Maybe a drabble of a King meeting a Blindberry?
Blind Sided
The Kings did not refer to the feral cat colony living in the alley next to the shop as a cat problem, and they certainly disapproved when other people referred to it that way. The Kings made sure that the cats were fed and protected. They also organized a catch and release effort so that the cats in the alley could receive necessary medical care and spay/neuter procedures. The cats of the colony were better cared for than some indoor cats, and caused no problems except constantly melting the hearts of Kings living in the shop.
One warm summer morning after a thunderstorm, one of the Kings slithered outside to check on the felines. As soon as he passed through the door into the alley, he heard the sound of teeny tiny shouting. Cats make a wide variety of noises, but they aren’t (usually) capable of human speech. The words cut off into a deafening screech of terror and pain. Following the shrieks, the King found one of the feral cats with a strange bitty clutched in its jaws.
Darting forward, the King blocked the cat’s escape from the alley. Firmly but gently he grabbed hold of the bitty, petting the cat to calm it while he carefully extracted the bitty from the danger zone. Reaching into a pouch at his waist, the King offered the cat a few treats as a thank you for being patient and giving up its prey. The cat sneezed haughtily and walked away with its tail high in the air, making it very clear that both the King and the bitty he had rescued were not worth its attention.
The King lifted his hands, peering at the bitty who trembled in his grasp. At first, he mistook the small creature for a Brassberry bitty… until he noticed the cloth covering its eyes. He’d never met a Blindberry before, but he recognized the timid bitty from descriptions he’d heard. Since the bitty wouldn’t be able to tell on his own if the danger had passed, the King whispered reassurances to him as he carried him into the shop.
When the King tried to place the terrified bitty onto the examining table so the Nurse Papythons could check him for injuries, the Blindberry clung to his hands with a vice-like grip. No amount of comforting words could dislodge him, and the King’s SOUL warmed at the thought of being such a trusted protector. The Nurse Papythons treated the Blindberry for a few cuts and scrapes with their green magic, but thankfully, he had no serious injuries from his kitty encounter.
The Blindberry nudged the King’s hand as they left the Infirmary. When the King leaned his head down to listen, the Blindberry informed him that he was hungry, starving actually. Absently rubbing the Blindberry’s itsy bitsy back, the King slithered into the storage pantry to find a snack for his new tiny charge. When asked about his favorite foods, the Blindberry rattled off a short list of baked goods, candies, and meat- all items that Vex kept on hand in the shop.
The King selected a cupcake and a slice of ham, both of which were nearly as large as the Blindberry himself, and carried the smaller bitty to his nest to eat in safety and comfort. The Blindberry ate until the King worried that he might explode. After the meal, the Blindberry yawned hugely, and the King offered to get him some blankets and pillows to sleep on. The Blindberry shook his head emphatically.
“I want to stay with you!” the Blindberry declared, and the King didn’t argue. He liked this bitty. The Blindberry reminded him of a cute little kitten.
In the days that followed, the Blindberry ran around exploring the shop with the helpful King slithering along behind him, warning him of any obstacles in his path. The King folded his scarf into a carrying pouch for the Blindberry whenever the bitty wore himself out. Each night, the King curled himself in a circle around the Blindberry to prevent him from wandering off and getting lost or injured.
The Blindberry had been living in the shop for over a week when the King overheard Vex mentioning a Blindberry over the phone.
“-found a Blindberry in the alley. It might be the one you’re looking for,” Vex said to the caller. Spotting the King, she waved him over. The Blindberry kept one hand pressed to the King’s tail while Vex explained the situation to them. A bitty rescue center was calling other bitty shops in the area to help a distraught owner track down their lost Blindberry. Vex described the owner, and the Blindberry spoke up.
“That’s my owner!”
Vex passed the information to the caller, and the King’s large body drooped a bit. The Blindberry had an owner who was looking for him. He was going to leave, to go home. The King felt happy that the two would be reunited, but he would miss the Blindberry’s company. The Blindberry patted the King’s scaly tail until the much larger bitty picked him up. The Blindberry curled up and fell asleep nuzzling his temporary caretaker’s hands.
The owner burst into the shop a few hours later like a cyclone, tension subsiding into relief when they saw the King standing at the front desk with their missing Blindberry in his cupped hands.
“Oh stars, thank you for finding him! A branch fell and broke one of our windows during the thunderstorm, and my poor little guy got disoriented and wandered outside. I’m just so glad he’s alright,” the owner babbled breathlessly, reaching for their Blindberry.
The Blindberry awoke with a massive yawn, stretching like one of the cats who’d almost dusted him. He recognized his owner’s voice immediately and leapt to his little feet. When they touched him to let him know that they were close, he purred softly, then latched onto the King’s long phalanges. Though his owner tugged him gently, the Blindberry refused to relinquish his hold.
With an exasperated sigh, the owner looked the King up and down.
“I don’t suppose you’re interested in coming home with us? I’d actually appreciate having someone around to help keep an eye on him, especially when I’m not home,” they offered, and the King would’ve jumped for joy if it wasn’t so undignified. The Blindberry had no such reservations involving dignity, and shouted loudly with joy, dancing around in the King’s hands.
The happy reunion became a happy adoption and an even happier homecoming.
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