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One star-spangled lilac-point shorthair was busy attempting to secure a delicious (and free) dinner. He was perched on the roof of a small cafe, pondering if he could sneak in or wander somewhere more open to beg for scraps. He still had work to do with training Takamizawa and reading more information on the Headquarters computer... so much to do now that he was conscious enough to even think of things in sequence...

He mumbled a familiar tune to himself while he plotted.

dareka ga suki da
anata mo suki da
motto gyutto kyori o
umetemiyou yo!

A fluffy ear perked at the sensation of a senshi being nearby. Maybe they had food! Oh if they did, that would be wonderful! Itsuki padded his way towards the senshi, abandoning his previous food-hunting post in favor of someone he could speak to.

Someone who had thumbs.

"Oiiii~! Senshi-san~!" he cried when he was certain to be far enough out of earshot of cafe patrons. How embarrassing would that be, to blow his cover like that? No good Guardian would out themselves in such a shameful manner, no sir! At this distance, Itsuki could tell she was blonde and wore pink, but the finer details were too fuzzy. Perhaps she was a friendly sort who loved cats and would pet and feed him. He was self-aware now, sure, but pets and love were still fantastic, increased intellectual capabilities or not!

If they could, Itsuki's eyes would turn into a squishy, cartoonish hearts upon seeing Lacrimosa up close. He tail waggled like an excited dog and his little squishy bean-toes went a-pitter-patter as Itsuki practically expressed his excitement via interpretive dance.

"Uwaaa~! Utsukushii~! Senshi-san, it's a pleasure to meet you! Watashi wa Itsuki desu~! What is your name~? Your fuku is beautiful! Sakuraaaa~! I noticed them right away! Your sleeves are very distinctive." The cat prattled on with the compliments and twirled about in place when Lacrimosa approached him. Clearly, the cat was excited to see her. His fluffy tail was swishing this way and that. "Do you happen to have any food, Senshi-san? I'm terribly hungry but haven't had any luck yet."

As if on cue, Itsuki's tiny stomach started growling. "....uwuuu..." crying

"Haaaiiii~ My name is Itsuki! It's nice to meet you, Lacri-san! Your fuku is beautiful~! I recognized the sakura immediately~!" With a puff of pride, Itsuki's chest swelled. He leaned into Lacrimosa's hand for a healthy dose of pets - something every cat loved. Mauvian or not, Itsuki was not one to turn down some attention. He wasn't above flopping on his back, either, for adorable Instagram-worthy moments.

Presenting him with a snack, Itsuki was incredibly grateful. He immediately tried tearing into the packaging and found that, without thumbs, the crackers would simply get smashed with all the cat's attempts. With a dejected sigh, Itsuki looked up to Lacrimosa in failure. "...Lacri-san, gomen, I can't open it by myself... could you... help, please?" cat_crying

Someday, perhaps, he would have the magical ability to open cans and carry fish home that were heavier than his mouth would allow. Someday, he would order delicious tuna from Amazon...

"Uwaaa~! ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU~!!!" came a joyous cry as the cat practically inhaled the crackers. The poor thing was ever so hungry and the crackers were practically a godsend. Manners be damned, the crackers disappeared with alarming speed. Once Itsuki was finished, a thorough cleaning needed to take place before further conversation. With a quick fluff of his fur, Itsuki tend started to weave himself between Lacrimosa's legs.

"That was delicious! Thank you so much, Lacri-san!" cat_4laugh

When the sakura senshi mentioned looking for a cat, Itsuki's eyes lit up and he sat near her, looking up to her face. "Really? What can I help with, Lacri-san? I'd love to help! Do you have a Guardian Cat, Lacri-san? You must not, if you're looking for one! Well, I will help however I can!" The cat even stood up on his hind legs, moving his front paws in a clapping sort of motion.

Licking his paw to give his face another once-over, Itsuki nodded. "Haiii~! Some of them do, anyway. That's what the Headquarters computer had said. Not all Mauvians have their own senshi. Like, Ash-denka, she calls herself a free agent. She goes where she's needed. Me? I don't know just yet, but I've got a lot to learn, still. I've only been awakened for a short time!"

Lacrimosa mentioned a phone upgrade, which Itsuki had been reading about on the computer files. Older senshi cellphones were in dire need of upgrades, as the new versions had expanded capabilities. With an enthusiastic nod, Itsuki seemed to recognize the upgrade Lacrimosa was asking about. "Hai~! Do you have one of the old flip-phones? I saw pictures of them but I've never actually seen one! Ash-denka said that all older cellphones should be upgraded because there are soooo many new apps and functions!"

The Mauvian didn't seem fettered by the sakura senshi's admission of taking a three year hiatus. Moreover, he seemed excited at the prospect of upgrading a phone for the first time. "Onegai, if I could see your phone, I'll see what I can do!"

For what it was worth, Itsuki didn't disparage Lacrimosa for her antiquated cellphone. Instead, he seemed fascinated by it. The Mauvian had only seen one in pictures, never in person, so this was an opportunity to inspect the device and learn more about it. Ash would be proud to learn of Itsuki upgrading his first cellphone!

With enthusiasm, Itsuki's little bean-toes went a-pitter-patter on the roof, the cat twirling this way and that.

"I was reading that the upgraded phones have mapping and scanning apps built right in, along with, you know... the usual stuff on a smartphone. I haven't read everything about it yet... jiiiiii." With a sigh, the cat's ears drooped. There was so much he had to learn, and while Ash was very generous with her time and knowledge, Itsuki had the task of absorbing it all the putting it to good use as an excellent Guardian someday.

Shaking his head, the Guardian-in-training had to focus! "Ohkay~ I'll try my best!"

Placing the antiquated pink cellphone on the ground, Itsuki concentrated on it intensely. For several minutes, nothing seemed to happen and the cat was quite embarrassed by this. He had a job to do, and a senshi to help, and a sensei to impress, and he was failing at all three at the moment. His furry brows scrunched up but nothing seemed to work.

"...uwaa... Gomen nasai, Lacri-san. I'll keep trying! I won't let you down!"

Maybe if he thought about it like Takamizawa's henshin pen, maybe that would work? Renewing his efforts, the cat's thoughts shifted to considering this as producing a new item, rather than trying to understand how to shift one object into another. That seemed to do the trick, as the lavender star emblazoned on his head glowed with Itsuki's concentration. The light grew brighter and jumped from the star to the cellphone in a single beam, engulfing the phone in a beautiful light. Its form changed, became larger, before the light faded away. It revealed a bright and shiny new smartphone, equipped with a touch screen, camera and several apps.

Itsuki seemed overjoyed at his success. "KIRAKIRA~! It worked, Lacri-san!"

The cat then went about bouncing in fluffy joy.

"Ash-denka will be so proud of me!" he tittered, weaving between Lacrimosa's legs. "I've never upgraded a phone before! I hope I can help even more senshi! Ash-denka! I did it! I did it!"

If joy could be seen plainly on a feline's face, it was just so for Itsuki.

His bouncing slowed and Itsuki sat to look up at Lacrimosa, his eyes twinkling. "Lacri-san, is there anything else I can try to help with? I think you had said you were taking a break" Itsuki didn't seem to have any negative judgment reserved for Lacrimosa, moreover, it was a feline curiosity. Swishing his tail this way and that, Itsuki fired off some questions as quickly as they came to his head. "What were you doing on your break? Do you go to school? What do you like to do when you're not being a senshi? Do you have a boyfriend? Maybe a girlfriend? Would you like a cat-friend? I would love to have a senshi-friend, Lacri-san!"

Nosy would be an excellent way to describe the lilac-point cat who took to weaving between Lacrimosa's legs again.