Cats and other creatures

Like almost every other night, Remy opened her windows and grabbed her notebook and feather with ink to sneak out of the house. She was always very careful with closing the window again, because she didn’t want to wake up her caretakers. If only they knew how many times she had already slipped away, and ventured out into the night, they would barricade her window so that she could never escape again. But she could never help it, there had always been something about the night that called out to her. She wanted to be out there underneath the stars, and she didn’t know why.

Silently she creeped over the houses and their roofs towards a little spot where she could see most of the night sky. Her favorite spot. For a moment she took a little breath as she sat down. There was a crate there and a bucket, as usual, and she was able to get comfortable by placing the crate in front of her, so she was able to draw on it. Why these things were there, she didn’t know, maybe someone had one day left them there and had forgotten about them. Either way, she didn’t really mind because she was able to use them.

After a short while of sitting there, and drawing the stars, she was suddenly interrupted by some company. It started with some soft miauwing, something that had been able to draw her attention at first, but then the kitty came asking for cuddles. She smiled softly as she was stroking the soft fur, but then the cat accidentally bumped his butt against the bucket, tipping it over the edge of the roof. Remy quickly tried to grab it, but she was too late. And at the same time she heard the bucket come down, she could also hear someone groan, meaning the bucket had probably landed on someone’s head? Swiftly she moved her hands in front of her mouth, to not make a sound. Maybe secretly hoping that person would just walk away without any suspicions. But her curiosity wasn’t helping her case as she softly got up and tried to glance down at the victim, very carefully. ”Are you alright?” She asked, giving herself away, even though she couldn’t yet see the person standing beneath the roof. As, well, she couldn't help asking since worry was spreading over her.

Remiël was very careful with giving herself away after the bucket had been dropped on someone’s head. Ofcourse, it hadn’t been her fault, but she wasn’t sure if the person would believe her if she told him it had been a cat. Besides, she didn’t want her parents to know she had been up here, so she wasn’t able to give her identity away to someone who knew her parents. Certainly not if that one person would hold a grudge against her for this. But her curiosity was growing, and she couldn’t help herself from asking if the person was doing alright, gentilly trying to look over the edge at the young man.

His answer didn’t surprise her much, because she could imagine that a bucket falling on top of one’s head could hurt a lot. It wasn’t exactly a soft object to begin with. ”I’m sorry..” She softly told him, apologizing, even if she hadn’t been the one to throw the bucket onto his head. ”No,” She then quickly said when he asked her if she did it often. ”In fact, I wasn’t really the one who dropped it.” She said, now bending her head moreover the roof, and quickly enough, she was joined by the cat, who decided to look down as well, miauwing. ”It was my friend here.” She smiled, hoping he wouldn’t mind. After all, he didn’t look like a grumpy old man, so maybe he was friendly enough?

Remy didn’t like to cause other people harm, and hearing that the bucket had fallen on someone’s head had certainly shocked her. Even if it hadn’t been her fault entirely, she still felt responsible. After all, she had been giving the cat attention, and that had ultimately caused the bucket to fall. So, indirectly, it was her fault. But when he called her out on it, she softly bit her lip. ”Well, yes, kinda.” She honestly replied to him, not wanting to admit her stupid mistake. Or, maybe it wouldn’t really hurt her to be more truthful.. ”But I suppose I might be to blame as well.”

However, then he suddenly asked her how he was able to get up there, and for a moment she opened her mouth in surprise. Oh shit, she had not expected that. Her head softly peaked over the edge again to look at him again, but he didn’t seem that dangerous? Right? In fact, he didn’t even look angry. ”No, I euhm.. I came from a window, but I believe there is a garbage can right around that corner.” She told him, as maybe that was another possible way to get up there. Remy pointed at it before she walked into that direction, and indeed, there was a huge garbage can. ”Maybe I can give you a hand?” She then asked, because it was still too high for him to climb up there by himself.

The moment the young man responded to her words, suggesting her little friend would be happy about that, a ‘miauw’ could be heard. Remiël softly chuckled, looking at her side, to the cat. ”I suppose we are now partners in crime, looking to disturb every gentleman walking down the street with a bucket on his head.” She joked, letting her imagination run free for a moment. If anything, Remy had a very vivid imagination, and well, that was now not as much of a secret anymore. ”I believe you may have simply caught us red handed.” She then added, before she started looking for a way to get him up on the roof.

It wasn’t that high of a roof, but still high enough to where the garbage can wouldn’t be enough for him to stand on. But, at least it would make things a bit easier. He quickly managed to climb up on the garbage can, and then she offered her hand to help him up. She nodded when he asked her if she could lift him up a bit, and he promised that he would jump as well. When he reached out his arm to her, she took hold of his hand. ”Ready?” She asked him, taking a firmer grip on his hands. ”I’ll count to three. One. Two.” Remiël added, to make things a bit more easy for them. Not mentioning the three because she began to pull him on the three. Though, the moment she managed to pull him over the edge, she lost her own footing, falling backwards while pulling him with her. And now.. Now they were laying together on a roof. Quickly she tried to crawl out from underneath him. ”Oh, I’m so sorry!” She said, again, placing a hand in front of her mouth. ”I didn’t mean..” She went on, stumbling over her own words in a rush of complete awkwardness.

I mean, yes, he had a point, it was certainly a way to get to know someone. She softly tilted her head with a smile, showing him a soft thinking face, letting him know that she was thinking about it, and getting ideas in her head. Though, she was probably lucky that this guy was kinda nice, and not making such a big deal out of it, because otherwise, it could have ended very differently. But then he asked her if he should be taking her in for a possible attempt of murder. Quickly, she play-acted to feel very distressed, placing her hand in front of her mouth. ”Oh no, please don’t, sir, I still have so much to live for.” She said, suddenly turning this into an act, even if she couldn’t help but laugh afterwards.

Yet, then she had to help him get up onto the roof. At first, the garbage can seemed like a good option, but the moment she was standing there, looking down on him, she realized how high the roof actually was. However, she wasn’t going to let the height get to her, because she was not afraid. She took his hand, and after he made a little jump, she pulled him up, until she lost her footing. Her first initial response was to freeze, when he was laying on top of her, looking up at him with some shock, until she quickly tried to move from underneath him after realizing what had happened. This had not been her intention, and it clearly showed in her posture when she backed away, feeling rather insecure and slightly embarrassed.

But when he told her nothing happened, she could feel some release in the tenseness of her body. Her breath was still going fast. She did not respond, did know even know how to respond to something like this. ”Remiël, but most people just call me Remy.” She told him when he eventually asked for her name, still holding her arms defensively in front of her chest. Suddenly, she was a lot more quiet. Still clearly a bit shaken.

The fact that he laughed, wholeheartedly, made her feel quite confident in the moment, feeling as if her act had at least been good enough to be funny. It had certainly reached the desired outcome, because Remy often liked to make people laugh. Since, in her own opinion, people didn’t do that often enough. And, it appeared that she actually - secretly - liked the company of the other as well. So, naturally, she helped him to get up on the roof with her. Because maybe, they were able to cheer each other up a bit? Make the night less terribly lonely.

But, helping up onto the roof had not been as much of an easy task as she had thought. Mainly due to the fact that she slipped near the end of it, making him fall right on top of her. Which was certainly more her fault then his, so she wouldn’t be able to blame it on him. However, there was an immediate awkwardness between them, and color on her cheeks was reflected back by the color on his cheeks. This told her that he felt the same. Even if he did try to calm her down afterwards.

He was rather good at it though, as he tried to reassure her that nothing happened. She let out a relieved breath, feeling better now that she knew he was not thinking more of this. Then he actually introduced himself, after he had asked for her name. ”Luca,” She repeated his name, so that she was able to remember it better. ”The boy who suffered a bucket to his head.” Remy then added, to make it even easier. The cat also came walking back to them, giving him a little headbut to his knee because it wanted attention. ”See, this is exactly how it happened.” She then laughed, pointing at the cat. The cat really much liked attention, so much so that it needed to throw buckets in order to get it.

Maybe, deep down, she did see how them landing on top of each other could be considered a little bit funny, and maybe later on in the conversation she could possibly mention it was such, but she was still a bit shaken by it now. Mainly because she had not seen it coming, and well.. They had been awfully close to each other at that moment. Those things often made Remy a bit shy, because she did not have a lot of experience with a lot of boys, and there was only one she ever actually fancied. But she had always been too scared to let him know.

”Oh so, you’re saying you didn’t mind the bucket falling on top of your head?” She asked him when he told her he was happy she would remind him of that little fact. Or maybe, he was just simply happy she would remember him at all, but she doubted that would be the case. ”Maybe I should remember it for the next time we meet.” She added with a smile, making it seem like she was already past everything that had happened before. Her eyes shortly lingered on his face, before they moved to look at the cat showing up again, trying to get some attention from the two of them. When he reached out with his hand to let the cat smell him, it pushed his head against the boy’s hand, clearly wanting to be pet. ”I think he likes you.”

”Well, honestly..” She started, before repositioning herself again. Making herself more comfortable as they were sitting on the roof, shortly looking around for a moment. ”I found it when I tried to get out of my room once, when I was younger, and I simply climbed through the window. Now I come here to escape my daily life.” She told him, looking back at him with an endearing smile, raising her shoulders softly in a shrug, making it seem very simple. As if everyone did what she did, even if that surely wasn’t the case, or else they would find a lot more people sitting on these roofs.

There was something about Remiël always speaking her own mind, without filter, and without thinking sometimes. This usually happened more with people she was familiar with, but maybe due to the bucket falling on top of this poor guy’s head, and the fact that he didn’t scold her for it, it had given them a bit of a story. Besides, Remy usually felt better when she was sitting on rooftops. Somehow, it made her feel more at ease, and more hidden away from the busy life on the streets. Not that the streets were busy at night, but still.

”So, at first you did, but now you don’t?” She asked him, again, for clarity, with a smile on her face. Somewhere, deep down, that question intrigued her. Mainly because she loved to know what was going on in other people’s heads. And she didn’t mind people who were a bit weird in their way of thinking. They were often much more interesting than regular boring people. ”Well, now I definitely will.” She told him when he told her to remember. ”If you promise not to tell anyone about my little secret.” Remy then continued, because she didn’t like to see many people following her example when it actually came down to climbing on rooftops. It was the only place where she felt truly safe, being away from people. Even though she was now sharing the rooftop with him.

”That does not mean he likes you any less.” She told him as he was scratching the cat behind his ear, and Remy could tell the cat was really enjoying the attention it was given. But the fact that the cat simply knew her longer, because she came here almost every night, did not take away from the fact that the cat loved attention from anyone who could offer it.

The other seemed to take notice of the fact her words didn’t actually mean something good, even though she was speaking them to him with a smile upon her face. ”Well, maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds, but I guess I don’t really like places that are .. crowded.” She eventually explained, giving him another soft smile as a soft color began to appear on her cheeks. Feeling like she was spilling almost all her secrets to him without even realizing it. Or well, not all her secrets, because she still had a lot more, and then there were also secrets she couldn’t tell anyone. ”I guess I think he is a stray, because he comes here every night, but honestly, I don’t know. It does seem like he’s being fed.” She explained to him, while giving the cat a few more pets as he pushed his head against her legs, switching from going back to her and him all the time.

”Decent?” She quickly asked him, almost as if she was offended, but allowing the sound of his chuckle to bring a wide smile onto her face. And maybe, for a moment, there was actually a hint of playfulness to be found in her eyes. Not even realizing that this could even be seen as flirting. Maybe because Remy had always been so very unaware of how her behavior could come across, or at how charming she could be at times. ”Is that all you think of me?” She curiously asked him, before smiling and looking away as she continued to smile. Feeling herself getting a bit shy again, probably because of the nature of her question.

That was until she asked him to keep this place a secret, and then he added that he doubted he had any friends who would be interested in climbing on the roofs. ”Sounds like such a shame.” Or so, she supposed. Perhaps a bit short minded, or possibly boring. She didn’t know why, but somehow, it also sounded like he didn’t like all his friends that much, and that made her feel a bit more sad actually. For a moment it even showed, as the look she gave him was drowned with some sympathy for him. Not that she wanted to pity him, but still.

His comment about the cat made her smile again, and the cat came walking back to her as she gave it another stroke over it’s head and back. Purring while she did that. ”Yes, I suppose you're right.” She said while looking down, still smiling. Maybe, even if she had told him that she liked to come here to be alone, she did not quite mind his company. In the same way that she didn’t mind the company the cat gave her. Or maybe it was the fact that they were sitting on the roof in the middle of the night, when it was the most quiet, that eased her mind a bit.

It even made her speak about some of the things she didn’t tell anyone. Not even Arthur at times, even if he had been her best friend for such a long time, she was still keeping things from him as well. Like her feelings for him as an example. She usually acted like she didn’t mind the busy streets either, even if deep down, she did. So, when he spoke and told her he felt the same, she could not help but smile as she looked back up at him, diverting her attention away from the cat that was now trying to find a way to curl up into her lap. ”Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one who doesn’t like the city.” Remy went on, speaking the thoughts going through her mind. Showing a bit more honesty than usual as her mind wandered back to the forest where she had lived for only a short while, with her parents.. Because deep down, her heart had always longed to go back there, even if there was nothing for her anymore to go back to.

His comment about taking the cat, earned him yet another smile. ”And steal the only company I have at night? How dare you!” She responded, but she was clearly joking with him, because she did not look mad at all. Instead, she simply laughed, before looking down at the cat again, purring in her lap.

Remiël raised her eyebrows with a playful tilt of her head when he spoke again, saying decent was more of a compliment when coming from his circles, which already told her that he was probably from the upper class ring. But he finished his sentence by admitting that she was more than decent company, and that was what eventually made her respond in such a playful way to his words. Though, she could have expected that he was from the upper ring, mostly due to his clothes. ”Well, thank you, then I will most certainly take it as a compliment.” She told him, even going as far as to give him a little bow, showing her gratitude while making it seem like she was in a play. At the same time, Remy also showed some color on her cheeks.

But when he continued, she frowned. ”Who told you that?” She asked, maybe a little bit curious, even if she showed a concerned expression on her face. And deep down it actually saddened her to know he had been taught to hold back his own thoughts and ideas. However, when she thought over his words, there was probably some wisdom to be found in that sentence. ”Alright, maybe some things are not really meant to be shared, in terms of thoughts, but everyone should be allowed to have an opinion of their own.” Remiël shared, shrugging for a moment, rather cutely, with a soft smile on her face. Repositioning herself a little bit while they were still sitting on the roof.

She could not help but seem some type of sympathy towards the young man while they were talking, and he told her not to worry about anyone sneaking off towards her little roof, because he was simply a man who was focused on his studies. This actually brought back some of that curious nature again, as if she had not shown it enough already. ”What do you study?” She asked, simply because she had some interests of her own in terms of studies, but her parents didn’t have the right amount of money for it, so she had made her own notes. Then her attention was caught back to the cat, purring and snuggling on her lap. ”Every night.” She told him, very honestly, because Remy wasn’t one for keeping secrets. The glance she gave him when she looked up told him she wouldn’t especially mind if he sought her out more often either. Because she had decided she quite liked his company. And she just made a promise to him that he could always find her there.

When she admitted to him that sometimes it felt like she was the only one who didn’t like the city as much, he made sure to let her know she wasn’t the only one. That made her warm up her heart while she smiled at him, feeling like maybe she finally found someone that understood. Then, she could not help her mind from wandering to that one place she missed every time she came up here, and he seemed to have caught notice of it. She softly closed her eyes when he told her to hold on to it, even though she was quite surprised that he even knew what she had been thinking about. Because how could he have known? However, then the sad thing was that she could not tell him, since she was supposed to be born and raised in Ashmoor, not Avalon. But then she opened her eyes again when he spoke, giving him a little smirk when he told he could easily replace the cat sleeping on her lap, after which he added something to explain himself better. ”And what makes you think I would let you sleep on my lap?” She teased him, clearly joking but with a playful hint in her smile. Though, maybe if he came a bit sooner next time, he could still beat the cat to it.