Cat Street: Message (Attempt 1)
Title: Message
Fandom: Cat Street (Manga)
Characters: Keito Aoyama, Kouichi Mine, OC
Time Line: A few years after the end of the manga [may contain spoilers]
"Am I named after Uncle Rei?" Rei asked as she clambered onto the bed. Mama looked up from her place on the opened script and raised an eyebrow at this. Rei crawled over the sun warmed sheets to snuggle against Mama before looking over at Papa who was getting ready for work by the vanity.
Mama tilted her head at the question and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Did Uncle Rei tell you this?" she asked instead, amusement in her voice and a small smile on her lips. "It's been a while since he's been over, so why the question now?" Mama pondered outloud, shooting Papa a look.
Papa glowered at the mirror but refused to say anything. He was still mad at Uncle Rei, though Aunt Momiji called it "jealousy". Rei just didn't know why Papa would be jealous though, it didn't make sense. "Is Papa mad?" Rei whispered to Mama loudly.
Mama laughed. "He can be pretty grumpy, our Papa."
Papa glanced over to them from the corner of his eye, but instead of being grumpy, he smiled. Mama stilled next to her and Rei felt they were talking again, in that way they did without words. Mama also wasn't breathing.
"I think you're turning purple," Papa said casually.
Mama gasped and sputtered a bit at this and Rei laughed. "Mama's red, not purple, Papa!" And she was right because Mama only turned redder.
"You're tie's croaked," Mama pointed out after she calmed down a bit and sniffed at Papa in a snobby manner. Papa raised a brow this time, but Rei knew Papa knew perfectly well how to tie ties. Papa was perfect that way, but he sometimes did it wrong so Mama would fix it for him. Sometimes he'd do it so they could make up quicker. Today seemed like such a day, because Papa walked over and sat down next to Mama. She smiled and moved away from Rei, straightening the length of cloth. "All ready, Mr. Principal!" Mama declared cheerfully when she was done, the end of the tie still in one hand as Mama looked into Papa's eyes.
But Papa only glowered at Mama, since she was in front of him instead of a mirror and he never liked to be called "Principal". "It makes me sound old," he often complained. But Mama just laughed at him and kissed his thinned lips every time.
It was Papa's turn to turn red. Uncle Rei often told Rei that her parents still acted like "newly-weds" with a roll of his eyes. Rei didn't know what that really meant since her parents were married and they weren't newly married... did newly married people act differently? But adults were very confusing that way. Still, her parents always seemed really happy together and, Rei thought that if feelings were like strings that tied people together, Mama and Papa had a very thick string between them.
"Is my brother going to be called Momiji or LU?" Rei pipped up, tired of being ignored. Papa and Mama had told her that they were going to bring her a brother in a few months time. It was one of the reasons Mama was taking a break from work, even though she was still reading scripts of possible upcoming stuff.
Papa and Mama both looked at her in surprise. Rei shrugged, "It makes sense." For some reason, her parents ended up laughing at her, but before she could get annoyed, Papa and Mama pulled her in between them and Rei felt very warm and safe, so she didn't bother to do more than make a face at them.
"Mama," Rei asked from between her two parents when they settled down. "What did Aunt Momiji mean when she said that Uncle Rei confessed to you again? Did he do something bad more than once?"
Papa stiffened next to her but Mama looked at him from over her head instead of at her this time. He relaxed again under her Mama's gaze and only then did Mama looked down at her and answer. "Rei, you know Uncle Rei... he had a bit too much to drink at the last Christmas party." When adults talked about drinking, Rei knew that they were talking about alcohol. It seemed that sometimes they got happier when they drank a lot of it - and sometimes they said things they didn't mean? Rei liked her juice just fine, but she was always curious about this Christmas drink her parents would take out on special occassions. "He said some things, but he didn't mean to hurt anyone by it."
"Did it hurt Papa? Is that why he's angry at Uncle Rei?" she asked, perplexed if she should be angry at Uncle Rei too, even though she really liked Uncle Rei. But if Papa was hurt...
Mama smiled. "Uncle Rei is a very dear friend to both your Papa and me," Mama told her instead. "Sometimes we all get into fights and we get angry and disagree. You get angry at Mama and Papa sometimes, right?" Rei nodded slowly, trying to follow. "But, we love each other, so we'll also forgive each other one day too. That's what happens when people love each other. Your Papa just need a little bit of time to forgive Uncle Rei, but he'll come over again and visit you soon when Papa and Uncle Rei make up." Mama promised, this time ignoring the look Papa gave her over Rei's head.
"Are they going to make up like you do with Papa?" Rei asked with a frown. She didn't like that because Papa shouldn't kiss anyone other than Mama.
Papa spluttered, turned very pale while Mama turned pink. Mama looked at Papa, but Papa just looked sick. "No," Mama finally said, laughter bubbling in her voice. "Not like that," she said because Papa looked too sick to speak.
Rei frowned, not sure if she said something wrong. She crawled closer to Papa and patted his chest in the most reassuring way she knew how, but decided when Mama started to giggle and Papa started to smile rather weakly at her that maybe it wasn't so bad. "Who do you love the most, Mama?" Rei asked, turning to look at Mama. Sometimes she felt that's what Papa wanted to know too, and maybe if she asked, Mama's answer would make him feel better.
Mama blinked at her and then looked to the ceiling as if she was concentrating very hard in finding the best answer. Then Mama smiled and ruffled her hair. "You, of course!" Mama told her with a laugh. But it was Papa's smile that made Rei tilt her head. It almost seemed like Mama gave him a different answer.
Sometimes her parents didn't need words, but she thought, maybe Papa got an answer to a question he couldn't ask without Rei's help. Uncle Rei called it "telepathy" and Aunt Momiji said it was like a "radar" - but Rei didn't know what either of those things were - but Rei had seen how it worked. Mama and Papa always seemed to be able to talk to each other even when they weren't. Like that one time in the middle of a fight they were having when Mama and Papa were glaring at each other for a really, really long time and then they both simultaneously turned away from each other and stomped off, or that other time when Rei was really sick and Mama was really worried but Papa showed up soon after even when Mama didn't leave her side or call him and he looked just as worried. They were always able to find each other in a crowded room too, no matter how many people came to see Mama or Papa and were crammed into their huge living room.
Aunt Lu described her parents' powers best, or at least, in the way Rei could understand. Her aunt sometimes would just look really dreamy and tell Rei that her parents were like a "fairy tale". Rei knew what that meant, at least. If Papa was the perfect "Principal" then Mama would be the beautiful "Actress" he loved. Rei didn't need knights or princesses when she had a Principal and an Actress.
Maybe, what what they had was really like was a cell phone, Rei concluded. Papa and Rei were the people that Mama loved the most, so whenever Mama needed them she could just call out and they'd hear her even if Mama never opened her lips. So no matter what the distance, Rei knew that if she needed them, Papa and Mama would come as well.
Sometimes words just weren't necessary.
End
For those who never read Cat Street the manga, I recommend it. It's shoujo-ish, but it borders on josei. Its themes are slightly darker and romance is not always its main one. It doesn't always sugar coat things but it isn't blatantly cynical. There is, however, definitely a central romantic story. It was very enjoyable, the characters were all really interesting, though I don't think it delved as deeply as it could have into most of them, but I do like some of the themes it did explore.
Why is this attempt number 1? Because there's something I really wanted to write about when I finished the manga, and I felt this attempt was a bit clumsy. So I'll try again later.
Thanks for reading, though!
Fandom: Cat Street (Manga)
Characters: Keito Aoyama, Kouichi Mine, OC
Time Line: A few years after the end of the manga [may contain spoilers]
"Am I named after Uncle Rei?" Rei asked as she clambered onto the bed. Mama looked up from her place on the opened script and raised an eyebrow at this. Rei crawled over the sun warmed sheets to snuggle against Mama before looking over at Papa who was getting ready for work by the vanity.
Mama tilted her head at the question and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Did Uncle Rei tell you this?" she asked instead, amusement in her voice and a small smile on her lips. "It's been a while since he's been over, so why the question now?" Mama pondered outloud, shooting Papa a look.
Papa glowered at the mirror but refused to say anything. He was still mad at Uncle Rei, though Aunt Momiji called it "jealousy". Rei just didn't know why Papa would be jealous though, it didn't make sense. "Is Papa mad?" Rei whispered to Mama loudly.
Mama laughed. "He can be pretty grumpy, our Papa."
Papa glanced over to them from the corner of his eye, but instead of being grumpy, he smiled. Mama stilled next to her and Rei felt they were talking again, in that way they did without words. Mama also wasn't breathing.
"I think you're turning purple," Papa said casually.
Mama gasped and sputtered a bit at this and Rei laughed. "Mama's red, not purple, Papa!" And she was right because Mama only turned redder.
"You're tie's croaked," Mama pointed out after she calmed down a bit and sniffed at Papa in a snobby manner. Papa raised a brow this time, but Rei knew Papa knew perfectly well how to tie ties. Papa was perfect that way, but he sometimes did it wrong so Mama would fix it for him. Sometimes he'd do it so they could make up quicker. Today seemed like such a day, because Papa walked over and sat down next to Mama. She smiled and moved away from Rei, straightening the length of cloth. "All ready, Mr. Principal!" Mama declared cheerfully when she was done, the end of the tie still in one hand as Mama looked into Papa's eyes.
But Papa only glowered at Mama, since she was in front of him instead of a mirror and he never liked to be called "Principal". "It makes me sound old," he often complained. But Mama just laughed at him and kissed his thinned lips every time.
It was Papa's turn to turn red. Uncle Rei often told Rei that her parents still acted like "newly-weds" with a roll of his eyes. Rei didn't know what that really meant since her parents were married and they weren't newly married... did newly married people act differently? But adults were very confusing that way. Still, her parents always seemed really happy together and, Rei thought that if feelings were like strings that tied people together, Mama and Papa had a very thick string between them.
"Is my brother going to be called Momiji or LU?" Rei pipped up, tired of being ignored. Papa and Mama had told her that they were going to bring her a brother in a few months time. It was one of the reasons Mama was taking a break from work, even though she was still reading scripts of possible upcoming stuff.
Papa and Mama both looked at her in surprise. Rei shrugged, "It makes sense." For some reason, her parents ended up laughing at her, but before she could get annoyed, Papa and Mama pulled her in between them and Rei felt very warm and safe, so she didn't bother to do more than make a face at them.
"Mama," Rei asked from between her two parents when they settled down. "What did Aunt Momiji mean when she said that Uncle Rei confessed to you again? Did he do something bad more than once?"
Papa stiffened next to her but Mama looked at him from over her head instead of at her this time. He relaxed again under her Mama's gaze and only then did Mama looked down at her and answer. "Rei, you know Uncle Rei... he had a bit too much to drink at the last Christmas party." When adults talked about drinking, Rei knew that they were talking about alcohol. It seemed that sometimes they got happier when they drank a lot of it - and sometimes they said things they didn't mean? Rei liked her juice just fine, but she was always curious about this Christmas drink her parents would take out on special occassions. "He said some things, but he didn't mean to hurt anyone by it."
"Did it hurt Papa? Is that why he's angry at Uncle Rei?" she asked, perplexed if she should be angry at Uncle Rei too, even though she really liked Uncle Rei. But if Papa was hurt...
Mama smiled. "Uncle Rei is a very dear friend to both your Papa and me," Mama told her instead. "Sometimes we all get into fights and we get angry and disagree. You get angry at Mama and Papa sometimes, right?" Rei nodded slowly, trying to follow. "But, we love each other, so we'll also forgive each other one day too. That's what happens when people love each other. Your Papa just need a little bit of time to forgive Uncle Rei, but he'll come over again and visit you soon when Papa and Uncle Rei make up." Mama promised, this time ignoring the look Papa gave her over Rei's head.
"Are they going to make up like you do with Papa?" Rei asked with a frown. She didn't like that because Papa shouldn't kiss anyone other than Mama.
Papa spluttered, turned very pale while Mama turned pink. Mama looked at Papa, but Papa just looked sick. "No," Mama finally said, laughter bubbling in her voice. "Not like that," she said because Papa looked too sick to speak.
Rei frowned, not sure if she said something wrong. She crawled closer to Papa and patted his chest in the most reassuring way she knew how, but decided when Mama started to giggle and Papa started to smile rather weakly at her that maybe it wasn't so bad. "Who do you love the most, Mama?" Rei asked, turning to look at Mama. Sometimes she felt that's what Papa wanted to know too, and maybe if she asked, Mama's answer would make him feel better.
Mama blinked at her and then looked to the ceiling as if she was concentrating very hard in finding the best answer. Then Mama smiled and ruffled her hair. "You, of course!" Mama told her with a laugh. But it was Papa's smile that made Rei tilt her head. It almost seemed like Mama gave him a different answer.
Sometimes her parents didn't need words, but she thought, maybe Papa got an answer to a question he couldn't ask without Rei's help. Uncle Rei called it "telepathy" and Aunt Momiji said it was like a "radar" - but Rei didn't know what either of those things were - but Rei had seen how it worked. Mama and Papa always seemed to be able to talk to each other even when they weren't. Like that one time in the middle of a fight they were having when Mama and Papa were glaring at each other for a really, really long time and then they both simultaneously turned away from each other and stomped off, or that other time when Rei was really sick and Mama was really worried but Papa showed up soon after even when Mama didn't leave her side or call him and he looked just as worried. They were always able to find each other in a crowded room too, no matter how many people came to see Mama or Papa and were crammed into their huge living room.
Aunt Lu described her parents' powers best, or at least, in the way Rei could understand. Her aunt sometimes would just look really dreamy and tell Rei that her parents were like a "fairy tale". Rei knew what that meant, at least. If Papa was the perfect "Principal" then Mama would be the beautiful "Actress" he loved. Rei didn't need knights or princesses when she had a Principal and an Actress.
Maybe, what what they had was really like was a cell phone, Rei concluded. Papa and Rei were the people that Mama loved the most, so whenever Mama needed them she could just call out and they'd hear her even if Mama never opened her lips. So no matter what the distance, Rei knew that if she needed them, Papa and Mama would come as well.
Sometimes words just weren't necessary.
End
For those who never read Cat Street the manga, I recommend it. It's shoujo-ish, but it borders on josei. Its themes are slightly darker and romance is not always its main one. It doesn't always sugar coat things but it isn't blatantly cynical. There is, however, definitely a central romantic story. It was very enjoyable, the characters were all really interesting, though I don't think it delved as deeply as it could have into most of them, but I do like some of the themes it did explore.
Why is this attempt number 1? Because there's something I really wanted to write about when I finished the manga, and I felt this attempt was a bit clumsy. So I'll try again later.
Thanks for reading, though!