{"sf1_id":959228,"sf2_id":"dmBd0xy1","title":"Drac Ch8","author":"FlynnCoyote","words":2112,"posted_at":"2016-01-28T10:53:00.000Z","tags":["Cat","Micen","Micro","Mouse","leona"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/959228-drac-ch8","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/dmBd0xy1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/a2/08/a2081c4f-dcd1-4648-b61f-d587888e2007","description":"#9 of Drac\n\nA story about a young leona (cat anthro) named Dienza, or Drac to his friends.\nLife is not easy. A high pressure low paying job, friends in bad places and a home less than it should be.\nThe setting is owned by TicklefishMcGee\nThe characters used are mine.","content":"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Nereen sighed and opened her mouth, putting the fork and the eager twitching young micen   \ninside. Dienza laughed at her expression and even Spiika was trying to stifle an amused grin, holding   \nher hand over her lips to not lose a mouthful of food. Nereen visibly blushed, her pursed lips curling   \ninto a small frown as she glared at the other two and rolled her eyes.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Did you miss the taste?' Dienza teased. 'Come on, this will be your first micen in... how long? How   \nold am I? It was around that time wasn't it or just before when you stopped eating them?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Nereen squinted her face, before opening her mouth and hanging her tongue out. The micen   \ntried to cling to the slippery muscle to keep himself inside but her hand reached up and plucked him   \nloose. He had a frown and pouted to her as she put him down on the table. 'Now settle down. Let   \nme finish my dinner and we can... play later.' The micen looked upset but he sat and behaved for the   \ntime being.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Interesting conundrum.' Dienza remarked as he finished a mouthful. 'Normally you'd punish a   \nmicen by eating them, but this little guy actually wants it. How do you punish someone who wants   \nthe very thing you'd punish them with?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Why in the world would any micen want that?' Nereen wondered out loud. Their curiosity lasted   \nthroughout the meal, and once they had finished eating, Dienza cleared the table while Nereen and   \nSpiika adjourned to the living room. He quietly crept to the pantry, following his mother's tradition   \nof leaving scraps on the top shelf at her request but also sneaking a look under the bottom shelf. The   \nmicen colony had been abandoned since they'd been found.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; He joined Spiika and his mother in the living room, Spiika was at her drum set lightly taping out a   \nsoft rhythm. Nereen had sat herself on the floor and was holding the television remote. As she   \npointed it towards the TV the micen youth had perched on her wrist, curiosity getting the better of   \nhim as he reached for one of the buttons. Nereen watched as he jumped at the sudden change in   \nsound. He'd switched the channel to some old looking war documentary right in the middle of an   \nexplosion and footage of a terrifying aircraft that seemed to take up the whole sky.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Change it.' Dienza growled. The micen seemed happy to press another button in the hope that it   \nwould lower the sound. This time it turned on to some adult cartoon about a moronic father and his   \nmisfit family. Dienza had loved this show a few years back, but it had only lasted a single season and   \nhe'd found that it had little re-watch value. Even so, he settled down beside his mother and watched   \nthe intrigued young micen staring at the box with a bemused grin. Nereen held the hand up near her   \nchest and smiled softly as the boy settled down between her fingers.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Did you find out what his name is?' Spiika asked. She set her sticks down and made her way over   \nto the couch, kneeling on the floor beside Nereen and leaning down towards the micen.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Nate!' The micen replied loudly, staring back at Spiika with his own eyes wide and excited.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Oh wow.' Nereen laughed. 'I was beginning to think you couldn't talk. Where is your family?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Nate simply shrugged and kept staring at Spiika until his attention was drawn back to the TV. His   \ntail flicked about happily as the father character of the program attempted to catch a micen only to   \nslip on a roller skate and fall down the stairs in comical fashion.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'If there was any hint that he'd turn out willing, they'd abandon him.' Nereen explained, almost   \nsounding sad. 'They won't waste time and precious food trying to raise someone who's willing to be   \nfood for a leona.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'I haven't seen Ma and Pa in... weeks I think?' Nate said suddenly. 'I was playing with a rattis and   \nthey never tried to find me.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Oh.' Dienza rolled his eyes. 'We have rattis too huh? I guess they'll help with the micen.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Nope!' Nate grinned up at Dienza. 'The rattis was outside. He doesn't come in here.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'And where do you come from?' Nereen asked.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'A big place like this one.' The micen responded. 'Outside but there's no people like you there.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Oh, the empty house next door.' Dienza raised an eyebrow in realization. 'Figures there'd be a   \nmicen colony or two in an empty house. They must be dealing with rattis instead of leonas, and this   \nlittle guy got himself carried away and ended up in here instead.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Spiika crawled up onto the couch and laid herself down behind Dienza and Nereen, leaning her   \nface onto his shoulder from behind. He responded by nuzzling back and the two of them began   \npurring softly. The sound caught Nate's attention and he lost interest in the TV entirely. Nereen   \nwatched the micen as he attempted to mimic the sound without success.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Ma, how much would our rent go up if another tenant moved in?' Dienza asked suddenly.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'It'd be an extra fifty each week.' Nereen responded. 'Why, are you two...?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Well if...' He turned to Spiika. 'If you wanted? It might help you out?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'I... I would love to.' Spiika responded, wrapping an arm over his chest and kissing his cheek. 'I'd   \ncover the extra rent if you wanted, it wouldn't be any trouble.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'What about your father?' Nereen asked suddenly. 'You're not gonna leave him on his own in   \ntrouble are you?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Spiika's expression grew dark before she replied softly. 'Dad deserves whatever happens to him. I   \nwouldn't worry.'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Nereen didn't look convinced but said nothing further. Another hour passed in relative silence   \nbefore the woman stood and headed into the kitchen. After a few more minutes she returned briefly   \nto announce that she was heading to bed before disappearing up the hallway.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Dienza shifted restlessly and climbed up onto the couch, drooping himself lazily on top of Spiika   \nand causing them both to giggle like children. The pair remained locked in a tight embrace for close   \nto another hour before Dienza heard the faint sound of his phone chiming from his bedroom. He   \nslowly and carefully rose from on top of Spiika and made his way quietly towards his room.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The dim flashing of his phone lit up his room enough for him to make his way and unlock the   \nscreen. It was a text message from Aryan. That was surprising. Even though they'd been friends   \nthrough school and kept each other's phone numbers, they rarely actually spoke anymore. Dienza   \nhad not respected the mutt's habit of recreational drug use, and had almost throttled him when he   \nchose the path of a dealer. Aryan was strong willed enough to resist addiction, but not everyone had   \nthat benefit. With a grimace, not sure what to expect, he swiped his finger across the screen and   \nopened the message.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Dude... I'm sorry about earlier. But we need to talk. Come see me tomorrow, I'll meet you at the   \nmusic shop around Eleven, okay?   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Dienza sighed and replied with a simple okay message. He already knew it wouldn't be a pleasant   \nconversation. He set his phone down and headed back out to the living room. Spiika was still asleep   \nbut had begun to shiver with the decrease in warmth. Seeing that made Dienza realize how cold it   \nhad gotten and he paused. He shrugged a moment later and went back into his room long to pull the   \nblankets from his bed before carrying them back out to the living room.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; He draped them over Spiika and stepped into the kitchen to get himself a drink. A pair of micen   \nwere on the countertop dragging a piece of carrot each towards a hole in the wall. They froze in a   \npanic when they saw him but the leona was not in the mood to chase down mice nor hungry enough   \nfor the effort after the wonderful meal his mother had cooked them. He spared them barely a glance   \nbefore filling a glass from the sink and draining it in one long swig.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Dienza sighed slowly before heading back into the living room and setting himself down beside   \nthe couch and laying his head near the end, close to Spiika's own. She had settled back down and   \nwas sleeping peacefully. He found himself smiling as he slipped his hand under the cover and held   \nonto hers, feeling her grip tighten around his fingers as he drifted into sleep.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Nereen woke suddenly with the odd feeling she was being watched. She tried to shake it off but it   \nwouldn't fade. After an uncomfortable minute she stirred, opening her eyes a little before opening   \nthem all the way in shock. Nate had somehow gotten out of the jar she left him in and was sitting on   \nher pillow a few inches from her face.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Hnn?!' She exclaimed and lifted her head a little 'How did you get there?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'I tipped the jar over.' He replied with a proud smile. 'Then I climbed up the bed.' Nereen looked   \nover to the floor beside her bedside cabinet. The jar was there, but the carpet had stopped the glass   \nfrom shattering and muffled the sound as well.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Didn't I already tell you that was dangerous?' Nereen scowled. 'What if the jar landed upside   \ndown and you were stuck, your air would run out!'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'But I wanted to sleep in the bed with you.' Nate responded, shrinking down a little and looking   \nup at her with large puppy eyes.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'And... what if I roll over in my sleep? You'd be squished.' Nereen smirked. Nate answered this by   \ncrawling over to her and nuzzling into her cheek. Despite her irritation, she couldn't deny he was an   \nendearing little fellow and found herself inadvertently purring at his affection.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'How do you do that?' He asked, pressing himself to her neck where the sound seemed to   \noriginate. The subtle vibrations seemed to put him in a light headed trance until she became aware   \nof the sensation and stopped.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Oh... I don't know.' She said softly, shifting back a little and making the micen roll forward. He   \njumped back up and began to nuzzle again into her cheek. Her sleep addled mind reacted almost by   \ninstinct and she pressed her lips to his body before her tongue lapped out and licked up his chest   \nand face.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Wee!' He giggled. 'You said we could play later! Remember?'   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Oh right...' She sighed. All she wanted to do was sleep and yet here she was being hounded by an   \nenergetic juvenile micen who wanted to play games no micen should enjoy. 'Can't you just sleep?   \nI'm too tired...' Her head drooped back to the pillow and her eyes closed. She hoped the boy would   \ntake a hint but moments later she felt his tiny form pressing into her lips.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'But I'm not sleepy!' He protested. Before she could react he'd climbed up her cheek and pulled   \nopen her eyelid.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'Ow! Get off!' She growled and shook her head. He landed back on the pillow with a soft thud.   \nShe glared down at him and sighed in exasperation. She always tried to be nice. She didn't eat micen   \nanymore. But at the same time she had never intended to force that kind of choice on her son. Any   \nother leona wouldn't have kept a micen this long, except a kid keeping one as a pet. But this lad was   \nlittle more than a nuisance.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I-I'm sorry!' He squeaked. 'I didn't mean to hurt you.' He looked genuinely upset now and stayed   \nin place. Nereen sighed again and lifted herself up onto her elbow. She thought for a few moments   \nbefore reaching for him and lifting him over to the pillow on the opposite side of the bed.   \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; 'You can sleep there.' She said. 'Do not wake me up again, ever. Or there won't be any play time   \nat all. Understand?' He nodded fervently with wide eyes and curled up in the middle of the pillow.   \nHis eyes closed and he slowly stopped shivering and became still. Nereen let her head drop back to   \nher own pillow and smiled, falling back to sleep moments later.   \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Drac","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/958834-drac-ch7.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/961696-drac-ch9.json"}}