Who: Isabela and Lilo Pelekai What: Helping the cat with his problems When: 2/20 or so Where: Isabela and Atton's place Rating/Warning: PG Status: Complete
Isabela was actually glad she’d found someone who could talk to animals. It sounded completely mad, but she’d long since given up thinking anything was impossible here. She’d cleaned up the place a bit and told Frankie there was another human coming over. Atton was out doing some errands, but hopefully this woman could only talk to animals and not like, brainwash people or some such. She’d chance it.
After ringing the bell, Lilo balanced a tote bag filled with cat toys and treats on one shoulder. She was excited to help people and their animals. It was important that animals live the best life they could.
Isabela made her way over and peered through the peephole, opening to a woman she had to call stunning. “You must be Lilo.” Wow. She’d have wagered those tits were real, too. Bloody lucky. “I’m Isabela; I am so glad you’ve come.”
“Hi! I’m Lilo, it’s nice to meet you.” Lilo had come from surfing and was wearing a pair of shorts over her swimsuit. She reached out to shake Isabela's hand. “I’m hoping I can help you and your furbaby!”
“I’m hoping, too. Churchill’s usually solid as a rock, so when he acts up I worry.” Isabela hoped she didn’t sound too sappy. “He’s my cat - older, fat and ginger. Do you have any cats or dogs of your own? And how in the world did you learn how to talk to animals?”
“Two dogs of my own, and my boyfriend’s got four. I think it happened that time there were rocks that fell from the sky. That’s when it started at least, but it just never went away.” Lilo shrugged. “I just learned how to communicate with everything.” Lilo took off her shoes, letting them sit by the door as a polite guest would.
“Wow.” Isabela remembered that well. “During that time, Churchill could fly and do stuff like Superman. That was mad.” She shook her head, amused. “That’s a lot of dogs! Do they all get along?”
“They do. They actually always have, which is pretty awesome.” She moved to sit down on the sofa, wondering where the cat was.
“That is good.” Isabela smiled. “Let me see if I can call Churchill. Churchill!” She looked around, making a kissing noise with her mouth. “Come here, honey! Churchill!”
She looked around, not seeing a big ball of orange fur. “He’s likely either under the bed or behind the sofa.”
Lilo figured she’d have the best luck under the bed if the cat was really scared. She padded barefoot into the bedroom, talking out loud to herself. “Gosh, those earthquakes are scary. Is there room under the bed?”
Isabela followed her, trying to listen for any sounds or even a meow. Eventually she heard it, near the bottom end of the bed. “I think he’s here. I heard a grumpy sound.”
She knelt, with difficulty, sticking one hand under the bed. “Churchill? It’s Mummy. Are you there?”
There was then a noise, which sounded like a ‘mrrap!’ to Isabela, but to Lilo, it could be made out as ‘Yes, momma, but don’t make me get out please.’
Lilo moved to stick her head under the bed. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to get out. My name’s Lilo, I’m your mom’s friend. You must be Churchill. She said you were handsome.”
“Thank you.” The cat yowled again, which Lilo heard as “Humans don’t usually talk to me.”
That made the human laugh. “Most of them can’t understand you. I speak animal languages.” She shrugged. “Your mom’s worried about you hiding, she thinks you might be sick.”
“Nuh uh.” The cat was curled up against the far wall. “It’s safe under here. When the world shakes. I’m not sick.”
“Actually, the bed could break and you’d be squashed. Want to see the safest place in the house for when the world shakes?” Lilo smiled, reaching out to offer him a little bit of chicken from her bag.
“It is the earthquakes?” Isabela asked, hearing Lilo’s side of the conversation. She felt a little bad for not guessing it. “I’m sorry, darling,” she said to the cat. “I had no idea.”
Churchill didn’t reply right away - that was yummybird! He cautiously sniffed. “Yummybird?”
“It is,” Lilo smiled. “Yup, that’s yummybird! Come on, have this, then I’ll show you the super safe spot.”
Isabela had to laugh. “He learnt the word chicken, so we called it yummybird. And then he learnt what yummybird was.” She watched her cat stick his head out and cautiously eat.
“He’s smart,” Lilo beamed. “I love smart animals and people.” She offered him her fingers to sniff. “I just want to make sure the bed doesn’t squoosh you if the world moves again, Churchill.”
Churchill sniffed her fingers, which still smelled like yummybird, and finally appeared. All twenty-two pounds of him. “Okay, lady. Where’s it safe? I don’t like the world shaking.”
“Come on, we’ll have some more yummybird.” She led him into the bathroom before climbing into the empty tub. “See? Nothing can fall on your head in here. And there’s no water in here right now, so it’s safe. Just check before you jump in.”
Churchill turned around and yowled at his mother, which Lilo heard as “Come on, Momma!” before turning back to her. “I don’t like this place, it’s a wet place!”
“It’s not wet here right now, promise.” Lilo waved her hands around, showing Churchill that it wasn’t wet. “See?”
Churchill looked wary - as wary as a cat can look - but put his paws up on the rim of the tub as Isabela came in. He meowed at Lilo, looking in. “Is there more yummybird in here?”