2 The Affection of a Cat, and Something more Curious
After a awkward moment, he seemed to gather himself.
"Ah.. right I'm. I'm looking to get the cats at the window," Leona said, hoping he didn't get any comments about how beat up he looked.
The employee just smiled "Those are our familiars. People keep bringing them back due to being unable to tame them and I always feel sorry for them." He said, voice uncharacteristically gentle from what he expected.
"Come along," he held out his hand as he hummed to the two cats. Both felines answering the gentle call while Leona watched. He was unsure if he was as entranced by the ethereal boy or something more powerful had him spellbound.
"What do you plan to name them?" Was a curious gentle question.
"Name?" He startled and realized he was staring.
He.... actually hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Uh I'll name them...."
He pointed out the grey cat, "this is Evander"
"And this one is Zorina," he decided petting the white cat, using the names he first thought of without a thought.
The boy tilted his head with something more gentle in his eyes than a smile. "Naming them after famous teamakers? I'm sure they'll be flattered," he smiled
"Come come, sit," the boy urged as he let the cats walk around on the counter.
Leona absently sat in the chair and picked up a pen.
"You'll need to write the new names down and sign the paperwork saying you agree to look after them. From this date you have two months to decide if you want to return them-" the boy stopped causing Leona to look up and see a heartbreakingly sad expression.
The boy caught him staring and resumed explaining.
"From this date you have two months to decide if you want to return them. After that the store holds no official responsibility or affiliation for them," he concluded.
He stared at the cats meowing their heads off
They must have a lot of faith in you. They aren't usually so happy to be leaving," the boy hummed cheerfully. Getting a cage, enough cat food for the next two weeks and a few toys.
'Happy to be out of the shop?' he wondered reaching up to pet Evander.
"How many other people brought them out only to take them back in?' he thought abruptly.
He looked up and the boy had vanished, no longer keeping the white cat occupied.
The cat was still playing with the small sphere of water, poking it as the liquid inside changed from blue to green.
He looked around. "Where'd you go -"
"Sorry for taking so long!" A woman called.
Leona stared at the curly haired woman who shut the door.
"Oh you become fond of our resident troublemakers!" She noted cheerfully, smiling at the cats purring and rubbing against his arm affectionately.
"Or they've become fond of you," she laughed looking over the documents he signed.
"Apologies for taking so much time in the back. However in the future don't let the animals out of the cage yourself!" She said in an attempt to be serious.
"But I didn't. Another employee got them out for me!" He defended.
"You said you came from the back rooms. Wasn't there a boy about my age-?" He asked.
"Oh we have many high school and college volunteers that come and go as their schedule allows. You probably met a student that realized he was late for class!" She waved off.
He blinked. 'A student. Yeah. Makes... Makes sense,' he thought numbly. He probably should have been happy she didn't ask why he wasn't in class.
He straighted as he walked out the door, cats in tow.
He glanced at the cats. "I don't know about you, but I'm not looking forward to going home," he muttered.
Lauren and his older brother were both taking turns with the lecture he was getting.
"I rescued them and took them to a pet store to officially adopt them." He said handing her a copy of the documents he signed.
She looked them over, a frown marring her face. "There's no way this is real,"
He bristled. "Sorry the penmanship doesn't scream regal Prince! I was thinking about myself instead of my image for once!"
"That's another thing! Who do you expect to show this to? Do we need to go back to your calligraphy lessons ?" Lauren asked.
"If I didn't know any better I say you think of yourself plenty." Leona flinched at his brother's serious tone. "Are you ever going to show up for the Astrophel Magecraft Academy or even your Guild that you signed up for?"
"So far you meander your time doing whatever you feel like. Taking guild assignments if you think about it, staying at hotels for parties, this band of delinquents-
"Actually the band... Ended." He cut in, sulking as he realized he should not have mentioned it.
She blinked in something akin to surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean yes. It ended today. Calloway threw it away," he scowled at her cool expression. She could at least fake being sympathetic to him losing something he was interested in.
"Leona, I'm sorry to hear that. I understand that you found a good deal of joy in your band," his older brother remarked.
As acting King, him finding time for Leona was a rare thing. He appreciated even the little comments that said he was paying attention to Leona and his interests.
Even if sometimes the timing made them harsher than preferred or insensitive.
Leona shrugged and started petting the white cat.
Lauren's expression softened. "Perhaps looking after them will teach you more responsibility."
"I'm responsible!" He shot back.
"Leona no arguing with Lauren, she's just looking out for you,"
He sat in his room and stared at the fancy scrawls of handwriting.
In beautiful script was the name Unfathomable Fascinating.
He blinked at the name. No wonder Lauren thought it had to be fake. What was the heir of a family so powerful and influential they were practically royal Mafia doing at a pet store?
He glanced at the clock. Only one hour had passed. Without the band there was no way to kill time now.
He wondered what Sammi, Aiona and Murielle are doing.
Actually that was a ridiculous thought. Sammi tall and strong as he was probably went back to helping his dad with his detective work. Aiona likely found her calling elsewhere.
Murielle probably went back to her myriad of tea and flute lessons.
He'd send them a message sometime asking how they were doing later.
Calloway... He swallowed hard.
He hadn't been wrong. But what caused him to decide to disband..?
He didn't feel betrayed exactly, he figured it was going to happen anyway once he revealed that he was actually a prince.
He thought back to the omega from earlier in the week.
He hadn't told anyone about him. And he had no way to contact him. He hoped he didn't fall ill or get pregnant. That would be inconvenient on both ends.
Neither of them owed each other anything. He figured. It was only a one night stand the odds of them meeting again were so low it was hilarious.
His eyes snapped open and the grey cat stared at him curiously.
Maybe Unfathomable Fascinating wasn't supposed to be there?' he thought suddenly. He's probably the type who likes animals. But like me he's got a reputation to keep.
"A reputation he's likely expected to keep." He thought with a frown.
The cat nuzzled him. "If reincarnation is real don't come back as someone rich and powerful. It ain't all glamour and wealth," he remarked.
"Oh right you're supposed to be familiars. Aids to my magic circuits and spells." He mused.
"Understanding." The white magic circle formed around both cats and scanned their magic circuits. At present they were simple neutral magic cats. No one had successfully fully adopted them which meant getting acquainted with their magic.
"Binding." The cats hissed but didn't attack. The act of binding magic circuits to his own made them his servants more or less. But at least he'd be able to look after them easier.
"Cluster" he sighed.
Somewhere in the palace he knew the fragment Keter, the stone of the Crown of Light was glowing. As it did for all members of the royal family.
A dark gold magic circle appeared at the cats' feet
He could tell they were reacting to the lions and other big cats he could summon.
"Hello Bast," he hummed. "These are your new companions."
Bast shifted from cat to a woman with cat ears and tail to a cat again. Until his contract ended she was part of the arsenal of summons he could call forth.
Not all that impressive when no one expected anything of him.
Bast narrowed her eyes. "You have the scent of an omega on you. I understood it that you despised following the expectations of society and said you would never be in a relationship with one," Bast purred returning to the form of a woman with a name of curls.
"I met an omega, sort of. And helped him with his heat. It was a one time thing. Won't happen again," he said scratching behind Evander's ear.
He adjusted Zorina's collar.
"I do wish I got his name though," he remembered the intoxicating scent of apple pie. The poisonous green eyes...