#/ dbsahdbsa gosh tho i just gotta say she loves the gift so much shes so entranced by it

[lachalaine]

24th Birthday // Nov 29, 2018

not accepting

The couch was their resting place. He’d nudged her onto it some time ago and gotten himself quite comfortable lying on her, getting as close as he could, relishing the warmth and ease of the moment. A soft purr emanated from him (as it always did when he was with her like this) and blended in with the low noises of the TV playing in the background.

He didn’t bother watching the screen, choosing instead to close his eyes and nuzzle his face against Jackie. Her familiar scent, and the reassuring sounds of her heartbeat and breathing, gave him absolute peace. That peace started to invite sleep in to share its place and weigh down his mind and body.

Despite the fact it hadn’t been spent the way he would have preferred (with himself in human form, fast-forwarding to a time where he was able to spoil Jackie in every way possible), it had been a good day so far. Jackie seemed to have had a very nice birthday at least, and he had done his best to give her all the affection he could with his limited, leopard capabilities.

— Several quick knocks on the front door broke the relaxed ambience.

His ears twitched in dislike. Who or what was disrupting his time with Jackie? Was it a friend of hers? An enemy? A tiger? A guy stopping by to declare his love for her?? How dare.

He lifted his head, turning it in the direction of the door as a spark of aggressive energy flashed through him like lightning, scaring away the need for sleep that had peeked in.

Within a moment, Chesh had hopped down from the couch and begun his approach to the door. Silent, swift steps took him closer and closer. Whether Jackie was scrambling to beat him to it, or was too lethargic on the couch to process the fact her leopard was appearing to go ambush a visitor, he had no idea, his focus only on this new ‘rival’.

He stopped several feet from the entrance and sunk low to the floor, eyes trained on the door handle, waiting for his time to strike.

This was rather standard practice for him now whenever someone came over. The leopard was always prepared to face whoever dared to enter ‘his’ territory, ready to scare them off to protect it and Jackie. He’d surprised a fair few people before Jackie managed to distract them or hide him (and he’d chased out one or two of her ‘dates’ before too). So, who was this new victim? A birthday date, perhaps?

Oh! But given the timing, it was probably Karson, wasn’t it? The guy he had hired to make the delivery! (the man owed him after all, considering Chesh’s sales pitch that time had actually worked.)

We can’t scare this one off, he told his other side, we need him. For Jackie.

The leopard gave an internal huff but allowed him to move away from the door and out of sight, while the birthday girl finally opened the door. Ah, yes, it was indeed good ol’ Karson!

Relief eased the shifter’s tensed muscles, but then had to contend with the icy splash of nervousness spreading throughout him. It sped up his heart and heightened his senses further, sharpening the scene.

Jackie leaned against the half-open door, blocking the view of the other human (perhaps to prevent the guy from accidentally spotting a large, predatory cat in the background). Her hair was in a rather glorious mess after all the times he’d rubbed his face against it during the day, but she still looked gorgeous. Such pretty hair she had, and he had recently learnt it was purple! (and he was still so delighted by that fact)

In honour of that colour, the somewhat large giftbox she was being handed now was covered in pretty, purple paper and topped with beautiful ribbon of a complementary tone.

It had arrived safely, without so much as a crinkle, crease, or droopy bow. Karson had done a good job of delivering it, Chesh was glad he’d picked him for the task, but…what if Jackie didn’t like the gift inside?

Anxiety pricked at him and made it impossible to stay still. He adjusted his position in the attempt to become more comfortable. The action didn’t help him or give him a line of sight to the visitor (something which made the leopard more antsy, but was good, considering he would have seen how the man instinctively checked Jackie out, and he would have been compelled to scare the crap out of him).

Chesh waited for her to close the door after Karson left, then he emerged and moved closer, seemingly curious. The box she held was exactly as he remembered it, not that it was hard for him to accurately recall its image, after having spent far too much time making sure it was flawlessly wrapped, with the elegant bow on top precisely posed to be picture-perfect.

Yes, this box was permanently in his memories now. He could have easily just brought a pretty box to put the present in, but this was for Jackie! (and none of the boxes he had looked at had been pretty enough or in the right shades or size)

He was quite often a lazy cat in all senses, unwilling to work or move until he damn well felt like it, unmotivated (well, more like, reluctant to try for fear of failure), and somewhat selfish too, but there were certain times when his perfectionism raised itself from the depths of his being and stubbornly took control.

Not only had he spent an exceptional amount of time (during which he should have been focusing on work and customers) on what was inside the box, but he had spent a good deal of time making sure the box was perfect too. The packaging had to be as nice as the gift itself after all!

Although…now he wondered if he should have gone with a plain box, so that she would have low expectations of what was inside, and therefore she would, hopefully, be pleasantly surprised when she finally did open it, even if it didn’t wow her.

Damn it…

His tail flicked, and his paws shifted around, but his eyes stayed on Jackie and the present, hoping she wouldn’t be let down by it. All she had to do was tug on the ribbon to collapse the bow, lift off the lid and peer inside. She would see a square board of polished, warm toned wood (mahogany, to be precise. He’d tried to find a piece that matched the glimpse he’d gotten of her eyes that time).

Half an inch in from the edge, a straight, deep line ran right around the board, creating a frame. At each corner, the line dipped into a fingertip groove, which allowed for an easy way for the panel that rested inside the large frame to be lifted out and changed.

The lightweight panel itself had a multitude of tiny holes painstakingly put into it, they were hard to notice at first even with some of them being larger than others. Along the top edge of the panel, the word ‘Sagittarius’ was carefully inlayed in a flowy font of gold.

Should she remove the panel to see the workings below or notice the small switch on the side of the board, she might realise that what she had been given was a light projector, designed to give her ceiling the stars whenever she wished.

And that wasn’t all she was given.

Upright between one side of the thick board and the side of the giftbox, a matching and specially made stand held a dozen more panels within its slots. Like the one that was already settled in the frame, these had constellation names at their top edges.

Slipped in with the first panel in the stand, he had left a notecard. It simply read ‘Happy Birthday’ (because he had redone it so many times before with different messages and had talked himself out of each one). He didn’t bother to sign the card (though ‘C.A’ was discretely carved on the underside of the projector board, he did that with all his works), as she didn’t know who he was.

Yet.

She didn’t know who he was…yet.

But perhaps the small ‘Delaney Furnishing’ sticker next to his initials, along with the brochure Karson was going to put in her mailbox on his way past, would be enough hints to get her to visit him at work some day soon. That is…if she liked what he’d made for her, and if she found the need to see more.

Chesh let out a shaky breath now, instincts torn between wanting to see her open the gift and wanting to go hide beneath her blankets. Nervous? Excited? He couldn’t tell what he was anymore, and even started to doubt his ability to survive meeting her in human form. Maybe it wasn’t too late to stop Karson planting the pamphlet and get him to take the gift back…

What had he been thinking! This whole thing was a totally bad idea. But perhaps he could just distract her with affection and stop her from opening anything. Maybe even make her drop the box and break the thing. It was stupid anyway, and she probably wouldn’t like it, so he would be doing her a favour really!

Embarrassment flowed through him in a hot rush that would have made his face flush had he been human. His mind went off in a dozen directions, imagining all the horrific reactions and rejections. They solidified his idea of interfering.

He was going to break the box and projector and save Jackie from the terrible gift.

She almost didn’t hear the doorbell ring.

Exhausted from the birthday ventures that’d started from the evening prior until a late lunch with friends earlier this afternoon, the late midday sunlight finally found Jackie laying spread out into the cushioned fabric of her gloriously comfy sofa, just absolutely fucking drained beyond belief.

Goddess help her, but it had been – an absolute Day. And to think it wasn’t even over yet. She might have taken the night off work tonight, but her friends didn’t exactly take no for an answer. They’d be coming to collect her for another volley of drinks at twilight.

Jackie almost seems to whimper at the very thought. 

Her liver was ready to strangle her if it could.

In the meantime however, she’d brushed it from her mind, and perhaps it works only all too well; for as warm and as comfortable as she was cushioned beneath a particular leopards rather solid frame, the female is only truly roused from her heady daze by the sensation of the feline slowly slipping away; the shift in languid movement beckoning her fully awake, away from the comforts of sleep and back into reality.

She might have been dead on her feet, but she was still fairly aware of all the most important things, at the very least. Like how it couldn’t possibly have been six pm yet, considering the sun was still shining brightly through the windows. Like how it couldn’t have been her friends at the door, for they were perpetually late as a rule in the first place.

Like how the current reality was telling her that her friendly neighborhood leopard was preparing to attack her visitors again.

Oh shit. Not again. 

Nope.

Mahogany hues snap open before she so much as allows the thought to even dimly settle, petite frame rushing upwards from the couch and awkwardly scrambling for the front door before the feline could dare to make it there before her; the panic of seeing him already crouched before the entrance as though ready to maul a gazelle nearly enough to set her suddenly frazzled nerves on edge.

‘Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope - not again, please!’

This cat was going to give her a heart attack!

Rampant panic aside, it seems almost a miracle when she finally skids into the foyer just in time to see him seemingly huff and turn to saunter away, as though already very aware of what her reaction would be to his attempts, shuffling quietly back along to finally settle against the far wall to hide seemingly out of sight.

It was – surprising behavior of him to say the least, but she wasn’t going to turn and look a gift horse in the mouth.

Thank god, because she didn’t know how much longer she could keep convincing people they were delusional.

‘Of course I’m not keeping a leopard in the house, that’s crazy, honestly. You’ve been watching too much Animal Planet, that’s all.’

As though people didn’t already think her insane enough, she really didn’t need animal control hounding on her too.

A thankful sigh resonates from between full lips at her sudden luck, grateful for whatever deity had blessedly chosen to grant her a smidgen of peace that day as she’d finally turned her attention to the doorway; keeping the position of her rather overly protective housemate in mind even as she’d slowly moved to gradually open it with a peek.

When the door finally cracks open, she’s not entirely sure what to expect.

“Oh hello.”

But he certainly didn’t look like her regular FEDEX guy, that was for damn sure. 

A swift, if not confusing conversation later ( of which the man had answered practically none of her questions but had proceeded to make every attempt possible to look down her shirt ), and after having deemed the man almost relatively harmless, Jackie found herself ultimately just accepting the delivered package and finally closing the front door; large purple hued box now grasped securely within her arms, as lone female stared down at the still impeccably sealed and beautifully wrapped carton with a soft hum.

‘Well,’ she’d eventually mused, as eyes roamed across the crease-less finish of the packaging, observant of the absolute care that’d evidently been made to keep the box looking as absolutely perfect as possible. ‘I don’t think the mafia would care too much about the wrapping paper if all they wanted to do was blow me up.’

A dim though ( almost faint, really, considering how long it’d been ), and perhaps rather naïve, especially for someone who’d had as much experience with the old syndicate the way she did, although there was a heavy sliver of truth to it.

It might have been a while since she’d been in contact with them, but some things just didn’t change. Most thugs just didn’t have the grace nor patience to manage something as delicate as this, not to mention that she’d received no indication to think her background had been unearthed just yet. All the better for her, of course. The shortsightedness of others would always be her ally.

Now if only she’d had just as many clues to figure this little mystery out.

The female gives the box a slight shake as she stands there by the door – just a bit ( “I was told it’s fragile so be careful with it.” “Okay, but who gave it?” Shruggity shrug. “Ugh.” “Trust me, you’d like him.” ) 

Him. Him, him, H I M.

Interesting. 

– if only enough to at least ascertain the general composition of its contents, only to just as quickly perk as the she’d felt something shift from within its sealed borders.

Oh.

Well. That answered absolutely nothing for her.

The gentle brush of fur slipping against her legs snapped her out of that rather cryptic puzzle, Jackie quickly shifting her attention downwards as a small smile blossomed across her lips at feline’s silent presence. “Hello, Kit. Look what I got, another birthday present!” A slight tap against the box as she’d grinned at him, a curious light just as prominent in her own gaze versus his own. “Pretty big thing, huh? Though it was from someone who didn’t want to leave a name apparently, but maybe he left it somewhere inside the box, hmm?”

It would have seemed almost counterproductive of his efforts if he didn’t, after all. Though perhaps that was the intention.

“Bit of a shame though if they didn’t, don’t you think?” She’d softly intoned, lithe digits already brushing across crisp violet wrapping with a frown, so perfectly bound she’d feared even opening it. “Seems they put a lot of effort into it. Be nice to know who to thank.”

It seems so silly, honestly, but somehow, something about the box felt almost — significant in a way, and she’s not entirely quite sure why. Perhaps it was just the inordinate amount of care that’d so obviously been utilized, all the way from the attention to wrapping paper and ribbon to its eventual delivery at her doorstep, so precisely and personally executed that one couldn’t help but wonder what the gesture might’ve meant to them.

Something special, maybe. Important. Enough to make them feel almost anxious, nervous, excited at her response -—

What?

A swift shake of her head brought her out of that line of thought, mahogany hues wide and blinking as she’d attempted to ignore the most curious sense of sudden unease building steadily through her frame, the feeling as though a sudden haze was clouding her mind –

Damn.

“Ugh, maybe all that stress is finally catching up to me.” She’d groaned softly to herself as fingers carefully brushed against her temples, already turning on her heels in order to stalk back to the living room, genuinely just attempting to thoroughly brush the feeling completely away –

Only to find that she actually — couldn’t.

For not even two steps later and she’d suddenly found herself abruptly pounced on, leopard suddenly raising himself on his heels and quickly clambering upon her svelte frame without any warning, paws pressed against her chest – seemingly to purposely stop her from taking even just another step forward.

In sharp contrast to anyone else should they have ever found themselves getting pounced on by a wild cat, domesticated or otherwise – she in turn just laughs.

Because at first, it seems altogether to be amusing – one of his most usual attempts at affection, at seizing her attention in efforts to grant him at least the quick and tender motion of her touch. It’s the norm, it’s what she expects, it’s —- Kit.

Until it isn’t.

For leopards frame doesn’t make it a point to actually pull away or even relax when female’s hand finally slips away from the package to scratch beneath his chin, as instead the male seems to shift his attention towards the box still held securely in her grasp, heavy paws landing insistently against the top of the package in a manner that one might almost take as — insistent. Clutching and pawing at it, like there was something wrong about it; you could say there was a frazzled energy about him, and one that for all intents and purposes, seemed entirely out of place.  

It is then, with a slight start, that she abruptly realizes –

He isn’t purring. In fact –

“Kit?”

He doesn’t sound very happy at all.

Oh shit.

Why was she saying that so much today?

“Kit, wait, don’t do that – ” Confusion laced upon her lips even as Jackie took the slightest step back, only for the cat to seemingly ignore her, determined focus stuck on the gift box as he’d followed; balance never slipping, forepaws never leaving, a keening whine breaking through the terse silence as appendages legitimately attempted to try to shove the cargo from her steady hold – holy shit!

‘What the hell did the box ever do to him?!’  

“Kitty, no, stop – !!“

Two steps backwards, another three – holding it ever tighter against her chest, doing all she could to try to stave him off without hurting him; efforts made that’d otherwise forced the male down to his feet, only for him to just as swiftly follow, attention so intensely fixated that it’d appeared no amount of admonishment on her part would ever seem to negate him.  

He was like a bloodhound who’d gotten the scent for wild deer, and she for one – was not quite ready to see what would happen to that proverbial deer when he was through with it. So, in total consideration of that potential bloodbath ( or box bath in this case ), she truly did the only think that she could have ever deemed necessary.

She ran.

Quick as a fox and zooming right past him, she’d bolted into a sprint that would have left even an Olympic runner impressed. Up and over the couch, zipping around the coffee table, already sensing his impending presence as surprised leopard quickly made to catch up –

Why did none of these rooms have fucking doors, damn it!

“Kit, don’t - !!”

Through the living room and into the kitchen, exclamation breaking on a short yelp, the female so narrowly avoided tripping over the second feline who’d decided to make her oftentimes absent presence known ( fucking cats, she swore to god ), navigating footwork up and over the pure white feline as the smaller animal stared up at her owner in clear judgement; the cat seemingly certain she wouldn’t hit her, but also rather content not to move until she’d watched the human smack heavily backwards into the kitchen counter behind her.

If the cat could’ve snickered, she would have made sure Jackie could hear it.

Mhm, oooh, she did so like causing some pain, yes.

In comparison, she grants the larger leopard that’d followed after her owner a short glance, cerulean hues narrowing on him dramatically, practically daring him to jump over her; before ever so haughtily sauntering away with a swish.

Jackie, for her part, was still clearing the stars from her eyes.

“Wait, no – behave!” She’d uttered out with a slight wince, back still smarting just a bit from her short tumble to the floor, of when she’d thought it prudent to turn halfway so she’d at least managed to cushion the box carefully against her chest. Granted she was probably gonna bruise just a little bit, but it was fine so long as the box was okay.

Though perhaps it might have clattered just a little inside the box during her quick sprint but – it couldn’t have been too bad, right?

She’d certainly hoped.

“Behave – please.” A heavy gasp for air as she’d curled further against the wall, raising a foot up in attempt to at least keep him at a distance, trying to calm her racing heart in the process. Her head was still hazy a bit, but it was relatively starting to clear up, she’d just had to make sure —

Goddess help her if the only fucking thing in here was fucking catnip – !

She slips off the ribbon before she can even contemplate it otherwise.

His keening whine goes ignored. “Stop, Kit, honestly. Now what were you so —- oh.”

Oh indeed.

And what exactly was she looking at here?

Lithe digits paused where she’d now held the lid aloft, mahogany hues seeming to be more or less just – confused, really; utterly uncertain of what now lay before her as she’d shifted to place both the ribbon and the cover down to examine the package in its entirety. What in the world? 

Honestly. All this running for a plank of wood?

Or – no. Not – not exactly wood, maybe. 

A frame?

Brows arching high upon her forehead, the female slowly lowered her foot back down as attention focused downwards, curious gaze roving tentatively across the panel staring back at her – warm toned wood ( the colour so familiar, the same of which she’d seen when she’d stared back into the mirror ) etched with a multitude of holes drilled into them, some sort of pattern from what she could guess, considering quite a few appeared to be much larger than the others; and then right above the intricate woodwork, in glorious gold script –

Sagittarius.

A zodiac sign. Though to be more precise, her zodiac sign.

—- was this supposed to be some sort of sculpture of sorts?

Behind her, the sun had slowly started to set beyond the horizon, gradually casting the kitchen in the dusky hues of the coming nightfall – the perfect setting it’d appeared, as she’d finally moved to take the entire wooden mechanism out of the box, setting it upon the kitchen floor and carefully messing around with it ( peeking beneath the frame, staring at the small light bulb cast inside, was it a lamp? ) only for deft fingers to finally chance upon the side – a switch so quickly clicked as panel clicked back into place, and then in response –

Flash

Light.

Pinpricks of bright light shining straight through the holes, but still light.

—- mayhaps she shouldn’t have been staring into that thing as intensely as she had, huh?

“Ow.” Softly spoken word as Jackie looked away, back against the dull lit shades that’d still cloaked half her kitchen in shadow, blinking away the spots of colour that’d flashed before her eyes ( not blind, that’s the important part ) – it was only once she’d deemed her vision once again coherent that she’d finally chanced a look back –

( the box was shining, bright, bright, bright, and beyond that – she was looking up, up, up – )  

“Oh.”

Oh. 

Oh.

Stars.

She was staring at the stars.

“What the heck –” The soft string of words, breathed out in awe strung amazement, as heart a rising tide suddenly shuddered a multitude of emotions that’d shot straight through her veins like a rush of adrenaline, leveling her on a high that’d felt almost entirely surreal as acquired gift seamlessly painted the walls of her home with the pin pricked beauty of the cosmos – glistening, glimmering, right within the four corners of her most humble abode, wow, wow, wow, just WOW – 

Goddamn.

She could scarcely breathe.

“Incredible.”

Jesus, what else could she even think to say beyond that?

Gaze roving intensely across the scene, it admittedly took some effort to pull her eyes away from the view playing high above her, wanting to get every inch of light show etched into her skull ( silly, silly, silly – it wasn’t going to stray, she could sleep to the sight of it every night if she’d wanted to ) – before finally shifting her attention back down towards the box, vaguely recognizing the stillness of the wild leopard by her side as he’d stared at her, as though intensely focused on examining her every single reaction as it passed. There was a sense of intelligence to the look, she’d garnered from a quick glance at him – something more profound than that of his casual surveillance; something that made him seem just a little more discerning, a little more aware. Almost a little more –

Human.

She wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.

Brushing the curious thought away seemed easy for the moment, at the very least, as deft digits returned to the remaining panels that’d been slipped against the edge of the box; the relative brightness of the projector providing her with just enough light to see by – a collection. Aries, Taurus, Gemini –

Wait.

Her fingers slip back between the first two panels of the arrangement with relative ease, fishing out a small card with a simple greeting etched against white parchment, only to so swiftly turn it back and forth as eyes raked attentively over the lettering; only to experience the heavy drop that’d quickly settled within her chest that’d echoed the deep disappointment of seeing no potential name specified.

Happy Birthday. 

Happy Birthday. 

That was it.

Goddess.

She didn’t know what to think.

Female remains all too silent as she’d stared down at the acquired card far too intensely, face seemingly almost impassive as the reactions seemed to gradually build up inside her, before all too quickly and all at once –

She presses the card right up against her eyes with an altogether heavy sigh.

Oh gods. 

“Why didn’t you tell me your name?”

The softest complant, ushered beneath her breath, even as heart gradually pumped a building rhythm within her chest – ah, what was this sensation she was feeling? It’d curled right against her heart, made her cheeks so slightly flush, made her feel almost wildly out of her depth, that she’d felt almost –

Shy.

Mhm. Oh no. 

‘Help.’

“Kitty – “ When she turns to finally face the feline, her cheeks are tinted a light rose of blushing pink, the look upon her visage so awkwardly flustered — oh gods. “I think I’m gonna faint.”

What he makes of that particular expression, she fears she’ll never know.

In the end, she ultimately doesn’t faint – though perhaps that had more to do with her fanning herself with the card and otherwise forcing herself to calm down, feeling like a jittery schoolgirl in the process – oh Jesus. 

Seriously, what was wrong with her?

She’d wished someone could tell her. 

As ultimately in the end, she finds herself spending more time then she should’ve running her hands over the box when she’d finally relocated into her bed; ignoring her phone buzzing repeatedly beside her as she’d switched carefully between panels – whispering her words of admiration to the wild cat sitting next to her, silent and watching as he did, his sudden burst of aggravation from earlier seeming to have finally settled –

Cancer, Leo, Virgo –

Ultimately, it’s when her hands finally pause upon the Leo panel as she’s putting it back, that she finally feels the small outline embedded into the underside of the projector – fingers shuffling it into better view as mahogany hues zoomed in on the initials ( she didn’t know anyone with a C.A, she didn’t think, did she? ), and then right beside it the more prominent sticker –

‘Delaney Furnishing.’

That she finally gains the semblance of a clue.

A clue she didn’t know quite what to make of, until the next day when she’s getting her mail ( after having slept the whole night through with eyes blinded by the radiance of stars, stars, stars – so close and so entirely dazzling ) when she finally finds hidden between her bills – ( insurance, electricity, water, catalog, credit card bill, bill, bill — oooh! ) One. Lone. Brochure.

For Delaney Furnishing.

Huh.

Coincidence? She’d think not. But she was pretty lucky though, wasn’t she? 

Looks like her empty schedule was suddenly completely booked today.

// @bestiatexere