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"What library? You mean the great, big, obnoxious one in the center of downtown? That place gives me the heebie jeebies." There was something not quite right about that place. Something dark and evil, but like hell he could tell what it was.

"Wait, wait, wait, Cats can be senshi too? Dude, you're just like, info dumping on me right now, one bit at a time!" Of course, the first thought that came to mind was "what if Nix, but with cat ears and still a senshi?" but he pushed that out of his head immediately.

He wasn't single anymore, he needed to stop pining!

"You've got that all wrong! I am not afraid to fight, or afraid to get hurt, or do what's right, or blah blah blah, it's more like, I still wanna prioritize the fact that I still got a regular human life. I'm only 17. You don't expect me to go out there ready to die at any moment, do you? That's not realistic and kinda... I don't know... Reckless in it's own way. This whole war thing has been going on for a long a** time, so I'm sure they aren't going to suffer if I decide to take a week off of patrolling to study for an exam, or help make someone else's dream come true. People got different priorities, and if I decide, hey, I'mma focus on my day to day life, no one can stop me. That is not the same at all as being a coward. It's me being selfish, which is my right."

Yeah, he was curious about the library, and wanted to learn more, but he couldn’t help but squint at the cat on the counter.

“If you got a thought, say it. What good is it to just brush off something?” The shop was sparkling now, clean and tidy, just like his mom wanted. So now was the perfect time to somehow smuggle Arthur upstairs. With the way the rain was coming down now, it would be some time before he could leave and even think he might be dry.

“I think the whole library thing is cool. Shame I can’t go there, can I?” Who knew if he was done with that coffee, so he waited, leaning against the counter and giving the top of Arthur’s head a little pet. Still wet, but better.

“What about you, you know? I feel like you with all your owning a house and a job and all that crap feels the same way. Putting the want of a new, pseudo normal human life first is no shame at all. Besides... I got someone else I gotta think about now, more than ever, and I doubt he knows anything about this powered stuff.”

“... Nah. I’m not afraid. I get the whole... Likely death thing eventually if I’m a dumbass, but it’s... Well, I don’t know how to explain it, but I’m not afraid. My own safety, nah, life isn’t without some risks, of course. But I get what you’re saying. I’d be afraid if I lost someone important to me, so I can atleast promise I’m never going to risk the safety of someone I care about. Now, someone I can’t stand, to hell with them, they can be sacrificed when convenient.” It was easy to grin at that thought. Izzy cared, a lot. His friend, his family, his school. He cared about it all. And while he didn’t currently hate anyone (those assholes were stuck in Hillsworth), he was no stranger of wishing ill will on people.

If he saw some of those jerks, he’d happily sacrifice them to a youma or two. But that thought he’d keep to himself.

“Anyway, can a human fit in the Library? I assumed it’d be like, cat sized, since not all Mauvians can go and be human. All inclusive slash accessible.” A vauge thought crossed his mind. What a shame Arthur wasn’t just some normal cat. He’d be a nice pet to keep, especially with the way he liked the pets. Then again, a life in the DeLuna household was a life sentence to torment by child so... Best if that wasn’t the case.

“You ready to go upstairs? I can probably find my mom’s blow dryer and get you fluffy again.”

“Well of course you can’t! That’s the point. I was just being courteous and waiting until the coffee was gone.” Clearly, the coffee was empty now, so he moved that away and put the empty cup back into the kitchen’s dishwasher before turning it on. Thank god the water wasn’t connected to the upstairs bathrooms, or otherwise the water pressure would suck!

Once he came back, Izzy didn’t bother to unravel the trapped cat, simply picking him up and tucking him under his arm, like a football or a loaf of bread.

“Alright, then one day well go take a field trip to see. Pfft, then I could actually tell my mom I’m honest to goodness going to the library! Where is it anyway? Some secret hide away in the attic of some place?”

It was as if Arthur read his mind when he went quiet and put away all those fancy little accessories. To anyone else, he’d be a proper cute, wet cat, who was oddly well behaved despite the wetness.

Now, it was up to Izzy to sneak upstairs.

The way up was hardly anything spectacular, an empty hallway with a door at the top. Once unlocked, it lead to a darkened apartment. From the low levels of noise, no one was actually asleep, they were just all off in their own little worlds, playing games, or watching dramas in their room. It was a quiet sort of peace, the kind that came with being alone, yet still united, knowing that someone you loved was still nearby.

A small smile came to Izzy’s head as the journey to the bathroom went smoother than he expected, and he gently closed the door behind him and locked him. The sound of the ceiling fan turning on would be plenty to drown out his soft whispering right now.

“Maybe sometime soon, Spring break is coming and I don’t have any plans.” Arthur was set gently on the counter, before finally being released from his fluffy prison.

“You’re not offended by loud noises, right? A good blow drying would make sure you don’t stink later.”

“Hey, hey hey! No shaking! You’re gonna leave evidence in here!” Izzy laughed softly, clearly joking about it. There was going to be evidence regardless since he was about to blow dry a cat! He grabbed them dryer from under the sink, and then grabbed a brush to help keep the fur smooth.

“Back in the day we had a cat. And a dog. And a bird and some lizards. They all are gone now, just what time does. Elenor... Hmm... That was the person who lived with you before, right?” Without waiting for the answer, Izzy flicked on the dry to low and began the slow and steady process of drying a cat.

He couldn’t even imagine what this would be like if it was a real cat. His ol’ cat Muffintop would have tried to claw his eyes out if he even tried.

“Do you go visit her every so often or just drift apart to the point you can’t talk to her anymore?”

For once, Izzy didn’t interrupt with sass. His fingers brushed slowly and steadily over the cat, making sure to keep each touch gentle, but thorough enough so that no wet spots would remain.

There was a small smile on his face, as if he drew into his own reminiscing. At some point he thought back on his sweet calico kitten, and if maybe one day, if she hadn’t gotten sick, would she have been a Mauvian too. It was a sad thought, and he certainly missed that tiny thing.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your time with her, at least. And I’m sure she loved you right up to the end. If you want a cheesey though, maybe It’s a sign. Comin’ to the cafe tonight is a little sign from Eleanor that you aren’t alone anymore. Like that old cartoon, you know the one. Love never really leaves this world, it comes back as new love or... you know, something. I didn’t exactly find you though, you found me, huh?”