(Untitled)

[needling]

Characters: Kanji Tatsumi specialcracker and Raidou Kuzunoha justtubeit
Location: Raidou, Naoto, and Kanji's apartment
Rating: G for now? (and forever~)
Time: September 8, Afternoon
Description: Kanji winds up back in the apartment, soaking wet on a hot day, with a stray cat. He has no idea what to do with it.

Comments

[justtubeit]

Unforunately, while Kanji did have commendable ninja skills, Raidou happened to be at home at that moment, and he did hear the other boy's entrance.

Have the boy detective stepping out of his room, blinking curiously.

"Kanji-kun...?"

Why did he look like he had just gone through a storm?

[needling]

Kanji froze, his fingertips just brushing against one of the bowls in the cupboards. ...Shit.

Well, it was only a matter of time before someone found him out, right? Might as well be Raidou.

"Uh, hey," he said, slamming the cupboard shut (enough to make the bundle shift a little bit. Kanji's eyes darted over to it, and then back to Raidou. "Didn't know anyone was here." He brushed a hand through his wet hair and smoothed it back. He managed a small smile as he took a step to the right and blocked the moving towel.

[justtubeit]

"What happened to you?"

Concerned, of course. And what was that bundle... did it move? Had he imagined it?

Either way, Raidou was walking over, blinking at the other boy curiously.

[needling]

Yes, Raidou was imagining things! Or that's what Kanji wanted him to think, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from him much longer. "Oh, I uh...got caught in between a few sprinklers." Kind of embarrassing, really. He wished it was raining so he could've at least said he lost his umbrella.

Less ridiculous of a story, anyway.

"So, 'sup?"

[justtubeit]

"Sprinklers? How did such a thing occur?"

Raidou was not too well-versed in the ways of the modern world, but he had been in Death City long enough to know that people didn't just get caught in between a few sprinklers. And what was that bundle...

[needling]

Kanji paused. He had to think of a good excuse, and fast. "Dropped...my wallet?" he tried, no assurance at all in his wavering voice. He wasn't a very good liar.

Nor was he good at coming up with believable excuses. But, if it helped, he hadn't ever had to smuggle something around before.

[justtubeit]

That simply didn't add up, and it showed that Raidou knew it from the frown on his face.

[needling]

Shit, Raidou wasn't buying it. Well, of course he wasn't. He wasn't stupid. Kanji, however...

When he opened his mouth to rectify his excuse, the little bundle behind him rolled back into view. And mewled.

[justtubeit]

So it HADN'T been his imagination. Raidou moved forward, marching right over to the bundle and kneeling beside it in order to unwrap the thing and see what it was.

...And what else could it possibly be, really? There were no words - or maybe there had been, prior to the moment where the boy detective found himself staring into the kitten's eyes.

Raidou Kuzunoha used to face demons and ghosts and monsters and the living dead on a regular basis, but all it took was a perfect example of the feline race to completely disarm him.

[needling]

Well, there went his perfect planning, and the number of excuses he had come up with on the (cold, damp) walk home. So he just stood there, still sopping wet, in the middle of the kitchen, as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

But Raidou was quiet, and that made Kanji a little nervous. "I uh, found 'im when I was out a few days ago, and he was just sitting there and he looked really hungry, so I went over to pet him but he got away. So, when I saw him today, I just went over, but the sprinklers went off and I'm pretty sure the little guy isn't crazy about water, so I...ended up bringing him back with me." He took a deep breath, and rather than stopping, he continued to ramble.

"I mean, if it's too much, I can find a place for him. Everyone's got cats nowadays and, really, he looked so cold and hungry and..."

[justtubeit]

Raidou heard Kanji loud and clear.

Now, as to whether any of it absorbed or not was an entirely different matter altogether. Either way, he was picking the cat up, turning about, smiling in a way that he hadn't smiled since the Agency burned down up at his good friend.

"...Thank you."

[needling]

Wait, so, he wasn't in trouble? Not that he thought Raidou would've been mad or something, but it was all pretty last-minute, and he hadn't asked...

Oh well, he'd take it.

"You're...welcome," he said, looking back over at Raidou. And then that feeling returned to the pit of his stomach, and he blushed. He was doing that a lot lately, but he also seemed to find himself in a lot more embarrassing situations lately. Absently, he reached down to scratch at his stomach through his wet shirt.

"So, we're keeping it?"

[justtubeit]

"Yes, I would be happy to! Naoto-kun will be thrilled, as well."

Raidou was holding the kitten to his chest at that moment, clearly enamored by the creature in spite of the fact that it was wet and a little miserable looking.

Wet and miserable -- oh dear!

"Ah, forgive me! I have been most inconsiderate... shall I get you a towel, Kanji-kun?"

[needling]

Kanji was pretty wet and miserable looking as well. His hair wasn't even cooperating as much as it liked to. But he had seemed to forget about that as he watched Raidou handle the kitten.

"Oh! Right. Yeah," he said, running his hand through his hair to push it back, but a few strands still stuck up in awkward places. He frowned and tried a few more times, but they didn't seem to want to go down. Fuck it, he'd take care of it later.

"So, what're you gonna name it?"

[justtubeit]

"Very well."

Raidou immediately puttered off to fetch Kanji a towel with the kitten in tow (the creature had calmed down, it seemed, and was snuggled right up against the boy's body for warmth). What else would the boy need? A change of clothes? Should he rifle through the other's belongings...?

Ah, but before that. He doubled back, glancing at Kanji briefly through the doorway at the other's question.

"I am not sure. Might I ask for your opinion on the matter?"

[needling]

Kanji felt kinda useless hanging around the kitchen, so he pushed away from the counter and followed Raidou. There wasn't much else he could do anyway, except for rummage around the cupboards for something the cat could eat. And he was pretty sure cereal was not the right choice.

"I dunno. I mean, is it a dude, or a girl?" A good question anyway, unless they wanted to give it one of those ambiguous names like Adrian or Alex. But those were pretty dumb names for a cat...