it was a clear sign that she was ruffled, and had no intention of being his Thanksgiving dinner. Speaking of which, what was Marlo going to do for Thanksgiving? After he year he'd had, what did he have to be thankful for?

"You know, most guys aren't masochistic enough to be clinging to a girl who 'wrecks them' are they? And I don't need to know about your sexual frustration. That's between you and your hand." she lapped at the milk, then nosed at the bowl. "This needs thirty seconds in the microwave and a good stir. Maybe some nutmeg if you have it?" Whiskey milk punch. "You know, cancel that. I don't think a drunk, possibly sick cat will do you much good."

In some ways, Marlo was being sweet. In some, he was kind of creepy. "Well, if you want creampuff to listen, I say cut the 'insipid' if you tell her your opinions on the texts-" She wasn't sure she liked hearing her texts were 'insipid', "-and drop the p***y jokes. That's just my vote. As a cat. And you do too pout."

"So, Castor's a cat too." she snickered, amused. Hypnos... she knew of Hypnos, and which one she was, but she hadn't interacted with the child personally. "And Zirconia is the Guardian Cat of the Blood Moon." she was doing fine, until he mentioned calling her. Well s**t.

She hadn't thought about what she'd do if someone tried to call her. And tomorrow was Thanksgiving day- she could expect some calls. His eyes went to the pirate hat and she decided to take action. Her salmon was almost gone- and his wasn't.

So she crept closer to his fish, reaching out a paw to swipe it.

Scylla choked, milk and whiskey burning her delicate nose as they came back up. "Too much information, Ma- Manshi!" Her hand? Her mouth? Oh <********> that, she hadn't been that drunk. "You need to watch who else you're talking to about your creampuff." Dear sweet mother of- "I want her side of the story now though. Where's she live?"

"And you didn't say you disliked them, you called them inane. A distinct difference, but still insulting."

And cats were not fine too. No matter what the internet said. Thank god he wasn't that depraved. "Still. Ribald humor never goes over well. You said she is running away from you. Let's count the reasons I've found so far." She licked her lips, purple eyes still on his salmon.

And then it was hers. "You can call her." she suggested, cruelly, mouth full- of his fish. Jada wouldn't pick up the phone. Another voicemail on her phone, or another text message. His voice, asking her to call him back, to talk to him. "But who knows- The way you and boogerface downstairs talk about her, maybe she has another date already."

"You're the one who said he sees her as his." Scylla reminded him briskly. "All growly and masculine like. You'd make a good dog, you know. You could pee on your territory and then get cuddled, all the time." Did she sound too sarcastic? Maybe a little. "You'd make a terrible cat."

She was also going to scratch his balls if he kept telling a total stranger- well, not really, but the principle was there- about what a s**t-faced drunk lady had certainly not done to him. Without remorse, the 'guardian cat' kept nomming his fish. "You do know how to cook a salmon."

He seemed a little touchy about the men in her life. She had to wonder what she'd think about the other guys she hung out with. "She lives in a dump, and people want her for her wallet? Humans are strange."

It was a short message, as messages went. Marlo would make a good dog- and for some reason, she felt that she was kicking him while he was down. But it was his fault, she reminded herself. He'd been a turkey first, and now he just had to pay the consequences. She'd told him no because she wanted to protect him, wanted to make him as little a target as possible. But hell- if he was a senshi, he already had a target, and a mighty big one.

She's basically one of the few things in this world I am thankful for, yet I doubt she even realizes it.

She finished off his salmon and cleaned her paw, neatly. "Not pathetic. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be a stray. What else are you thankful for? Creampuff, salmon, organizational skills?"

"It is disgusting." she reminded him, and raised an eyebrow.

She sighed, laying her head on her freshly-cleaned paws. "Amen to that, my manshi friend." She held up a paw, awkwardly, to hi-five him, then realized that was a painful position and she didn't want to hi-five him anyway.

"I... am thankful for being alive, as stated earlier. No crazy comas, no hospital time, no dog biting me in twain. My Court is scattered, but mostly uncorrupted. And I have people who love me." she shrugged best she could as a cat, embarrassed. "Love is important. Not the fairytale crap- the real stuff, family stuff. Uncreepy stuff."

Outside, the rain was sucky. Out the back door it looked like it was almost night, the clouds were so dark. "No one is going to be out in that unless they have to be." she was resigned. "Like me."

"Thank you." she told him, glancing out the door. The offer was tempting- she hardly had an umbrella. She was going to get wet, and the senshi-cat was going to be a mess when she got back to Ari's house.

And breakfast was always tempting. Scylla liked food. But Ari could make sure she got food too. And the sooner she was human again, the better. Marlo slipped out of the room and she sighed, looking around his apartment.

She had so many human memories here. Most of them were painful. And yet she wouldn't trade any of them. She jumped off the counter, following him into his office and finding a spot in his office (on top of a pile of papers, of course) where she could just watch him.

Jada had always wondered just what his 'work' consisted of, but she had never asked. And while now was the perfect time? She just valued the silence. It was something she didn't have with him, when she was human. They were fighting, or she was yammering, trying to fill the silence that she had always taken as him ignoring her. And if it was, well... she could now pretend it wasn't. Or if it wasn't talking, or fighting, recently, it was kissing. Kissing wasn't silence.

She stayed another half hour in silence, watching him through suspiciously lowered lids. "I need to go now." she said at last, hearing the rain stop sounding like golfballs. "I have places to be. I... I really appreciate it, Manshi,"

She stood, stretched. "Take my advice about creampuff. Give her space, be nice, and cut the p***y jokes." She couldn't' tell him to give up. That would be a little strange. "Or you can give up." she said. "You know. Make her come to you. Now let me out. And push the elevator buttons for me. I'm a cat."

"It's dark and raining." she agreed, "And I've been handling youma for a while. Come on, "Xa-h manshi. I've been taking care of myself for close to twenty years. I don't need your good faith, I need your opposable thumbs." she pawed at his paper, claws out, threatening. "But I don't need them to dial a number for me. Just push a down button."

The only number she had memorized was her own. And while Ari had her phone, she'd lay money on Marlo actually knowing her number- and wondering why a woman who wasn't Jada was answering it.

"You don't have to walk downstairs at all!" she told him, exasperation tingeing her tone. "If you didn't forget, your front doors open and close automatically. And there are all sorts of reasons why me staying here is a bad idea. I'm not using a litterbox, not that you have one- and if I have needs? Not to mention, your white carpet is just so bloody cute, and I am blue. I will shed all over the furniture. And the feather on that pirate hat just keeps looking more and more irresistible. And your couch?"

She ignored the chill in his blue eyes, to say snidely, "Your leather couch might be worth the Chinese kitchen." The last time she remembered being on that couch, he'd had his tongue in her mouth. A pleasant memory to be sure, but one that would not stop her from wreaking havoc if he continued in his attempt to catnap her overnight.

"I can stick to the corners!" his hand was descending, and she was slow. He gripped her scruff, and she gave a piteous little cry as he took her to his bedroom- she'd only been in here once before, and she hadn't had time to appreciate- okay, no.

"Your bedroom is so... yuck." she wrinkled up her nose as he dropped her on the bed. It was so modern, with more of that damn monochrome scheme she so hated about his living room. At least here there were blues in it too, but still. "I wouldn't sleep here. Can I have the guest room instead?" She knew his guest room- it was gorgeous. Marlo threw a pillow on the floor and dropped his pants, leaving him in boxers only as he crawled into bed.

If cats could blush, she'd be on fire.

She stepped over to his nightstand, curling up on the barren side table, blocking his view of the clock. "And as for the feathers- you'll have to clean them up in the morning if I maul your pillow. I have teeth."