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‘Ah, life is a pure bliss.’
Originally, Malthus thought of it as a mere prank and a way to kill some time. Aina, the fresh Reaper girl, was so adorably righteous and naïve that it would be a crime not to cause some mischief. Plus, it would be oh so fun to see his brother’s face when he found out, too — and Malthus was not going to miss that chance to annoy the bastard.
Of course, annoying all of the other guys came as a pleasant bonus on its own. Their blatant envy and saltiness at him being the one to lie with Aina, to cuddle with her and being spoiled by her… protected, too. If Malthus could laugh in his cat form, he definitely would. But, apparently, a smug smile was more than enough to set off that idiot Orias who seemed the most hurt by the fact that Malthus was practically untouchable; a soft purr was more than enough to make the Angel sulk at the sight of Aina giving pats to Malthus and not him.
Their pathetic state was truly entertaining, and, if they became too content with their utter defeated, a few scratches could quickly fix the situation and liven the place once again.
It was too bad that Lucien couldn’t come with him and join the fun but, alas, shapeshifting didn’t seem to run in the family. Truly a shame, because Aina also proved to be an exceptional host who gave her kitty the A-grade treatment — which Malthus never forgot to mention to his little brother every time they met during his master’s work. And, no matter how much Lucien scoffed at the idea, the demon could see that Lucy was happy for him. A little envious, too, but Malthus could definitely live with that. After all, a few fluffy pillows from Aina’s house worked like a charm and made Lucien forget his little grudges. Brought a soft smile to his lips, so it was definitely a win-win.
However, as days went by, what had been a joking statement became a fact: Aina did more than just provide an A-grade treatment — she loved him unconditionally and spoiled him so much that Malthus almost felt like the king of the world at times.
Was that how cats felt all the time? If so, their life was truly a bliss.
But, above all that nice treatment a fussing over his, no doubt, important cat persona was the warmth that Malthus felt. The warmth and softness of Aina’s lap… of Aina’s chest. Kneading them was relaxing, therapeutic almost — and made him want to be the one the relish in this feeling. Thankfully, Malthus quickly learned how to play a part of a capricious, petty cat, and Aina’s lover boys quickly learned how to stay away from Mr. Kitty’s sacred places.
Such a life was good. Too good to be true, even, and every blissful moment inevitably reminded Malthus that his goals lied elsewhere. As much of a fun as it was, the life of a spoiled kitty was nothing more than a way to kill time and to mess with his brother, to throw him off the track. Soon, this little game of master and its pet would be over and done with. Perhaps, today or tomorrow’s evening—
“… even so, Mr. Kitty, I think you are the best. Don’t listen to those fools”, Aina’s words made him scoff. As if Malthus would ever listen to anyone but himself — and maybe Lucien if he was in a good mood.
“I know, I know”, perhaps, it was the scoff that she found funny — or was it the expression? — but Aina’s soft laugh filled the room as she watched her adorable cat make a face and turn away, ready to leave for an adventure.
Malthus thought he could go now, perhaps, but—
“Don’t be pouty,” she took him in her hands, “I wouldn’t laugh at my beloved kitty”, and kissed him briefly on the nose.
Then, came a hug and another kiss, this time on the head. And, once again, Malthus got trapped in this intoxicating show of affection without the means to escape.
He sighed.
… maybe the jig could continue a bit longer.
Yes. Just a little bit longer.