Simply Amazing

Slim arms swayed lazily in the water and pushed the Queen slowly around in the water. Dark auburn hair splayed out in the water like a sort of halo. Her feet didn’t move and just rested below the surface as she floated. Willow took deep and calming breaths as she let her eyes fall shut and she relaxed, feeling the oxygen fill her lungs and leave with each rise and fall of her chest. Turning her eyes to see what Connor was doing, she found that he was relaxing as well. A small smile tilted the corners of her mouth up as she looked over and admired him. She started at his feet and looked up, shaking her head slightly as she laughed at her own thoughts. If she hadn’t wanted to keep the peace, she would’ve sighed exasperatedly. ‘Why, just why? Even his toes are cute, damnit.’ As her eyes moved up farther she could simply feel her attraction to him growing. She was aware of it and how she felt all at once, a fact that made her sigh. In the future to come she would be daydreaming about him. Keeping things professional between them would be hard and it was only becoming increasingly harder in the moments that she looked at him. Her eyes traveled farther up into those green eyes that were.... looking right at her. Willow’s face reddened in embarrassment and she quickly looked away, biting her lip and refusing to giggle like a school girl being caught by a cute boy. Silently the Queen told herself to get her act together and focus on just enjoying herself in the presence of him. Her ming traveled off into random subjects but always came back to him. Daring to take another glance over to him, she saw that he wasn’t where he was before and was indeed gone. Willow’s eyes widened and she tensed just as her came up and tickled her. A mewl of surprise came from her before her fits of giggles started and she almost bobbed fully under the water. His hands came around her waist just in time, steadying her though he probably didn’t know it. Once she had stabilized her feet on the ground, she went after him as he ran from her. The water made her movements sluggish, though her tail kept her balanced and she more of leaped through the water like a cat on two legs. She laughed as she chased them, knowing she wouldn’t catch him as he dove behind the waterfall. Willow was timid of going through the water at first, unsure what was behind it. When the water opened just big enough to see Connor’s face she smiled and walked through the space he had created. Taking his hand, she lifted herself onto the ledge and was immediately against the rocky wall as his footing slipped. Suddenly she found herself staring into Connor’s eyes, her own mirroring the curiosity in his. Willow was suddenly aware of her heart thundering in her chest, thinking that he probably could hear it until the thunder overhead boomed and made her jump. With the moment gone she fixed her mindset and watched as the first bit of rain came tumbling down from the sky.

Willow could only nod along with his words as he pulled away, crossing her arms over herself when she realized that the temperature had dropped significantly. Her calico ears pinned back and she let out a soft hiss at the weather, scolding it for being so shady to the both of them. Following Connor out of the water, she continued to shiver and helped him gather the things. The rain began to come down in larger amounts, soaking her to the bone and making her hair stick to her face and neck. She sighed, knowing she probably looked like a drowned cat as her tail his itself in her back and her ears pinned themselves against her head. A distinct chatter came from her shivering. teeth clicking against each other as she nodded in agreement to Connor’s words and walked in the direction of the house. Straightening her posture and rolling her shoulders, Willow walked towards the house with a determination not to shiver. She was a strong Queen, and damnit that was what she would be. Goosebumps still rose furiously on her exposed skin but she kept walking quietly and not speaking. Turning her eyes to Connor, she gave him a wry smile and spoke sarcastically. “Wonderful weather we’re having, isn’t it?” Thunder boomed, silencing her once more as she jumped slightly. The Queen loved storms of all kinds when she wasn’t the one walking through them. She was slightly worried about Bruce, wondering if he was going to be alright when she remembered that he was in fact and alligator and not a child. Whispering a soft laugh, she shook her head at herself and continued to walk to the house. The distance between her and the building was closing, and soon she stood at the front steps. Reaching for the door handle, she was thoroughly thankful that it was unlocked. Her hair and body were dripping water onto the floor of the large living room she found herself standing in. It was nothing like her cottage, but it would have to do. Turning to Connor, she shivered and asked him. “I’m going to go find towels, wait right here.” Dashing off, she searched for the bathroom and found it quickly. She opened a little side closet and gave a cheer of victory at the sight of warm looking, fluffy towels. Not thinking, she grabbed four and wrapped herself in two of them before running back to Connor and giving him the other two. Shivering, she pulled the towels tight around herself and began drying her hair with the second towel. Willow looked at her companion and smiled, soon turning into a laugh though she didn’t know the reasons for her actions. When she had calmed down, her eyes nervously turned away from him and she went about drying herself off quietly.

As he watched her shiver, he made a frown, filling his eyes with guilt as it had been his fault. At this rate, she would soon catch a cold, and watching her as she was sick would only make him feel worse. Moving to her side as they walked, he pulled her close, as he was not shivering, but warm enough to keep her at bay till they got there. Once they were, he released her just shortly to open the door for her and allow her inside to soon run off to the bathroom, "Alright." He said politely with a tad hint of a grin as he eyed the way she ran down the hallway. Connor perked his ears and stepped back outside onto the porch to shake out his wet hair so it would no longer drip more water onto the floor, flicking off the water that made his tail heavy as well. Finishing it up, he was met with her presence once again, chuckling as he watched her with the two large towels. "I'll be right back." As he took it, he wrapped it around his waist and quickly moved carefully from her side to head into the direction she came from. The noble finally was able to control the faucet to the shower, turning it onto a reasonable heat so it would not burn his skin, or make him shiver. He smiled slightly, purring under his breath as he wished to get in so soon, but putting others before him was the first thing he had to deal with. When he came back, he took her closely and smiled as he did with care, "Take a shower, I have it already for you. I'll try finding another to take one too, so then we don't smell like river water in this nice home. I'm sure the owner had expected it to happen. I remember looking up on the website that this was a bed and breakfast sorta place, so it's alright to stay the night." He shook his head towards the bathroom door and lead her shortly there, keeping his distance as he knew she was the Queen and could do it herself, "Go. Please." He said quietly before releasing her. As her figure soon disappeared into the bathroom, he tightened the knot around his waist to where the towel hugged, squirming underneath awkwardly to slid off his wet trunks to the floor. Being bare as he was now, he blushed, brushing it of as she was in the shower, away from being seen. With a deep breath, the Neko picked them up and went up stairs to set his things down in a spare bedroom. It was large, filled with new furniture and neatly painted as if it had just been recently built. Luckily, he still had his clothes, but as he had found out, it seemed this storm would not blow over so soon so they could come home. Searching for more clothes in the guest dressers, he fortunately found a set of menswear just around his size range. Connor picked up a clean grey t-shirt and a pair of plaid blue, grey and black male pajama pants, as well as a new pair of boxers to go underneath. As he was now set, he dashed into the bedroom bathroom and showered up, smoothing over the his tail and behind his ears to get all the muck created by the lagoon that stuck to his black and white fur. The shampoo provided smelled of oranges, though it was not his favorite, he didn't mind. As long as he smelt clean, that was what he cared about.

Stepping out, he dressed himself quickly and raced down the stairs before she could finish. It was almost as if he could hear her speak, or even sing from the bathroom down the hall, but he shook it off to be something else maybe. Connor looked around the kitchen and in the fridge, grabbing the necessary ingredients to make what he wanted for their dinner, meowing excitedly on accident to see fish sticks in the freezer. Before putting it all together in beginning on making the food, he worked his way to the stereo, plugging in his iPod to turn to some Three Days Grace. He didn't want to blast it, as much as he truly wanted to, but he kept it loud enough for it not to hear his ears or the window glass. His hips swung and his lips mouthed to the lyrics, along with the slight bobbing of his head and flicks to his tail behind him to the music that played through the speakers, "Somehow I found a way to get lost in you... Let me inside, let me get close to you... Change your mind.. I'll get lost if you want me to..." A smile curled at his lips, stopping his singing before it got out of hand as he already began to miss his guitar at home waiting for him of his return. Mixing the long spaghetti noodles in a pot, he poured in the meat sauce, a simple recipe for him to make as he was never much of a cook in the first place. As he did this, the microwave span with a loud weird noise, cooking the frozen fish sticks on a single plate. Waiting for Willow, he set out the plates at counter, filling them with the spaghetti and soon the fish sticks once they were made to a crispy brown. The Neko could not help himself as he remembered the image of her eyes, just staring helplessly into his own as he pulled her close against the wall, accidentally it being due to his footing. In those few seconds, before the thunder made them jump, he wanted to kiss her. Thankfully, he hadn't. Instead they were here, safe from the rain and happily cleaned up to enjoy a decent meal together. And who knows, maybe it would be just as fun as he hoped.

Wringing out her hair with one towel, she knotted the other beneath her arms. The queen quickly mopped up the mess she had made on the floor and planned what she was to do next. All of the rain had probably soaked through her bag and made anything she had brought wet. Finding a washer and a dryer would be next on her priority list after she had gotten herself and her Noble situated. Willow hadn’t even realized Connor was gone before he had spoken, spooking her into turning around and looking at him. She pushed her wet hair onto one shoulder and gave herself a few seconds to take in what he had said. Mentally shaking off her fear she smiled at Connor and nodded to his suggestion of a shower. “Oh, thanks Connor. I appreciate it.” Following him as he guided her, she walked quickly into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Quickly, she dropped both of the towels with a sigh and looked at herself in the large mirror. She cringed, knowing immediately why she needed a shower. Peeling off her bathing suit, she gave herself one final glance and stepped into the shower. It was deliciously warm and Willow smiled widely as she found a small bottle of shampoo and began washing her wavy mass of hair. For once she savored the value of showers, watching the dirt and muck her hair had gathered go down the drain. All bad smells she had on her was replaced with some citrus scent should couldn’t name at the moment. Carefully she washed her ears, making sure no water got inside of them. Once she was finished, Willow went about washing her body. Her tattooed arms came first and she scrubbed at her skin until the colors of her tattoos could be seen and any bare skin was a faint pink color. She continued to wash herself off until she was satisfied that she was clean. For awhile after she just stood in the water and hummed a tune to herself. Willow stretched her limbs and let all stress be gone with each water droplet that fell from her skin. Her humming turned faded off as the sounds of a radio met her ears. Quietly, she peeked out from behind the shower curtain and listened to the music while grabbing a fresh towel and wrapping it around herself. Walking from the bathroom, she continued to follow the sounds until she saw saw the shadow of Connor around the corner. Making a little squeak, she ran off before he could see her in her toweled state. She quickly made it to one of the guest bedrooms and lay her towel out on the floor. Willow was still soaked from her shower, but she smiled as she shifted and became the small calico cat that she was. Her fur was plastered to her body as she lay down on the fluffy towel and began to roll around, purring as she dried her body and licked at her paws like any feline would. When she got up again, she fur was dry and made her look thoroughly like a puffball. Willow shifted back to her semi-human form quickly and wrapped the towel around herself before going to the dressers and closets to see what hid in them. A lot of the clothing that she found was too big for her, but she made do with what she had in fear of running into the other neko within the house. She pulled a pair of sweatpants from one of the drawers and was relieved to see that they would fit her around the waist. Quickly she slipped them on and rolled the waistband a few times, shortening the legs so that they fir her right. Next she slipped on a black tank top along with a sweatshirt, tying her hair back in a bun before she gathered all of her dirty clothing items. Quickly and quietly, the Queen went about her search for a dryer and a washer only to find both at the end of the hall as well as a bunch of baskets. Taking one, she quickly piled her things into it and went to find Connor as well as the rest of their soaked things. If she was going to do her laundry, she might as well do his as well. The music led her into the kitchen, though the sight she saw made her put the basket down and lean against the wall with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.

Connor was obviously making some kind of food, but it wasn’t the food making that distracted her. Willow’s smile widened more as she watched him dance about and sing, arching and eye brow as she swayed somewhat to what she recognized now to be Lost In You by Three Days Grace. It was one of her favorite bands, but she knew he couldn’t of known that. Quietly, she continued to watch him and tilt her head as her eyes traveled over him. He seemed to be enjoying himself while he made dinner. The scent of the food told her it was fish of some kind, a fact that made her stomach growl softly. Looking down, she placed her hand on her stomach to keep herself quiet for the sake of wanting to watch Connor more. She rested her head against the door frame and continued to sway, finding what she saw of her Noble in that moment completely irresistible. Willow imagined herself coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist, or even spinning him around and placing her lips onto his. Anything to see those olive eyes brighten as he looked at her. She was taking acknowledgement that she liked him in such a way, this time consciously as she welcomed the feeling. Catching herself in her own wishful thinking, she shook her head and stood up straight. Her hand hesitated as she considered knocking on the wall to catch his attention, but instead she came up with another plan. Waiting until he wasn’t in view of the radio or her, she snuck into the kitchen and her plan went to action. Silently, she hopped onto the counter next to the radio and watched to see if the other neko saw her. A smile was still on her face as she turned the music down slightly less so he could hear her voice as she sang the rest of the lyrics his voice had left off. “Somehow I found.. A way to get lost.. In you.”

His ears turned backwards on his head as the lyrics of the song sang sweetly through to his eardrums, chorused by what he knew could only be one's vocal cords. As he turned his head, he found the music to be turned down slightly, but his eyes did not caress its gaze over the stereo; but her, "You have a wonderful voice, Willow." Connor made a smile peer upon his lips slowly, putting down the spoon he was using to mix the spaghetti, the tomcat pressed and slid down the options on his iPod to find something else. Once he had found the song, he moved back to his position in front of her and grinned widely as he took her hands, "But let's see if you can dance." Shifting his weight, he put one hand to her hip and swung his hips to the music to find a certain rhythm. Finding it, Connor danced in sync to the music, soon allowing himself to take her closely. He tried his best to keep it from going south between their relationship within the kingdom, he had so much on his shoulders that helped him weigh the thoughts down, but it was useless. His admiration, his feelings for her were far too strong to be held by non-existent straps in his mind. It was far greater than that, and all he wanted was to find that feeling she may or may not have inside her to give him the notification that she either felt the same or not. If she didn't, he would of course be heart-broken, as it had done so much to get this far, but he would suck it up and take it as it is. There was always going to be bumps in the rode, he believed, and since he had already experienced enough of them as it is, he figured just more on him wouldn't affect him as much. But her smile made it all the better. If he were able to see it all twenty four hours of the day for years on end, then he would be just fine with that. He wanted his Queen to be happy with who she would choose - even if it weren't him - because Connor knew that he would support her through anything and everything till the world ended. When the music picked up a little, his arms moved to twirl her within them, backing her back against his chest as he rocked his hips side to side to match hers. If it weren't for the spaghetti and food being cooked, he would dance with her all night if he could.

The song deceased soon then to switch to another random one before he could release her. This was how he wanted his nights to be spent, just holding her closely, smiling and happily finding her orange glowing eyes staring into his own. As he had begun to think he would kiss her, he realled back his thoughts and loosened his grip to let her go painfully, "I made fish sticks, their in the microwave and if they're ready can you please take them out and put them on a clean plate, miss?" Averting his gaze back to the spaghetti, he turned the stove down on low and let it sit for a few more moments. When it satisfied him enough, he switched the knob on the stove to turn it completely off and slid the pot of spaghetti noodles into a large bowel. He looked to her with his olive eyes, holding a bit of passion and capability in himself within them as he traced her every feature from a far. He was doomed for sure. The neko's long black tail moved swiftly at his side, wavering the white ringed end carelessly between his legs as he walked to the table to set everything down, separating the two plates at the table to be next to each other. He never liked the idea of how in some movies that if there were to be a romantic or even a business dinner that the people would sit at completely opposite ends. In this case, it would not happen. He set it just like he did when he was a mere toddler, setting the plates just next to each other so that the Queen and him would be able to talk when their mouths weren't full. Filling the plates with the spaghetti, he provided an average amount for her as he did not know how hungry she was, and left the decision of how many fish sticks of her choosing on a plate next to it. Handling the beverages, he could not find anything in the fridge besides tomato juice, so he went to the garage. His eyes traveled the dark room, eying the car curiously as to why in the middle of no where's land there would be a need for a car, but changing his gaze to finally spot the fridge and meat freezer. Inside, he found soda packed on a single shelf and two large gallons of either orange or apple juice. "Sweet!" Connor whispered beneath his voice, grabbing two root beers for him and then fiddling with the choice of what she would like of the juice. Shrugging, he thought of her eyes, smirking once picking up the orange juice to bring it back to the kitchen table. As he put the one can of soda in the fridge for later, he grabbed a cup for her and filled with an inch away from the brim of orange juice before setting it next to her plate. Moving back, the Noble eyed the table for a short second, then standing another step back to strike a boyish smile and weird pose, "Viola! Dinner.. is served."

As he did this, the lightning outside boomed through the windows, simultaneously meeting the flash to his eyes as he smiled. It made him jump slightly, and blush a bit at his weird display before her. With an awkward grin, he shuffled his feet to her chair and pulled it open for her to sit, then pushing it lightly back in once she did. Taking his seat next to her, he relaxed himself and curled his black tail to lay over his lap. "I know this isn't the fanciest dinner, I'm not the greatest chef, but at least we have food.. I mean..." Connor said slowly, shaking his head and pointing his ears skywards as he opened his eyes to meet his plate. And like that, his confidence was gone in himself. Pursing his lips, he faked a small smile to her so she would not question him and twirled his fork to tangle the noodles between the ends, cutting it and then lifting it into his mouth. It tasted amazing, causing the neko to accidentally purr in approval.

All soft words she had sung hung in the air before her like a real thing. They floated to the ground like balloons until her pink lips had sealed themselves once again. A small feeling of surprise with herself inched across her like a caterpillar, a soft blush tinting her cheeks just barely. She hadn’t meant to sing for him, but the little bird within her thought otherwise. Connor’s compliment brought the small flame caressing her cheeks to a fiery inferno, making her face feel hot in embarrassment. A softly mumbled “T-thank you..” was spoken before she fell quiet once again. She watched him work with the radio quietly and could not help but want to show him all sides of her, not just the ones that sang. There was so much she wanted to show him that her throat would get caught with the words. If she tried, she could only breathe and keep her eyes gazing at him. As much as she’d had like to say it weren’t true, Connor was her first friend. He was the first to make her want to laugh so much the room could be flooded with it. The way he did things, the way he said things, held her interest like a child glued to the tv screen. For hours on end she could watch, friends or not, because there was something about how quick he was to smile. The queen felt slightly guilty for making him a Noble and all the weight she had put on his shoulders with it. He deserved to enjoy himself and have fun, and suddenly she wanted to apologize though the words would not come. Instead her mind was becoming quickly aware of how close he was, registering the grin on his face that she couldn’t help but to return. At the mentions of dancing, her eyes widened slightly in terror. Willow mentally panicked for she knew full well she had no clue how to dance at all. Though, when his hands touched hers, her mind became a silent passenger within her body. The queen allowed her hands to hold his sides as his was placed on her hip. Realization that she didn’t have to worry came to her like it was water and she was dehydrated in the desert. The relief released any and all tension from her slender shoulders and brought a slight smile to her mouth as he lead her into the dance. Of course she didn’t have to worry with Connor, he was always the one she knew she could come to when she needed guidance. Her growing feelings for him, though, she felt she would have to guide all her own.

The little seed of affection was growing roots, stabilizing and hooking into her heart for the nurturing life it could provide. Trust in him, hope in him, grew with it. All of the sudden she was twirling gracefully around and her back was pressed to his chest. Every butterfly that had ever been created had migrated to her stomach, pounding furiously at the walls enclosing them. She was glad he could not see the flush of her cheeks even as the song died down. Musical tones were switched and still she felt herself enclosed in his arms. Their swaying had stopped altogether and her face had tilted up to look into his eyes. He had such pretty eyes, the perfect shade of olive and bright enough to show the light that was him. Willow couldn’t help but to wonder what was going through his thoughts at that exact moment, but all too soon the moment was lost. She felt briefly cold as his arms came from around her, releasing her back into a world that was not as warm or welcoming. When she looked he was still there and she gave a sigh of relief as if she thought her wouldn’t be. She realized he was asking a question only after he had asked it and nodded awkwardly, smiling and turning to do as he asked as she gave a short reply. “Of course, Connor.” It took her a few moments to find the plates, searching through the cabinets until she found a nice crystalline set. As she pulled a plate from its stacking, the mighty soldiers of dust rushed at her and tickled her nose in a feeling she did not enjoy. She sneezed once, the sound being that of a kitten when they did the same. Willow shook her head and went to inspect the plate to find the light of it glaring. Nearly dropping the object, she placed it on the counter instead and rubbed her burning irises. Willow blinked, happy that she could see still, and examined the plate to find it had quite the growing colony of dust on the clear surface. It was the first sign of evidence she noticed that meant the ground she walked on hadn’t been inhibited for a while. Walking to the sink, she turned on the water and watched it cascade down into the drain. She began to rinse the plate off, little droplets collecting on the pale skin of her hand. It was warm, defiant against the cold outside that threatened so harshly to be in. She could imagine the cold as a predator and the warmth a prey. A tidal wave of war made up of atoms and friction. They fought until death told them to stop, or maybe they did not. Willow finished her task of rinsing and hummed a soft tune beneath her breath as she searched for the drawer full of dish towels. Finding it not too far from the sink, she smiled and pulled out a rectangle of the soft drying material. The queen quietly rubbed the droplets from the plate and finished with a soft clink of the plate on the counter. She opened the microwave, listening to the soft click when the door swung and took the fish sticks out to place them on the plate. As she turned, Willow jumped as she heard his voice and burst out laughing as she took in the sight of him.

Regaining her blushing composure, she walked and placed the plate on the table with the other two. Seeing the plates next to each other, she did not question why hers was not across from his and slid into her spot gracefully. Her slim shoulders rolled back and was relaxed as the chair held her petite weight. As she leaned forwards, Willow’s dark hair fell over her shoulders in bouncing waves, giving her a veiled curtain that blocked her eyesight from both sides. She lifted a fork, balancing the weight on her hand, and speared some spaghetti noodles. The fork was twisted one, two, three times until the noodles were wrapped neatly around the metal. Willow cupped her hand beneath the fork so nothing would drop and placed the food in her mouth, slipping the fork out free of the spaghetti. The queen chewed and oh, was it delicious. Perfect amounts of every flavor dancing the tango across her tongue and leaving a warm pit in her belly. She smiled brightly and ate more, hearing Connor speak. “Oh no! It’s perfect! Best dinner I’ve had in a while.” Willow turned her eyes towards him and hoped he could see the thankful grin placed upon her pink lips before she lifted a slim arm and took a few fish sticks. Her spaghetti finished, the queen tucked her knees to her chest and nibbled on the small rectangles until they were gone as well. Her chin was placed on her knees and her head turned slightly to watch him out of the corner of her eye. Willow could not help the way her heart fluttered like a little bird within her chest. She quietly silenced the bird and told it not to come out until tomorrow, when the sun was shining and another day with Connor had begun. Something else was sneaking from her mind, something she had been doing earlier, and that’s when she remembered the laundry. Willow stood from her seat so fast that she ended up hitting her knee against the table. A little squeak of pain came from her and she clutched her knee to herself, hoping she did not disturb his meal but apologizing in case she did. “I’m sorry! I didn’t- I’m just so clumsy! Just, do you have any laundry I could take for you? That’s what I was doing before I came in here.” Willow hopped back on a single leg and pushed her hair out of her face to look at him, her harvest hues holding an apologetic look.

His eyes shot up to observe her movements, her reaction, the little twitch of her nose when she ate and all to that of which he found himself fascinated with about her. Connor ate as he pleased and repeated the same routine of twirls and shovels of the food into his mouth as he had since they two had settled. But the beauty to what sat so near him was a distraction as he enjoyed his meal. Like a piece of art - she was his muse to make him sing and push harder to be the best that he could be as his noble. When she spoke, Connor's ears flicked forwards and his head tilted as a widened grin spread across his features, "I'll have to remember that. I'd be happy to cook you anything, really." He did not saw much though after that, as he did not have to. It was a nice way of saying that he wasn't a terrible cook, but it did not need to be answered, only responded with a simple kindness of a sweet smile. Just as his plate was beginning to be filled with emptiness as the spaghetti was happily withered away to be tucked away into his satisfied stomach, he rubbed his stomach softly beneath the table and took a long breath before it was quickly interrupted by a loud bump. His attention turned to see that Willow had stood up and apologized for what he expected to be that she was hurt, judging by how she held her knee and the pained look in her sorry-filled eyes. At first, he did not answer, however the proud noble did stand and move to her side, pushing the chairs out of the way as he figured that they were both pretty full with their food and that it was time to clean the supplies off. Gently making it over, Connor inclined his chine to look down at her and wrapped a strong arm around her side in a friendly, appropriate manner as he did not wish to offend her in any way. His other arm was kept busy by lifting it and pushing away the long brunette lochs that blocked her beautiful eyes from seeing him clearly, putting on a foolishly playful grin, for he was secretly trying not to laugh as he had done much worse in injuring himself out of being a tad clumsy, "It's alright, Willow. You mean me no harm and I was finished with my plate as it was. I can handle the laundry, how bout you clean up the table. At least then your Majesty is not working herself over so much, as it is my job to aid in those things for you." He nodded his head to the table and stroked the back of her head softly before risking the chance of planting a gentle kiss to the hairline on her forehead. He knew by doing this, things would speed up between them, and it meant a quicker reaction from her whether she liked him the same or not. This would indicated that their feelings were true and that he could work with it. If not, then he would stop the tom foolery and get on with another path so that she would feel more comfortable as simple individuals working along side each other.

He took one last glance at her before nodding affirmatively to what she had to say and moving away back down the hall to where she went down originally, passing the bathroom she used while his was down the other end. The Neko kept quiet, as if he were to be an assassin creeping along the shadows and slipping past doors without a noise. Soon enough, the two machines came into view to an empty, lonesome room to his left. He turned inside to it and looked to her damp clothes that sat already inside the open washer, reminding himself to go back to his room and pick his up from the bathroom tub-side where he left them. As he went back to his room, his eyes danced across her form that worked in the kitchen, smirking once before turning away to get his things and run back to the laundry room to begin a load of theirs. The imagine of a clean, newly dried basket of clothes made him impatient and purr to himself, knowing exactly peace it was to rest beneath a pile of warm clothes in his primal form. Finding the soaps and whatnots to begin the load, Connor looked confusingly at all the buttons and dials on the machine. He had done his laundry several amounts of times on his own, but was never used to the newer contraptions like these. His eyes crossed at them and he tilted his head - tail dropped to the floor while his hand scratched the space between his flattened ears to where his hair stood. "Um..." In this case, the Neko was completely out of it and felt defenseless to what he should already know when pushing buttons. There had to be another way than this, he thought, still scratching his head before his ears turned around to the sound of the faucet in the kitchen being started. Already the Queen was making a hole lot better progress than him with this place. He was fortunate enough to be able to turn on the shower with warm water, and configure the stove to cook them a nice meal, but this was just out of his knowing. His lips pursed into a flat smile, lowering his hand over his hair to slide down near to his neck, rubbing it gently to relieve the stress that twitched at the end of his tail obviously. A long sigh made it from his mouth as he tilted his head to the ceiling and closed his eyes, "Willlllooowwww.... I need your heeellllppp...." Connor groaned at the pain that he needed a woman's help for such a simple task, but how the Hell was he supposed to use these things when they had so many controls? "...pretty please..." He said quietly, knowing that she would most likely hear it if her ears were trained hard enough on his voice from the kitchen. His eyes darted to the floor in shame before they rested on her presence that made it through the door. As he guessed that she would probably be wondering what was wrong, his lip jutted out in an innocent face, trying to be cute, but knew it was a lucky shot. His hand lifted and he pointed it stubbornly at the washer controls, keeping his eyes on her as they shined a bright olive, "Help." Glistening orbs looked her over, turning his pouted smile into a broad, shy one as he was thought to be a bit incapable for taking up the task of helping her with putting her at an easier station. If it were like the set of washer and dryer he had at home, this would not be an issue. Damn humans, he hissed quietly to himself, nervously scratching one of his ears as he watched her, waiting for some comment she would provide or even a giggle at his display.

Butterflies were so graceful, she thought, their wings folded perfectly against one another. They were neat, compact little creatures who fed in one of the simplest ways. If anything were too convenient for them, they could simply fly away. People wouldn’t dare to kill them because of their rare beauty they hardly showed. Willow decided she would like to be a butterfly in her next life, if she had one. The irony of it almost made her laugh as she clutched her bruised knee to her frame. It had begun to throb dully, and she tried standing to her full height. Nothing broken. Lovely. Her sighed was that of the relief genre until it did a U-turn and became a sharp intake of breath as her face was met with Connor’s smooth skin. The queen jumped back and shyly withdrew within herself, a small hand rubbing at her knee like a child. The deep red flush that crept up her cheeks were entirely his fault as she felt an arm wrap around herself. Willow tilted her head up to see him only to be met with a curtain of dark waves covering her eyes. The silky locks seemed to laugh at her in her own mind, giggling at her mistakes until she wanted to punch them. Before she could make a fool of herself and actually do it, she found gently hands were pushing them from her face with great care. The queens harvest hues were then revealed, undeniably pure in their color as they fluttered and blinked a few times in order to regain their vision in the change of light. Her pupils dilated and became large expanses of black that threatened to devour her iris entirely. The harvest moons won in the battle, pushing and shrinking the pupil from all sides until it became a small circle of the darkest black once again. They grumbled at the irises and turned their attention elsewhere until they found their perch of roaming slowly along the planes of the noble’s face. Resting on his lips, such a grin was contagious in its own right. The small caterpillar of a happy virus climbed its way up her body until it reached her mouth and she found herself grinning right back. Two pairs of lips along with two pairs of eyes, one connecting and the other not until Connor’s masculine voice broke the silence. The words did not register and yet she found herself nodding numbly, the joints of her neck betraying her as they pushed her head in the simple up and down motion. Such movements only stopped when she felt a hand, his hand, cradling her head.

The soft, tender kiss that came to her hairline did nothing for her nerves. The creatures that had once settled recoiled and beat against her stomach violently until they forced her to react. Before she could turn away, Willow found herself on her toes with her lips hovering near his cheek though she had no clue as to how she had gotten there. Her body went along with its own will and moved for her until the very edges out her mouth brushed across his skin in a tender fluttering of a kiss. Just as quickly as the moment had come, it escaped into the shadows and had her scurrying towards the kitchen without daring to look back for his reaction. The proverbial question had been answered and her crushing feelings for him accepted to locks themselves away and become a small piece of her quickly fluttering heart. A small threshold had been cleared and her emotions had told his that his affections would not be met with the rejection he feared. She blushed and chewed lightly on her lip as she collected the dishes from the place on the table. Willow took quiet comfort in the fact that the plates and silverware had no clue to what had just happened, stuck in the time where they were dirtied and eaten off only to be snapped back to their realities as the queen placed them dutifully in the sink. She searched for a drain stopper, hoping there was one and that the sink wasn’t going to be a humiliatingly difficult task. Willow found what she searched for in a drawer full of towels and dish rags, mentally giving whoever was so organized a pat of their back. Placing the dark rubber in the drain, she started the water and watched it pour fluidly from the spout. Water always seemed happy to do it’s job, every molecule agreeing with the other for the simple task. Willow couldn’t help but laugh at she placed her hand beneath the water and felt it tickle her skin as if she were correct. If anything, the neko could find happiness in the simplest things. She prided herself for a few moments on the fact as she took the dish soap and poured a minimal amount in stirring water. Placing her hand in the warm depths, she gently stirred until it built and caught on its own lathered froth. Water became bubbles, which she happily took n her hands and places on her chin as a mimic of a tickly beard. Willow laughed for a few moments until the beard was gone and she was mechanically washing and rinsing the dishes with her catlike gifted speed. Her arms bent in graceful angles as she lifted, her strong biceps tensing to lift the minimal weight and placing it on a towel to dry as she continued.

Connor’s sudden and long calling of her name scared her to the point of where she had almost dropped the plate she had been washing. Her back tensed and became a straight rod beneath her flesh as she quickly rinsed the plate and set it with the others to dry. It had been her last one anyways, and she turned to walk quietly to her noble’s location. Finding him near the washers, it took her a few minutes to assess the situation. The stress in his tail, the knobs on the washer, the washer having not yet started. Willow came to the sudden realization and her eyes widened as she choked back a laugh at her own foolishness. “Oh! Of course, Connor, I was finished with the dishes anyways. Here, let me show you.” Taking his arm in hers gently, she guided him over to the machine and demonstrated the correct knobs and buttons before placing the clothes as well as soaps into the load. Willow pressed the final button and the washer began its cycle with their clothes. She turned slightly and smiled to the other neko. “See? Not so difficult really. I’m sure you could’ve figured it out on your own, but I guess we both want our clothes back as soon as possible.” The queen leaned back against the washer, feeling the cool metal against her lower back while she crossed one ankle over the other. Her tangerine hues looked up into his olive ones and she resisted the urge to bite her lip as she spoke softly. “So, what should we do now?” She slipped from the machines and walked into the lavish living room, feeling the carpet soft against the bottoms of her feet. A sight of a couch and a tv was more than welcome. The queen hopped onto the couch only to be met with the most plush thing she had ever felt in her live. So soft and so comfortable that she purred in appreciation and rolled slightly to feel more of the cushions. “Connor, you have got to feel this!” Giggling, Willow stopped and snuggled down into the couch with a soft, pale hand patting the spot next to her for him to sit.

His eyes watched at her as she simply tasked away with the easy push of a few buttons and a swift turn of the dial. It looked so simple when she did things, which made him feel incapable and an unreliable source when coming to home dwellings or duties. The fact that he at least knew how to cook was at least settling, but he could not take his mind off on how he would be able to provide for her in the future, if there was a future, that is. He looked to her when she turned to face him, his eyes a glossed color as they clouded about her image within his hues to reflect against the hazel star burst at it's corner, "Thank you, my Qu-.. I mean.. Willow. Thank you, Willow." His voice was a bit hoarse, and distance at first before he repeated his gratitude after receiving the better words of that were more comfortable around her. Connor knew his boundaries, and felt that it had come a time where calling each other by their first names in such a personal place was what one would refer to as normal. Her eyes were like a beacon of hope for his mind to wander across, searching effortlessly for his undivided attention while they gazed upon his own. There had come a time where he remembered seeing the same pair of eyes, but in a more dramatic, tragic state of their own horrid pasts. But now they were surrounded by goodness, and shined brighter than the constellations of the nightly skies. How could he forget waking up to see them for the first time within the cold, damp cages, he unpleasantly thought, in which only brought him a bit deeper into his dark past. Hearing the sound of her beautiful voice ring into his triangular cat ears, he flicked them into her direction and laughed awkwardly once at the realization for he did not know what to do next, "Uhh... um.." Before he could even bother to finish his stuttering end of the conversation, the Queen moved apart from him back into the main housed room; the living room. He had to admit that it was very welcoming to be in such a lovely home, and the furniture was decent versus quality-wise. Perhaps it was not what he had suspected for it being a reasonable pricing, but he did that a lot after all now that everything is changing. Connor silently tilted his head as he rested his side against the hallway's wall, gazing over at the queen with a half-mild smile while she wasted away the small bits of time in cuddling against the couch's plush cushions.

"I believe I know what a pillow feels like, miss. I do have them, lots of them on my bed and the single couch in my new house." Walking closer, his hands unfolded across his chest and swayed at both his sides before carefully sitting down at the other end of the couch with his tail dragged over his lap. Stretching his averagely muscled arms out over the back, he placed them upon the couch's topper part and looked at her from the side. He laughed quietly under his breath at a funny thought, "Willow and pillows. Hm.. Willow Pillows, ha! I think I'd buy one of them, but I'm afraid of sitting on it... Like, what if it meowed? I wouldn't know where it would be coming from.. Plus, it's waayyy too pretty to be sat on." The boyish expression that was once on his face quickly changed into something more abstract, narrowing his eyes at the floor before he tilted his head back and laughed sheepishly at the comment, "Okay.. that sounded a lot better in my head." He tried to hide the embarrassed tones of his face by using one hand to cover the middle region of his features, groaning into his palm for how stupid he could be sometimes. Looking back at her once the color of his skin had diminished to his normal sun-kissed tan, he grinned broadly with a strange glint of a smile hidden inside his eyes as a humorous idea popped into his head. Connor figured she was looked at him strangely, almost afraid, but he had told her a long time ago to never be afraid, a very long time ago, before they were reunited at the border. Without another minute to spare, he cracked his neck and shifted from man to the domestic creature he was stripped into under the influence of man-kind. His skin was no longer fleshy, but covered in a thick coat of white and black in the shapes to resemble a tuxedo, the end of his tail being painted with a single ring of ivory. The tom flashed his tiny little canines and a flick of the end of his tail before diving between the couch cushions to ease his body beneath it, slithering with stealth-like movements so that he could move to the other side and pop out to surprise her, "Over here!" As he suspected her head to turn, he ducked back under and completely slid under the cushion she sat on to put out his paw and bat at the backside of her calves, "Rawr." He said, pulling his arm back in and then eventually climbing out to jump onto her lap and smile innocently to her complexion. Nuzzling his smaller head into her stomach, he purred and chuckled until biting the material at the end of her shirt in a soft, playful tug.

(Kinda rushed it, not my best.)

Relaxing quietly, her calico ears could hear the stirrings within the house. A small creak here, a shifting of feet there. Most of all, she was very aware of Connor. His presence, his eyes on her as she tucked her knees to her chest and rested a slightly pointed chin upon them. It was a life of comfort and tension with him, her palms breaking out in a sweat when she thought about the kiss she had laid upon his cheek. The moisture on her hands irritated her, as anything that did not feel natural on her skin. Quietly she rubbed her palms on the soft material of her sweatpants. Willow didn’t look down, rather she hoped and prayed that there would be no evidence of her nerves when she took her hands away. The queen could still feel his eyes, those eyes she felt were so kind. Her thoughts needed to turn to something else, the mansion in which she was sitting in perhaps? She could not help wondering who would live in such a place and, worse than her original thoughts, if they had broken in. Her face flushed hot and she could simply see it. A family full of smiling faces, two children with cherub faces and tired eyes that could not wait to be home. They’d open the door to a strange girl curled up on their soft couch cushions. Moreover, they would see a freak if they were human. Calico ears and a tail curled around her waist, the orange eyes that gave away her appearance more easily than anything. Maybe, like some people, they’d think she was a goth. That happened often if she forgot her ears were resting upon her head. No one messed with a goth, so maybe the family would turn and leave. Or, or maybe not. She could see the mother screaming in fright and the father hurrying their children up to the safety of their rooms. Oh goodness, what if she had taken someone’s clothes? The mortification would make her shift, but it’d be too late. The wouldn’t be convinced she was just some stray cat that had wanted food and shelter through the storm. That was, in all honesty, what she was but they wouldn’t know. What if they saw Connor? Willow shuddered at the thought until her thoughts shut off with a snap. Like a breaking lightbulb, the darkness of her eyelids was gone and she was looking to Connor as he sat far from her. She smiled slightly and relaxed her body, letting her legs slide down to sit indian style as she hugged a pillow to herself. “Well of course you know what a pillow feels like, if you didn’t  I’d be very concerned. But I also know that I do not possess such soft material at my own home, which is why I am going to revel in it for as long as I can.” The queen knew her oddity wouldn’t go unnoticed, but it was Connor. He’d already made it clear that they both could be themselves, and she was growing to be very comfortable with his presence.

The aspect of ‘Willow Pillow’ caused her eyes to widen as she looked at her noble. She could not imagine how that would look. A small giggle played out her slightly parted lips before she spoke, only to stop as a puff of air as her original flush deepened. What was it about this boy who made her blush so much? It was infuriating, but she was flattered all the same. “I.. I uhm.. Well, I guess ‘Willow Pillows’ wouldn’t be a very good business then yeah? But then again, you could snuggle it whenever you wanted. I’m not sure I would buy a pillow of myself though.” Clearing her throat, she looked down at her hands. She laughed softly at his words and raised her hands to her hair. Her finger twisted around the curled locks again and again until it was tight and the very tip of her finger was red. Like a curling iron she let it go, watching as it unraveled itself slowly until it was just another wave in the mass upon her head. Her slender shoulder lifted and stationed themselves closer to her chin as a hand came to rest on its opposite arm. She glanced upwards through her hair only to see that Connor was no longer sitting where he was. Her eyes widened and she wondered where he disappeared to, tempted to get up until she heard her voice calling to her. Turning her head, she looked and did not see him. At the same time, a soft touch to her calf caused her to squeak and look at the tuxedo cat who was the culprit. At first her old thoughts came back with a flare, thinking this was the family’s cat until she looked at the eyes. Soft, kind, and suddenly she was back in the cages. He had been there, and she knew this was Connor’s animal form. The queen laughed and looked at him with a new tenderness. She had to admit, in this form he was the most adorable creature she had ever seen. Willow welcomed him upon her lap and smiled as her small fingers stroked through the contrasting fur. She rubbed behind his ears and took care when scratching along her back, smiling at the ring around his tail. Her other hand came up to rub his cheek as her stomach was nuzzled, not being able to help herself with him being so cute. He was so charming and so heart touching, she marveled about how one creature could be both at once. Willow smiled and allowed her hands to pet him, planting a soft kiss to the top of his head.

Replies won't be the best lately. I tried speeding things up a bit though.. Sorry, dear.

As the top of his small head was kissed, he hid his face sheepishly into her thigh until the heat of his cheeks went back down. Only then did he climb freely over her lap back to where he sat. The cat stretched his legs out, licking the fur off his side until he was completely content with shifting back. His ears and tail sprung back out from his human body like it normally did when he was relax, resting flat against his hair and his tail neatly placed over his lap. Connor looked at her with suspicion, holding up one of the square-shaped cushions between his strong hands as he exchanged curious glances between the Queen and the living room accessory. "Hm.." He wondered softly to himself, taking the pillow to rest beneath Willow's chin carefully while he learned to imagine what it would look like, "Freaky. Imagine having a bunch of Willow Pillows crowded around your room.." His eyes widened slightly, putting down the pillow back over his lap with his tail curled around it tightly as if he were to let it go, it'd vanish. Connor could not help himself but to laugh between each sentence. "Like, thing about it. If there were to be an outbreak all out pillow fight and they used Willow Pillows? If they hit someone, the pillows could like.. meow really loud. I imagine them screaming 'Meow ow!' all the time when they'd get batted at someone really hard. You know? Yeah.. I don't think the markets would accept one to sell, but it's just a thought for future preference. I don't know anyone that would want to buy one either.. Maybe an old cat lady will want one." By the end of his babbling words, he was almost red in the face from lack of exhaustion, and every time he'd look at the Queen, he'd accidentally sneak a giggle between breathes until he finally began to regain his self-composure. He didn't want Willow to think that he was having a seizure or anything from laughing too hard, which only made him think if it were possible. He had seen many different ways on how someone could strangely die, but the idea of it occurring stuck somewhere into the depths of his mind to think about later. Here was not the time. He was having too much fun.

Before he could think of something else to most likely make her smile or laugh, the buzzing of the dryer had gone off for them, indicating them that their clothes were now completely done. He glanced to Willow with a broad smile and gave her a look that showed he got this this time, slowly rising to his feet and walking back down the hall where the room still stand. Taking the initiative to see if they were still damp, he was relieved to feel the warm intensity of nice and dry clothes he could finally get back into. He folded the clothes and set them over the top of the dryer, all neatly placed according to hers and his, which made him smile at the image of it being like this every day if they were together. He sighed and hoped for that to ever come in the future, tearing off his shirt and stopping as he smelt strange, "What the.." Apparently the feminine fruity soap he used wore off, and now his masculine scent was over-powering it. How had he not smelt it before? He made a face as he sniffed his reeking body odor, taking his clothes with him as he walked out passed Willow while shirtless. As he passed, he held his breath and focused on the room down the hall so that he would not blush or look at her with suspicion to see if she had been watching him. His muscles glistened under the kitchen's lighting and the side of his facial structure. Once he was in the safety of his room, he breathed deeply to catch his breath and put on deodorant he had thankfully from his bag. Returning after, with him he held two blankets from the closet in the room where he had his clothes, along with a movie about a lonesome fish he found to be quite interesting. It was old, but he enjoyed the classics from here and there. He smiled at her, moving to the kitchen to make some popcorn and putting it into a bowl once it was done popping in the microwave. Connor put the movie in the disk player that was hooked to the flat-screen hanging from the side of the wall, "I hope this was alright. It's getting late and I figured you'd want to watch a movie before we start buckling down and getting some sleep. We're watching.. uh." He looked at the case and arched one brow, "Finding Nemo, I think it is." The tom neko smiled down at his queen, switching off all the lights left in the house and locking the door for their safety before draping the blankets over them. His muscled arm laced around her side and pulled her close against him, kicking up his legs to rest on the small cushioned bench in front of the couch.

The queen’s soft, nimble fingers threaded themselves through the black and while fur met by her hand. Her pumpkin colored eyes turned down to gaze upon the creature that was Connor, rubbing his head gently as it was buried into her thigh. The fur was drained of its colors and yet not at the same time. Willow wondered at this and watched the soft glints in the locks. Touched by the light as they were, they did not take on the artificial sun’s glow. No, the noble had a glow of his own that radiated every time her eyes happened to fall upon him as they did so often. She thought herself silly for thinking such things, no light could be coming from one person. And yet, there was even now. The queen thought about herself in her own primal form, if one could call it that. If not for the tawny patches within her own pelt, they would have looked alike. For this she was glad, she did not want to have a sibling bond with this tom nor even look the part. At the simple thought her nose began to scrunch in distaste until she realized she would be making a rather ugly face. She definitely did not want that, not in front of Connor. Widening her eyes, her features smoothed back into their softness as she blinked and her eyes held a rather tender expression. Willow did not realize Connor had shifted and that her hand was met with nothing until the noble began to speak. The queen jumped internally but hid on the outside with a smooth swivel of her ear in his direction. Slowly her body followed he triangular appendage to look between Connor and the pillow. She tilted her head and nodded like it was a serious discussion the for the first few sentences. The small grin she had been trying to suppress planted itself and grew, spreading across her rosy lips. Willow lifted a hand to her mouth to giggle with his babbling. She felt light, airy even as she concentrated on and listened to the lovely tones of his voice. A perfect mixture of soft and masculine to turn her mind into melted butter at his every word. The boyish grin, the girlish giggles, were enough to keep her full attention on him. In such a little time she had grown to learn so much about this boy, no, this man, before her. Even before his chancing upon the borders she knew. She knew yet she wanted to deny that such a lovely person would have to endure what she knew he had. Willow wished she could be rid of the fact that this would be true upon most she came across. Innocent individuals with their innocence ripped from them, leaving them with a fork in their life paths. Become bent on getting revenge, or make something of what was left of the life one had. She knew that Connor, like herself, had chosen the latter.

“I’m not even sure a cat lady would want one, maybe ladies who want cats that are allergic? The pillow could, like, respond to cuddling with purrs of some sort. I could be the pet solution for people around the world who have those allergies. Hmm, Connor, I believe you have invented something.” Laughing softly, she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear like a crushing schoolgirl. Willow mentally rolled her eyes at herself and tensed once she heard the simple buzzer of the dryer. She was about to get up and take care of it only to stop and relax back, noticing the look Connor gave her and letting him handle it. The neko decided to take the time of him away to look into the nearest clear surface. Willow quickly fixed her hair with a few flicks of her wrist so the waves lay as they should against one another. There wasn’t much she could do about her lack of makeup. The skin upon her face lay bare, the lighting tracing the angle of her cheekbones though she only cared that she at least looked nice. There were many, many things she would have fixed but chose told herself to relax. They wouldn’t be joking and having a good time if Connor thought she looked horrible, right? She gave herself a little pep talk and turned back. Once her eyes had followed her movements, she almost fell off of the couch. The harvest hues widened and her soft lips would have parted if she hadn’t feared her jaw dropping open. She was overwhelmed and warm all at the same time, unable to remove her eyes from Connor’s shirtless form. Never, in her lifetime, had she seen a male shirtless. In other circumstances she would have been fascinated, but the deep flushing of her cheeks told her this was not mere fascination. The lights caught his muscle angles perfectly and she wished to trace them with her fingers. She just wanted to touch him though he was moving, seeming like this was unreal. This was a sight in her locked box of forbidden in front of her eyes. Startled but very attracted was she. Her eyes followed like a hunting hound all the way across the room. Too soon he disappeared from her view and she was scolding herself beneath her breath. Great, he’d probably noticed her looking and thought she was a complete creeper. Willow leaned more into the couch as if it might devour her. She’d like to think of herself as Alice, getting lost in Wonderland through the cracks of the couch as they dragged her down. Meeting blue caterpillars and madmen would have been welcomed, maybe they wouldn’t mind if she did the most embarrassing things like staring at shirtless men.

Only when Connor returned did she calm and feel relieved that he hadn’t ran from her and locked a door against her eyes. He did, much to her dismay, return with a shirt on but she figured it for the best. Talking to him in such a state would’ve left her breathless after a few mere words. She returned his smile as it was given and listened as the microwave was turned on. She excitedly flicked her ears with every little ‘pop’. Once the popping was done and Connor was in view again she stopped her shenanigans and watched him hook up the TV. The queen was mildly interested in the movie that had been but was even more so when Connor returned to her side. Her ears perked up on their own accord and her tail waved slightly on her other side. Maybe he hadn’t seen her watching or he didn’t mind, she hoped one of them was the case. Her head turned to Connor as he spoke and she nodded along to what he said. Joy lit her eyes and her face as she heard the movie. “Oh this is great! I love Finding Nemo.” Willow hushed herself but felt the intense desire to wiggle with happiness. It was a lovely movie and she enjoyed watching it with Bruce. In fact, the alligator’s name originated from the movie itself. A bright smile remained on her face as she settled to watch the screen. She did not expect the arm that came around her. Willow was prepared to squeak and fight the grabber off, only to realize it was Connor. Slowly, tension left her muscles and she relaxed into his arm. She felt the warmth that emanated from him and scooted closer, snuggling into his side as her legs tucked themselves up underneath the blanket. Quietly, Willow laid her head on Connor’s shoulder and kept her eyes trained on the screen. She hoped dearly that he didn’t mind her getting closer and feared him giving her an odd look, so she chose not to see for herself. Try as she might to keep her mind with the movie, she found her mind drifting towards the neko beside her.

OOC: Would you prefer to have a time-lapse from here to the present and begin our next adventure?