O brave new world

Untitled Part 10

"There!" Gabriel declares proudly and the slight tugging on my hair stops. "I've done your hair. You can move again Sang." I don't really feel like it, I'm comfortable with my head buried in Victor's chest.

"I think she's asleep" Victor says. "She was crying earlier and she hasn't moved since."

"Again?" Kota asks worriedly. "That's the second time today."

"Kota, you have no fucking idea what you're fucking talking about!" Gabe cries out. "Her mother fucking died! She has a fucking right to cry!"

"I'm not worried about the crying" Kota explaines. "I'm worried about her sleeping. From her answers to Melissa's questions you can tell that her sleeping and eating patterns have been extremely irregular for the past year, if not longer. It's not healthy."

Gabriel lets out an annoyed breath: "Crying can make you sleepy. Leave her the fuck alone."

Victor shifts around. "We've got to go now, Kota. Should I just put her on the couch or..."

"Oy, are you fucking crazy?" Gabriel complains. "Give her to me and stop hogging her for yourself!"

Victor shifts again, and then I'm in the air, being passed to Gabriel. With a groan I open my eyes to find myself looking into blue crystals. "So you've returned to the land of the living, huh, Sleeping Beauty? Couldn't you have waited a few more minutes so that I could have some hug time, too?"

"Stop complaining, Gabe" Kota tugs on a strand of Gabriel's hair, leading to a string of curse words. "Hand her over, I'm want a good-bye hug. If that's all right with you, sweetie, of course."

I nod, and Gabe passes me over to Kota with a huff. "Fine. Wait a moment longer, I'll go find some mirrors so that Sang can see the magic I did to her hair." He rushes out of the room again.

Kota watches him with a slight smile on his face, then turns to me. "We've got to go now, sweetie. I'm sure we'll see you again soon." He hugs me tightly.

- Will you be taking Max with?

"I guess so, sweetie, but don't worry, you'll be perfectly fine without him. Have you met Poughkeepsie yet?" I shake my head, and Kota stares at Victor for a moment, silently communicating. Victor leaves the room.

- Who is Pou...

"Poughkeepsie? It's spelled P-O-U-G-H-K-E-E-P-S-I-E, but she's called Pika for short, that'll probably be easier. She's Mr. B's cat." Kota explains.

- Oh. North called her a devil of a furball.

"Yeah, North and Pika don't get along all that well most of the time. He's got a few scratches to show."

Max starts barking, and then Victor comes back into the room, an elegant seal grey cat on his arm. Poughkeepsie is hissing evilly at Max, and I can see Victor wince when she digs her claws into his arm.

"So, this here is Pika." Victor tries to keep her from jumping onto Max, and winces again. "She hates dogs and anybody who interrupts her naps or petting sessions. So just don't do it. If you, however, want to be left alone, get Pika on your lap and pet her or get her to sleep: No one will dare upset you for fear of upsetting Pika. She'd try to claw your eyes out."

At a glance from Victor, Kota sets me down on the couch. Grabbing Max at the scruff he tugs him out of the room and a moment later the front door slams shut. Poughkeepsie stops hissing and curls into Victors arm.

"See? She's really only a cuddle bear as long as you don't upset her." He smiles at me. "Do you want to hold her?" I nod, hesitating for a moment. She can be quite scary. But then he carefully places her in my lap and she is just so cute! And her fur is so soft and fluffy! And she is so adorable when she purrs! And she's just amazing!