an unfortunate change in genre

Part 22

Roksu had a bad habit of feeding strays.

It wasn't that he was the soppy emotional type or anything, he just had money in abundance and a limited amount he could spend all of that liquidity on before he grew bored. Of course Roksu was more than happy to stash money for his retirement, a fund that grew by the day and dramatically every time he ventured on a quest.

Looting from evil bastards while bringing their organization down around them was just always so satisfying.

He wasn't a saint and he wasn't going to save anyone. But he could afford to feed strays here and there.

His most frequent customers were a pair of cats he'd run into a few months ago on his way back from seeing Billos.

A red cat and a gray cat, both with large yellow eyes that looked up at him with the calculation of a beggar. Cale admired their hustle. He wasn't one to embrace something so cliche as helping stray cats, at least in his own mind, but you couldn't help but one couldn't help but reward that sort of ambitious zeal.

It was easy enough to buy them some food and leave before the cats had an opportunity to grow attached. Roksu had felt at the time that he'd managed the situation quite well.

The cats had a bit more keenness than he was anticipating however and after only a few chance run-ins where he gave the strays a quick meal, it quickly became a fact of life that he wouldn't be able to make it anywhere in the city without 'accidentally' running into them.

And once there were sure that they wouldn't be chased off, the cheeky pair even started to creep at Roksu's window and beg with those same big yellow eyes that seemed to be saying 'we know you're going to feed us, you know you're going to feed us, stop pretending to sleep or we'll get louder'.

It wasn't long before they had become Roksu's unofficial 'guests'. A kitty area prepared in the corner of Roksu's room courtesy of an enthusiastic butler and an open window that welcomed them any time of day.

Not that the cats spent much time in their designated zone. They preferred to crowd into Roksu's space and meow insistently at him when he went too many hours without eating.

Cale approved of the cats immediately upon learning that fact.

The pair were certainly too smart to be normal cats, Roksu knew that well enough after spending time with them but as to their actual identities he decided quite firmly that he both didn't want to know and it was very much not his problem.

The cat children could do what they wanted so far as Roksu was concerned. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Deputy Butler Hans did make a nuisance of himself though. He was actually very capable and useful and he watched over the kittens without any complaint at all. Happily doting on them without ever having been asked to do so.

Really, the only annoying part was how verbose the man was. He shared his opinion with Roksu more than most servants would dare and even had a few sarcastic statements that had Roksu wondering how he could get away with this.

Well, it wasn't like Roksu was going to complain about a servant speaking out of turn. He might have had fourteen years living as a noble child in a fantasy universe with a caste system but he'd spent thirty-six years in modern day South Korea before that.

He knew well enough to know that there were still people expected to 'know their place' even in modern times. He also had the sensibilities to know that was dumb.

So he let Hans run his mouth and the cats nag him about eating and sleeping regularly and Ron serve him sour lemonade and Beacrox to make his presence known in unexpected times and he lived peacefully.