(for stark and echo) you're never gonna fit in much, kid

[daddyissuesjnr]

Melou isn't in a very good mood today. Not that he ever is. He's grumpy, impatient, and frustrated with everything and everyone around him. Which is his default mood, really

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[the_crat]

Echo is a bit less abrasive. When he finally comes across Melou, the young man is right beside a prime napping spot and the crat doesn't much mind coming up to the young human, bunching up his muscles, and jumping up to sit beside him quietly.

He may even lay down, paws tucked under his chest, and purr a little if he's not shoo'ed away.

[daddyissuesjnr]

Melou doesn't shoo him, but he doesn't pay much attention to him, either. He takes one look at what he thinks is a regular cat, then goes back to his brooding. He isn't particularly fond of animals.

[the_crat]

That's a shame, but at least he doesn't seem to hate them? Echo hasn't met anybody here yet who hated animals.

"You seem upset. Did something happen?"

[daddyissuesjnr]

"No," Melou says. "I'm not upset." He looks at Echo for a moment. "Did the Mansion turn you into a cat?"

He's seen that happen to people before.

[the_crat]

Echo curls his tail around his legs. "No. I was born a crat. It's like a cat, except I can speak and have two livers. My name is Echo. May I ask for yours?"

[daddyissuesjnr]

Once upon a time, Melou would have been weirded out by this and stubbornly insisted that cats shouldn't be able to talk. But being at the Mansion for so long has desensitised him.

"Melou," he replies, not exactly warm and friendly, but not overly grumpy, either. He's actually being reasonable, for once. The typist wonders how long it will last.

[the_crat]

"It's nice to meet you Melou." Echo speaks honestly and he's used to people being weirded out.

"Where are you from?"

[daddyissuesjnr]

"Orkney," Melou replies, still being reasonable for the moment. Giving one word answers isn't too hard.

[the_crat]

"Orkney. I can't say I've heard of that place before, but I suppose that's not uncommon. What was it like?"

[daddyissuesjnr]

Melou stiffens. "Why does it matter?" he asks, already defensive.

He doesn't like talking about home. It's too angst-inducing.

[the_crat]

"It doesn't," Echo offers easily. "I was only curious. A poor habit I'm afraid I share with my cousins, the cats."

[daddyissuesjnr]

Melou looks sullen. "Where are you from?" he asks, managing to make the question sound rude. He bets it's somewhere weird.

[the_crat]

"I'm from Malaisea. I have yet to meet another who knows of it and I am glad to be rid of such a place." It is weird, but then, what isn't?

[daddyissuesjnr]

"Why?" Melou asks. "Didn't they give you enough fish?"

[the_crat]

"Fish? Oh, well, I had plenty of food. That was part of the problem actually. I was being fattened up so that I could be killed and my fat taken and used in a magic rite."

[daddyissuesjnr]

"Oh," Melou says. He's not really sure how to respond to that. "Couldn't you have just run away?"