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While medically induced narcolepsy from over medication had been ironed out, he still slept deeply when he did. The barrage of words, sounds and then especially direct touch were a good combination to begin to filter in through the black smoke and haze of dreams. Complaints....insulting...someone is knocking things over in a pique....Alois? No. He burned.

No. The complaints aren't German, no fingers laced for warmth in the holes of my shirt.
No he bled. My hand is heavy.
Paper scent. Weight on my head? Swearing- Faust.

Quenton opened his eyes, though it took sight a moment to follow the command of his mind that now was the time to be 'on' the way waking and sleeping had been a matter of a switch a year ago. The book was white blob. Other objects from the desk that should have been there were gone. The crashing was the mug. It will want picking up. Faust.

He lifted his hands to snag under the fluffy armpits and snatch up the black body on his head as he stood. His eyes finally focused. "Did I forget or are you just trying to put on a couple pounds? You're smart enough to figure out the toilet, you know. There are mundane felines without spacestarseeds and alien knowledge that use porcelain and flush. They can't even look forward to a bipedal form."

He carried the furry body to the window, rather than letting his companion walk, because he enjoyed the feel of Faust's heft and fluff. The Mauvian was set down only once at the portal, so that Quenton could unlatch the catch and slide it. Wind faintly brushed with moist mud and the start of grass shoots of the nearest University oval filtered in. It was still cold, but bracing instead of frigid. I doubt Faust will feel it until after I brush him. What time is it? I need more tea. Faust's food.

Spacily, he moved away from the empty window and feline. Faust could go as he liked, while the graduate student made the journey to the kitchenette and teapot.

The water was just starting to boil, new mug already set out with strainer insert full of personal chai blend. Quenton himself was finishing setting the damages from the desk back to rights as the black furry body re-emerged like a sultan of fluff to the small chamber. "Before you eat was the plan. Today is the last of the peep pate. After today its Instinct Rabbit Raw Bites for a bit while we get moved."

A quick stop at the refrigerator and the final fine ground bits of baby bird on a plate were removed to warm. "Unless you want it cold, give it a couple minutes. "

The next retrieval was the Furminator from the drawer and a gallon ziplock already well stuffed with a supply of stripey black puffs. He'd found a whole book of kitschy projects with catfur felt- one of the many planned, cat themed and individualized cat-fan products for people who took a liking to specific feline superstars. Faust wasn't on the adoptable list, but he expected the size and cattitude of his companion would prove popular with customers.

Quenton motioned to the table, taking a seat himself in one of the two chairs. "Is that jealousy....? "

Tortoiseshell Tabby, or a certain silver tabby being brought up here? "I don't know how much regular cats compare, once the stockholm abuse has expanded to include spoken insults and forehead stars." He lifted the brush to await presentment of fluffbody for stroking.

"You cannot digest your own hair. 'Vomit' is not 'recycling'. " He met the stern, furry face with eyes of muted fire that gained flickers in depth of amusement and pleasure. The weight of a cat on lap, whatever else was going on, was a pleasure simple and easy to indulge. Adding admissions of jealousy, and it was easy to feel some doofy, cat-owner sense of value and pride. "I might lose less blood to other partners. But you are right on at least one account."

Quenton put the furminator into the black mane behind Faust's head, pulling it succinctly and smoothly back along the ridge of spine to the Mauvian's fantastic puffed backside. Looking back and forth and back again. And what are you going to try, my silky friend? " I will find no coat so fine. You could make a ruff fit for Tudor Royalty. "

When the claws came, Quenton didn't finch as they bit into his hand. Instead, he calmly continued to remove the fluffstuff from the device in a solid hank and delivered into the bag with the rest, Faust's claws in his hand or not. There is no pain. "Not. For . Eating. You get plenty of grass for digestive misadventures. If you want your fur so bad, clean yourself more so you don't need a brushing."

Zefrank's aloof voice trotted through the back of Quenton's mind as Faust tried to thwart the collection of fluff- I will try and release my mind from this torment and groom myself. For four hours.

"About four, I wager." Faust himself was still plenty accessible, so Quenton continued brushing and stroking a few more furrows through the black puff before pulling a fresh ziplock from his back pocket with the auxiliary right hand. The new fluff was deposited and replaced safely into pocket again. "I do hope that there will be a steady stream of business. Purina has done some pop-up stores in other cities, and they had lines and wait times for days. Some customers never got in. So we'll go with customers making a reservation in advance. $8 for a half-hour slot, and the option to stay for up to five hours. Food preparation and the barrista stand are offlimits and enclosed towards the front with a two cafe tables and a window seat, but customers will be able to choose to bring their purchases further in beyond the foyer to enjoy in fluffy company at other tables, seats and nooks. That way we're not in any sanitary violations. The La Marzocco Linea should be coming in today over at the location. Are you up for coming by while I get the counters set? "

The challenge had been more getting all the work of renovation and design done when he was exactly one person. So far it had all been going well, just not as fast as it could have if he had an extra body to help with lifting and moving. At least the city had plenty of new business owner incentives with all the terrorism driving more people away than bringing in. The Cafe of the first floor was much further along than renovations to the apartment upstairs. It has a shower, a sink, a toilet, and a place for a mattress on the floor. There's a closet to hang clothes. Enough to start with. There's a roof porch with a sliding door out. The chairs can go facing that, like the window here. It will be better than the street or the safehouse. We'll be safe and have a place again. Its been so long since there wasn't the worry of attack or someone coming that needed help and to use the space as well. The safehouse, for as little known or used as it is, was a 'public' space. Not ours.

"So instead of just me adoring you, you'll have the chance of tens of adoring fans. Kurilian Bobtails are rare outside of Russia and Japan, you know. Something of a mystery how you ended up a street hood lurking in Alois' studio. I expect some demand for Faust-goods. You'll need a fake name- Faust is too unique to have on any sort of paraphernalia for sale. Any preferences on that front?"

The already huge cat posturing to make himself appear 'bigger' the way supposedly waving ones arms around registered as 'bigger' to an aggressive bear was delightful. Quenton paused in the brushing a moment, pulled and thumbed his phone while Faust was mentioning 'Doom', and took some quick snaps. Then it was back to getting the last bits of fluff from the pompom that passed as the Kurilian's tail.

"Comparatively, you know, 1816 was called the Year Without a Summer. The eruption of Mount Tambora made for impressive sunsets for landscape painters. J. M. W. Turner's were notable. Similar phenomena and paintings from the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa ...but it was lesser, you know. 1815's Tambora erruption devastated the world...and changed it. The rain and darkness was the reason for Mary Shelly, Polidori and Byron. The Book of Mormon and the settling of the heartland of America. The move towards modern transportation that didn't need horses and hay. If phenomena is what you're looking to be named after. " Quenton finished the last of the brushing while he spoke. After that, he hoisted Faust's puffy mass onto his shoulder to go to the fridge.

"After you eat." Unlidding the tupperware proved the pate was no longer peep-sicle, and so edible as more than a summer body temperature modification device. It was plated and then carried, like the cat, to the sun-beam spot on the floor from the window. He stood still for Faust to choose where, when and how he wanted to jump down before depositing the dish in the sunlight. "How about Bedlam?"

Quenton took his usual chair, folding his legs crossed to sit wholly in it without touching the floor. "Or Ouiji? That has the long /ē/ phoneme that turns up so much for pets. Some anecdote somewhere supposedly tha they're more memorable or friendly to animals. "

Opportunity presented, Quenton hitched his hands under Faust's kitty armpits to lift him and hold against chest and shoulder in a traditional sort of cat-carry. Settling on Ouiji was a good start for getting some of the signage ordered. It was a cute name. "You will be a cat of many nicknames, I expect. "

The sculptor made a stop at the key rack and headed for the door. "It will be up to you to make the impressions you want to inspire the nicknames. Fluffbutt will definitely be one of them. "

"Maybe you'll be famous all over the city. " Out of habit more than need, since it was down to the last few things left in the place, he locked the door to the little efficiency.