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“GOOD evening.”
“Hello, Ed.”
She greeted the white cat like always when he came in the window, then sat perfectly still. She genuinely wanted to pick him up and cuddle, pet, and bury her face in his belly fur. However, after her conversation earlier at work, she was worried that she was causing Ed distress, so she decided to hold back.
Nina decided she needed to apologize for everything, but thinking about it pained her, and it was difficult to get the words out.
“Nina, is something wrong?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You don’t seem very happy.”
Yet again, the messenger from the gods was on point—he was sharp.
At any rate, she would start worrying him, and she didn’t want to do that either. Nina needed to hurry up with this apology.
She steeled herself and gave a low bow. “I’m sorry for petting you however I wanted and for burying my face in your belly. I’ll never… I’ll try to never do it again.”
It was a painful part of being a cat lover that kept her from being able to say with conviction that she would never do it again. She could see a faint glimmer of her desires, hoping that she might at least be allowed one stroke a day, and realized how pathetic she was.
Ed sat still, staring at her, then cocked his head to the side. “What’s this about all of a sudden?”
“Someone told me at work it’s weird to bury your face in cats’ bellies. I feel terrible that I might’ve made you let me pet you even though you didn’t like it, and you just couldn’t tell me no.”
“…Which is why you’ll try not to anymore?” He cocked his head to the other side. That and his other movements were so cute that she wanted to pet him all over, but that was her secret.
But he didn’t seem angry, so maybe she had a chance if she asked.
With that glimmer of hope in sight, Nina put her hands together as if in prayer and stared at Ed. “J-Just a little, please? I think I can get through this if I can pet you once a day. I’m so worn out with everyone trying to get involved with me because the buff’s working outside the academy too. Just give me a little relaxation, please?”
Ed’s ears perked up in response to Nina’s begging. “People are trying to get involved with you?”
“Yeah, it’s basically the same as what happens at the academy. They offer to help or say they wish they were the plate I was carrying. That sort of thing.”
“They wish to be a plate?!”
“And then…I don’t really mind if they only wave at me, but I seriously wish they’d stop putting their arms around my shoulder. I jump whenever someone comes at me suddenly, and I can’t work if I can’t move.”
Ed’s swaying tail stopped motionless.
“Is there any way you could make it so the effect only works in the academy?”
“I’ll bring it up. I can at least ask that they are prevented from approaching you too much,” answered Ed, his proactive response ending Nina’s sighs.
“Really? Thank you, Ed!”
She nearly pulled him into a hug without thinking but stopped and pulled herself back. It was hard to change such an ingrained habit.
“…It’s fine, honestly.”
“What?” She looked at him, not truly understanding what he meant. He turned away and lashed his tail. “What’s fine?”
“What I’m trying to say is I don’t dislike it. It’s fine.”
“You mean…me cuddling you?” She gulped, feeling hopeful.
“Yes.”
“A-And stroking you?”
“Go on.”
“And my face in your belly…?”
Ed looked at Nina and sighed; she was doggedly asking because she couldn’t let this one-in-a-million chance slip away. “Nina, if it’s you, I don’t mind anything. Do as you like,” he admitted.
“Thank you!” she squealed with delight and immediately picked up the white cat. She nuzzled her cheek on the top of his head, sighing with joy as she enjoyed the heavenly feel of his coat. “The added perks to this job are incredible. Guess that’s what I get for working with the messenger of a god.”
She took advantage of his offer and rubbed her face a little on his belly, and he bent back a bit in response.
“…Do you feel better?” he asked.
“Hm?”
“Well, you said you were worn out from being approached so much.”
Did that mean he agreed merely to help Nina feel better? She felt slightly disappointed in herself since she needed a cat to worry about her, but that feeling was weak compared to the warm, fluffy feeling of happiness growing in her heart.
“You’re so nice, Ed,” she told him. She booped his nose. It was nicely damp and cool. Every single part of a cat was adorable. She was so grateful they existed.
“Why did you touch my nose?” he questioned.
“That’s how cats greet each other, by touching noses. You didn’t know?”
If Nina stuck a finger out to the free-roaming cats she saw, they would bump their noses against it to investigate or as a greeting. Nina found the coldness of their noses and their curiosity about her so utterly adorable.
But, with what he said, maybe Ed didn’t greet people, or cats, by touching his nose to them? He could talk, after all. Maybe cats working for gods were significantly different from average cats in a bunch of different ways.
“Kinda like this…” she explained as she held his head and brought her own nose close to touch his.
He jerked the moment their noses brushed. “Aaaaack!” He yowled, and all his fur stood on end. He was usually fuzzy, but now he was so round and fluffy that his head was nearly at risk of disappearing into the fluff.
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“Wh-What are you doing?!” he demanded.
“What do you mean? It’s a greeting… Oh, right. Advance warning.” She was so happy to be permitted to stroke him that she forgot about that part. It looked like she was still obligated to let him know first what she would do.
“That’s not what I mean. I don’t see why you had to use your own nose…”
“It’s how cats show each other they’re not enemies. It’s a sign of affection, and I like you.”
“Y-You like me?!” This time, he jumped and then slumped down. He looked like a big ball of fluff, so Nina wasn’t entirely sure where his head was, but she imagined it was hanging low. “Nina…I think you’re quite dangerous even without the heroine advantage.”
“What do you mean?”
“A-Anyway. I’ll request the adjustment to prevent others from approaching you too much. And, Nina, if you could…hold back a little.”
“Hold back?” She could only assume he meant to hold back on petting him so much, but he also said not long ago that she could do what she wanted, so it shouldn’t be a problem, should it?
“This form is incredibly frustrating…” muttered Ed, but Nina was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the voice coming from the fuzzy ball.