Drac Ch21
#21 of Drac
'Ten Twenty fifty!' Dienza sang as he jumped from one side of the living room to the other, strumming his guitar heavily. The riff he played was the same he'd been practicing most of the morning, before and after his game with Val and the micen. It had evolved a little since then, but the essence was the same. Once he could get it down pat, he'd write it down and use it in a song. Val was sleeping on the bed in the next room despite the noise he was making, and after a few more runs through the riff Dienza decided he was ready for a rest as well. He wished he had bought himself a couch, but for the time being he'd just have to make do with the office chair he'd brought with him from home. The desk he'd had in his room there was now in the living room here, with it and his bookcase the only pieces of furniture in the room. 'I need to go shopping.' He muttered in the same rhythm he'd just been practicing, his body still swaying in time as he took a step around to face his bedroom. Movement caught his eye and he looked down to see a micen on the bottom shelf of his bookcase, standing between two piles of CD covers he'd left down there. It was a small one, almost definitely juvenile. It faced away from him and to his amusement, seemed to be dancing in a similar matter to him. 'Hi there.' Dienza grinned, dropping to his knees and leaning a little bit closer. The micen ignored him and kept dancing, perfectly mimicking his earlier movements as it pretended to play a guitar. It jumped and spun in mid-air, freezing in place as it landed facing him and saw him staring down. It was a female, a young girl that looked barely two months old. Her fur was a pale grey, almost white with no markings and her hair was a short cut light blue. Dienza smiled slowly, causing the girl to smile back and mimic playing guitar once again before pointing up at him. 'You want me to play more?' He asked. 'No, I'm done for today.' The girl repeated the gesture, staring up at him with big deep blue eyes and smiling expectantly. 'Are you deaf?' Dienza shook his head. 'Run along kid, my friend might be hungry when she wakes up okay? Scoot.' He leaned his hand down and gave her a light tap with his finger to spur her to move. To his shock she grabbed hold of his finger tight and hugged herself close, giggling to herself in a way that sounded like... Like a normal mouse squeaking. Dienza lifted her up, holding her softly between two fingers and brought his other hand up behind her just outside her field of vision. He clicked his fingers loudly and watched her closely. Her ears didn't twitch, in fact there was no reaction at all. 'Oh wow... You actually are deaf...' Dienza murmured, now realizing that if she was deaf at this age, she was likely born this way. He looked around the room, then across the shelves of his bookcase for any sign of other micen around. There were none. In a sad way it made sense. Micen may not have the resources or patience to try and figure out how to teach a deaf micen anything, and even if they did she would always be a liability to them. Still, two months old or thereabouts. Someone must have tried or else the girl was just extremely lucky. The leona stood and carried her into his bedroom, sparing a glance to Val's still sleeping form before taking his guitar off and setting it against the wall in the corner next to the doorway. 'Val!' He called. 'Wake up, check this out.' 'Hrrnnn...' Val stirred and stood up wobbly on the mattress. 'It's too soon for another micen. I can still feel bones in my gut from the last one.' 'Not food, this one's deaf.' Dienza replied, setting the girl down on the mattress and kneeling beside the bed. 'She was watching me play and dancing along. It was funny. She couldn't hear a thing, she just wanted to dance because I was.' 'That's silly.' Val rolled her eyes but still smiled at the thought. 'Well what are you gonna do with her?' The rattis watched as the micen tried to stand on the soft surface, looking down and trying to make sense of why her feet were sinking into the soft ground under her feet. After a few tenuous steps she had figured it out and smiled to herself like a child that had just been given a huge pile of candy. 'I dunno.' Dienza shrugged, smiling as well and leaning his head on the mattress. 'I just-' He was interrupted as the girl squeaked excitedly and ran over to him, jumping onto his muzzle and trying to hug him. Her face was a visage of pure adoration, as though Dienza was the first person to give this level of attention in what could have been her whole life. 'Oh that's...' Val stifled a laugh. 'This is... friggin adorable.' Dienza laughed, lifting his head a little and rolling it so the micen fell back onto the mattress. She responded by standing up and diving back onto him, digging her feet between his lips and clinging to his fur to get herself back up and sat on the edge of his nose. 'You look ridiculous.' Val laughed. 'But look!' Dienza replied, scooping the girl into his hand and rubbing his cheek over her. 'She likes me. Can I keep her Val? Can I can I can I?' 'I thought you were supposed to be the mature one.' Val smirked. 'What are you gonna do with her?' 'I... I don't know.' He shrugged. 'But I look at her, this helpless little furball and it reminds me of that time I saved another helpless little furball.' 'Aww.' Val blushed. 'Don't play me like that.' 'I'm just being cute.' Dienza grinned, pulling Val close and giving her forehead a kiss. 'You don't actually get a say in this.'
Late afternoon rolled around and Dienza realized he was losing time to visit his mother if he still planned to. He returned to the living room to pick up his phone from the desk where he'd left it when the doorbell rang. Forgetting his phone for the moment he rounded through the kitchen and opened the door. Nereen stood there in jeans and a hooded jumper he didn't know she'd owned. 'Hi there.' She smiled. 'Ma, I was just about to call you.' Dienza smiled back, stepping aside and letting her in. 'I got a bit distracted earlier with this...' 'A pretty girl?' Nereen responded teasingly. 'No, a tiny cute one.' Dienza closed the door and followed Nereen to the table. 'I was doing a bit of practice earlier and there was this little micen watching me and dancing. I figured out that she's deaf. Really young too. I've been trying to teach her at least some basics.' 'Oh that's so cute!' Nereen giggled. 'How's it going?' 'She's about as responsive as an idiot puppy.' Dienza replied. 'All she wants to do is dance and hug. Val thinks it's hilarious.' 'Can I see?' Nereen asked. 'Sure.' He nodded. 'I'll go get them.' As he made his way back to the living room, Nereen took a seat at the table. He returned to the bedroom and found Val with a small smile and blush resting on her side with the micen girl snuggled into her chest. 'She's so... completely fearless.' Val murmured. 'It's as if she was never even taught how to be afraid.' 'Is fear taught? Or instinct?' Dienza cocked his head. 'Ehh, I'll figure it out later. Ma's here, she wants to see the little idiot. You come and say hi as well.' 'Alright.' Val cradled the micen in her arms as Dienza lifted her up in his. Once they returned to the kitchen they saw Nereen leaning over the counter. She had trapped a micen who had emerged thinking Dienza was alone when he left the room, and now she had it backing towards the sink. 'Who's this?' Dienza asked. 'Ma, you hunting again?' 'I never stopped hunting.' Nereen replied. 'You know, just in case.' Her quarry was an elderly looking micen with grey fur and tattered green clothes. He turned towards Dienza and his eyes widened even further. 'Wow...' The younger leona remarked. 'You look like you've seen some scary shit.' 'I-I have.' The micen replied. 'Are you... Are you the new tenant?' 'Yes.' Dienza replied, setting Val and the micen girl down on the table. 'Who are you?' 'I'm Cerrik.' The micen replied with a small bow. 'I'm the... leader of the micen colony in this apartment. I represent Markep to other colonies and... other parties. I was told you wanted to meet with me? Forgive my fear, the lady caught me by surprise. I was told you were a male leona.' 'And I am.' Dienza smirked. 'Well Cerrik, you picked a bad time. Feel free to wait around but I have to give this time to Ma.' 'I understand.' Cerrik nodded again. 'I'll be close to an exit, just call when you are ready for me.' Dienza responded with a simple thumbs up and turned back to the table as Cerrik ran back across the counter into a hole in the wall. Nereen looked back at him, Val curled up on her shoulder and the micen girl was on her muzzle. Nereen tried not to laugh as the girl squeaked and puffed out her chest proudly, seemingly very impressed with her spot on her new friend's nose. 'This one is absolutely adorable.' Nereen said softly. 'And you're right, she's completely deaf.' 'That figures.' Dienza nodded, taking a seat across the table. 'Yet again, the thing I rescue ends up liking my mother more than me.' 'Then stop pretending to be tough and just be the big softy you are.' Nereen retorted. She gently scooped the girl off her muzzle and held her where she could look her over. 'What have you named her?' 'I haven't yet, but I was thinking of Scrambles.' He replied. 'On account of it describes her brain functions pretty well.' Nereen brought Scrambles close to her lips and softly kissed the girl's forehead. An excited squeak rang out and the girl pressed herself against the woman's lips for another kiss. Nereen blushed and kissed again, and this time Scrambles tried to kiss her back, almost pushing her face into Nereen's mouth. 'Well...' Nereen pulled the micen away and unconsciously licked her lips. 'She certainly is an affectionate little thing.' She set Scrambles down on the table and the young girl made a dash for Dienza. He caught her in one hand and lifted her up to his shoulder. She nuzzled herself into the soft fur and clung to him tight. 'That she is.' Dienza nodded. 'Did you have anything to eat yet?' 'I had a light dinner before I came over.' Nereen nodded. 'What about you?' 'Not yet.' He shook his head. 'I guess I'll sort something out soon.' He ran his fingers over Scrambles' back and she shivered and squeaked happily.
The next hour seemed to go quicker as mother and son talked about the day they'd both had. Nereen had been reorganizing the house somewhat and made the offer for Dienza to take the sofa from home, as she intended to replace it with a single armchair. He agreed, reasoning that it would save him the immediate expense and that he could always replace it when he had the money to spare. With a little more catching up after that, Nereen decided to leave for home before it got too dark. She said her goodbyes and left, pulling her hood over her head and looking like someone half her age as she left the building. Though he wouldn't admit it, Dienza could not shake the feeling he'd gotten from her. She was troubled by something, and she'd never tell him what it was. The rest of his evening was spent with Val and Scrambles as the leona did his best to focus on his life's positives.