#( kou / rockstar cat )

[beclaudine]

rockstar cat.

it’s a rather uneventful way—at least, it’s supposed to be.

claudine doesn’t really know what spurred her to come to this cat cafe. sure, she knows someone who works there, mainly @kouxbe, but she’d always been worried that her rather lavish outfits would come out in tatters if she so much as put one of the cats on her lap. then again, that’s par for the course, something she should expect. but maybe she should’ve asked to meet someplace else—a lot less worrying, where she can relax and not worry about a cat knocking over her drink and ruining her shirt.

but it’s fine. a cat walks up to her, rubbing its cheek against her leg. she looks down briefly, sees that her pants are fine, and reaches down to thread her fingers through its fur. yeah, she’s overthinking it. surely this will be fine.

eventually kou comes over with her drink. claudine looks up at the clock, blinking when she realizes it’s nearly closing time and she should’ve come earlier. looking around there’s only a handful of people left, her included. “are you closing alone? do you… leave all of them here?” she asks referring to the cats, curious. “are they just left alone until the next day?”

she didn’t come here to ask about cats though, she lets out a sigh as she rests her chin atop her palm. “kou, you’re a musician, aren’t you?” she doesn’t know much, but she knows kou has some sort of musical talent. “do you know any… good rockstars?”

what a strange question.

[let-the-living-beware]

The night of the 22nd

╔═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╗

First, it's a Saturday night thing when you feel cool like a gangster or a rockstar- just something to kill the boredom, you know? They call it a chippie, a small habit. It feels so good, you start doing it on Tuesdays... then Thursdays... then it's got you. Every wise ass punk on the block says it won't happen to them, but it does.

- Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries (1995)

══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*══

"Maybe I should have listened." Kou sobbed.

His arm was hurting and he was here alone, yet again beaten up by his boyfriend. He was pretty sure it was broken this time.

Tears rolled down his face as he looked onto the sky reflecting in a small puddle of rain that had accumulated on the window sill.

Wouldn't it be nice to jump into the sky and never come out again?

He thought to himself as the black cat he had named Nova, after the phenomenon called a Super Nova, began purring around him.

With the still healthy arm he took her, pressing his face into her furr.

"Wouldn't that be nice?"

╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝

[beclaudine]

claudine squints, as kou leans down and pats a cat. "hey, hold on a minute," she calls out to the boy, although her tone is still soft and gentle. "just because there are only a few customers you shouldn't be slacking off," she reminds him. it's not like she wants kou to be in trouble in the first place, but she isn't going to police how he works either. it must be distracting, having to work around a bunch of cute creatures. kou doesn't really talk about himself, but one thing she knows about kou is that he absolutely adores cats.

"don't you have a cat allergy too?" she recalls aloud, humming as she thinks, twirling her straw in-between her fingers. "it's a wonder how you manage. honestly, it's kind of impressive," she admits, meaning her words. she has to commend kou's work ethic, relentless despite having a literal body condition that prevents him from being close to the type of animal he loves the most ( but she has a feeling kou sometimes forgets to take his allergy medication ).

she hums, listening to kou talk about his closing routine. "would you get in trouble if they found out you snuck snacks in for them? i imagine it'd keep the cats happy... isn't that a good thing?" she questions, slightly amused. it is funny, the image of a straightfaced kou eagerly feeding the cats in secret. besides, aren't there cameras in this establishment? wouldn't it be obvious anyway?

but when kou starts answering her actual question, her ears perk up, properly looking at the boy, before he delivers the answer. she blinks a few times, almost in disbelief, before she laughs.

"you're a pretty good rockstar," claudine repeats. "what does pretty good even mean?" she tilts her head, crossing one leg over the other. "not that i doubt you're musically talented or anything! you clearly are. it's just... funny, the way you said it."

she lets out a sigh afterwards. "my brother is really interested in the... lifestyle of a rockstar. it's kind of worrying me."

he can't give this up. kou doesn't think it's possible. he loves it too much – cats. despite his hectic schedule, kou tries his hardest to make time for his part-time job. in truth, he's falling off slightly with school. but it isn't too bad he thinks. if things really get tough, he'll take a semester off. but this – being surrounded by cats and people that love his feline friends.... this is something he can't give up.

claudine isn't an unfamiliar face. if kou stares hard enough at her, he can catch her uncanny resemblance to a cat as well. it's funny, but he doesn't laugh out loud. instead he stores that image in the back of his mind for when the cafe adopts another cat. if it's a persian, or one that looks remotely princess-like, maybe he'll suggest the name claudine to his manager.

he places her drink on the table and leans against the wall, watching the cat as it circles her. "yeah. i have to clean up the place a bit and make sure they have enough food for the night... but i tend to sneak in snacks for them," he decides to pat the cat, deciding that it's okay to take a short break. they barely have customers right now, anyway.

"rockstars?" he looks away from the cat, and at his friend. "hm," he hums under his breath, in deep thought. rockstars? rockstars? did kou any? did claudine mean personally?

"oh. me," he replies after a moment, completely serious. "i'm a pretty good rockstar."

[kouxbe]

he can't give this up. kou doesn't think it's possible. he loves it too much – cats. despite his hectic schedule, kou tries his hardest to make time for his part-time job. in truth, he's falling off slightly with school. but it isn't too bad he thinks. if things really get tough, he'll take a semester off. but this – being surrounded by cats and people that love his feline friends.... this is something he can't give up.

claudine isn't an unfamiliar face. if kou stares hard enough at her, he can catch her uncanny resemblance to a cat as well. it's funny, but he doesn't laugh out loud. instead he stores that image in the back of his mind for when the cafe adopts another cat. if it's a persian, or one that looks remotely princess-like, maybe he'll suggest the name claudine to his manager.

he places her drink on the table and leans against the wall, watching the cat as it circles her. "yeah. i have to clean up the place a bit and make sure they have enough food for the night... but i tend to sneak in snacks for them," he decides to pat the cat, deciding that it's okay to take a short break. they barely have customers right now, anyway.

"rockstars?" he looks away from the cat, and at his friend. "hm," he hums under his breath, in deep thought. rockstars? rockstars? did kou any? did claudine mean personally?

"oh. me," he replies after a moment, completely serious. "i'm a pretty good rockstar."

rockstar cat.

it’s a rather uneventful way—at least, it’s supposed to be.

claudine doesn’t really know what spurred her to come to this cat cafe. sure, she knows someone who works there, mainly @kouxbe, but she’d always been worried that her rather lavish outfits would come out in tatters if she so much as put one of the cats on her lap. then again, that’s par for the course, something she should expect. but maybe she should’ve asked to meet someplace else—a lot less worrying, where she can relax and not worry about a cat knocking over her drink and ruining her shirt.

but it’s fine. a cat walks up to her, rubbing its cheek against her leg. she looks down briefly, sees that her pants are fine, and reaches down to thread her fingers through its fur. yeah, she’s overthinking it. surely this will be fine.

eventually kou comes over with her drink. claudine looks up at the clock, blinking when she realizes it’s nearly closing time and she should’ve come earlier. looking around there’s only a handful of people left, her included. “are you closing alone? do you… leave all of them here?” she asks referring to the cats, curious. “are they just left alone until the next day?”

she didn’t come here to ask about cats though, she lets out a sigh as she rests her chin atop her palm. “kou, you’re a musician, aren’t you?” she doesn’t know much, but she knows kou has some sort of musical talent. “do you know any… good rockstars?”

what a strange question.