Elaine Mallory [The Dresden Files] (finessing) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-05-18 20:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, anya corazon (spider-girl), elaine mallory, harry dresden |
WHO: Harry, Cora, Elaine
WHAT: New Arrival (No, it's not a baby!)
WHEN: Earlier this week (prior to Cora's checkup
WHERE: the Mallory residence
WARNINGS: n/a
Okay, so, resting on your true love’s couch, and having had a well made lunch, and feeling well-pampered, that made a man feel good. Of course, having sprained one’s left wrist and one’s right leg, and very nearly one’s groin to get there? Did not bring such good feelings. The battle at the wedding had been insane, and Harry felt a little pasty, a little weak, today, the first day home since the battle had ended. Or at Elaine’s home, anyway, which, for him, often felt more at home than his own apartment did.
And so he smiled as he rested, and wished he could not be hurt, and still enjoy this. Of course it was made more annoying that he had slept last night, on the way home, and Dreamed, more dreams of home battles and strange magics. He sighed, but grinned still. Maybe it was weird, having another life, but he had woken up refreshed. Not healed, but much more alive.
Harry was grinning about this when his breath was driven from his body, and he blinked.
A weight, flopping and heavy, but purring, was suddenly on his chest and looking at him with demanding eyes.
“...Mister? What---? How did you---?” But he knew. Somehow, like his staff and duster and rod, the cat had been brought through from the dreams. Stars!
Cora was helping clean up the kitchen after lunch, and had just come out to the living room in time to see the giant cat jump up on Harry’s chest. She clapped her hands over her mouth, letting out a muffled squeal. “Kitty!”
MIster stared curiously at this new human kitten. Harry twisted his head around to see Cora and grinned. “MIster, meet Cora. Cora, meet Mster, a sometimes friendly and sometimes very demanding cat and my owner in the dreamworld.” He poked Mister, who grumbled at him, then in a very Mister gesture, sat on Harry’s chest and issued a single ‘Meow’ of satisfaction.
Corazon came over to stand by the couch, eying the biggish cat. She wondered what sort of cat Mister might be. Part Maine Coon, part Bobcat, maybe? As Harry made introductions, she stuck her hand out, in case Mister required petting. “Hello, Mister. How do you do?”
Mister nudged her hand in curiosity as Harry chuckled, a little breathlessly. Then he licked her fingers. Once. Before Looking at her. “Mister is a very him sort of cat. He’s been with the other me for years.” He knew that much already.
Cora waited for what seemed like acceptance, and stroked the cat’s head once, tentatively. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t move, if he didn’t want his hairdo messed up. “He’s...a lot of cat.”
“He is, yes.” Mister didn’t reject her hand, pushing his head against it instead. “I think he likes you.” And sure enough, Mister was purring.
Cora smiled, scratching behind Mister's ears and smoothing his fur back from his face. She liked him too, and she'd wanted a pet for a long time. Oh, she had a feeling Mister was big enough to think she was his pet, but that was okay. "What are we gonna tell mom?"
“That Mister came through from the dreams. I’m pretty sure she will understand...” Then he smirked. “And I’ll need your help convincing her to let him stay here. With me working so much, it wouldn’t be kind to keep him cooped up in my place, and she works out of here, so if she can stand him... and you could contribute... if you were willing?” He smiled to her as Mister continued to purr and butt against her hand.
“Yeah!” Corazon said, nodding. “We could keep a litter box in the laundry room, and make him a bed in my room...” She was already busy planning how to convince her mother that she was totally responsible.
Harry smirked at her and nodded. “Sounds good to me. Now, if we can get your mom to agree...” He chuckled and pet Mister, smiling up at him and Mister looked down at him almost as if he understood.
“Agree to what?” Elaine asked, arching a brow as she came out of the kitchen and giving Harry a look as if to say, ‘Don’t think I didn’t hear all that.’ It would be interesting to see how much pouting, pleading, and finagling went on before they realized that she wasn’t going to kick out Harry’s spirit-guide, even if she did lay down some ground rules.
Harry smirked at her, seeing that look and patting Mister, who definitely knew which side of the bread things were buttered on. He jumped off of Harry and trotted to Elaine, and uttered a single 'Mrowr’, before rubbing against her legs, as Harry muffled a laugh in his sleeve. And a sigh of relief. He was still tired from the battle, and Mister was heavy.
Elaine crouched down to introduce herself to the cat, stroking his back. "You'll have to stay upstair, Mister," she said, "At least during business hours. And no sleeping in treatment room." Of course, it was easy enough to close the door between the living spaces and the clinic, so it shouldn't be any real issue. The instructions were as much for Corazon as for the cat. "You're welcome to make use of the yard when Cora and I are home to let you in and out."
Mister mostly rubbed along her hand and legs, and ignored her words, and Harry grinned at the two of them and at Cora. “How was business today?” He had been out of it most of the day.
Elaine could see that Mister was leaving it up to his new Minion (one Corazon Mallory Dresden) to take notes, and that Cora was eagerly storing the instructions in her mind. Corazon had wanted a pet for a long time, now, but Elaine had kept putting it off. She had a feeling Mister would be good for them all, though.
“Business was all right,” she said, smiling. Saw a few of my regulars. Started work on the Father’s Day promo. How was your day?”
“Pretty quiet. Mostly resting and making phone calls on a few cases. Then napping and being woken up by his royal hardbutt there.” He grinned affectionately at Mister, who turned a blase eye to him, as if knowing he was being talked to, then presented his butt that way as he rubbed on Elaine more. “You know? I think he likes you.”
Elaine tickled Mister under his chin, and winked at Harry. “Of course he likes me,” she said, “I have great tracts of land.”
Harry coughed and chuckled then, laughing at the joke, and the sheer truth of that. “Yes, yes you do. I’m quite fond of them myself.” He smirked.
“Me too,” Elaine said, smirking. “I work hard to maintain them, even if I did inherit them honestly.”
Corazon gave them both a funny look, and then stretched out, sunnyside up, pointedly ignoring their banter as she tried to tempt Mister away from her mother. “We should go buy him some stuff.”
Harry grinned. “I’m fond of how you do that, too.” Her exercise was very... nice to watch. Very stimulating. He grinned at Cora as she commented and Mister sniffed at her fingers, then flopped on her hand. “I suppose we must. A three pack of things. One set for here, one for the office and one for my place if he deigns to visit.” Though even Harry was spending less time there, now. The Malory household was far more a home than his place, especially with Thomas making the moves toward living with Neena...
Corazon wriggled, playing at trying to escape before she feigned giving up, and curled up around the cat. She couldn’t imagine life getting any better...until Harry and Elaine had a wedding, and another baby, that is. But she was content, just like this. “Does Mister like car rides, or should we let him guard the house?”
“Mister likes car rides, as long as he has a lap to accommodate his demands. I wonder who could do that...” He winked at Cora and Elaine. “We should go do that, I suppose.” Harry rose, fishing out his keys.
“Me!” Corazon called, holding up her free arm and waving it excitedly. Elaine leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, then stood, stretching upward to give Harry a kiss as well. Corazon gave Mister a kiss on the nose so he wouldn’t feel left out, and then she and the cat both got up to join her parents at the door.
~fin~