[Original: Drabble] "Samhain" [Zeke Jones, G]
Title: Samhain
Prompt: writerverse challenge #33 what story does this picture paint? (picture prompt)
Word Count: 686
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original ( Zeke Jones ‘verse)
Summary: Zeke asks her partner’s advice on a potential new roommate.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Samhain
Howell stopped just inside the doorway to my kitchen and scowled at me. “This is what you called me about, rookie?”
I was used to the scowling, but I hadn’t been a rookie in a long time, and I frowned. “Would I really call you up and ask you to come over on our day off, for no reason?”
My partner studied me for a moment. “And say it was an emergency? No.”
That was true. I could be annoying when I wanted to, especially with Howell, but there were clear limits and we both knew them.
“Okay,” I said, reaching out to set something on my kitchen table. “Here’s the problem.”
“That’s a kitten,” said Howell.
It was. She was almost completely black, except for a spot of white on her chest, with the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen on a cat. She was only just old enough to be away from her mother, and certainly too small to be all alone on the streets of Philadelphia.
“I found her outside that little Chinese place I always go to,” I told him. “All tiny and wet and pathetic-looking. I dried her off and took her to the vet- there’s one right down the street here, by the way- and he said she was okay.”
The kitten walked toward Howell, who held out a hand for her to smell. She must have decided she liked him, and rubbed her head against his knuckles.
“The vet gave me some cat food,” I continued. “So I brought her home and fed her. Then, I sat and poured myself a nice glass of blood, and…”
I reached for the tumbler in front of me, feeling my fangs emerge as I took a sip.
On the table, the kitten’s eyes suddenly blazed with blue fire.
“Well, that’s… different,” said Howell, which was pretty much the same as anyone else yelling in surprise.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
For a moment, both of us just stared at the kitten. Then, her eyes went back normal, and she padded back across the table to lick at my wrist.
“Is she a demon?” I asked.
“There are no such things as demons,” said Howell. “Get the lights.”
I turned out the kitchen lights and came back to the table to see that my partner had leaned forward, chin resting on his folded hands. The kitten’s eyes burst into flame again and she meowed loudly.
“Sidhe,” said Howell.
“Bless you,” I replied.
He scowled at me again. “I believe that she’s a sidhe, a fairy cat.”
“What, so fairies aren’t real, but fairy cats-”
Howell sat up straight, still scowling. “Did you call me here for my experience with magical culture, or because you thought it would be funny to watch me try and figure out a kitten?”
“Little of both,” I admitted.
“Sidhe are Scottish folk creatures,” he said. “People used to believe they were witches, who could take cat shape nine times in their lives. Which is ridiculous, of course.”
“Of course,” I repeated, grinning, and he ignored me.
“But the fire is odd. Sidhe all have the white mark on their chests, but none of the legends that I’ve heard have mentioned fire. Unless…”
“Unless what?” I asked.
“Bakeneko,” said Howll.
“Bless you,” I said.
“Jones…”
“Sorry, sir. You were saying?”
“Japanese cat spirits. They’re usually known for soul-stealing, but also for using fire.”
“Soul-stealing?” I repeated, as the kitten batted at a loose thread on my sweater. “Does that mean I’m safer with her, being semi-undead?”
“There’s no hard evidence that humans have souls, let alone vampires,” said Howell. “And even if your friend is part-sidhe and part-bakeneko, she’s no more dangerous than any other housecat.”
“Then I can keep her?” I asked.
Howell shrugged. “It’s your apartment, Jones.”
“Great! I’m going to name her Sammy.”
“Sammy?” my partner, repeated.
“Short for Samhain,” I said, then picked up the kitten and held her against my chest. “What do you think, Sammy?”
Her blue eyes blazed again, and she let out a purr loud enough to wake the dead.
THE END
Current Mood:
cold
Prompt: writerverse challenge #33 what story does this picture paint? (picture prompt)
Word Count: 686
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original ( Zeke Jones ‘verse)
Summary: Zeke asks her partner’s advice on a potential new roommate.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Samhain
Howell stopped just inside the doorway to my kitchen and scowled at me. “This is what you called me about, rookie?”
I was used to the scowling, but I hadn’t been a rookie in a long time, and I frowned. “Would I really call you up and ask you to come over on our day off, for no reason?”
My partner studied me for a moment. “And say it was an emergency? No.”
That was true. I could be annoying when I wanted to, especially with Howell, but there were clear limits and we both knew them.
“Okay,” I said, reaching out to set something on my kitchen table. “Here’s the problem.”
“That’s a kitten,” said Howell.
It was. She was almost completely black, except for a spot of white on her chest, with the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen on a cat. She was only just old enough to be away from her mother, and certainly too small to be all alone on the streets of Philadelphia.
“I found her outside that little Chinese place I always go to,” I told him. “All tiny and wet and pathetic-looking. I dried her off and took her to the vet- there’s one right down the street here, by the way- and he said she was okay.”
The kitten walked toward Howell, who held out a hand for her to smell. She must have decided she liked him, and rubbed her head against his knuckles.
“The vet gave me some cat food,” I continued. “So I brought her home and fed her. Then, I sat and poured myself a nice glass of blood, and…”
I reached for the tumbler in front of me, feeling my fangs emerge as I took a sip.
On the table, the kitten’s eyes suddenly blazed with blue fire.
“Well, that’s… different,” said Howell, which was pretty much the same as anyone else yelling in surprise.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
For a moment, both of us just stared at the kitten. Then, her eyes went back normal, and she padded back across the table to lick at my wrist.
“Is she a demon?” I asked.
“There are no such things as demons,” said Howell. “Get the lights.”
I turned out the kitchen lights and came back to the table to see that my partner had leaned forward, chin resting on his folded hands. The kitten’s eyes burst into flame again and she meowed loudly.
“Sidhe,” said Howell.
“Bless you,” I replied.
He scowled at me again. “I believe that she’s a sidhe, a fairy cat.”
“What, so fairies aren’t real, but fairy cats-”
Howell sat up straight, still scowling. “Did you call me here for my experience with magical culture, or because you thought it would be funny to watch me try and figure out a kitten?”
“Little of both,” I admitted.
“Sidhe are Scottish folk creatures,” he said. “People used to believe they were witches, who could take cat shape nine times in their lives. Which is ridiculous, of course.”
“Of course,” I repeated, grinning, and he ignored me.
“But the fire is odd. Sidhe all have the white mark on their chests, but none of the legends that I’ve heard have mentioned fire. Unless…”
“Unless what?” I asked.
“Bakeneko,” said Howll.
“Bless you,” I said.
“Jones…”
“Sorry, sir. You were saying?”
“Japanese cat spirits. They’re usually known for soul-stealing, but also for using fire.”
“Soul-stealing?” I repeated, as the kitten batted at a loose thread on my sweater. “Does that mean I’m safer with her, being semi-undead?”
“There’s no hard evidence that humans have souls, let alone vampires,” said Howell. “And even if your friend is part-sidhe and part-bakeneko, she’s no more dangerous than any other housecat.”
“Then I can keep her?” I asked.
Howell shrugged. “It’s your apartment, Jones.”
“Great! I’m going to name her Sammy.”
“Sammy?” my partner, repeated.
“Short for Samhain,” I said, then picked up the kitten and held her against my chest. “What do you think, Sammy?”
Her blue eyes blazed again, and she let out a purr loud enough to wake the dead.
THE END
Current Mood:
cold