Exactly how they came to the city would forever be a point of contention. Each blamed the other and the memory was never the same, but one thing was agreed upon: They had stowed away on the ferry from the mainland, and neither had the money to return. While not use to these streets, the two were use to surviving and so it took little time to find the old fish market. Others like them had started to furnish the abandoned building with a few old, torn sofas, a table, and a make-shift kitty tree. They could smell the scent of others and saw a few come and go, but those never lingered. This was fine as well since both had relied on each other since they were kittens in the foundling kennel.
He sprawled on the sofa while sleeping and had woken Binx from her own slumber by knocking her off her perch on the sofa's back. She landed on her feet and hissed as she swiped at his tail. She was not an early riser by choice and was grumpy. Binx heard someone coming up the steps. “Are you the catnip dealer,” she asked. “If so, you are late,” she continued. The newcomer was not. Binx asked whether he had food or toys. He had neither, which caused her to wonder what good he was. She introduced herself before going back to the lazy sack of fur, who was named Klaws, and pounced him with an exclamation, “Feed me!”
Klaws growled in protest curling up tighter than before. His body language indicated that it was much before “rise and shine” time. With a wriggle of his shoulders, his whiskers relaxed with a deep sigh as he tired to return to his slumber. Binx sat on the back of the sofa and braced herself. She used her feet to slowly press against Klaws’ back to move him off the sofa. “Feed…..me,” she demanded.
Klaws almost fell on his face as he tumbled off the sofa. He landed on his paws and stretched all of his muscles before glaring up at her. “What time is it?” She shrugged telling him it was clearly time to feed her. He stiffened his whiskers and pawed sleepily at her tail. Practically pouting, he grumbled, “You are always hungry.”
Binx lazily swiped at the air above him. Her eyes narrowed seeing he was clearly intending to return to his sleep. “Of course, I am always hungry,” she said. “I’m expecting kittens.” She figured that would wake him up.
Springing to his feet, Klaws beamed, “What? When? Where? How? I thought?” The stranger returned with fresh tuna. He glanced at the stranger and then beamed some more as he turned his full attention to Binx and was wide awake. Klaws asked, “How do you know?”
Binx flicked her tail, “I don’t. I am just hungry. And now that you are up, we can find food.”
Klaws blinked a few times before narrowing his eyes with a growl that would have intimidated most others. He hissed, “You don’t joke around about those things!” He pawed at her tail and yanked it. “Bad kitty!”
Binx yowled as her tail was pulled and turned fast clutching it protectively. Remembering that she wanted to get food, she batted her eyes and perked her whiskers prettily. She suggested, “Fooood? Pancakes? Sharing? Pancakes with strawberries and ice cream.”
The stranger offered fresh tuna. Binx stared at it in bewilderment. Where was the pink mush packed in yummy aromatic oil? She nibbled a piece and thought that it might not be bad if allowed to bake in the sun for a few days. Klaws said to her, “There. Now you should be happy. Can I go back to sleep?”
Binx shook her head and followed Klaws with the second bite of the fresh tuna. “No…here! Sharrrre. Then pancakes.” Klaws ignored the tuna and settled back on his pillow admiring its attributes. Binx chomped the second bite of tuna. Licking her paws, she shrugged, “I guess I will go to the diner all by myself. Alone. And order pancakes by myself. If I make it safely, I’ll have pancakes and bring you back some. Since you are too tired to go with me to protect me.” Her whiskers drooped and she sniffled bravely. She then asked the stranger if he was going in the direction of the diner, but he was clearly not getting involved.
Opening one eye, Klaws grumbled slightly, “You would not be trying to get my sympathy, would you?” He caressed the pillow with one hand and placed the other on the ground as if trying to stand up, but was unsure what to do.
Sounding overly sincere, Binx replied, “Oh goodness no. I know that you will feel secure knowing you did all you could do should I perish getting you pancakes.”
Klaws smirked and slowly got up. “Alright, alright.” After rubbing his eyes until he was awake, he looked at her. “I have like so spoiled you since you were just a little kitty with closed eyes. Let’s go to the diner.” Pawing at her rump and patting it, he motioned to the door, “Now, be a good kitty.”
They walked through the quiet streets to the diner where a mouse-like waitress took their order. Two sets of pancakes with strawberries, ice cream, maple syrup, and whipped cream. Binx noticed the waitress scurried as she ran to fetch the food and reached over to the coffee machine to get the pitcher of cream. She poured two glasses to the brim of the heavy sludge-like cream and gave one to Klaws. The waitress noticed the empty creamer and glared as she sat plates before each of them. Binx perked happily as she mashed the strawberries and ice cream into the pancake after licking most of the whipped cream off. She almost emptied the maple syrup bottle and stirred the syrup into the gooey, pancake-crumbled concoction.
Klaws took big bites of his pancake and balanced the strawberries and ice cream on each piece. He fed her as well between bites and licked the whipped cream from her lips. “This isn’t bad actually,” he exclaimed. He ate hastily and took the bites she offered him in return. He watched her as she fed him another bite. With a drink of the cream, he said, “You are not really expecting kittens, right?”
She nodded, “Right. I teasssssssed you to wake you up.” She bounced slightly eating more of her sweet pancake almost as quickly as he did. Seeing his ears flatten, she gave him an extra big bite as a consolation prize and attempted a subject change. “This is a way good idea. I thought we were too broke to buy pancakes!”
Klaws looked momentarily uncomfortable when she mentioned the broke issue. He gave her a very scolding look when the waitress looked away. Shushing her with a whisper and finger to his lips, he continued to devour the pancakes even faster than before her comment. Taking his lead, she also picked up the pace and ate happily while sharing bites until it was all gone. Finishing her cream, she noticed the creamer was now out of reach. The creamers to go were still there and she dumped the sealed creamer shots into her pack.
Gunfire was outside of the diner and someone staggered through the door collapsing onto the floor. “OH NO,” yelled Klaws. “We need to help him! Call 911! Call the fire department! Get help quick!” The waitress quirked slightly and focused on the man on the ground while Binx and Klaws dashed through the door and down the street.
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