[ side by side 002: ] you and me together we'll be

[littlspecificty]

The news that Arthur had made a friend on his very first day at a new pre-school was something Allison had not been expecting even while she had hoped he would manage to befriend someone. Needless to say at her kitten informing her that such a thing had happened, she couldn't have been happier. His father, upon getting home, had been much the same

Comments

I want to tag this SO BAD so I will

[triedinception]

The receptionist called for their attention after a few moments, saying the principal was ready to see them and gesturing to the door, which was opened by said principal; an older woman in her fifties, with short blonde hair and a smart suit on.

When Allison and Arthur entered the room, they would find Eames sitting on a red-headed woman's lap. He peeked over her shoulder, his ears perking at seeing Arthur, and then flattened and ducked his head back down. There was an audiable 'sorry' whispered towards the other kitten and his mother.

"I told you, it's not your fault Gregory," came Elizabeth's tired voice, white ears stiffening. She wore a blouse and slacks, looking like she'd just come from work. There were stress lines on her eyes and mouth.

She looked at Allison and, oddly, smiled, a half-curl of her lips that seemed to say I don't think this is your fault either, and when the principal walked around towards her desk again her gaze fell to her and morphed into a scowl

\o/ /sorry for slowness - took a nap and it was longer than I had intended it to be -_-

[littlspecificty]

Allison still looked a little winded from rushing out to get a cab to get down to the school as soon as she got permission to leave from her supervisor, hair falling out of her bun and ears flicking as she took in the other woman, then the little tabby kitten and how her son's tail wrapped itself around her jacketed arm, ears flat as he buried his face into her neck, making a small noise. She gave the other woman a small nod but was feeling less and less like smiling the longer she let herself process the whole situation

[triedinception]

Elizabeth barely restrained making a scoffing noise. She had been here for a little bit, already having had the situation explained to her - and arguing with the principal about it. Instead she just pulled Eames closer, stroking a hand over his back as the principal began to speak.

"I've called you here because Arthur and Eames have been engaging in behaviour that's inappropriate," she told them both, but mostly to Allison. Eames' ears flattened more, knowing that inappropriate meant bad. "They haven't stopped when the teacher has asked them to."

"Why don't you tell her what kind of 'inappropriate behaviour' you're talking about," Elizabeth said with a tired and annoyed tone. The principal shot her a look before turning to Allison, giving her a commiserating look like You'll find this wrong, right?

"Both boys have been observed touching tails with each other and grooming each other's ears. I'm sure you're aware this isn't behaviour that is displayed in public especially between

[littlspecificty]

Allison had been looking back and forth between the two women during this time before hearing the "reason" and then blinked, shaking her head as if she had been given a little smack to her cheek. Her ears going up and holding up her free hand, almost laughing, "Wait a minute; let me get this straight. You call me down here because they are displaying affection for one another? Kittens, that obviously wouldn't know the social connotations of what it is they are doing?"

If she sounded like she didn't believe the situation was demanding of this much attention, that would be correct. Especially to the degree that it was obviously terrifying both kittens unnecessarily.

[triedinception]

The principal had a frustrated look cross her face. "I know that they're young, but that is part of the point of this meeting. They need to learn that there are certain things you don't do in public with your friends."

"Have they been doing it to other kittens?" Elizabeth asked, stroking a hand over Eames fluttering ears. Eames himself was bright red. He was in trouble for grooming Arthur? He had thought Arthur had enjoyed that?

"Moreover, if the other kitten dislikes being groomed then yes, I agree there's a problem. But if he doesn't have a problem, then I don't see one."

[littlspecificty]

Allison scoffed, swiping some hair from her face, feeling her son's ears flick against her chin and jaw as he shifted slightly in her grip, making another small noise, "Believe me, if my son doesn't want his ears groomed, he'll let it be known. He lets me know all the time."

"And please, can we focus on that word you used? "Friends"? My son has never had an easy time making friends and so for him to actually make one on his first day at a completely different school in a whole new country... That was really the best I could hope for for him. And from that day onward I've actually seen him enjoy going to school when I am so used to seeing him dread it. If he enjoys the friendship and the affection being demonstrated... I am hardly going to be of the mind that he shouldn't when I've seen him constantly alone among a class of kittens at his previous school."

[triedinception]

Elizabeth looked over at Allison with something of a grin at the first part. She could just imagine - her kittens had never been very fussy but Will hadn't enjoyed getting groomed when he was very tiny.

At the second she tightened her arms around Eames, who was looking over at Arthur curiously. He couldn't imagine why Arthur wouldn't have many friends. The other kitten was so interesting, a bit shy but friendly.

Elizabeth looked at the principal. "See? There isn't anything wrong. When they're older I'm sure they'll stop, but for now it's innocent. And it's not like they're actually groping each other."

The principal sighed, rubbing her forehead. "May we at least have permission to ask them to stop if they get distracted in class? That has happened a few times."

[littlspecificty]

Arthur's size, combined with his shyness (and, Allison suspected, his being a black cat - it wasn't as common as being a tabby or Calico but it wasn't viewed with the same kind of admiration Siamese or Persian or Bengal cats seemed to naturally garner more often than not), had always seemed to make him the odd kitten out at school. Allison had seen it herself; other kittens in groups or paired off while her son was left by himself, usually holding his tail and messing with the tip in an attempt to distract himself, ears drooped and eyes downcast

[triedinception]

The principal nodded, clearly unhappy with how exactly the conversation had gone but not willing to push the two women, who agreed with each other, further.

"All right," she said, standing. "Thank you for coming, both of you; I'm sorry we had to pull you out of work. I'll go talk to their teacher, and then both boys are welcome to return to class once I've sorted that out." She inclined her head again, asking them to wait, before she exited the room.

Elizabeth exhaled heavily, and Eames looked up at his mother. "Am I in trouble?" he asked softly, and she shook her head, purring. "No baby, you're not in trouble. If the teacher tells you and Arthur to stop when you should be paying attention, you do that, okay? But it's okay otherwise."

And at that, she looked over to Allison and smiled tiredly. "Heck of a way to finally meet you...."

Eames was squirming now, saying something about wanting to say hi to Arthur, orange tail lashing about.

[littlspecificty]

After the principal had left the room, Arthur finally removed his face from Allison's neck, ears flicking and twitching about, finally turning to look over at Eames, one tiny hand waving at the tabby kitten.

Allison smiled back at the other woman, just as tired, "Took the words right out of my mouth."

"But while you're here I don't suppose it would be out of place for me to ask how you feel about our boys having a play-date outside of school?"

[triedinception]

Elizabeth let Eames slide out of her lap to skitter over to the other boy, his little orange ears poking out of his tuft of brown hair and tail swishing excitedly, a wide smile on his chubby cheeks. "We're not in trouble, Arthur," he whispered conspiratorially.

Elizabeth watched her son with a fond smile and then turned that smile onto Allison. "Not out of place at all. I've been meaning to stay and contact you but I've been busy, so I haven't had the time. I think it would be wonderful for them both. Get some of Gregory's extra energy out," she said lightly.

[littlspecificty]

Allison felt herself grinned as she let her own kitten slide down to the floor to be with his friend, Arthur already giggling and whispering back, "Nope!"

They then moved under Allison's chair, whispering and giggling together and making soft noises that continued to signal how happy they were (which in turn, caused Allison to laugh softly).

Fixing her jacket collar and finally letting her tail uncurl, swishing lazily over the side of her chair, "I haven't had much time, either, but I do believe it would be good for both of them considering how close they are already. And Arthur doesn't have anyone his own age at home to play with."

(At least not yet; her and Victor were planning to give him a sibling or two after "making it official" and getting married.)

[triedinception]

Indeed, both kittens were pleased, and Eames made this known when he attempted to purr, the rumbling 'broken' sound that had startled Arthur their first day.

Elizabeth watched them with a fond smile, and then looked to Allison again. "Yes, it'll be good for Eames to get out with his friend. He's taken to Arthur quite well." She didn't say that it would be good because Sammy and Will had found their own friends in the class; and that it was good because Eames' father was dead and this way maybe he would get more support from just her and his siblings.

The slight droop of her ears may have given away her thoughts though. She shook them off.

"I haven't introduced myself, I apologize. I'm Elizabeth," she offered a hand.

[littlspecificty]

Allison had noticed the droop (her own kitten busy trying to manage his own purr and not having much better luck than Eames, who was giggling at the various sounds the black kitten was making in his attempts) and was about to ask if the other woman was okay when she felt familiar tiny paws on her tail and she jumped slightly, giving a little indignant growl as she turned to see that her son had indeed grabbed the tip of her tail, unable to resist the temptation with it swishing right there in front of him.

Practically hissing, "Arthur Timothy Morgan! You do not grab my tail in public!" But the two kittens under her chair just giggled, knowing there wasn't anything wrong with a kit wanting to grab their parent's tail. It was only natural.

Thus why Allison rolled her eyes and sighed tiredly, turning back to the other woman with her tail now in her lap, a hand brush at the tip her other hand finally taking the offered one, "Allison." Laughing a little, "I think it would be a great idea to let them get together and use up all that

[triedinception]

Elizabeth watched Allison with a little smile, amused at the young mother. When Allison turned and shook her hand she subdued the grin a little.

"It would be wonderful. Maybe Gregory would actually go down for naptime," she teased, and it was followed by an indignant huff from the kitten in question.

[littlspecificty]

There was another giggle in response to that huff, Allison grinning a little herself, "I have the opposite problem with mine. It's getting him back up again that's hard."

There was a tiny whisper of "I like sleeping" that Allison was sure she could picture the face being made while saying it. She shook her head, still smiling, a spotted ear flicking, "Maybe he'll be able to convince yours to like it more, too."