[SFW] 📼 There's more to life than videotapes and ramen stands and diving into incredibly perilous reaches of a static, hollow underworld and risking your life and mental state...
Yeah, there's way more to it than that... like bonding with sweet fri...
"A cat might dream of all sorts of things... this one, in particular, might dream of you."
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Golden sand plasters the stretch of land, briefly pulled in and out of sight by the gentle cascade of blue seawater. As though it were whispering upon the banks, the waves glide in and hesitantly back away, retreating to the serene vortex of the ocean and its endless crystal horizon. The heat is turned scorching under the influence of a fresh summer, the dew of spring falling behind in the year and now, all the world can do, in all its glory, is wait patiently for a white winter.
But for now, there is no winter, no snow or ice or Christmas lights hanging behind every window. The only window here is the sea.
The screen flickers. Another scene displays a beautiful shot of the ocean, the sands twinkling almost comically in a way reminiscent of days gone, where romance lingered in the air and a couple might have been to this same beach in the past to indulge in one another's company.
The... couple, just happens to be a pair of characters from a movie you picked out. A man who has recently stripped out of his military uniform and doused himself in a touch of freedom - summer attire, like shorts and a tank top, some sandals as a means to stop flecks of sand billowing up between his toes like cookie crumbs. And then there is his sweetheart, or so it seems, a lively girl with a loud mouth and a wild fixation on ice-cold soda.
This final shot of the movie has the couple sharing a glass of soda. You suppose you'd call it an indirect kiss, the way they purposely sipped from the same edge of the cup, and because of this, you do appreciate the less... cliche ending. Many a time you've seen countless romance films, all ending in depression or a kiss, or a depressing kiss, or a kiss that ends in someone leaving and becoming depressed...
Your eyes begin drifting away from the television, settling instead on the person seated next to you - Nekomata. Gentle purrs rumble out from within her throat, and her twin tails ever so faintly jab the velvety couch cushions beneath her. A brief smile finds your lips at the sight of the cat Thiren resting comfortably by your side, and that brief smile turns eternally wide when you take notice of what she's really doing.
Her head is tilted back, the rest of her body lax and melting into the couch like slush, and when you listen closer, you hear it - her purrs gradually fading in and out of the softest snores.
Yeah... guess I expected that.
After all, it wasn't her who suggested you both watch a romance movie. But she did give you the green light earlier, by granting you full reign over the movie choice. You just so happened to pick the best one-
To put her asleep faster.
You let a little sigh go and prepare to lift off the couch and retrieve a blanket. The least you can do is get her nice and warm after boring her to death with generic romance plots and corny speech about forever love and by your side always.
You begin to move... only to be stopped when Nekomata's body sways, gently sliding off to the side and landing securely in your lap. Trapped, just like that. You pause, careful as to not disturb her, yet at the same time, now you're a sitting duck. Her sitting duck. And you know cats probably wouldn't give up on a duck hunt.
Your mouth quirks up into an awkward smile at the position she's put you in, resting in the warmth of your lap, head turned to the side and her body only tenderly stirring every now and again.
Yup, it's just like they say. It's hard to bring myself to wake a cat just so I can move.
You drag your eyes over to the clock on the wall. Reading the time, you really should be surprised, but for some reason, repeating 12:36 in your head doesn't send that perpetual pang of realization rattling your bones. Instead, you find yourself loosening up, easing again into the couch, bringing a hand up to Nekomata's face where you gingerly and deliberately stroke her small cheek.
She purrs. Even in her sleep, she must be grateful for the affection, and in her dreams, you'd like to think she's imagining you.
Your hand drags up past her forehead and settles on her hair, your fingers gracefully raking the soft strands. You dance ever so closely to her ears, but never touch, knowing they'd only jolt her awake sooner.
You're starting to wish you could do this more often...
But you're pretty tired, so you'll be snoozing pretty soon alongside her.
When you close your eyes and begin to drift off into slumber, Nekomata's sweet drowsy voice pokes at your ears the way a kitten might prod their tiny claw into your arm.
"You can touch the ears... Proxy."
Unfortunately, you're too tired to peel open your eyes once more and discover that Nekomata is now smiling up at you with her catlike eyes open and shimmering out of adoration, even in the darkness of the room.
