A Box Of Kittens

Chapter 23

Ayy, the chapter number is the date of my birth! Cool. And just because: LONG LIVE THE POOR!

Also, if there are italics entirely when someone is speaking (except for emphasis), then they are speaking in German. I don't speak much German so I'm going to do it like this. If no one is talking aloud and there are italics, then it means that they are simply thinking. With that in mind, on with the chapter!

"So... they drove off," (your name) said awkwardly to her little (brother/sister)- (sibling's name)- as (he/she/they) stood on the doorstep to her flat, a massive duffel bag filled to the brim with who-knows-what slung over (his/her/their) shoulder.

"Yeah..." (sibling's name) replied, equally as awkward.

"You want to come in?" (sibling's name) nodded. (your name) stepped back to let (him/her/them) past. "Why are you wet?" (your name) asked as soon as she saw (sibling's name)'s hair sopping wet and dripping steadily onto (his/her/their) shoulders, leaving large wet patches.

Alois wandered out of (your name)'s bedroom, bouncing on his paws happily, until he was dragged back into the room by a dark grey, almost black snout that belonged to Claude. He fell onto his face and extended his claws, creating claw marks onto the carpet, screeching silently as he went. His claws unhooked themselves from the carpet as he was lifted up into the air, dangling in the air helplessly from the fur on his neck, which was clamped firmly in Claude's jaw.

"Why won't you let me go, Claude?" Alois huffed, his ears drooping and his face scrunching up in discomfort. "Can you put me down, now?"

Claude lowered Alois back down to the ground. "We must not be seen. (your name)'s (brother/sister) will be suspicious if (he/she/they) saw us."

"Why is there a red cat?" came the sound of (sibling name)'s voice floating from the living room. Everyone quickly looked around the room, but Grell was no where in sight. 

"That damn idiot!" William growled as he quickly jogged out of the room, only to see Grell posing and showing his magnificently fluffy fur. "Grell Sutcliff, get back here!" The others followed after William, trying to call him back.

"Aaaaaand there's more of them..."

(your name) kept silent. She didn't even say anything about her (brother/sister) not being even a little disturbed that the cats could talk, or even the fact that they were all, for some reason, piled up on top of Grell, who was yelling something about his fur getting messed up. Instead, she face palmed.

This is going to be a long week, (your name) thought to herself, and sighed.

///~~~///

"Hey, who's that over there?" Nina asked Lau. He looked up to where she was pointing; the young girl she was pointing to was shovelling food into her mouth, not caring what was going into her mouth, nor the proper etiquette or the correct cutlery that needed to be used for what dish. The tall man, presumably her butler, stood beside her, not even bothering to correct her.

"My, didn't you know?" Lau turned back to Nina, arm linked around Ran-Mao's shoulders, drawing her in close. He paused. "I wonder, who is that?"

"You're telling me you didn't know all along?!"

"It's good to see you, Miss Sullivan!" Finny greeted Sieglinde Sullivan and Wolfram Gelzer cheerfully, his characteristic big smile plastered across his face as he waved.

"Ah, yes, hello Finny," Sullivan greeted back, this time in English. She pushed her chair back and, using her newly-invented 'Arachne Patousa', she walked around the end of the table to stand face-to-face with everyone else. Wolfram followed behind her.