Housepets: Symphony in Periwinkle
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 1:56 am
I should like to mention now that the following fanfic should not, under any circumstances, be taken seriously within context of the main story line. The purpose of this fic is purely light hearted in its attempt to share some enjoyment with fellow Housepets fans. Also, this does play as sort of a sequel to Sinder's "Star-crossed" fanfic, so if you haven't read that yet, for heaven's sake, please do. Its also my way of saying thank you for the the little fics he wrote off some of my fanart pieces and to the fact that I found Housepets because of him. My writing style is a little different from his, but I hope it still does the inspiration justice. Fortunately, since people seem to have tolerated my drawing for so long, I should hope they can do the same with my writing. Haha... I'm laughing on the inside too.
Anyway, hope you guys like it!
Housepets! and all its characters belong to Rick Griffin, illustration or otherwise. Used here without permission. This was not made for profit or to libel.
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For Sinder
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Housepets: Symphony in Periwinkle, no.1
There was a fresh nip beneath the air in Babylon Gardens. The night had blanketed the neighborhood in a frosty new world; every feature once familiar had now disappeared. Only once a year did this new face of nature shine, to melt away come spring time. It was guest that never stayed too long, but who's absence would be felt. The morning was quiet and deserted. It embellished the effect of the tundra.
Peanut found something especially soothing in these mornings. He would stroll the hills and sidewalks while soaking in the atmosphere. He listened carefully to the air of December, like an artist would to his brush, to eavesdrop on its otherwise silent but swelling song across the canvas. Winds would howl in the distance, ice cracked as the sun approached and the twigs snapped off trees under Jack Frost's heels.
It was also on these mornings that Peanut would spend his time thinking about things that no one would else would think. The world was a now a blank sheet to paint his thoughts on. His lips curled to the sound of snow being crunched beneath his paws as he began to ponder deeply into the abyss...
Almost immediately, the first thought made him blush heavily.
Peanut grinned impishly, this old thought again? He acceded, bringing back everything he could remember from that night at the barn. From the fear he felt from witnessing the true wrath of Grape, to the heartbreak of seeing her tears. The harmony they composed together out of reconcile. Their confessions under the moonlight. The kiss....es to be more precise.
He chuckled, and continued on with his assorted memories.
It kind of displeased him that he would always forget that event with such relative ease. But indeed, why had such passionate thoughts suddenly come to mind on this fine, gray, snowy morning? She was still here; still aware of his feelings as he was of hers, he reasoned. Peanut began to contemplate on the subject again as he had for the last few days. He could recall the discussion he and Grape shared in secret on the way back from the farm. Grape felt it was absolutely imperative that they establish a plan for their secrecy before they got back. The initial plan came out choppy, but, they had something. What could go wrong? He originally thought; How naive I was.
The first item on their agenda was Grape's date with Max, to which she said she'd personally handle. She would to go along and spend the afternoon with him, and then politely decline him at the end. Simple no? Well it would have been, had things not become... complicated.
----------
Peering through the closet doors, Peanut tried to follow the argument as best he could that was coming from the living room. Grape had instructed him to wait there once she'd dealt with this 'new bit of insanity'- as she claimed, and had made sure Tarot was firmly vacant from the house.
He could only follow snippets of their quarreling; mostly because Grape's evident distraught sort of hindered Tarot's ability of making an audible response. From where he sitting, the back of Grape's head was the only thing visible as she raved on; Peanut made an attempt to imagine what her face must have looked like at the moment. The sheer bold image of her rage was not something you could easily forget; fangs protruding while she snarled in your face, hair standing on end, brows in a perfect V over her blazing eyes which pulsed with unadulterated ire; it wasn't a pretty picture.
The minutes ticked by as they continued to argue. ugh... when will they stop? Peanut wasn't a fan of brawls. In the back of his head the mixed sounds started to blend together till it all became the same noise. Finally, the storm began to settle its violent winds.
"Alright, OUT." Grape spat, "I don't want you hypnotizing Peanut into taking over the world or what ever you're planning!"
That was a little harsh, Peanut could agree there was something a little peculiar about Tarot but he didn't think it fair to brand her as some sort of evil mastermind or anything.
"You have made your decision; your place is with Maxwell now." Tarot replied calmly.
Wait, what? His ears perked.
Tarot went on, "I cannot leave unless you accept Peanut fully, and in order to do that, you would have to break Maxwell's heart."
Peanut could barely hear her over a sudden barrage of stomping coming from Grape's direction. What did she mean "accept Peanut fully?" What was she talking about? Where was Grape going? The questions were filling up in Peanut's head as he stumbled to get up and out of the closet. As he stepped out, he noticed Grape at the front door, her hand on the knob, rolling her eyes as she made her final rebuttal on Tarot's comment.
"Me and Max aren't even a thing;" she hissed.
Peanut was slightly appeased on this note.
She continued, "If it will make you go away I can go now and tell him I don't want it to be serious."
She opened the door; to which, suddenly made all subjects pertaining to their conservation now present.
Max stood hesitantly, hand up as if to knock. His face wet with tears... as well as the rest of his body, from the rain that is. He placed his hand back behind him nervously, his head sank.
"Hey there, um, Dad kinda locked me out of the house again and it's starting to rain... C-can I stay here for tonight?" He spoke timidly, fidgeting where he stood.
Grape was silent, completely taken aback by his abrupt appearance. She did not expect this to happen. Peanut was just as stupefied; in all the years he has lived here, he's never seen Max without his smile or devil-may-care attitude; yet, there he was, exhausted with defeat.
No one spoke.
"...I'm sorry," His eyes trailed to the ground, "I realize I must look awfully pathetic," he sniffed, "Things have been a little hard at home... I-I'll go if I'm bothering yo-"
"No! wait, ah..." Grape suddenly regained focus, "No, please, ah, come on in..." She noticed Peanut and exchanged with him the same worried expression. Peanut shrugged feebly; what else could she do? She couldn't just leave him out there.
"Thanks, I- um, I'll try not to be a pain." Max smiled weakly, stepping in, grateful to be out of the rain.
"...Don't mention it."
As time progressed deeper on into the night the rain finally let up to unveil the brilliant night sky from under the foggy sheet. Once Tarot had left and Max was sound asleep on the spare sofa, Grape went out to sit on the back porch, damp as it was, planting her hands firmly to her side as she studied the pale blue moon. Peanut came out, having put away the blankets and popcorn bowls, and joined Grape as he positioned himself next to her. He placed a hand on top of hers and they both sat, neither of them saying a word.
It was Grape who broke the silence.
"I think," she paused momentarily, "I think its best that we pretend to see others for now."
It took a moment for this to settle in. Once it did the expression on Peanut's face was self explanatory. Pretend to see others? He was dumbfounded.
Grape raised her free hand, continuing hastily, "No, no! Listen, listen it doesn't mean I'm dumping you or anything." She was struggling to find the right words, "Look, Max obviously has a lot problems going on right now and he needs someone to help him." Grape rolled her eyes, "He certainly isn't going to find someone in the alleys to give him any comfort." She sighed, "Just, let me help him get back on his feet Peanut. He needs somebody."Help! Not just anybody!
Peanut wasn't sure what to make of it. Max was a tough guy, he thought, I mean just look at his ear! The cat's been to war! When has he ever needed to be comforted? The situation was careening in a direction he hadn't thought plausible. Peanut tried to put things in perspective. He began to bite his lower lip; it wasn't working.
"I... I don't know." He really didn't. Peanut could understand where she was coming from but this was a bit much for him.
She withdrew her hand from underneath his, and wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled them up, "It not just about Max either. I've also been thinking..." She rested the side of her head on her knees as she looked at Peanut.
Her eyes had a dazed, concerned look in them, "I think that, given the circumstances, it might to be a good idea to give ourselves a little... incentive not to get too causal with each other in public." She tried her best to sound reassuring while being serious, "I know you Peanut, and if there's one thing I know its that you don't hold your tongue too well. Honestly, sometimes you say the silliest things."
Don't hold my tongue well? Did she think I was just a pup or something? The look on Peanuts face wasn't making it any easier for Grape. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I didn't mean it that way, I... please Peanut... I care about you. I just want us to have more time to think things out okay? For our future..."
She was right, "Okay." Peanut smiled faintly.
He trusted Grape. He shouldn't see a reason not too.
"Good." Grape leaned forward, nuzzling affectionately beneath his cheek. "You'll see, everything will be fine."
She gave him a hug, kissed him good night, then slowly got up and walked inside. Out of the corner of his eye, Peanut could see the last flicker of her tail before it disappeared in the darkness. His head was filled with thoughts.
----------
In three and a half months time nothing much has really changed since that night took place. Everything was generally good, if you didn't count the failure on Peanut's part to prevent a catastrophic release of an all powerful cosmic being that could potentially be the end all be all for mankind. He and Grape were still seeing their supposed "significant others" for the time being. Everyone was soundly convinced He and Grape were not even remotely interested in each other, apart from the status quo set in place before their trip to the farm.
Thinking back to the time of selection, he felt it was only natural he incline Tarot, seeing as she did seem to possess good feeling towards him. Grape wasn't at all keen with the idea; she'd practically begged him to consider anyone else, however, there really just weren't that many opinions to start with in the first place. Peanut didn't want to deal with Bino's eternal snobbery should he ask Sasha; and Daisy.... well, on that point there was consensus, albeit slim. So the only one left was Tarot.
He thought back to that night; no one could have predicted Tarot showing up, that much was true. Although, he still wasn't quite sure what the motivation was behind her arrival in the first place. Grape still had it set firm in her head that Tarot was definitely a deranged loony, though, she wasn't the only one with concerns.
Max was an entirely different card all together. His last appearance may have left a wrong impression on his personality, but on any normal occasions his character wasn't really something to be epitomized. To Peanut's knowledge, Max was a street savvy, cynical, tough talking cat who loved to crack jokes at the expense of others.
"On second thought," Peanut frowned, "it's like the guy was made for her." He muttered.
Peanut wasn't too sure of this, but that was the problem. He wasn't sure of anything girls looked for in a guy. Most especially Grape.
Now Peanut wasn't jealous or anything, or so he told himself, its just that the time those two spent together only seemed to be increasing more and more each day. Was she really just that determined to make it seem that convincing to everyone? She'd talk about it constantly with Mom, who thought it just precious to hear her little girl so happy, when ever she thought Peanut was out of ear shot. He rarely saw any private time with Grape anymore and he was becoming worried that perhaps their new found relationship would die out before it really began. The idea of stepping back into an awkward friendship with Grape was almost too unbearable. Grape really had been his only friend, his best friend, and now that they pushed that farther, could they really go back?
He rubbed his temples. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. It wasn't like Peanut to let depression get the better of him.
Usually, when he was feeling down, Tarot would try to recommend to him her special pick-me-up tea, "Made from the finest Black Cedar roots," she said; in order to "Properly cleanse the soul." He was always too scared to drink it, but its the thought that counts.
She constantly lost him on her talk of prophesy and "fate bonding who-knows-what together" chats; the talking in his head thing was still pretty cool. For what it's worth, Peanut did consider her to be very...very....ah....
It dawned on him. How does one describe Tarot? "Hmmmm....Well, she's... " he didn't know how to.
"Lets see," Peanut suddenly realized this was probably the first time he had really given any actual thought to the dynamic characteristics of Tarot. He tapped his chin, hunched in thought; it shouldn't be this difficult.
"She's nice," he stated blankly, "a little odd, but nice."
Pathetic. He coughed, and cleared his throat. He could do better than that.
"Alas!" He commanded, thrusting a fist in the air, and taking caution not to slip on the icy sideways as he posed, "She's an exotic creature of unrestrained voice and opinion who possesses whimsy worldly other powers!"
He narrowed his eyes, "Her glowing eyes does pierce the night sky and hearts of the weak!"
Peanut was on a roll now; the acting lessons from Grape still held firm, "The sky cannot restrain her as she effortlessly glides the winds at her will!"
Now for the kicker, "Every creature, be they large or small," He wiggled his fingers as if he were squishing something, "Will know her name is the the lord! When she lays her vengeance upon them...." His voice trailed off on that final note.
It was almost too difficult for him not to laugh at himself, but an actor must always keep his composure till the very end.
"Who are you talking to?" Came a sudden voice behind him.
"GAH" Peanut whirled around, his face with the complexion of a ripe tomato; every hair strand stood up in shock.
"Oh," Peanut let out a sigh of relief. "its you." This happens to me a little too often, he thought to himself.
Joey stood afront, head cocked at an angle as he observed Peanut. He wore his custom olive green collar and scarf; a single earphone dangled from his ear though, attached to a device he held in his hand.
"Hello to you too." He replied, looking slightly perturbed, "Nice performance by the way." He paused, "Was there... someone you were intending it for?"
"Ahhhhh...." Peanut was hesitant to answer truthfully, "No one. No one at all, I was- ah, just pretending. Is all."
"Really?" Joey didn't seem quite convinced, "Hmm, sure sounded like you were really going on about somebody."
"Ah ha, yeahhhh, its fun to pretend- Hey, what are you listening to?" Peanut was desperate to change the topic. The claw tips at the fronts of his index fingers were beginning to wear out from his constant act of jabbing them together nervously.
Incidentally, It didn't necessarily bother Peanut as much as it should have that he was going along with his fraud commitment to Tarot...okay it did, but, he certainly didn't want to share that with Joey.
"Hmm? Oh you mean this?" He gestured towards the portable music player in his hand. "oh man, this is great." With that he took the other earphone out of his collar and held it out to Peanut, "Would you like to hear it?"
Peanut nodded awkwardly, taking the small piece and fixing it into his ear.
"I think you'll like this one a lot," Joey said eagerly, "just let me set it up real quick, and, there we go."
What followed was a sudden blast of incoherent techno chatting, followed by an orchestra of psychedelic melodies. On first impact it was quite startling to Peanut, but once he had settled into the sounds, he began to sense something appealing in its mixture. It had a dreamlike quality to it that he found relaxing, almost... magical.
After a while Peanut finally asked, "What is this? The name of the song?"
Joey grinned with relish, "Amazing isn't it? Its called "Mediational Field" from the soundtrack of 'Paprika'. One of my friends showed me the album, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it."
Ah, his friends. Peanut assumed that meant it was something foreign or anime related.
"Its an Japanese animated movie," ah ha; his small victory aside, Peanut continued to listen, "base on a premise of entering people's dreams in order to explore new alternatives in treating patients in psychoanalytic therapy."
"Huh," Peanut was genuinely intrigued, "Interesting. Is it any good?"
"Oh I haven't actually seen it yet" Joey said apologetically, "But I hear it's one of the best animated movies made this time around. I definitely plan to see it some time, hopefully with Squeak."
"How is she by the way?" It still fascinated Peanut how Joey could manage such a bizarre relationship.
"Eh, she's been better." Joey's face contorted, "Squeak's a little tense during the Holidays."
He leaned forward, "Bad memories. Her previous boyfriend was eaten by a cat while they were both under the mistletoe."
"Yikes." Peanut was almost sorry he asked.
"Yeeeeah... that's wha- ah, she doesn't date mice anymore... or anyone of the same size either."
Joey's expression went vacant for a moment, but soon brightened up again, "Anyway, I try to make it as comfortable for her as possible during these months. Seeing her so down only breaks my heart. She's the only thing that keeps me going sometimes."
Peanut was silent. Out of all the dogs in the neighborhood, Joey was most likely to be the only one he could really relate to.
He thought of Grape, and the extent to which they both were going to hide their relationship. Joey's relationship, however strange it may be, at least he didn't hide it. So then, why do we? Why do I go out of my way to lie to Tarot, to Mom and Dad, to anyone who even cared so much as to ask about my current affairs? If Peanut truly wanted to know, now was probably the best time to ask.
"I... don't understand it." Peanut said slowly.
"Oh, I didn't think you would, the song is in Japanese after all."
Peanut had forgotten that he was still wearing the earpiece.
"No, not this." He held his hand out, "I mean..." He sighed, "You once considered me to be a catlover right?"
Despite this question being completely out of context, Joey didn't seem that surprised. "Still do," he replied, "you can't fool me Peanut."
"Whatever. Well, as it would turn out..." Peanut hoped he knew what he was doing, "I am."
"Okay," Again, Joey wasn't phased. "Its nothing to be ashamed of."
"I didn't say I was ashamed." Peanut huffed. " Just confused."
Joey raised a brow, "About?"
"About..." Peanut began, "you, you and Squeak."
This time Joey was visibly disconcerted.
"How do you deal with it?" Peanut continued, "All the ridicule and weird looks you get from the other dogs? How do you manage to keep faith to Squeak through it all?"
Peanut feared he might have gone too far, that Joey might have been offended. Oddly enough, Joey seemed quite relieved.
"Oh, that's what you meant." Joey laughed, " I thought you meant-ah, never mind."
He coughed hurriedly, shooing the notion away. Now Peanut was the one perplexed.
"Listen, Peanut." Joey was serious, "none of that matters to me. I've dealt with it all in my life, and really, I just learned to take it with a grain of salt. Its not my problem what others think of me. As long as I'm happy, being who I am, with the people I want to be with," He smiled, "Life's a ball.'
Peanut smiled too. He never thought he'd be agreeing with Joey on something, much less turning to him for moral support, but the simple logic just blew Peanut away. It shouldn't matter what anyone said or thought, if it meant he could be with Grape. As long as no one did anything drastic, it could work.
"Speaking of ball," Joey said, interrupting Peanut's thoughts, "Would you like to come with me to the secret Good Ol' Dogs snowball event? You look like you could use a good pick-me-up."
Peanut grinned, "As long as they aren't serving any tree root tea there, I guess I'm good."
"What?"
"Nothing."
They both chuckled, and began down the sidewalk together. The morning seemed awfully brighter to Peanut, and he felt much happier.
Joey nudged him lightly in the rib, "So, I take it you're seeing someone you shouldn't be seeing?" Joey said enthusiastically, "Perhaps the one were raving about not too long ago?"
"Well, yes and no. I am seeing someone, just not the one I was, ah, talking about earlier."
"Could I venture a guess?" Joey's eyes were lightened with glee. "Is she a cat?"
"...Yes, but I can't tell you her name."
"Is it Grape?"
Peanut suddenly blushed heavily, "W-what makes you think that?"
"Just a thought." Joey laughed again. "I mean, she's the only girl you hang out with. Who happens to be a cat."
"There are plenty of other girl cats around here!" Peanut protested, "There's Sabrina and, ah..." Once again he was at a loss.
"Ok fine, you win." Peanut pouted.
"Relax, you're with a friend," Joey quipped, "Just tell Grape I wish you two the best of luck."
He put his earphone back on and played the same song he had Peanut listen to before, whistling as he did.
Peanut smiled sarcastically, "I'll be sure to let her know."
He joined in and they both walked and whistled down the wet curb.
The only thing on Peanut's mind right now was the sound of music.
I wonder if Grape would like this song...
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Symphony in Periwinkle, no.2
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This second part does sort of require that you also read Sinder's "Auld Lang Syne." I apologize for the inconvenience.
~
For GameCobra, Dylan, Alex, and any other GrapexMax fan
~
*Knock* *knock*
Nobody answered.
"Ugh," Grape looked around the beige complex for any open windows. With Maxwell's house, it became a custom routine that she force her way in by variant tactical methods, seeing as his owner didn't like dealing with people at the door; Jake's been known to yell vehemently, and even deck visitors at one point or another. He means well, but he definitely has some issues to sort out; something Grape didn't want to concern herself with at the moment.
She glided the corners of the house, easily avoiding the falling icicles and chunks of hardened snow while testing the windowsill edges with the tip of her claw. It was a delicate process, one she had an uncanny knack for. Finally, she found the window. She slid the tip of her finger into the grove, searching for a catch, twisting the point until the window budged open by about a quarter inch; it was just enough room to fit the rest of her claws. Grape pried open the window quietly, pushing it up against the frozen sills. The resistance was too strenuous, so she only opened it to a point where she could just squeeze in. The outer wall was deadly cold on her fur as she hugged the surface in order to creep through the window. Gracefully, and perhaps bitterly did she weave her way in, making contact with the maroon carpet.
She stood up, brushing herself as she did, waiting a moment for her feline eyes to adjust to the dimly lit environment. She recognized the room for the large dining table that sit in the middle; last night's dinner was still evident as it sprawled across the surface. She tip toed her way into the adjoining hallway, making note of the photos and portraits that hung off the burnt sienna wall. Most of them were just Bino when he was a pup, and rest were of Max after Jake had adopted him from the pound. Grape never really paid attention to them, but, one in particular caught her attention this time: it was a small picture tucked in the corner, taken in the same hallway she stood in, except with a slightly younger Bino and Maxwell in it. They were both sitting in a box while Max had his arm around Bino's shoulder, tugging at one of his floppy ears; the familiar smile stretched across Max's face while Bino wore his usual scowl.
Grape giggled a bit; the sight of Bino being tormented was always deeply amusing to her. Had it been just that, the picture wouldn't really have meant anything to her, but it was the look on Max's face that actually interested her. She leaned in closer, studying his expression; the smile was there, but, his eyes told a different story. They were cold and distant, as if he wasn't actually looking into the camera. It was same look he had that night at the Yarn Ball after she had told about her past; that look of lost thoughts. She felt a pang of sorrow for the cat in the picture, remembering what he had just gone through at the time...
She shook her head, trying not to think about it. Not now
Down the hallway she crept lightly, looking for any signs of life. It was still pretty early in the morning, so the chances of any person being awake were slim. Cats weren't accustomed to the idea of curfews when it came to sleeping, as they only napped when they needed to. People, on the other hand, had designated their sleep hours strictly for night, something Grape still didn't really quite grasp. Why would they restrict their business for day time only? She thought. After all, She herself got a considerable amount of things done at night, what with the pleasant quiet atmosphere and lack of distractions. Grape rolled her eyes, Humans...
At the end of the hallway, she turned briskly into the foyer to finally find who she had been looking for. Max was resting comfortably in an armchair, head leaning on one arm while the other held a book; his reading glasses sat crooked on his nose, in front of his pensive eyes. The book wasn't even of the Pridelands series. This is new, usually Peanut was only one she would find situated like this. Ignoring the little out of character moment, she ambled across the space between them until she was right in front of him. She was poised, arms on her hips, staring questioningly at him. "I do hope you weren't too busy reading that book to hear my knocking." She inquired.
Without looking up, Max lifted his head off his arm and gestured a finger towards the front entrance, "The door was unlocked you know."
This only provoked her more, "And you didn't let me know while I was out there, why?"
"Because, my dear Grape," He closed the book, setting it aside with his glasses, "As an appreciator of the fine arts and upholder of all things chivalry related," Max put on his best 'snazzy' appearance, "I can not, in good conscience, impede upon a young lady's craft. Even if it be the act of breaking into my own home."
"You're too kind," Grape smirked; she had the faint sneaking suspicion that he was messing with her.
"As a gentlemen should be, my lady." He grinned charismatically, "So to what do I owe this pleasant pilferage?"
"Wellllll, I was planning on stealing you away for a walk this morning, but since you're so wrapped in that novel..." She pretended to look overly guilty, "I would hate to disrupt you." She figured she could stand to join in with this delightful bit of absurd banter.
Max waved his hand, "Nonsense, nonsense. I shall hear none of it. It would be my honor to assist the miss in her crime. Allow me to procure a certain item of my possession and I shall escort thee forthwith!"
"Alright already," Grape was rubbing her eyes, "just cut all the 'forthwith' stuff and get whatever it is you need so we can get out of here. You're starting to get on my nerve." She was lying of course. Seeing Max so happy was actually very comforting for her, as was the reason she was even seeing him in the first place. She watched him rummage around in the closet. As she did her eyes began to follow his outline, focusing on his torso. Huh, he sure is getting slimmer... a lot slimmer in fact. She suddenly became worried, is he eating alright? It didn't seem likely, what with the display she saw in the dining room; No I must be imagining it... She'd have to ask him about that later.
She looked around curiously, "So... I noticed Bino isn't around. Shame, I would have just loved to have had him greet me with his always perky attitude."
Max picked up an undefinable piece of cloth, sniffing it, "I'm sure you would -geez this stinks- but Mr.Sunshine has somehow managed to put himself out of commission."
"Again?" Grape wasn't sure if she should laugh or be baffled, "What did he do now?"
"Hmmmmm," Max paused to think, "I believe Fox stated that he 'accidentally' fell down a flight of stairs...'several times'...still didn't really explain the finger marks around his neck though..." He stared at Grape, seemingly asking the question without actually saying it.
"No." Grape huffed, "At least not yet anyway. As much as I would have liked to have had a hand in it, I wouldn't pretend that I didn't do it."
"No you're right, you've too much pride." Max grabbed something hastily, "Ah ha! Here it is." He laced the object around his neck, strutting towards Grape, "What do you think?"
Grape wasn't sure what to think; it was just a scarf, why was it so spec- "Wait." She looked closer, "Is that... my scarf?"
"Aye, the very one you bestowed upon my face." The grin only seemed to be getting bigger, "So?"
"Sooooo... what? So, now I'm supposed to be concerned for the well being of my belongings?"
Max's face fell, "You don't remember? At the end of the Yard Ball? I tried to get to first base and you said you first had to go make kissy face with someone else and told me to wait? Then you threw the scarf in my face? Granted, I knew you were high as a kite at the time, but come on."
Grape did remember, too well in fact. She just didn't want to give Max the impression that it really had been something troubling her for a while, "I was wondering where my scarf went..." She pretended to be concentrating deeply, "Oh! Now I remember!" She gave herself a fake little bonk to the head, "Sorry, it must have slipped my mind for a moment."
Maxwell was relieved, "Whew, scared me there." He wrapped an arm around her head, rubbing it playfully. "You need to lay off the nip, it'll do things to ya."
"The only thing it will do," She muttered, trying not to laugh at his antics, "is give me a little extra focus while I'm smacking you."
Max let go, pointing at his face, "I am aghast! You wouldn't strike this handsome facade now would you?"
She leaned in, poking a finger beneath his collar, "No, unless you give me a reason to."
Maxwell's eyes fluttered, "Rowr."
With that, he held his arm out; Grape took it and they both headed out into the cold outdoors. The rush of freezing winds make Max leap, nearly taking Grape with him, "Wow it's cold out!" He laughed lightly, "I almost feel bad for leaving you at the door now, ha ha."
Grape stuck her tongue out, "Serves you right."
----------
"So, after all that," Joey breathed for moment, "you're both now pretending to go out with others so that she can help Max sort out his personal issues?"
"Well, she wanted to do it so that we could have more time to plan things out too, you know? But, yeah, that's about it." Both Peanut and Joey have been walking through the snow for about twenty minutes, listening to an incredibly short list of songs on Joey's MP3 player, and the need for conversation became increasingly inevitable. Peanut sighed, "I never would've imagined things turning out like this."
"Tell me about it, and you thought my relationship was dubious." Joey scratched behind one ear, "I mean I've read fanfic's that make more sense than that."
Author's Note: "Oh, the wit..."
"Have you now?" The sarcasm bit heavily in Peanut's response. Have I just been insulted? He tried not to pay too much mind, the slope of the hill they were on was getting treacherous now.
"Absolutely! I'm a huge fan of Prideland fanfiction, especially the ones by Grape."
Peanut stopped for a moment, not quite sure if what he heard was right, "Grape?... well, I guess I sorta knew that already; I've already seen her writing before and that- wait a second, she lets you read them?" Peanut was disheartened, "She's never shown them to me before." *sniff*
Joey patted him on the back, "Oh, don't worry about it Peanut. If it makes you feel any better, I only saw them cause I got for her a lock of hair from that actor who played Petir in the Prideland movie."
"You... you can do that?" Peanut asked reluctantly.
Joey's face suddenly lost all expression, "I know many people," He deadpanned, "Most of whom will do my every bidding."
"Joey," Peanut said very seriously, "Before we go on, I just want to say, for the record, I still think you're the most... frighteningly abnormal person I've ever met... no offense"
Joey smiled, "None taken. Now, here we are! Just beyond those trees!" He pointed out to the forest edge at the top of the hill, "The guys should have the playing field set up by now."
The annual snowball event held every year by the Good Ol' Dogs club could only be described by many as pure mindless enjoyment. Almost every dog walks away wagging their tail, gasping for air shortly after the collapse of adrenaline that was surging through their veins amidst the chaos. Peanut loved going in earlier years, but the initiative to attend sort of died once Bino started having all the dogs gang up on him. Peanut felt fortunate enough that Fido would be leading the festivities this time; perhaps, he could actually have fun for a change with the other dogs without severe consequences.
Once they both stepped past the outer rim of trees, the entire field came into view. Extraordinary; the place was packed with dogs from all over the county. There was a massive scurry shooting from every direction; snowballs were hurling-no, flying of their own will into the faces of onlookers. The scenery was almost awe inspiring; in his head, Peanut could hear the 1812 Overture being played somewhere in the distance.
The outright size of the crowd was beginning to make Peanut nervous. It was the first time he had been around so many dogs for a while. He turned to Joey, "Say Joey, um, do you mind if I step off to the side for a moment? I need to... catch my bearings."
"Sure, hey, are you alright?" Joey looked concerned, "We haven't even started playing yet."
"Oh I'm fine, its just.. you know, its, its just been awhile." Peanut responded, as causally as he could, "I'm prone to crowd sickness if you know what I mean."
"Alright," Joey said apprehensively, "Just, don't get lost or anything okay?"
"I won't."
Peanut headed clumsily into the trees, searching for an quiet empty spot to sit. Through the clearing he spotted a nice freshly cut stump; just as he was about to make his way over there something passed by in the bushes next to him. The figure was just a few feet off from where he was standing and was heading in the same direction. Peanut halted, peering through the branches, trying to see who or what it was. From the bushes emerged a bold black creature, but Peanut still couldn't make out its identity. Its outline was curvy and bounced in a particular manner; an long slinky object flickered to and fro behind it. He wasn't sure, but Peanut was positive it had to be.... "Sabrina?"
He kept his voice down, unsure if he wanted to attract her attention at this given moment. He moved in slowly; should I? There were so many things he wanted to ask her, regarding his relationship situation. He remembered how Grape tried to get her advice, and failed; but he, Peanut, might be able to get the one thing that could potentially secure that solid foundation for them: information. The idea struck him then, But how do I bring up such a touchy subject with someone I hardly even know? He lost sight of his focus on the cat sitting on the stump.
"...Would you like to accompany me?"
Peanut jumped, the second time that day (a new record), from the unsuspecting inquiry. He hadn't made a sound, but, it was as if she could sense his very presence. Even more shocking was the fact that Peanut had never even heard her voice before; he never imagined it would sound so sweet and lyrical in its rhythm. Peanut moved out into the clearing, "Sabrina, I didn't see you there!" He lied, pretending as though he wasn't just caught off guard, "Uh, since you offered, I guess you wouldn't mind then?"
She turned to look directly into his eyes, an enchanting smile upon her face, "Not at all." She plopped a hand on the space beside her, "well?"
He sat, frozen still, beside the black cat. Sabrina continued to look onward into nothing, humming gently in the shade. The first few attempts by Peanut to strike up a conversation were flimsy, stifled by his nervous nature. He wished she would say something. Anything. Just so he could at least build off of it.
"How is she, by the way?" Sabrina asked, softly.
Not what I had in mind. Oh well, I'll take it. "You mean Grape?" Who else could it be?
"Hmhmhm, no silly." She laughed, "I mean Tarot."
Of course she meant Tarot, Peanut thought in spite of himself, Who else would she be talking about?
"She's fine." It cheesed him that he couldn't bring himself to be more specific about Tarot without forcing it, "Dandy, if you will."
"Hmm, that's good to hear." She strummed the air with her fingers, "I don't see her as often these days, now that she's with you, and sometimes I get a little worried."
There, it left an awkward silence between them. Peanut twiddled his thumbs, "Say Sabrina... Can I ask you something?
Sabrina shifted her gaze at him, "Sure, I'd be delighted."
Peanut prepared himself, "Does Tarot ever... mention anything to you? About me?"
"From what I've gathered thus far," Sabrina smiled, "she seems quite fond of you. She's never shown this much interest in anyone else before. Not that she has, anyway."
The guilt was setting in, time to change the subject, "That's nice... ah, could I ask one more question then?
Sabrina beamed, "ask away."
Okay, this is it. I just have to be subtle with my question.
"H-how do you feel aboutttt, oh I don't know... inter-species relationships?"
She'll never suspect...
----------
Symphony in Periwinkle, no.3
~
They were silent for most of the way, save for those occasional freakish outbursts from Max every time the wind picked up. His fingers curled and he hissed at the stinging cold whips of air. At first, Grape excused this behavior on the assumption that Max simply hadn't adjusted to the change in temperature from his home to the outdoors. However, the amount of time they've been out should have been plenty enough for that by now, but Max still couldn't keep himself from hopping around like a fool.
He wouldn't be so cold if he wasn't so skinn- no, stop it, Grape pressed a fist against her head, trying to suppress her concerns about his weight loss again as they started to seep back in. The last thing she wanted to do was pry directly into his personal life; after all, curiosity did kill the cat. She mused for a moment, But I can afford to curious sometimes, can't I? After all, I do have nine lifes, what do I have to worry... bah, now I'm just being silly. Grape twisted her head, ready to ask her imposing question.
"Say max-" Before she could finish, Max suddenly jerked his head back, his nose wriggled as he pushed Grape away to unleash the force from his troubled sinuses- "Ah, AH- AH CHOO!"
A fine mist of pale snot flew out from his face, some of it sticking to his whiskers in clumps. Not a very attractive look. He wiped his nose bitterly, "Eugh, I hate when that happens." As he tried to clean himself off quickly, he turned to Grape, eyes half lidded, "...Sorry about that." He sniffed, "Ah, were you going to say something?"
"First," She chided, lowering her hand, "please remember to cover your mouth. Second, couldn't you have put something heavier on instead of that old rag of mine?" Grape crossed her arms, "I actually wanted this walk to be kind of enjoyable; and If you can't even handle being outside without throwing a pansy parade than count me out."
"Pansy?!" Max barked. He proceeded to strike a fairly dramatic pose, "I am no pan-ah-Ah- AH CHOO!"
Whatever dexterity and elegance he may have had slipped and crumpled to the ground along with him. He sat up, avoiding eye contact, "I'm not a pansy..."
Grape sighed while kneeling down beside him, "Max, look, you don't need to try to impress me or anything okay? If you're cold just say so. Please don't do this to yourself."
"Who's trying to impress who?" He retorted, getting up from the snow, jabbing a thump towards himself. "I'm just fine."
"Well, I'm not." Grape asserted. It was becoming a hopeless cause, and she didn't want to spoil the rest of their morning; best to let it go. "I mean, never mind, just forget I said anything." She reached over and tightened the scarf round Max's neck, "Just try to stay warm."
Max looked down at the scarf, picking up one end with his hand and feeling its texture, "Huh. You know, even up till now I still have no idea why you gave me this thing," He held it up to Grape, "Kinda weird when you think about it isn't it?"
Grape blew a bit of air, "Well, you said it yourself; I wasn't exactly right in the head that night... so to speak."
"No, I think you were..." Max said slowly, heading off into unknown territory amongst the mixed thoughts in his head, "and that makes me wonder."
"That makes me worry." Grape murmured.
Max grinned, "It probably should." He strolled up beside Grape, poking her with his tail, "May I ask whatever happened to lover boy?"
This puzzled Grape, "I guess you're still here but is that what you call yourself now?" She swatted his tail away.
Max laughed heartily, "Was it really that bad? So bad that you tried to forget it?" He caught himself quickly, afraid he was being too callus, "Oh, forgive me, I don't mean to poke fun. I only meant to ask what happened between you and that, uh, other guy."
Grape blushed, "I already told you Max, nothing happened." She looked nervously away, "I..I was in over my head that's all."
"Awww," Max patted Grape on the shoulder, "Broke your heart did he? I'm sorry."
"No... he was really careful not to hurt my feelings," Grape smiled lightly, Peanut never does anyway. "He's a sweet guy, and I like him for that... but..." Grape would have to continue the lie from this point, "but, he and I saw the... limitations, in our relationship." There was feigned sadness in her eyes, "I guess...he just wasn't the guy for me."
"Humph. If it were me," Max said, looking up at the vast gray sky, "I would have tried to find a way to make it work." He reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly, "No matter what, if it meant being with someone like you."
Grape followed his gaze, feeling a slight pain in her chest. "Thanks...though you never did seem like the lovey-dovey type to me."
"Please. I live for theatrics."
-------------
Peanut could have sworn that from the moment he managed to get his question out, the smell of umber fire then became potent in the air. The texture was unlike anything Peanut had ever smelled before; it possessed a quality of... spirit, to it. The strangely arousing blend of laughter and fear mixing down a river of nostalgia filled his nostrils. There was no question now that this odor, this odor of near life, as Peanut realized, was coming from Sabrina.
She wasn't humming anymore, but she didn't seem startled or taken aback by his question. She just stared, fixated on Peanut; to him it felt like she analyzing his soul. After forever, she finally asked, "You... you live with Grape yes?" For some reason, she was very careful to emphasize each of her words.
"Umm, yes. I do." He had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming next, "why?"
Sabrina stood up stiffly, pacing forward about four steps before turning around, "Some time ago, she asked me a similiar question. However, she was a little more crafty in the manner that she delivered it."
Sabrina placed her hands together, feeling back for a cognitive recollection, "She told me she had a friend who was suffering from a lapse of anxiety and panic. Evidently her friend, who's name she couldn't reveal, had fallen in love with someone whom he deeply cared for. 'It touching,' she says, 'like they really were meant for each other,' she says. Only then did she tell me about this 'one problem; neither of them are the same species, and you know how that doesn't really sit well with a majority of pets.' She looked at me and asked, 'How do you feel about all of it? What do you think she should he do?' " Sabrina turned back to Peanut, very calm in her manner of speech, "I told her I wasn't the right person to ask." She lowered her head, "She seemed very disappointed."
She walked back over and sat down again next to Peanut, "But now," she said leisurely, "I can see that perhaps I was being a tad cold hearted, but I wasn't lying...I hope she can forgive me."
Peanut had no idea where she going with this. Was she going to make a point? Or....
"Peanut... how long have you known, about us?"
It was obvious that Sabrina was on to him, but Peanut considered the rationality of continuing to play dumb, "...About who?"
Sabrina crossed her brows, adopting a tone of voice identical to that of a scolding mother, "Peanut, I find it rather difficult to believe that you and Grape, both of whom I know very little about, would suddenly come to me, prompting this question on a peculiar subject matter unless you assumed I knew something about it. How long have you known?"
When she puts it that way it does seem a little suspicious... Peanut sighed, it was no use pretending. "Since Fido got back."
"Since Fi- SINCE FIDO GOT BACK!?" Sabrina was at a lost for words. Was she blushing? It was hard to tell what with her jet black fur.
She gazed, pressing a paw against her lip, contemplating, "I, I see. That long...does anyone else know?"
"No, just me and Grape." Peanut proceeded forward cautiously, "As you might have already guessed, that 'friend' Grape was talking about is actually me. But as much as I l-love her...I can't ignore reality. That's why I need your help." his pale blue puppy eyes swelled, "Please Sabrina, I need to know. You and Fido have been to keep able your status under wraps for so long, so, whatever it is you're doing has to be working." He pleaded.
"Peanut, the mere fact that you're asking for help proves to me that what we've done hasn't been working." Sabrina remarked. The fire in her heart burned fiercer now, quaking the fabric of her fragile nature. It radiated from her in erratic patterns.
"...Oh." It was all Peanut could manage. Sabrina's disappointment was becoming infectious, "I'm sorry."
He had lost track of the time they had spent sitting together out here, it felt like hours. The cacophony of jubilant dogs could still be heard off in the distance.
Sabrina took a deep breath, shuffling in the spot she occupied, "Could I ask you something?"
He didn't respond, instead merely nodding his head.
Sabrina followed suit, "Do you think its wrong for someone to expect their plans go off without a single mishap? That everything will be just right?"
Peanut tilted his head back, thinking it over, "I don't think that's wrong necessarily, just, naive maybe." that felt like an appropriate answer.
"Exactly," She said, "failure is always a very likely possibility." She outstretched her arms over her knees, folding her hands together to rest her head upon, "There's never been a plan or process for what we do, every day is the same: we'd keep to ourselves, in our day to day schedule, amongst friends and family, and when ever possible, he or I might find a little time to pass with the other, and hope that no one else catches us." She shivered, "My worst nightmare, the thing that haunts me the most, is the day they take us away from each other because our efforts just weren't enough..."
Oh my... Peanut thought, that's sounds terrible. If only there was something he could do to help ease the mood.
"sorry to interrupt...but, its just that I've been wondering for a long time and if it's all right- not that you don't have to answer if don't want to, that is," Peanut's terrible habit of rambling was ensuing, "You, and Fido, but he's not a dog- I mean, cat, so..."
"Are you trying to ask me why I chose him over some other cat?" Sabrina finished for him.
"um, yes.." he said apologetically. "That's what I meant."
She thought it over, to which a look of child-like glee began to wash over her eyes, "Its a long story." she said, smiling gently, "Most likely a bit before your time."
"...How old are you exactly?"
"Older than you. Anyway," She settled herself in to tell her tale, "it could be considered your typical lady meets gentleman sort of scenario. You see, I wasn't very social in my earlier years."
Shocking...
"I was dreadfully lonely. So lonely in fact, that I couldn't even bring myself to kill the rodents my parents brought me because they at least kept me some good company." She grimaced slightly, "Some of them. Then there was the day I first glimpsed him trying to settle down a crowd of rambunctious chatting fan girls."
Again, shocking...
Sabrina smiled, "He was so, different, from anyone I'd ever seen before. He was practically a celebrity, but he never let it go to his head. Sweet, charming, and above all very mature. I fell for him from a far, and on several occasions I tried to garner his attention. He didn't notice at first; seeing past the bobbing heads of silly sycophants is nearly impossible you know, but eventually he did see me."
The scent of umber fire had faded from the air, only to be replaced with, *sniff*...strawberries.
"I think the one thing Fido appreciated the most was that I could see eye to eye with him on a conversational level." She said, "I didn't yell, or grab at him, I just wanted to get to know him. We'd talk with each other for hours on end, learning of our likes and dislikes."
"As it turns out, he and I have a real soft spot for Romantic poetry, especially the ones by Poe." She swayed her head a little to the side, "I'll never forget the one night he came by my window and recited the poem of The Raven for me. He had on the black cape and everything; it was so adorable, and there was no lack of effort put into it either. At the end of every appropriate verse, he gestured towards me, and I responded acutely. In my best effort, I would lean down and utter that one word with enough vigor and spite that would make any man cringe." She giggled, "I was his 'raven' you see."
He too, shared in her good spirits, "hmmm, yes, I see." It was almost surreal, seeing Sabrina like this. Just half an hour ago, he knew absolutely nothing about her, yet, after an simple exchange of words he discovered that her outer shell wasn't as abysmal as he thought it was. What a wonder talking can do.
"So as I've said, its a long story." She closed her eyes, "Oh but I do enjoy these old memories... I've never told anyone else about them. It feels... good, to be able to."
The winter winds had weaved through the willows, shaking the branches above them and stirring the snow powder that rested upon them. The serenity complemented Sabrina's essence, or rather, she complemented the serenity. As he took in the surroundings, he suddenly remembered the time and made haste to get back on foot. He apologized, said goodbye, and made a attempt to scurry off befor-
"Wait!'
Peanut looked back behind him.
"Before you go, please remember what I've told you! And please tell Grape that I have the utmost confidence in the two of you!"
"Don't worry!" Peanut shouted, waving to her, "I'll add you to the list!"
------------
Somewhere, amidst the Good Ol' Dogs playing field.
"Ack...hey Spo."
"Yeah Fido?"
"You ever get that sensation where your ears feel like their burning?"
"Can't say I have, told ya you shoulda' picked a different pair of muffs, these are just awful. They keep pinching my feet; and maroon is definitely not your color."
*Sigh* "Alright, I get it Spo, thanks..."
"Anytime champ."
-----------
Thanks a lot for reading!
The word capacity limit has been over exceeded. Story continues down below.
Anyway, hope you guys like it!
Housepets! and all its characters belong to Rick Griffin, illustration or otherwise. Used here without permission. This was not made for profit or to libel.
~
For Sinder
~
Housepets: Symphony in Periwinkle, no.1
There was a fresh nip beneath the air in Babylon Gardens. The night had blanketed the neighborhood in a frosty new world; every feature once familiar had now disappeared. Only once a year did this new face of nature shine, to melt away come spring time. It was guest that never stayed too long, but who's absence would be felt. The morning was quiet and deserted. It embellished the effect of the tundra.
Peanut found something especially soothing in these mornings. He would stroll the hills and sidewalks while soaking in the atmosphere. He listened carefully to the air of December, like an artist would to his brush, to eavesdrop on its otherwise silent but swelling song across the canvas. Winds would howl in the distance, ice cracked as the sun approached and the twigs snapped off trees under Jack Frost's heels.
It was also on these mornings that Peanut would spend his time thinking about things that no one would else would think. The world was a now a blank sheet to paint his thoughts on. His lips curled to the sound of snow being crunched beneath his paws as he began to ponder deeply into the abyss...
Almost immediately, the first thought made him blush heavily.
Peanut grinned impishly, this old thought again? He acceded, bringing back everything he could remember from that night at the barn. From the fear he felt from witnessing the true wrath of Grape, to the heartbreak of seeing her tears. The harmony they composed together out of reconcile. Their confessions under the moonlight. The kiss....es to be more precise.
He chuckled, and continued on with his assorted memories.
It kind of displeased him that he would always forget that event with such relative ease. But indeed, why had such passionate thoughts suddenly come to mind on this fine, gray, snowy morning? She was still here; still aware of his feelings as he was of hers, he reasoned. Peanut began to contemplate on the subject again as he had for the last few days. He could recall the discussion he and Grape shared in secret on the way back from the farm. Grape felt it was absolutely imperative that they establish a plan for their secrecy before they got back. The initial plan came out choppy, but, they had something. What could go wrong? He originally thought; How naive I was.
The first item on their agenda was Grape's date with Max, to which she said she'd personally handle. She would to go along and spend the afternoon with him, and then politely decline him at the end. Simple no? Well it would have been, had things not become... complicated.
----------
Peering through the closet doors, Peanut tried to follow the argument as best he could that was coming from the living room. Grape had instructed him to wait there once she'd dealt with this 'new bit of insanity'- as she claimed, and had made sure Tarot was firmly vacant from the house.
He could only follow snippets of their quarreling; mostly because Grape's evident distraught sort of hindered Tarot's ability of making an audible response. From where he sitting, the back of Grape's head was the only thing visible as she raved on; Peanut made an attempt to imagine what her face must have looked like at the moment. The sheer bold image of her rage was not something you could easily forget; fangs protruding while she snarled in your face, hair standing on end, brows in a perfect V over her blazing eyes which pulsed with unadulterated ire; it wasn't a pretty picture.
The minutes ticked by as they continued to argue. ugh... when will they stop? Peanut wasn't a fan of brawls. In the back of his head the mixed sounds started to blend together till it all became the same noise. Finally, the storm began to settle its violent winds.
"Alright, OUT." Grape spat, "I don't want you hypnotizing Peanut into taking over the world or what ever you're planning!"
That was a little harsh, Peanut could agree there was something a little peculiar about Tarot but he didn't think it fair to brand her as some sort of evil mastermind or anything.
"You have made your decision; your place is with Maxwell now." Tarot replied calmly.
Wait, what? His ears perked.
Tarot went on, "I cannot leave unless you accept Peanut fully, and in order to do that, you would have to break Maxwell's heart."
Peanut could barely hear her over a sudden barrage of stomping coming from Grape's direction. What did she mean "accept Peanut fully?" What was she talking about? Where was Grape going? The questions were filling up in Peanut's head as he stumbled to get up and out of the closet. As he stepped out, he noticed Grape at the front door, her hand on the knob, rolling her eyes as she made her final rebuttal on Tarot's comment.
"Me and Max aren't even a thing;" she hissed.
Peanut was slightly appeased on this note.
She continued, "If it will make you go away I can go now and tell him I don't want it to be serious."
She opened the door; to which, suddenly made all subjects pertaining to their conservation now present.
Max stood hesitantly, hand up as if to knock. His face wet with tears... as well as the rest of his body, from the rain that is. He placed his hand back behind him nervously, his head sank.
"Hey there, um, Dad kinda locked me out of the house again and it's starting to rain... C-can I stay here for tonight?" He spoke timidly, fidgeting where he stood.
Grape was silent, completely taken aback by his abrupt appearance. She did not expect this to happen. Peanut was just as stupefied; in all the years he has lived here, he's never seen Max without his smile or devil-may-care attitude; yet, there he was, exhausted with defeat.
No one spoke.
"...I'm sorry," His eyes trailed to the ground, "I realize I must look awfully pathetic," he sniffed, "Things have been a little hard at home... I-I'll go if I'm bothering yo-"
"No! wait, ah..." Grape suddenly regained focus, "No, please, ah, come on in..." She noticed Peanut and exchanged with him the same worried expression. Peanut shrugged feebly; what else could she do? She couldn't just leave him out there.
"Thanks, I- um, I'll try not to be a pain." Max smiled weakly, stepping in, grateful to be out of the rain.
"...Don't mention it."
As time progressed deeper on into the night the rain finally let up to unveil the brilliant night sky from under the foggy sheet. Once Tarot had left and Max was sound asleep on the spare sofa, Grape went out to sit on the back porch, damp as it was, planting her hands firmly to her side as she studied the pale blue moon. Peanut came out, having put away the blankets and popcorn bowls, and joined Grape as he positioned himself next to her. He placed a hand on top of hers and they both sat, neither of them saying a word.
It was Grape who broke the silence.
"I think," she paused momentarily, "I think its best that we pretend to see others for now."
It took a moment for this to settle in. Once it did the expression on Peanut's face was self explanatory. Pretend to see others? He was dumbfounded.
Grape raised her free hand, continuing hastily, "No, no! Listen, listen it doesn't mean I'm dumping you or anything." She was struggling to find the right words, "Look, Max obviously has a lot problems going on right now and he needs someone to help him." Grape rolled her eyes, "He certainly isn't going to find someone in the alleys to give him any comfort." She sighed, "Just, let me help him get back on his feet Peanut. He needs somebody."Help! Not just anybody!
Peanut wasn't sure what to make of it. Max was a tough guy, he thought, I mean just look at his ear! The cat's been to war! When has he ever needed to be comforted? The situation was careening in a direction he hadn't thought plausible. Peanut tried to put things in perspective. He began to bite his lower lip; it wasn't working.
"I... I don't know." He really didn't. Peanut could understand where she was coming from but this was a bit much for him.
She withdrew her hand from underneath his, and wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled them up, "It not just about Max either. I've also been thinking..." She rested the side of her head on her knees as she looked at Peanut.
Her eyes had a dazed, concerned look in them, "I think that, given the circumstances, it might to be a good idea to give ourselves a little... incentive not to get too causal with each other in public." She tried her best to sound reassuring while being serious, "I know you Peanut, and if there's one thing I know its that you don't hold your tongue too well. Honestly, sometimes you say the silliest things."
Don't hold my tongue well? Did she think I was just a pup or something? The look on Peanuts face wasn't making it any easier for Grape. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I didn't mean it that way, I... please Peanut... I care about you. I just want us to have more time to think things out okay? For our future..."
She was right, "Okay." Peanut smiled faintly.
He trusted Grape. He shouldn't see a reason not too.
"Good." Grape leaned forward, nuzzling affectionately beneath his cheek. "You'll see, everything will be fine."
She gave him a hug, kissed him good night, then slowly got up and walked inside. Out of the corner of his eye, Peanut could see the last flicker of her tail before it disappeared in the darkness. His head was filled with thoughts.
----------
In three and a half months time nothing much has really changed since that night took place. Everything was generally good, if you didn't count the failure on Peanut's part to prevent a catastrophic release of an all powerful cosmic being that could potentially be the end all be all for mankind. He and Grape were still seeing their supposed "significant others" for the time being. Everyone was soundly convinced He and Grape were not even remotely interested in each other, apart from the status quo set in place before their trip to the farm.
Thinking back to the time of selection, he felt it was only natural he incline Tarot, seeing as she did seem to possess good feeling towards him. Grape wasn't at all keen with the idea; she'd practically begged him to consider anyone else, however, there really just weren't that many opinions to start with in the first place. Peanut didn't want to deal with Bino's eternal snobbery should he ask Sasha; and Daisy.... well, on that point there was consensus, albeit slim. So the only one left was Tarot.
He thought back to that night; no one could have predicted Tarot showing up, that much was true. Although, he still wasn't quite sure what the motivation was behind her arrival in the first place. Grape still had it set firm in her head that Tarot was definitely a deranged loony, though, she wasn't the only one with concerns.
Max was an entirely different card all together. His last appearance may have left a wrong impression on his personality, but on any normal occasions his character wasn't really something to be epitomized. To Peanut's knowledge, Max was a street savvy, cynical, tough talking cat who loved to crack jokes at the expense of others.
"On second thought," Peanut frowned, "it's like the guy was made for her." He muttered.
Peanut wasn't too sure of this, but that was the problem. He wasn't sure of anything girls looked for in a guy. Most especially Grape.
Now Peanut wasn't jealous or anything, or so he told himself, its just that the time those two spent together only seemed to be increasing more and more each day. Was she really just that determined to make it seem that convincing to everyone? She'd talk about it constantly with Mom, who thought it just precious to hear her little girl so happy, when ever she thought Peanut was out of ear shot. He rarely saw any private time with Grape anymore and he was becoming worried that perhaps their new found relationship would die out before it really began. The idea of stepping back into an awkward friendship with Grape was almost too unbearable. Grape really had been his only friend, his best friend, and now that they pushed that farther, could they really go back?
He rubbed his temples. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. It wasn't like Peanut to let depression get the better of him.
Usually, when he was feeling down, Tarot would try to recommend to him her special pick-me-up tea, "Made from the finest Black Cedar roots," she said; in order to "Properly cleanse the soul." He was always too scared to drink it, but its the thought that counts.
She constantly lost him on her talk of prophesy and "fate bonding who-knows-what together" chats; the talking in his head thing was still pretty cool. For what it's worth, Peanut did consider her to be very...very....ah....
It dawned on him. How does one describe Tarot? "Hmmmm....Well, she's... " he didn't know how to.
"Lets see," Peanut suddenly realized this was probably the first time he had really given any actual thought to the dynamic characteristics of Tarot. He tapped his chin, hunched in thought; it shouldn't be this difficult.
"She's nice," he stated blankly, "a little odd, but nice."
Pathetic. He coughed, and cleared his throat. He could do better than that.
"Alas!" He commanded, thrusting a fist in the air, and taking caution not to slip on the icy sideways as he posed, "She's an exotic creature of unrestrained voice and opinion who possesses whimsy worldly other powers!"
He narrowed his eyes, "Her glowing eyes does pierce the night sky and hearts of the weak!"
Peanut was on a roll now; the acting lessons from Grape still held firm, "The sky cannot restrain her as she effortlessly glides the winds at her will!"
Now for the kicker, "Every creature, be they large or small," He wiggled his fingers as if he were squishing something, "Will know her name is the the lord! When she lays her vengeance upon them...." His voice trailed off on that final note.
It was almost too difficult for him not to laugh at himself, but an actor must always keep his composure till the very end.
"Who are you talking to?" Came a sudden voice behind him.
"GAH" Peanut whirled around, his face with the complexion of a ripe tomato; every hair strand stood up in shock.
"Oh," Peanut let out a sigh of relief. "its you." This happens to me a little too often, he thought to himself.
Joey stood afront, head cocked at an angle as he observed Peanut. He wore his custom olive green collar and scarf; a single earphone dangled from his ear though, attached to a device he held in his hand.
"Hello to you too." He replied, looking slightly perturbed, "Nice performance by the way." He paused, "Was there... someone you were intending it for?"
"Ahhhhh...." Peanut was hesitant to answer truthfully, "No one. No one at all, I was- ah, just pretending. Is all."
"Really?" Joey didn't seem quite convinced, "Hmm, sure sounded like you were really going on about somebody."
"Ah ha, yeahhhh, its fun to pretend- Hey, what are you listening to?" Peanut was desperate to change the topic. The claw tips at the fronts of his index fingers were beginning to wear out from his constant act of jabbing them together nervously.
Incidentally, It didn't necessarily bother Peanut as much as it should have that he was going along with his fraud commitment to Tarot...okay it did, but, he certainly didn't want to share that with Joey.
"Hmm? Oh you mean this?" He gestured towards the portable music player in his hand. "oh man, this is great." With that he took the other earphone out of his collar and held it out to Peanut, "Would you like to hear it?"
Peanut nodded awkwardly, taking the small piece and fixing it into his ear.
"I think you'll like this one a lot," Joey said eagerly, "just let me set it up real quick, and, there we go."
What followed was a sudden blast of incoherent techno chatting, followed by an orchestra of psychedelic melodies. On first impact it was quite startling to Peanut, but once he had settled into the sounds, he began to sense something appealing in its mixture. It had a dreamlike quality to it that he found relaxing, almost... magical.
After a while Peanut finally asked, "What is this? The name of the song?"
Joey grinned with relish, "Amazing isn't it? Its called "Mediational Field" from the soundtrack of 'Paprika'. One of my friends showed me the album, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it."
Ah, his friends. Peanut assumed that meant it was something foreign or anime related.
"Its an Japanese animated movie," ah ha; his small victory aside, Peanut continued to listen, "base on a premise of entering people's dreams in order to explore new alternatives in treating patients in psychoanalytic therapy."
"Huh," Peanut was genuinely intrigued, "Interesting. Is it any good?"
"Oh I haven't actually seen it yet" Joey said apologetically, "But I hear it's one of the best animated movies made this time around. I definitely plan to see it some time, hopefully with Squeak."
"How is she by the way?" It still fascinated Peanut how Joey could manage such a bizarre relationship.
"Eh, she's been better." Joey's face contorted, "Squeak's a little tense during the Holidays."
He leaned forward, "Bad memories. Her previous boyfriend was eaten by a cat while they were both under the mistletoe."
"Yikes." Peanut was almost sorry he asked.
"Yeeeeah... that's wha- ah, she doesn't date mice anymore... or anyone of the same size either."
Joey's expression went vacant for a moment, but soon brightened up again, "Anyway, I try to make it as comfortable for her as possible during these months. Seeing her so down only breaks my heart. She's the only thing that keeps me going sometimes."
Peanut was silent. Out of all the dogs in the neighborhood, Joey was most likely to be the only one he could really relate to.
He thought of Grape, and the extent to which they both were going to hide their relationship. Joey's relationship, however strange it may be, at least he didn't hide it. So then, why do we? Why do I go out of my way to lie to Tarot, to Mom and Dad, to anyone who even cared so much as to ask about my current affairs? If Peanut truly wanted to know, now was probably the best time to ask.
"I... don't understand it." Peanut said slowly.
"Oh, I didn't think you would, the song is in Japanese after all."
Peanut had forgotten that he was still wearing the earpiece.
"No, not this." He held his hand out, "I mean..." He sighed, "You once considered me to be a catlover right?"
Despite this question being completely out of context, Joey didn't seem that surprised. "Still do," he replied, "you can't fool me Peanut."
"Whatever. Well, as it would turn out..." Peanut hoped he knew what he was doing, "I am."
"Okay," Again, Joey wasn't phased. "Its nothing to be ashamed of."
"I didn't say I was ashamed." Peanut huffed. " Just confused."
Joey raised a brow, "About?"
"About..." Peanut began, "you, you and Squeak."
This time Joey was visibly disconcerted.
"How do you deal with it?" Peanut continued, "All the ridicule and weird looks you get from the other dogs? How do you manage to keep faith to Squeak through it all?"
Peanut feared he might have gone too far, that Joey might have been offended. Oddly enough, Joey seemed quite relieved.
"Oh, that's what you meant." Joey laughed, " I thought you meant-ah, never mind."
He coughed hurriedly, shooing the notion away. Now Peanut was the one perplexed.
"Listen, Peanut." Joey was serious, "none of that matters to me. I've dealt with it all in my life, and really, I just learned to take it with a grain of salt. Its not my problem what others think of me. As long as I'm happy, being who I am, with the people I want to be with," He smiled, "Life's a ball.'
Peanut smiled too. He never thought he'd be agreeing with Joey on something, much less turning to him for moral support, but the simple logic just blew Peanut away. It shouldn't matter what anyone said or thought, if it meant he could be with Grape. As long as no one did anything drastic, it could work.
"Speaking of ball," Joey said, interrupting Peanut's thoughts, "Would you like to come with me to the secret Good Ol' Dogs snowball event? You look like you could use a good pick-me-up."
Peanut grinned, "As long as they aren't serving any tree root tea there, I guess I'm good."
"What?"
"Nothing."
They both chuckled, and began down the sidewalk together. The morning seemed awfully brighter to Peanut, and he felt much happier.
Joey nudged him lightly in the rib, "So, I take it you're seeing someone you shouldn't be seeing?" Joey said enthusiastically, "Perhaps the one were raving about not too long ago?"
"Well, yes and no. I am seeing someone, just not the one I was, ah, talking about earlier."
"Could I venture a guess?" Joey's eyes were lightened with glee. "Is she a cat?"
"...Yes, but I can't tell you her name."
"Is it Grape?"
Peanut suddenly blushed heavily, "W-what makes you think that?"
"Just a thought." Joey laughed again. "I mean, she's the only girl you hang out with. Who happens to be a cat."
"There are plenty of other girl cats around here!" Peanut protested, "There's Sabrina and, ah..." Once again he was at a loss.
"Ok fine, you win." Peanut pouted.
"Relax, you're with a friend," Joey quipped, "Just tell Grape I wish you two the best of luck."
He put his earphone back on and played the same song he had Peanut listen to before, whistling as he did.
Peanut smiled sarcastically, "I'll be sure to let her know."
He joined in and they both walked and whistled down the wet curb.
The only thing on Peanut's mind right now was the sound of music.
I wonder if Grape would like this song...
----------
Symphony in Periwinkle, no.2
~
This second part does sort of require that you also read Sinder's "Auld Lang Syne." I apologize for the inconvenience.
~
For GameCobra, Dylan, Alex, and any other GrapexMax fan
~
*Knock* *knock*
Nobody answered.
"Ugh," Grape looked around the beige complex for any open windows. With Maxwell's house, it became a custom routine that she force her way in by variant tactical methods, seeing as his owner didn't like dealing with people at the door; Jake's been known to yell vehemently, and even deck visitors at one point or another. He means well, but he definitely has some issues to sort out; something Grape didn't want to concern herself with at the moment.
She glided the corners of the house, easily avoiding the falling icicles and chunks of hardened snow while testing the windowsill edges with the tip of her claw. It was a delicate process, one she had an uncanny knack for. Finally, she found the window. She slid the tip of her finger into the grove, searching for a catch, twisting the point until the window budged open by about a quarter inch; it was just enough room to fit the rest of her claws. Grape pried open the window quietly, pushing it up against the frozen sills. The resistance was too strenuous, so she only opened it to a point where she could just squeeze in. The outer wall was deadly cold on her fur as she hugged the surface in order to creep through the window. Gracefully, and perhaps bitterly did she weave her way in, making contact with the maroon carpet.
She stood up, brushing herself as she did, waiting a moment for her feline eyes to adjust to the dimly lit environment. She recognized the room for the large dining table that sit in the middle; last night's dinner was still evident as it sprawled across the surface. She tip toed her way into the adjoining hallway, making note of the photos and portraits that hung off the burnt sienna wall. Most of them were just Bino when he was a pup, and rest were of Max after Jake had adopted him from the pound. Grape never really paid attention to them, but, one in particular caught her attention this time: it was a small picture tucked in the corner, taken in the same hallway she stood in, except with a slightly younger Bino and Maxwell in it. They were both sitting in a box while Max had his arm around Bino's shoulder, tugging at one of his floppy ears; the familiar smile stretched across Max's face while Bino wore his usual scowl.
Grape giggled a bit; the sight of Bino being tormented was always deeply amusing to her. Had it been just that, the picture wouldn't really have meant anything to her, but it was the look on Max's face that actually interested her. She leaned in closer, studying his expression; the smile was there, but, his eyes told a different story. They were cold and distant, as if he wasn't actually looking into the camera. It was same look he had that night at the Yarn Ball after she had told about her past; that look of lost thoughts. She felt a pang of sorrow for the cat in the picture, remembering what he had just gone through at the time...
She shook her head, trying not to think about it. Not now
Down the hallway she crept lightly, looking for any signs of life. It was still pretty early in the morning, so the chances of any person being awake were slim. Cats weren't accustomed to the idea of curfews when it came to sleeping, as they only napped when they needed to. People, on the other hand, had designated their sleep hours strictly for night, something Grape still didn't really quite grasp. Why would they restrict their business for day time only? She thought. After all, She herself got a considerable amount of things done at night, what with the pleasant quiet atmosphere and lack of distractions. Grape rolled her eyes, Humans...
At the end of the hallway, she turned briskly into the foyer to finally find who she had been looking for. Max was resting comfortably in an armchair, head leaning on one arm while the other held a book; his reading glasses sat crooked on his nose, in front of his pensive eyes. The book wasn't even of the Pridelands series. This is new, usually Peanut was only one she would find situated like this. Ignoring the little out of character moment, she ambled across the space between them until she was right in front of him. She was poised, arms on her hips, staring questioningly at him. "I do hope you weren't too busy reading that book to hear my knocking." She inquired.
Without looking up, Max lifted his head off his arm and gestured a finger towards the front entrance, "The door was unlocked you know."
This only provoked her more, "And you didn't let me know while I was out there, why?"
"Because, my dear Grape," He closed the book, setting it aside with his glasses, "As an appreciator of the fine arts and upholder of all things chivalry related," Max put on his best 'snazzy' appearance, "I can not, in good conscience, impede upon a young lady's craft. Even if it be the act of breaking into my own home."
"You're too kind," Grape smirked; she had the faint sneaking suspicion that he was messing with her.
"As a gentlemen should be, my lady." He grinned charismatically, "So to what do I owe this pleasant pilferage?"
"Wellllll, I was planning on stealing you away for a walk this morning, but since you're so wrapped in that novel..." She pretended to look overly guilty, "I would hate to disrupt you." She figured she could stand to join in with this delightful bit of absurd banter.
Max waved his hand, "Nonsense, nonsense. I shall hear none of it. It would be my honor to assist the miss in her crime. Allow me to procure a certain item of my possession and I shall escort thee forthwith!"
"Alright already," Grape was rubbing her eyes, "just cut all the 'forthwith' stuff and get whatever it is you need so we can get out of here. You're starting to get on my nerve." She was lying of course. Seeing Max so happy was actually very comforting for her, as was the reason she was even seeing him in the first place. She watched him rummage around in the closet. As she did her eyes began to follow his outline, focusing on his torso. Huh, he sure is getting slimmer... a lot slimmer in fact. She suddenly became worried, is he eating alright? It didn't seem likely, what with the display she saw in the dining room; No I must be imagining it... She'd have to ask him about that later.
She looked around curiously, "So... I noticed Bino isn't around. Shame, I would have just loved to have had him greet me with his always perky attitude."
Max picked up an undefinable piece of cloth, sniffing it, "I'm sure you would -geez this stinks- but Mr.Sunshine has somehow managed to put himself out of commission."
"Again?" Grape wasn't sure if she should laugh or be baffled, "What did he do now?"
"Hmmmmm," Max paused to think, "I believe Fox stated that he 'accidentally' fell down a flight of stairs...'several times'...still didn't really explain the finger marks around his neck though..." He stared at Grape, seemingly asking the question without actually saying it.
"No." Grape huffed, "At least not yet anyway. As much as I would have liked to have had a hand in it, I wouldn't pretend that I didn't do it."
"No you're right, you've too much pride." Max grabbed something hastily, "Ah ha! Here it is." He laced the object around his neck, strutting towards Grape, "What do you think?"
Grape wasn't sure what to think; it was just a scarf, why was it so spec- "Wait." She looked closer, "Is that... my scarf?"
"Aye, the very one you bestowed upon my face." The grin only seemed to be getting bigger, "So?"
"Sooooo... what? So, now I'm supposed to be concerned for the well being of my belongings?"
Max's face fell, "You don't remember? At the end of the Yard Ball? I tried to get to first base and you said you first had to go make kissy face with someone else and told me to wait? Then you threw the scarf in my face? Granted, I knew you were high as a kite at the time, but come on."
Grape did remember, too well in fact. She just didn't want to give Max the impression that it really had been something troubling her for a while, "I was wondering where my scarf went..." She pretended to be concentrating deeply, "Oh! Now I remember!" She gave herself a fake little bonk to the head, "Sorry, it must have slipped my mind for a moment."
Maxwell was relieved, "Whew, scared me there." He wrapped an arm around her head, rubbing it playfully. "You need to lay off the nip, it'll do things to ya."
"The only thing it will do," She muttered, trying not to laugh at his antics, "is give me a little extra focus while I'm smacking you."
Max let go, pointing at his face, "I am aghast! You wouldn't strike this handsome facade now would you?"
She leaned in, poking a finger beneath his collar, "No, unless you give me a reason to."
Maxwell's eyes fluttered, "Rowr."
With that, he held his arm out; Grape took it and they both headed out into the cold outdoors. The rush of freezing winds make Max leap, nearly taking Grape with him, "Wow it's cold out!" He laughed lightly, "I almost feel bad for leaving you at the door now, ha ha."
Grape stuck her tongue out, "Serves you right."
----------
"So, after all that," Joey breathed for moment, "you're both now pretending to go out with others so that she can help Max sort out his personal issues?"
"Well, she wanted to do it so that we could have more time to plan things out too, you know? But, yeah, that's about it." Both Peanut and Joey have been walking through the snow for about twenty minutes, listening to an incredibly short list of songs on Joey's MP3 player, and the need for conversation became increasingly inevitable. Peanut sighed, "I never would've imagined things turning out like this."
"Tell me about it, and you thought my relationship was dubious." Joey scratched behind one ear, "I mean I've read fanfic's that make more sense than that."
Author's Note: "Oh, the wit..."
"Have you now?" The sarcasm bit heavily in Peanut's response. Have I just been insulted? He tried not to pay too much mind, the slope of the hill they were on was getting treacherous now.
"Absolutely! I'm a huge fan of Prideland fanfiction, especially the ones by Grape."
Peanut stopped for a moment, not quite sure if what he heard was right, "Grape?... well, I guess I sorta knew that already; I've already seen her writing before and that- wait a second, she lets you read them?" Peanut was disheartened, "She's never shown them to me before." *sniff*
Joey patted him on the back, "Oh, don't worry about it Peanut. If it makes you feel any better, I only saw them cause I got for her a lock of hair from that actor who played Petir in the Prideland movie."
"You... you can do that?" Peanut asked reluctantly.
Joey's face suddenly lost all expression, "I know many people," He deadpanned, "Most of whom will do my every bidding."
"Joey," Peanut said very seriously, "Before we go on, I just want to say, for the record, I still think you're the most... frighteningly abnormal person I've ever met... no offense"
Joey smiled, "None taken. Now, here we are! Just beyond those trees!" He pointed out to the forest edge at the top of the hill, "The guys should have the playing field set up by now."
The annual snowball event held every year by the Good Ol' Dogs club could only be described by many as pure mindless enjoyment. Almost every dog walks away wagging their tail, gasping for air shortly after the collapse of adrenaline that was surging through their veins amidst the chaos. Peanut loved going in earlier years, but the initiative to attend sort of died once Bino started having all the dogs gang up on him. Peanut felt fortunate enough that Fido would be leading the festivities this time; perhaps, he could actually have fun for a change with the other dogs without severe consequences.
Once they both stepped past the outer rim of trees, the entire field came into view. Extraordinary; the place was packed with dogs from all over the county. There was a massive scurry shooting from every direction; snowballs were hurling-no, flying of their own will into the faces of onlookers. The scenery was almost awe inspiring; in his head, Peanut could hear the 1812 Overture being played somewhere in the distance.
The outright size of the crowd was beginning to make Peanut nervous. It was the first time he had been around so many dogs for a while. He turned to Joey, "Say Joey, um, do you mind if I step off to the side for a moment? I need to... catch my bearings."
"Sure, hey, are you alright?" Joey looked concerned, "We haven't even started playing yet."
"Oh I'm fine, its just.. you know, its, its just been awhile." Peanut responded, as causally as he could, "I'm prone to crowd sickness if you know what I mean."
"Alright," Joey said apprehensively, "Just, don't get lost or anything okay?"
"I won't."
Peanut headed clumsily into the trees, searching for an quiet empty spot to sit. Through the clearing he spotted a nice freshly cut stump; just as he was about to make his way over there something passed by in the bushes next to him. The figure was just a few feet off from where he was standing and was heading in the same direction. Peanut halted, peering through the branches, trying to see who or what it was. From the bushes emerged a bold black creature, but Peanut still couldn't make out its identity. Its outline was curvy and bounced in a particular manner; an long slinky object flickered to and fro behind it. He wasn't sure, but Peanut was positive it had to be.... "Sabrina?"
He kept his voice down, unsure if he wanted to attract her attention at this given moment. He moved in slowly; should I? There were so many things he wanted to ask her, regarding his relationship situation. He remembered how Grape tried to get her advice, and failed; but he, Peanut, might be able to get the one thing that could potentially secure that solid foundation for them: information. The idea struck him then, But how do I bring up such a touchy subject with someone I hardly even know? He lost sight of his focus on the cat sitting on the stump.
"...Would you like to accompany me?"
Peanut jumped, the second time that day (a new record), from the unsuspecting inquiry. He hadn't made a sound, but, it was as if she could sense his very presence. Even more shocking was the fact that Peanut had never even heard her voice before; he never imagined it would sound so sweet and lyrical in its rhythm. Peanut moved out into the clearing, "Sabrina, I didn't see you there!" He lied, pretending as though he wasn't just caught off guard, "Uh, since you offered, I guess you wouldn't mind then?"
She turned to look directly into his eyes, an enchanting smile upon her face, "Not at all." She plopped a hand on the space beside her, "well?"
He sat, frozen still, beside the black cat. Sabrina continued to look onward into nothing, humming gently in the shade. The first few attempts by Peanut to strike up a conversation were flimsy, stifled by his nervous nature. He wished she would say something. Anything. Just so he could at least build off of it.
"How is she, by the way?" Sabrina asked, softly.
Not what I had in mind. Oh well, I'll take it. "You mean Grape?" Who else could it be?
"Hmhmhm, no silly." She laughed, "I mean Tarot."
Of course she meant Tarot, Peanut thought in spite of himself, Who else would she be talking about?
"She's fine." It cheesed him that he couldn't bring himself to be more specific about Tarot without forcing it, "Dandy, if you will."
"Hmm, that's good to hear." She strummed the air with her fingers, "I don't see her as often these days, now that she's with you, and sometimes I get a little worried."
There, it left an awkward silence between them. Peanut twiddled his thumbs, "Say Sabrina... Can I ask you something?
Sabrina shifted her gaze at him, "Sure, I'd be delighted."
Peanut prepared himself, "Does Tarot ever... mention anything to you? About me?"
"From what I've gathered thus far," Sabrina smiled, "she seems quite fond of you. She's never shown this much interest in anyone else before. Not that she has, anyway."
The guilt was setting in, time to change the subject, "That's nice... ah, could I ask one more question then?
Sabrina beamed, "ask away."
Okay, this is it. I just have to be subtle with my question.
"H-how do you feel aboutttt, oh I don't know... inter-species relationships?"
She'll never suspect...
----------
Symphony in Periwinkle, no.3
~
They were silent for most of the way, save for those occasional freakish outbursts from Max every time the wind picked up. His fingers curled and he hissed at the stinging cold whips of air. At first, Grape excused this behavior on the assumption that Max simply hadn't adjusted to the change in temperature from his home to the outdoors. However, the amount of time they've been out should have been plenty enough for that by now, but Max still couldn't keep himself from hopping around like a fool.
He wouldn't be so cold if he wasn't so skinn- no, stop it, Grape pressed a fist against her head, trying to suppress her concerns about his weight loss again as they started to seep back in. The last thing she wanted to do was pry directly into his personal life; after all, curiosity did kill the cat. She mused for a moment, But I can afford to curious sometimes, can't I? After all, I do have nine lifes, what do I have to worry... bah, now I'm just being silly. Grape twisted her head, ready to ask her imposing question.
"Say max-" Before she could finish, Max suddenly jerked his head back, his nose wriggled as he pushed Grape away to unleash the force from his troubled sinuses- "Ah, AH- AH CHOO!"
A fine mist of pale snot flew out from his face, some of it sticking to his whiskers in clumps. Not a very attractive look. He wiped his nose bitterly, "Eugh, I hate when that happens." As he tried to clean himself off quickly, he turned to Grape, eyes half lidded, "...Sorry about that." He sniffed, "Ah, were you going to say something?"
"First," She chided, lowering her hand, "please remember to cover your mouth. Second, couldn't you have put something heavier on instead of that old rag of mine?" Grape crossed her arms, "I actually wanted this walk to be kind of enjoyable; and If you can't even handle being outside without throwing a pansy parade than count me out."
"Pansy?!" Max barked. He proceeded to strike a fairly dramatic pose, "I am no pan-ah-Ah- AH CHOO!"
Whatever dexterity and elegance he may have had slipped and crumpled to the ground along with him. He sat up, avoiding eye contact, "I'm not a pansy..."
Grape sighed while kneeling down beside him, "Max, look, you don't need to try to impress me or anything okay? If you're cold just say so. Please don't do this to yourself."
"Who's trying to impress who?" He retorted, getting up from the snow, jabbing a thump towards himself. "I'm just fine."
"Well, I'm not." Grape asserted. It was becoming a hopeless cause, and she didn't want to spoil the rest of their morning; best to let it go. "I mean, never mind, just forget I said anything." She reached over and tightened the scarf round Max's neck, "Just try to stay warm."
Max looked down at the scarf, picking up one end with his hand and feeling its texture, "Huh. You know, even up till now I still have no idea why you gave me this thing," He held it up to Grape, "Kinda weird when you think about it isn't it?"
Grape blew a bit of air, "Well, you said it yourself; I wasn't exactly right in the head that night... so to speak."
"No, I think you were..." Max said slowly, heading off into unknown territory amongst the mixed thoughts in his head, "and that makes me wonder."
"That makes me worry." Grape murmured.
Max grinned, "It probably should." He strolled up beside Grape, poking her with his tail, "May I ask whatever happened to lover boy?"
This puzzled Grape, "I guess you're still here but is that what you call yourself now?" She swatted his tail away.
Max laughed heartily, "Was it really that bad? So bad that you tried to forget it?" He caught himself quickly, afraid he was being too callus, "Oh, forgive me, I don't mean to poke fun. I only meant to ask what happened between you and that, uh, other guy."
Grape blushed, "I already told you Max, nothing happened." She looked nervously away, "I..I was in over my head that's all."
"Awww," Max patted Grape on the shoulder, "Broke your heart did he? I'm sorry."
"No... he was really careful not to hurt my feelings," Grape smiled lightly, Peanut never does anyway. "He's a sweet guy, and I like him for that... but..." Grape would have to continue the lie from this point, "but, he and I saw the... limitations, in our relationship." There was feigned sadness in her eyes, "I guess...he just wasn't the guy for me."
"Humph. If it were me," Max said, looking up at the vast gray sky, "I would have tried to find a way to make it work." He reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly, "No matter what, if it meant being with someone like you."
Grape followed his gaze, feeling a slight pain in her chest. "Thanks...though you never did seem like the lovey-dovey type to me."
"Please. I live for theatrics."
-------------
Peanut could have sworn that from the moment he managed to get his question out, the smell of umber fire then became potent in the air. The texture was unlike anything Peanut had ever smelled before; it possessed a quality of... spirit, to it. The strangely arousing blend of laughter and fear mixing down a river of nostalgia filled his nostrils. There was no question now that this odor, this odor of near life, as Peanut realized, was coming from Sabrina.
She wasn't humming anymore, but she didn't seem startled or taken aback by his question. She just stared, fixated on Peanut; to him it felt like she analyzing his soul. After forever, she finally asked, "You... you live with Grape yes?" For some reason, she was very careful to emphasize each of her words.
"Umm, yes. I do." He had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming next, "why?"
Sabrina stood up stiffly, pacing forward about four steps before turning around, "Some time ago, she asked me a similiar question. However, she was a little more crafty in the manner that she delivered it."
Sabrina placed her hands together, feeling back for a cognitive recollection, "She told me she had a friend who was suffering from a lapse of anxiety and panic. Evidently her friend, who's name she couldn't reveal, had fallen in love with someone whom he deeply cared for. 'It touching,' she says, 'like they really were meant for each other,' she says. Only then did she tell me about this 'one problem; neither of them are the same species, and you know how that doesn't really sit well with a majority of pets.' She looked at me and asked, 'How do you feel about all of it? What do you think she should he do?' " Sabrina turned back to Peanut, very calm in her manner of speech, "I told her I wasn't the right person to ask." She lowered her head, "She seemed very disappointed."
She walked back over and sat down again next to Peanut, "But now," she said leisurely, "I can see that perhaps I was being a tad cold hearted, but I wasn't lying...I hope she can forgive me."
Peanut had no idea where she going with this. Was she going to make a point? Or....
"Peanut... how long have you known, about us?"
It was obvious that Sabrina was on to him, but Peanut considered the rationality of continuing to play dumb, "...About who?"
Sabrina crossed her brows, adopting a tone of voice identical to that of a scolding mother, "Peanut, I find it rather difficult to believe that you and Grape, both of whom I know very little about, would suddenly come to me, prompting this question on a peculiar subject matter unless you assumed I knew something about it. How long have you known?"
When she puts it that way it does seem a little suspicious... Peanut sighed, it was no use pretending. "Since Fido got back."
"Since Fi- SINCE FIDO GOT BACK!?" Sabrina was at a lost for words. Was she blushing? It was hard to tell what with her jet black fur.
She gazed, pressing a paw against her lip, contemplating, "I, I see. That long...does anyone else know?"
"No, just me and Grape." Peanut proceeded forward cautiously, "As you might have already guessed, that 'friend' Grape was talking about is actually me. But as much as I l-love her...I can't ignore reality. That's why I need your help." his pale blue puppy eyes swelled, "Please Sabrina, I need to know. You and Fido have been to keep able your status under wraps for so long, so, whatever it is you're doing has to be working." He pleaded.
"Peanut, the mere fact that you're asking for help proves to me that what we've done hasn't been working." Sabrina remarked. The fire in her heart burned fiercer now, quaking the fabric of her fragile nature. It radiated from her in erratic patterns.
"...Oh." It was all Peanut could manage. Sabrina's disappointment was becoming infectious, "I'm sorry."
He had lost track of the time they had spent sitting together out here, it felt like hours. The cacophony of jubilant dogs could still be heard off in the distance.
Sabrina took a deep breath, shuffling in the spot she occupied, "Could I ask you something?"
He didn't respond, instead merely nodding his head.
Sabrina followed suit, "Do you think its wrong for someone to expect their plans go off without a single mishap? That everything will be just right?"
Peanut tilted his head back, thinking it over, "I don't think that's wrong necessarily, just, naive maybe." that felt like an appropriate answer.
"Exactly," She said, "failure is always a very likely possibility." She outstretched her arms over her knees, folding her hands together to rest her head upon, "There's never been a plan or process for what we do, every day is the same: we'd keep to ourselves, in our day to day schedule, amongst friends and family, and when ever possible, he or I might find a little time to pass with the other, and hope that no one else catches us." She shivered, "My worst nightmare, the thing that haunts me the most, is the day they take us away from each other because our efforts just weren't enough..."
Oh my... Peanut thought, that's sounds terrible. If only there was something he could do to help ease the mood.
"sorry to interrupt...but, its just that I've been wondering for a long time and if it's all right- not that you don't have to answer if don't want to, that is," Peanut's terrible habit of rambling was ensuing, "You, and Fido, but he's not a dog- I mean, cat, so..."
"Are you trying to ask me why I chose him over some other cat?" Sabrina finished for him.
"um, yes.." he said apologetically. "That's what I meant."
She thought it over, to which a look of child-like glee began to wash over her eyes, "Its a long story." she said, smiling gently, "Most likely a bit before your time."
"...How old are you exactly?"
"Older than you. Anyway," She settled herself in to tell her tale, "it could be considered your typical lady meets gentleman sort of scenario. You see, I wasn't very social in my earlier years."
Shocking...
"I was dreadfully lonely. So lonely in fact, that I couldn't even bring myself to kill the rodents my parents brought me because they at least kept me some good company." She grimaced slightly, "Some of them. Then there was the day I first glimpsed him trying to settle down a crowd of rambunctious chatting fan girls."
Again, shocking...
Sabrina smiled, "He was so, different, from anyone I'd ever seen before. He was practically a celebrity, but he never let it go to his head. Sweet, charming, and above all very mature. I fell for him from a far, and on several occasions I tried to garner his attention. He didn't notice at first; seeing past the bobbing heads of silly sycophants is nearly impossible you know, but eventually he did see me."
The scent of umber fire had faded from the air, only to be replaced with, *sniff*...strawberries.
"I think the one thing Fido appreciated the most was that I could see eye to eye with him on a conversational level." She said, "I didn't yell, or grab at him, I just wanted to get to know him. We'd talk with each other for hours on end, learning of our likes and dislikes."
"As it turns out, he and I have a real soft spot for Romantic poetry, especially the ones by Poe." She swayed her head a little to the side, "I'll never forget the one night he came by my window and recited the poem of The Raven for me. He had on the black cape and everything; it was so adorable, and there was no lack of effort put into it either. At the end of every appropriate verse, he gestured towards me, and I responded acutely. In my best effort, I would lean down and utter that one word with enough vigor and spite that would make any man cringe." She giggled, "I was his 'raven' you see."
He too, shared in her good spirits, "hmmm, yes, I see." It was almost surreal, seeing Sabrina like this. Just half an hour ago, he knew absolutely nothing about her, yet, after an simple exchange of words he discovered that her outer shell wasn't as abysmal as he thought it was. What a wonder talking can do.
"So as I've said, its a long story." She closed her eyes, "Oh but I do enjoy these old memories... I've never told anyone else about them. It feels... good, to be able to."
The winter winds had weaved through the willows, shaking the branches above them and stirring the snow powder that rested upon them. The serenity complemented Sabrina's essence, or rather, she complemented the serenity. As he took in the surroundings, he suddenly remembered the time and made haste to get back on foot. He apologized, said goodbye, and made a attempt to scurry off befor-
"Wait!'
Peanut looked back behind him.
"Before you go, please remember what I've told you! And please tell Grape that I have the utmost confidence in the two of you!"
"Don't worry!" Peanut shouted, waving to her, "I'll add you to the list!"
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Somewhere, amidst the Good Ol' Dogs playing field.
"Ack...hey Spo."
"Yeah Fido?"
"You ever get that sensation where your ears feel like their burning?"
"Can't say I have, told ya you shoulda' picked a different pair of muffs, these are just awful. They keep pinching my feet; and maroon is definitely not your color."
*Sigh* "Alright, I get it Spo, thanks..."
"Anytime champ."
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Thanks a lot for reading!
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