2026-02-19: Professor Peaches and the Couch Squad
- Log: Professor Peaches and the Couch Squad
- Cast: Isabeau Fontaine, Miho Ijuuin
- Where: Kagurazaka - Hillside Street
- OOC Date: 2026-02-19
- IC Date: Fri Sep 28 2012
- Summary: Isabeau takes care of a family of stray cats. Miho ends up as a surprising ally.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
After school, Isabeau headed home to change, trading her Shujin suspenders for a blouse and a pair of jean shorts... and her belted satchel, with water bottle strapped to it.
She needs to go to training, of course -- two hours, every weekday! -- but there's something more important she has to do first. Supplies go in the fanny pack (BELTED SATCHEL!), Isabeau goes out of the penthouse...
Down the normal way, even though she's pretty sure she could scale the outside of the building.
She's not going the normal way around to the alley-backyard she's looking for, though. She hops up onto the back of a bench, the fancy French detailing providing more than enough purchase for her to kick off and jump up onto a fancy overhead French lamp meant to illuminate the street at night; the handholds men are supposed to use when they put a ladder up here just so happen to be well-placed to let her jump up onto the awning above a Kagurazaka storefront.
"Dagnabbut," an older gentleman pokes his head out of his store, shaking a fist -- and swearing in French, because there's quite a high population of expats living here. "It's that Fontaine kid again! Scram, kid, you're worse than the possums!"
"Sorry, Monsieur Morita!" Isabeau calls, as she jumps from that overhang to grasp the edge of the wall, pulling herself up with one leg slung up and then the other, dropping down into the walled backyard behind the wall facing the street.
"Damn kids!" Mssr. Morita curses, as he heads back inside. "If anything goes missing, I'm telling your father..!!"
But, of course, Isabeau wasn't sneaking back here to steal anything.
Rather...
"It's okay," she calls -- still in French, though her voice is softer, now, "he's not mad at you. You guys just chose a real pain in the ass place to nest, you know...?"
For a moment, all is quiet. Isabeau doesn't mind, though, as she steps over to an old, eaten-out couch by the side of the next building and pulls some things from her satchel -- some stacked thick paper bowls, and a can of cat food. In three of these bowls, she takes a spoon and doles out servings; the other two, she fills with water.
"You need to remember to drink water," she says, her tone fond yet scolding. "It's supposed to be autumn, now, but it still gets really hot... especially for you guys!"
There's an easier way to get back here, of course: the back door leading out from Monsieur Morita's fancy chocolate shop. But that old fogey's always been cross with Isabeau for extremely normal things like climbing over the street, so he wouldn't just let her walk through.
And surely no one else would think to ask.
But slowly, as Isabeau talks in such a companionable tone, there is another noise which joins her voice...
'Miiii...'
A little kitten -- perhaps nine or ten weeks old -- pads out, with a little sniff-sniff-sniff. "Hey, Gumball," Isabeau smiles; her calico pattern could be mistaken for something like that. Another three kittens amble out shortly afterwards -- "Snowy, Moonbeam, Patches..." -- alongside a slim mother cat, who Isabeau greets as, "Professor Peaches!"
Half of those kittens are calico; the other half are snowy white. That must account for dad, because mom is quite clearly patchwork, too. She's the one who bothers to amble over to rub at Isabeau's legs; the kids all rush for the food.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho Ijuuin can do mostly what she wants, being an adult. As an adult who is injured, she can even take time off of work to visit chocolate shops... fully intending to get something for Yua (and herself, while she's at it) to thank her for taking care of her despite needing care herself. And, why not, for a couple of others...
And what better than French chocolate?
Isabeau won't hear Miho's pleasant conversation with Morita. She will not know that he is now packaging up a large order. But she will notice that door open, Miho come out, and Miho close the door behind her.
"Hmmm," she says. "So this is why you are sneaking about..."
She is amused; dressed in casual finery, Miho has her usual collared shirt with slacks, but her sling is still on. After all, she has a gunshot wound to wait for healing.
"How is the Professor?"
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"Huh? Look out!" Isabeau calls, in alarm, when she realises someone's approaching behind her. The cats scatter... mostly.
Patches just keeps gnoshin' on down, man.
But it isn't mean ol' Monsieur Morita coming out to give her a piece of his mind, it's -- "Mademoiselle Ijuuin!" Isabeau gasps, quite shocked to see her of all people. (She can have a French styling, she clearly speaks French.) "I, uh, I was just--!"
Seeing that one of the cats has distinctly not run and hid, she casually ('casually') scoots in front of her, closing her legs as she concludes, "... trespassing! Yeah, that's it! No respect for property, that's me!" One heel nudges back, to jostle the food bowl and remind poor Patches to actually get out of here.
Patches looks up at them and dolefully protests, 'MAWWWWWW'. Isabeau's grin cracks a few degrees wider as she totally blows her cover (as if she had any). She takes a breath...
... and gestures out with her hands. "Okay, okay, I guess it's obvious... but can you cut them a break? The Professor got dumped a few months ago, I guess whoever got her didn't want to pay to have her desexed, so she ended up having kittens... but if the ward council gets their hands on them, they're toast! And everyone around here says stray cats are just a nuisance... they don't get it."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
The cats do not all scatter. This is well. Because Miho sees her.
"Is that so?" Miho asks. She is content to speak in whichever language Isabeau goes with, for the moment. "Hmmm.... Perhaps when you are not studying tennis, you should study deception." She smiles.
"I can," she says simply. "And will. And if you assist me in catching them, I will ensure they are kept safe and appropriately desexed."
"I am a lover of cats, myself. Indeed, they do not 'get it'."
"But I have resources the ward council has not, hm?"
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"That's because I don't need to lie," Isabeau insists, pouting. "But if it's to protect someone, that's different!" How many people are you going to protect with those terrible lies, Isabeau???
... no people, but maybe four-ish cats (three of them are still quite small), judging by Miho's offer. "But I can take care of them just fine on my own!" She protests, reflexively --
Only for Patches to start climbing up her hefty leg. ("Chhhhhhhhhhssssss--" Isabeau hisses, between her teeth, as she leans down and picks her up.)
"... no," she shakes her head, then, "if you can find a place for them to stay... I... guess I can't do that." It's hard for her to admit, apparently; but then, she'd been just as fiercely independent last time, too. "This glutton is Patches," she introduces the kitten in her hands, holding her out for Miho to inspect-slash-pet at her leisure. "She's really very nice, though. The others are more skittish... pspsps, hey puss, hey puss...!"
A snowy-white face appears, from over the arm of the couch. The cats trust her...!
"Actually, these aren't even the only strays I've run into... they're all over the city," Isabeau says. "... they don't have many allies, so I try to do what I can."
She pauses, here, looking from the kitten to Miho's bandaged arm.
"Um... by the way," she adds, a touch awkwardly, "are you okay...?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Hmmm. Good!" If she doesn't need to lie, then that's all the better. Miho will not be the one to tell Isabeau she does after all. ...Though she may take the lesson herself.
But Patches climbs. Miho lifts an eyebrow--but Isabeau relents. "I can," Miho says, "I know people who would accept cats from me, and in the meantime, I have a spare room." She's not going to expose Tiger to stray cats, obviously. Not without taking them to the vet first, in any case.
But they do trust her...
Miho smiles again. "I believe it," she says. "They seem to trust you. You've been good to them."
But there's a different lesson to learn, here...
"They don't," Miho says. "And I cannot save all of them. ...it is good that you care. That you find something to care for."
A pause, and she shake sher head. "...I had an altercation with a crazed fan," she explains. That's not true, but it's truthy enough. "I will be fine when I heal. It is only my non-dominant arm."
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Isabeau might! And it's wise not to expose Tiger to stray cats... let alone Yua.
(Nightmare mode for Miho: convincing her would-be wife not to go in and pet the adorable toxoplasmosis torpedoes.)
Whiskers on kittens -- and the kittens themselves -- slowly start appearing, as the kittens begin c r e e p i n g back into the open to nibble at the food again. Even momma cat slinks out to try and snag a mouthful! Clearly, Isabeau's presence is worth something.
"No one wants them around," Isabeau sighs, "because they climb on everything, and hunt birds, and yowl and scratch. I just... don't think that's fair." Not that she'd feel personally called out by that list of descriptors, obviously.
Obviously.
Still... when Miho shares what happened to her arm, Isabeau looks alarmed. (And Patches starts wiggling around, so she puts her on her shoulder, where she happily starts batting at her drill-hair.) "Wait, you were attacked?! But that's terrible!" Isabeau exclaims, with concern. "Does -- does that happen a lot!?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Maybe... a spare room that's not in the penthouse. It's fine. Miho has many places.
Regardless, the kittens appear, ,and Miho looks at each of them. They nibble at food, and Miho makes no move to touch them or otherwise interfere.
"Hmmm..." Miho can see the subtext. "Those who don't fit into society are often cast aside," Miho says, with a tone of regret. "...But it doesn't always have to end up that way. You can make a difference, this way."
She isn't going to bring up the subtext directly, of course.
But... Isabeau is alarmed!
"Yes," she says simply. "...But no, it doesn't happen too often." Which is... sort of true. "Incidents like that are rare." This is truer. "Sometimes people get strange ideas in their minds, and when your reality does not live up to their perspective, they grow angry. It is one of the consequences of a public life."
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"It's not even their fault," Isabeau scowls. "They're trapped here. Whether they like it or not..."
Isabeau would never anthropomorphise an animal. Why do you ask?
Still, Miho shares the perils of public life with Isabeau, and Isabeau looks quite shocked. "Are people really that entitled?! It's not reality's fault if reality is disappointing to someone! People who don't get that... they're... they're so irresponsible!" Don't ask her who she's thinking of, when she's getting angry with people who have unrealistic ideas about how the world should work.
"Is that really just something you have to accept if people know who you are...?" She wonders, still scowling. "That's not fair, either..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Indeed so," Miho agrees. "Through no fault of their own, they are undesirable to those around them..." She has a soft spot for undesirables, though. For some mysterious reason. "But these are in luck." She'll call her driver to pick up a cat carrier in a minute. Don't worry about it.
"But that is life. It will try to survive, no matter what."
Still, Isabeau is shocked. "Oh, yes," Miho confirms. "Some are."
Irresponsible... "Hmmm," she says. "Irresponsible in particular? That's curious to me. I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but I'd like you to tell me more."
A pause, then. "No. it is a hazard--something one must expect--but not something one must accept. As they say, 'you should have seen the other guy'," Miho says wryly. "...No, you need not accept the cruelties of the world--merely anticipate them."
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"That's right!" Isabeau insists. "Cats are survivors!" Just cats? Really?
Let's say it's cats.
Miho asks to know more, though, and Isabeau frowns, looking down to the kitten on her shoulder. "Mm..." She hums, and looks, for a moment, a touch reluctant.
Still... "... anticipate them, huh?" Isabeau asks, as she folds her arms. (Carefully, so as not to unseat the kitten.) "I guess that makes sense... only an idiot doesn't realise people can be cruel. So you got him back...?" She wonders, and smiles. "That's great, Mademoiselle." Would she still think it was great if she knew he was dead?! ... well, maybe that depends on whether she figures out he was trying to kill her, first.
She rubs at the side of her arm, then. "My mom..." She starts, and pauses; selects a tense, deliberately. "... she's cool, but she's a total space case, you know? She always wants to try the cool new thing... but when it doesn't make he feel alive, she just drops it like a brick. And I mean, it makes sense, she's not satisfied with 'normal'..." ... which might go a long way to explaining why Isabeau's practicing for two hours a day, "... but I always have to remind her what way's 'up'."
Isabeau looks a little upset, relating that, for some reason.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Cats.
Isabeau does look reluctant. Miho listens, though. A space case... Hmmm. "'Normal' can often feel insufficient," Miho says. "...But there are times in which it becomes important."
"I know someone who focuses more on how things ought to be than how they are, sometimes. It's not quite the same..."
"But given that I have my eyes far off on the horizon, sometimes we both remind each other what's 'up'."
She shakes her head. "I did not mean to pry, in any case. Thank you for your explanation."
Though... is that 'irresponsibility'...? "One's perspective can be at odds with how things are, without even noticing it. ...It's why it's important to come back to 'reality', now and again."
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"For normal people, maybe," Isabeau shakes her head.
(She's not normal people, evidently.)
"But... that's just optimism, right?" Her scowl deepens, as she thinks. "I mean... I guess there's nothing wrong with that. You can't be pessmistic about your abilities, or you'll never win a match."
For some mysterious reason, Isabeau snrks when Miho declares that both her and her mysterious friends are reminding each other what's 'up', though.
She's probably too old to get that slang...
(Miho's only 22, Isabeau!)
(Yeah, so, like, ancient.)
"It's fine," she decides, of Miho prying. "I don't mind that much." Well, she minds a little. But Miho is a trustworthy adult! She's gotta be just as trustworthy as her dad!!!
"The truth matters," Isabeau insists. "People should really be able to do what they say they can do... that's why cheaters make me so mad!" Her anger is slightly undercut by the fact that Patches chooses that instant to chew on her hair. ("Ow, ow, hey...")
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Not normal people. ...Miho doesn't press the issue. Instead, she says, "Not necessarily," of it just being optimism. "But more importantly, as you say; if you assume your goals will fail, you may as well give up in the first place."
Miho is super old. Super old! (No she isn't.)
"Good."
Then, the truth... "They are dishonest," Miho agrees without entirely agreeing, and then smiles, reaching out--to offer her hand to Patches.
"...Let me make that call. We'll see these few sorted."
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"And if you were going to give up, what's the point of trying to begin with?! You're just wasting everyone's time!"
Maybe Isabeau is more bothered by her carefree mother than she claims...
Patches sniffs Miho's hand, and cannot smell the complexity of her truth on her; instead, she smells chocolate, and so licks at her fingers. (It's bad for cats, but it's unlikely there's much marring her pale skin. She's a proper noblewoman, after all.)
"... thanks, Mademoiselle Ijuuin," Isabeau smiles, after a moment's pause as she wrestles with the credit. (Well, at least it's a group project. And Miho's an adult, so of course she can do things Isabeau can't!) "At least Professor Peaches will be okay..."
Today, she can save these cats.
And maybe get out of Monsieur Morita ratting her out to her father...