The First Page [3/5]
anonymous
August 12 2011, 06:31:09 UTC
Kiku was momentarily flustered because this introduction felt so casual and yet so earnest, but even in that flustered moment he knew he was indeed going to reply to this Heracles who was smiling gently at him and the words soon came easily to him -- surprisingly easy, in fact. He told Heracles his name and official designation as sober driver and timekeeper of Alfred and Arthur, which caused Heracles to glance over at the intimate duo for a second before turning back to Kiku with a wry smile and saying that he was also obliged to remain as sober as Kiku even as people got spectacularly drunk all around them. It made Heracles wish that he had the foresight to bring something here to occupy him.
Kiku couldn't argue with that. He always forgot to bring a book with him every time he went out with Alfred and Arthur like this, for some reason.
A cat would have helped too.
A cat?
Oh...Heracles hadn't told Kiku about his feline hobby yet, had he? It was the one thing everyone who had talked with him for at least five minutes knew about him, so Kiku might as well know about it too.
Hearing a sober person begin talking about how one stray cat he had taken in had gradually led to more than ten cats occupying his home while entirely sober in a bar was a new experience for Kiku, but he found himself genuinely absorbed in Heracles' story. Heracles didn't make this story out to be some extraordinary or heart-tugging tale; he simply told it as it was and let Kiku judge the story for himself. Kiku, who found this light-hearted tale to be a welcome break from his recent trains of thought, felt his lips curve up at the mental image of Heracles being followed by cats like the Pied Piper with his rats, but to a much happier fate.
When Heracles finished his story, he blinked at Kiku as if making sure that he was still there and then commented with a bit of a chuckle that this was the first time his conversation partner's eyes hadn't glazed over when he got caught up in listing his cats' names. Either Kiku must have been really bored before, or he was one of the best listeners around.
The former could be considered true, Kiku admitted, although he did happen to like cute and fuzzy animals too.
Really? Was Kiku's house a similar home for animals, then?
Oh no, nothing close to that. Kiku loved cats but he had never actually adopted one; the only pet he had was a small dog named Pochi who was very well-behaved and cute, but who Kiku wouldn't be able to spin as long a story about as Heracles could for his twelve cats.
That didn't mean Kiku had less of a right to talk about Pochi as Heracles had about Corporal Cat, Artemis, and his other ten cats. Besides, Heracles believed it was Kiku's turn to talk a little bit about the first things people normally learned about him; things that he wouldn't be uncomfortable telling to a relative stranger but would give Heracles a little bit of insight about the kind of person he was.
Was Heracles normally this curious about new people? Kiku couldn't help asking.
Sort of. Heracles had always been referred to as "catlike" by others, curiosity being one of his catlike traits. Although it wasn't just any person who could capture his interest in a crowded and noisy bar, he added, his eyes striking Kiku as distinctly catlike with their pure greenness and the way they could take in many details with a single lazy glance across a room or person.
Kiku couldn't argue with that. He always forgot to bring a book with him every time he went out with Alfred and Arthur like this, for some reason.
A cat would have helped too.
A cat?
Oh...Heracles hadn't told Kiku about his feline hobby yet, had he? It was the one thing everyone who had talked with him for at least five minutes knew about him, so Kiku might as well know about it too.
Hearing a sober person begin talking about how one stray cat he had taken in had gradually led to more than ten cats occupying his home while entirely sober in a bar was a new experience for Kiku, but he found himself genuinely absorbed in Heracles' story. Heracles didn't make this story out to be some extraordinary or heart-tugging tale; he simply told it as it was and let Kiku judge the story for himself. Kiku, who found this light-hearted tale to be a welcome break from his recent trains of thought, felt his lips curve up at the mental image of Heracles being followed by cats like the Pied Piper with his rats, but to a much happier fate.
When Heracles finished his story, he blinked at Kiku as if making sure that he was still there and then commented with a bit of a chuckle that this was the first time his conversation partner's eyes hadn't glazed over when he got caught up in listing his cats' names. Either Kiku must have been really bored before, or he was one of the best listeners around.
The former could be considered true, Kiku admitted, although he did happen to like cute and fuzzy animals too.
Really? Was Kiku's house a similar home for animals, then?
Oh no, nothing close to that. Kiku loved cats but he had never actually adopted one; the only pet he had was a small dog named Pochi who was very well-behaved and cute, but who Kiku wouldn't be able to spin as long a story about as Heracles could for his twelve cats.
That didn't mean Kiku had less of a right to talk about Pochi as Heracles had about Corporal Cat, Artemis, and his other ten cats. Besides, Heracles believed it was Kiku's turn to talk a little bit about the first things people normally learned about him; things that he wouldn't be uncomfortable telling to a relative stranger but would give Heracles a little bit of insight about the kind of person he was.
Was Heracles normally this curious about new people? Kiku couldn't help asking.
Sort of. Heracles had always been referred to as "catlike" by others, curiosity being one of his catlike traits. Although it wasn't just any person who could capture his interest in a crowded and noisy bar, he added, his eyes striking Kiku as distinctly catlike with their pure greenness and the way they could take in many details with a single lazy glance across a room or person.
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