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EIGHT A STUDY IN TABBY CAT ORANGE
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INA IS ON HER WAY TO CLASS when she finds the cat.
She is in a hurry—her hair is wild and unbrushed, her tie is haphazardly hung around her neck, she only has one sock on, and she's pretty sure that the shirt she's wearing (the one she randomly picked up off the floor in a hurry to get ready) belongs to one of her roommates.
Because, you see, the thing is... Ina is late for class.
Okay, not technically (class starts at 9:30, and it's currently 9:20), but when she usually wakes up with plenty of time to shower and eat breakfast before, she considers this late.
Her first class of the day is double Divination with Professor Finklehart—a sweet, old man who's so nice and likes Ina enough to not mind if she shows up to class late—but she still can't help but rush.
Ina doesn't do late. Not usually, with her meticulous schedule and scary punctuality. But after spending the entire night before finishing up a Transfiguration essay, she gives herself a little bit of a break—it's not entirely inexcusable that she slept through her alarm, after all.
She barely has time to stop in the kitchens for a quick bite, and it's as she's running out with a slice of buttered toast shoved between her teeth that she almost topples over when she sees the cat.
Ina comes to a skidding halt when the orange fluff ball comes into her line of sight, and she barely stops herself from keeling over as her eyes widen in surprise.
The cat, in turn, just stares at her with its wide, black eyes, its head turned to the side as if curious. It's cute and honestly has much too much fur for Ina to get close to (thank you, allergies!) but she's momentarily shaken when she realizes—it's not running away.
She can't remember the last time an animal didn't immediately bolt when coming within a 10 foot radius of her. Even the owls get skittish around her, and usually if she needs to mail something, she has Zera or Will take it to the owlery for her.
"Hello, little thing," Ina coos as the small tabby cat approaches her hesitantly, bending down to get a better look at it. It's innocent eyes melt her heart, and she reaches out a hand to pet it.
"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" She asks, unable to keep the beaming smile off of her face. "What's your name?"
Her fingers find their way under the cat's chin, who in turn tilts its head and nuzzles happily into her palm.
Ina's eyes fall onto the collar around the cat's neck, with a round metallic pendant hanging off the center. She wastes no time in flipping it over, to find it engraved with the name 'Daisy' and a cute little flower drawing.
