#mamadearest

Oh my goodness! The poor darling!

Bring him on in, I’ll get Halim and we’ll see what we can do.

- - -

“-this way, don’t mind Mama, she’s spooky but she won’t hurt you. Halim!”

The swinging door to the medbay came open at the shout, and Cell strode quickly towards the primary exam table with their latest rescue. A streak of purple was right on their heel, and when the exhausted kitty bitty was laid down on the cushioned surface of the exam table, he was quickly joined by the massive bulk of the center’s uniquely feline resident. Mama narrowed her sockets at the tattered looking Honey Fold, and for a split second, it looked almost as though she might take exception to having another feline-like being within her chosen territory.

“Ack-!”

“Mama!”

The massive cat-like bitty gave no sign she gave a single heck about the human’s indignant outburst, one delicate handpaw holding the kitty bitty in place while her rough tongue cleaned the worst of the grime from the smaller skeleton’s body. Cell stifled a giggle, shaking their head as they looked over to Halim, who was observing the whole interaction with a small smile.

“Well, I guess we can let her get him cleaned up first... Hey, Mama? When you’re done, could you let Halim know? He still needs some medical attention.”

A huff, and the huge magic cat lifted her head just long enough to regard both human and lamia with a bored look before nodding, then set back to bathing the kitty bitty that seemed to have resigned to his fate for the time being.

Cell heaved a weary sigh, looking from the hastily scribbled note to the box cradled in their off hand. It was obvious the bitty inside had been trying to claw their way out, the cardboard poked through in places and the top warped out of shape from having been hit several times. They’d found it toppled over on its side, nearly tipping over the front steps.

Padding steps drew their attention downward, finding the large purple furred feline form of Mama looking quizzically up at them.

“They’re a Yanyan, Mama.”

Pale eyelights flickered in a blink, the feline bitty twitching an ear to show she was listening.

“I don’t know how well a Yanyan will do here, Mama, I can’t given them that kind of individual attention…”

Dark eyes turned back to the note.

“They’ve already turned to violence, if this note is to be believed. Rat poison, apparently. I can’t let them wander loose, they could hurt the others…”

A low grumbling noise from the feline, and Cell crouched down, tucking the note into their jacket pocket to gently stroke a few fingers through the warmth of Mama’s furry mane. The Maine Coon sized bitty stiffened at first, then leaned into the gentle contact, eyelights flitting from the human to the box and back.

“…name.”

The feline bitty’s voice was little more than a gravely rasp, quiet enough that one really had to listen to understand her. Cell blinked, a brow quirking.

“Hmm?”

“Name. In box.”

“In- Oh, uh, the note said the Yanyan’s name is Princess. Dunno what that means for their pronouns, or if they even care…”

“Priiincesss… Bad?”

Cell shrugged, still petting that soft magical fur.

“I dunno, Mama. They tried to kill a baby just cause they weren’t getting the attention they needed. But I can’t think of them as bad, because Yanyans are known to be dramatic attention hoarders. Their caretakers had to have known that when they got them, I read up on the original creator, they had so many warning on that website…”

A low growl, and Cell gave a startled oof as they were abruptly knocked back onto their rear from Mama turning to climb up into their lap, the box only just kept from being knocked from their hand. The feline bitty sat up on her hind legs, grabbing the box with her raccoon-like forepaws and ripping it open before her human could protest.

The Yanyan inside was just as the note described, skull visibly cracked on one side in a spider web sort of pattern, eyelights bright and angry. Shock flickered over the bitty’s features at seeing the bony face surrounded by deep purple fur, before Princess tried to sit up, a small hand to their chest in an imperious manner.

“It’s about time you wretched- Ah!”

“Mama!”

Mama pulled her head from the shredded box, the Yanyan held with great care in her fanged maw. The bitty seemed to be too scared and disoriented to do more than stare, tiny hands gripping at a bony jaw. Cell let out a sigh, a tiny smile twitching at their lips.

“Yours now?”

Mam’s eyelights brightened, a low purr rumbling out of her.

“Mine now.”

Cell stroked the feline bitty’s ear, smile growing as they looked to Princess.

“Make sure to take Princess to Halim and get that crack checked out, then I’ll leave them in your capable care. Princess, this is Mama. I promise you, you’ll never ever be wanting for affection as part of her litter.”

MAMA DO A BLAST!

When the Cell gets a chance to go whole hog on a project, fancy lighting happens! Also, I think this is my first ever fully completed drawing of Mama, which is weird to me, since she’s one of my most unique characters here on the blog.

Mama found them first, taking her usual morning stroll along the perimeter of the house, and by the time Cell came downstairs to check for mail a couple hours later, the large purple feline had peeled open both boxes with her claws and sat curled atop the bone pile with a blanket dragged from the other box slowly making her way through a pile of the biscuit treats. She gave the human a toothy grin, purring contentedly, and Cell didn’t have the heart to be irritated as they crouched down to gently pet the feline hybrid’s soft ears.

“I’ll let you get away with it this time, Mama, but next time, if you’d please come and get me or Key?”

Not celebrated on this blog, in this space, nor in this Sanctuary.

Never have, never will.

We've got too many folks who've been through too much to be submitted to the torment of the mean spirited pranks that so often occur on this date. Anybody who has any problems with that can take it up with the thirty pound magic cat-beast who can fire a high powered laser out of her face strong enough to blast a hole through most cars.