Leslie_The_Author
Leslie :3
I've been wanting to share some writing I did about a year ago. I posted it on AO3, but it hasn't really been seen by anyone. So I figured I'd share it here! There's two parts to it right now, but I'm working on the third part (an entire year after writing the second), as well as rewriting the first part from Melody's perspective. Anyway, criticism is welcome and encouraged! Without further ado, I present:
Stray Notes: A (Technically) Non-Canon Story About How Melody And Cream Met (That I Wrote A Year Ago)
Max never did like the rain. It was cold and wet, neither of which were things the neko boy particularly cared for. It also served as a reminder that the terrifying sound of thunder was fast approaching. With no roof over his head, the sounds were not muffled, and the rain was pelting his body whenever he couldn’t find shelter. He shouldn’t be out in this weather. He should be at home, on his mattress, curled up and hiding from…
“Ahhh… ACHOO!” The catboy’s own sneeze snapped him out of his thoughts. Shivering, he made his way down the sidewalk before ducking into an alleyway with such a large amount of cardboard boxes that it would be suspicious to anyone else. But to Max, this was home now. Kneeling down in front of a tall box, the catboy pulled the flaps open and climbed inside. He had managed to find a few old blankets that had been thrown out, and used one as a makeshift pillow while using the other to cover his body. Pulling the box flaps closed, he curled up and tried to rest his eyes. They were still burning from having a drink thrown at him earlier, but he had done the best he could to clean them out with rainwater. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t get sick.
“...so stupid. Why would anyone refuse to hire someone just because they haven’t had a job before? Yeah, no, I get it. They prefer people with experience. No, I understand, really. I’m just frustrated that they did that to you. Who cancels a person’s interview because they found someone more experienced for an entry level job?” Max’s ears perked up as he heard someone walking down the alley. Looking out of a hole in the box, he spotted a woman who seemed to be on the phone. Putting a little more pressure on the box, he put his eye up right against the hole. However, the extra pressure caused the box to slightly tear, which resulted in the woman stopping dead in her tracks before looking over at where the noise originated. “Hey, I’m gonna have to call you back. Yeah, you too. Bye.” Max watched as the woman put her phone into her pocket before walking over to the box. The catboy tried to move slowly from the hole, so as to not get the woman’s attention, but that didn’t work. There were a few taps on the top of the box, followed by a, “Hello? Is someone in there?”
Taking a deep breath, Max pulled his hood over his head and slowly poked his head up, opening the box from inside. Clearing his throat quietly, he looked up at the woman standing in front of him. “Hello ma’am… Did you need something?”
“Well, no. But I am wondering if you’re alright. What are you doing out here in the rain, let alone in a box? And please, call me Melody. We seem to be around the same age, so I don’t see why you’d need to call me ma’am.”
Slumping down ever so slightly, Max crossed his arms, preferring that to having them dangle at his sides. “Well, you see ma’am,” he began, still trying to be respectful and not call her by her first name, “I’m out here because I was kicked out of my home. But I’m getting by just fine ma’am, don’t you worry about me. I would hate to keep you from getting to wherever you’re going.”
A few moments passed before Melody spoke again, this time quietly. “I see. Would you like to come and wait out the storm at my place? It’s supposed to get worse, and I’d hate to leave you here in the cold. Maybe we could even get you something to eat. I don’t mean to sound rude, but it sure seems like you need it.”
Max did in fact need it. He already hadn’t eaten in days, unless you count leftover food that got tossed in the dumpster from the cafe down the block. He hesitated for a few long moments. Best case scenario, he gets some food and a warm place to take shelter for a few hours. Worst case scenario… Well, he didn’t want to think about that. Taking another deep breath, the catboy nodded.
Seeing that Max couldn’t say anything at that point, Melody gave him a big, warm, comforting smile. “Wonderful! Here, let me help you up.” Max watched as Melody extended her hand to him, very carefully putting his hand out as well. Gently, Melody pulled Max to his feet. “Now, my house is just this way. Follow me. Oh, and you can hold my hand if you’d like.”
Max’s face flushed, but he grabbed Melody’s hand anyway. His heart beating fast, he had to take a few deep breaths to stop himself from freaking out or freezing up. He had to keep checking his own breathing the entire way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later, Melody’s front door was pulled open and the two entered. Max was hesitant, stopping to look at Melody for permission first. After a warm smile and some encouragement, the catboy stepped inside. It was warm, and the scent of pumpkin wafted through the air. It was evident that Melody enjoyed the smell of candles, and that put a small smile on Max’s face.
“I can get your sweater if you’d like. It looks absolutely soaked. You should probably take it off, you might catch a cold.” Melody’s voice made Max jump, and the catboy spun around and shook his head. He couldn’t take his sweater off, he had nothing else to cover his head! “Oh come on, bud. You’re gonna get sick. If you aren’t already. Your eyes look really red. Come on, give it here. I can run it through my dryer, and then I’ll give it straight back. I promise.”
Max thought for a moment. It seemed he wasn’t going to get out of this. He didn’t want the situation to escalate, even though it seemed like Melody wouldn’t get aggressive with him. Taking a few deep breaths this time, he shakily motioned for Melody to turn around, hoping she’d listen. Maybe he could convince her not to look at him without the sweater on.
“Oh, you don’t want me to look? Okay, I understand.” Melody turned to face the wall, giving Max a bit of privacy as he removed his sweater. Raising his hand to tap Melody on the shoulder, he hesitated. His ears and tail weren’t covered anymore. She might be upset at him for not telling her before. She could be like all those other people. Shaking, the catboy’s legs gave out as he fell to his knees. The sudden thud made Melody spin back around, only to see Max on the floor crying, and holding the balled up sweater in front of him. At first, she didn’t even seem to notice why Max was crying.
“Oh, poor bud. Are you that reluctant to give up the sweater? I was only concerned for your wellbeing. If you don’t want me to take it and dry it, I won’t. I want to make sure you’re as comfortable… as… um…” Max blinked away tears to see Melody looking at him strangely. She didn’t even have to say anything, he already knew that she noticed his ears and tail. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the worst.
But the worst never came. He felt a gentle hand touch his head and when he flinched, the hand pulled away quickly. Opening one of his eyes, he saw Melody with a concerned look on her face. That… wasn’t what he was expecting. He was expecting anger. Still tense, he slowly opened his other eye and looked up at the woman in front of him as she spoke.
“Are you… I mean, um, what’s… Ugh, I don’t know what to ask. You’re very obviously not okay, and I doubt you’d answer what’s wrong. I mean, the answer seems pretty obvious too. I, um… Let’s get that sweater dry, okay? Go ahead and go sit on the couch, and I can make something for you to eat. Do you like fish? I mean, I’m so sorry. Is that offensive? I’ve never, you know, really spent any time with nekos before. I don’t want to offend you, um… Oh my god. I never asked you what your name was."
Max’s ears fell flat back against his head. He kept his mouth shut and looked down. The less information he gave, the safer he was.
Melody sighed. “Okay bud, how about for the time being, I call youuu… Cream? You know, because of the colour of your hair? And, uh, fur? How does that sound?” Cream. Max thought for a moment. A new name, even if it was temporary, would help him feel a bit more comfortable. He nodded. A smile slowly began to form on Cream’s face, which resulted in a gentle hand on his head from Melody. “Good, um… Good kitty…?” Those words, as unfamiliar as they felt to the catboy, encouraged him to let out a soft purr. Cream wasn’t as tense anymore, as Melody gained a bit of confidence and moved her hand behind one of Cream’s cat ears and began to gently scritch. The neko’s eyes slowly closed as his purring grew louder. “Aw… You needed this, didn’t you Cream?” The catboy’s purring grew louder for only a moment in response.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe now, okay? You can stay with me, because you are definitely not going back out onto the streets if I have anything to say about it. Don’t worry about anything, okay? We can just focus on getting you back on your feet. Now, let’s get you off the floor and make you something to eat. I know I’m hungry!”
Stray Notes: A (Technically) Non-Canon Story About How Melody And Cream Met (That I Wrote A Year Ago)
Max never did like the rain. It was cold and wet, neither of which were things the neko boy particularly cared for. It also served as a reminder that the terrifying sound of thunder was fast approaching. With no roof over his head, the sounds were not muffled, and the rain was pelting his body whenever he couldn’t find shelter. He shouldn’t be out in this weather. He should be at home, on his mattress, curled up and hiding from…
“Ahhh… ACHOO!” The catboy’s own sneeze snapped him out of his thoughts. Shivering, he made his way down the sidewalk before ducking into an alleyway with such a large amount of cardboard boxes that it would be suspicious to anyone else. But to Max, this was home now. Kneeling down in front of a tall box, the catboy pulled the flaps open and climbed inside. He had managed to find a few old blankets that had been thrown out, and used one as a makeshift pillow while using the other to cover his body. Pulling the box flaps closed, he curled up and tried to rest his eyes. They were still burning from having a drink thrown at him earlier, but he had done the best he could to clean them out with rainwater. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t get sick.
“...so stupid. Why would anyone refuse to hire someone just because they haven’t had a job before? Yeah, no, I get it. They prefer people with experience. No, I understand, really. I’m just frustrated that they did that to you. Who cancels a person’s interview because they found someone more experienced for an entry level job?” Max’s ears perked up as he heard someone walking down the alley. Looking out of a hole in the box, he spotted a woman who seemed to be on the phone. Putting a little more pressure on the box, he put his eye up right against the hole. However, the extra pressure caused the box to slightly tear, which resulted in the woman stopping dead in her tracks before looking over at where the noise originated. “Hey, I’m gonna have to call you back. Yeah, you too. Bye.” Max watched as the woman put her phone into her pocket before walking over to the box. The catboy tried to move slowly from the hole, so as to not get the woman’s attention, but that didn’t work. There were a few taps on the top of the box, followed by a, “Hello? Is someone in there?”
Taking a deep breath, Max pulled his hood over his head and slowly poked his head up, opening the box from inside. Clearing his throat quietly, he looked up at the woman standing in front of him. “Hello ma’am… Did you need something?”
“Well, no. But I am wondering if you’re alright. What are you doing out here in the rain, let alone in a box? And please, call me Melody. We seem to be around the same age, so I don’t see why you’d need to call me ma’am.”
Slumping down ever so slightly, Max crossed his arms, preferring that to having them dangle at his sides. “Well, you see ma’am,” he began, still trying to be respectful and not call her by her first name, “I’m out here because I was kicked out of my home. But I’m getting by just fine ma’am, don’t you worry about me. I would hate to keep you from getting to wherever you’re going.”
A few moments passed before Melody spoke again, this time quietly. “I see. Would you like to come and wait out the storm at my place? It’s supposed to get worse, and I’d hate to leave you here in the cold. Maybe we could even get you something to eat. I don’t mean to sound rude, but it sure seems like you need it.”
Max did in fact need it. He already hadn’t eaten in days, unless you count leftover food that got tossed in the dumpster from the cafe down the block. He hesitated for a few long moments. Best case scenario, he gets some food and a warm place to take shelter for a few hours. Worst case scenario… Well, he didn’t want to think about that. Taking another deep breath, the catboy nodded.
Seeing that Max couldn’t say anything at that point, Melody gave him a big, warm, comforting smile. “Wonderful! Here, let me help you up.” Max watched as Melody extended her hand to him, very carefully putting his hand out as well. Gently, Melody pulled Max to his feet. “Now, my house is just this way. Follow me. Oh, and you can hold my hand if you’d like.”
Max’s face flushed, but he grabbed Melody’s hand anyway. His heart beating fast, he had to take a few deep breaths to stop himself from freaking out or freezing up. He had to keep checking his own breathing the entire way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later, Melody’s front door was pulled open and the two entered. Max was hesitant, stopping to look at Melody for permission first. After a warm smile and some encouragement, the catboy stepped inside. It was warm, and the scent of pumpkin wafted through the air. It was evident that Melody enjoyed the smell of candles, and that put a small smile on Max’s face.
“I can get your sweater if you’d like. It looks absolutely soaked. You should probably take it off, you might catch a cold.” Melody’s voice made Max jump, and the catboy spun around and shook his head. He couldn’t take his sweater off, he had nothing else to cover his head! “Oh come on, bud. You’re gonna get sick. If you aren’t already. Your eyes look really red. Come on, give it here. I can run it through my dryer, and then I’ll give it straight back. I promise.”
Max thought for a moment. It seemed he wasn’t going to get out of this. He didn’t want the situation to escalate, even though it seemed like Melody wouldn’t get aggressive with him. Taking a few deep breaths this time, he shakily motioned for Melody to turn around, hoping she’d listen. Maybe he could convince her not to look at him without the sweater on.
“Oh, you don’t want me to look? Okay, I understand.” Melody turned to face the wall, giving Max a bit of privacy as he removed his sweater. Raising his hand to tap Melody on the shoulder, he hesitated. His ears and tail weren’t covered anymore. She might be upset at him for not telling her before. She could be like all those other people. Shaking, the catboy’s legs gave out as he fell to his knees. The sudden thud made Melody spin back around, only to see Max on the floor crying, and holding the balled up sweater in front of him. At first, she didn’t even seem to notice why Max was crying.
“Oh, poor bud. Are you that reluctant to give up the sweater? I was only concerned for your wellbeing. If you don’t want me to take it and dry it, I won’t. I want to make sure you’re as comfortable… as… um…” Max blinked away tears to see Melody looking at him strangely. She didn’t even have to say anything, he already knew that she noticed his ears and tail. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the worst.
But the worst never came. He felt a gentle hand touch his head and when he flinched, the hand pulled away quickly. Opening one of his eyes, he saw Melody with a concerned look on her face. That… wasn’t what he was expecting. He was expecting anger. Still tense, he slowly opened his other eye and looked up at the woman in front of him as she spoke.
“Are you… I mean, um, what’s… Ugh, I don’t know what to ask. You’re very obviously not okay, and I doubt you’d answer what’s wrong. I mean, the answer seems pretty obvious too. I, um… Let’s get that sweater dry, okay? Go ahead and go sit on the couch, and I can make something for you to eat. Do you like fish? I mean, I’m so sorry. Is that offensive? I’ve never, you know, really spent any time with nekos before. I don’t want to offend you, um… Oh my god. I never asked you what your name was."
Max’s ears fell flat back against his head. He kept his mouth shut and looked down. The less information he gave, the safer he was.
Melody sighed. “Okay bud, how about for the time being, I call youuu… Cream? You know, because of the colour of your hair? And, uh, fur? How does that sound?” Cream. Max thought for a moment. A new name, even if it was temporary, would help him feel a bit more comfortable. He nodded. A smile slowly began to form on Cream’s face, which resulted in a gentle hand on his head from Melody. “Good, um… Good kitty…?” Those words, as unfamiliar as they felt to the catboy, encouraged him to let out a soft purr. Cream wasn’t as tense anymore, as Melody gained a bit of confidence and moved her hand behind one of Cream’s cat ears and began to gently scritch. The neko’s eyes slowly closed as his purring grew louder. “Aw… You needed this, didn’t you Cream?” The catboy’s purring grew louder for only a moment in response.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe now, okay? You can stay with me, because you are definitely not going back out onto the streets if I have anything to say about it. Don’t worry about anything, okay? We can just focus on getting you back on your feet. Now, let’s get you off the floor and make you something to eat. I know I’m hungry!”