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“Alright, what about this one! He's cute.”
Anise points toward a black cat, sleeping lazily in the corner of its confinement. Cassio stood back, still trying to get a good look at all the cats in the shelter before setting her eyes on one.
“You're just saying that because he's black. Look at him, he's literally licking his balls right now.”
“Can't a man lick his balls without persecution from unwanted audiences? You hate him because he lives a simple life, Cash.”
Cassio stares at her with a deadpan expression until she realizes how stupid she looks and finally moves on to the next enclosure.
“Fine, what about this one? Looks pretty soft.”
Anise taps the plexiglass separating them from a calico with long hair, raising its sleepy head to look out at them.
“It also looks pretty hard to groom. Do you know how much long-haired cats shed? A lot.”
Anise rolls her eyes, but is yet to give up on finding a suitable pet. Cash knew she was being a little picky; in truth, she thought all of them were absolutely adorable, but she could only pick one, and it had to be the right one. She wanted to make sure the cat would even like her before she just carted it away in her beat up Malibu.
Anise motioned for her to come take a look at another one, a young brown tabby. It looked at Anise curiously, pawing at the glass to meet her fingertips, becoming even more interested when Cassio's face came into view. When she touched her fingertip to the glass it tried to lick her hand, looking puzzled when it was stopped by the plexiglass separating them.
“What about her? She's kinda stupid but it looks like she likes you.”
“Wow, she's just like you, no wonder you want me to get her,” She says, tapping her fingertips on the glass and watching as the cat tried to meet its paws to each one, ignoring Anise as she rolled her eyes.
“She is cute, I'll admit. I like her stupid face.”
“I'll ask the desk guy if you can meet her outside her cage.”
She waits a few minutes for Anise to get back with the shelter associate, who helps get the tabby out of her cage and into the playroom so they can meet her.
They both quickly realize that yes, this cat is exactly as dumb as it looks, and just as kind, too. First and foremost, it's eyes go damn near two different directions, they're constantly dilated, and she's likely nearsighted or something with the way she keeps running into things. She also loves to be pet, and keeps trying to hop onto Cash's lap, but apparently she's a shitty jumper, too. Her chin goes forward just slightly, making it look like she’s smiling.
Unfortunately, she's perfect, and she will be going home without a shadow of a doubt, and if anything ever happens to her Cash will cry her heart out, and by now it's too late to leave without her.
“What're you gonna name her?” Anise asks, waving a toy in front of her face that she continuously fails to swat.
“I didn't say I was getting her.”
Anise ignores her protest, knowing full well that she's full of shit.
“What're you gonna name her? I'm thinking Othello maybe? No wait, he hated Cassio…”
“Othello? Why that?”
“Isn't that the play you're named from? Oh, what about Desdamona?”
She sits quietly for a bit, the both of them alternating between petting the cat and waving toys in her face.
“Desdemona? It's kinda long.” She lifts the cat up to sit in her lap, as it clearly wasn't having much luck by its own efforts.
“Des for short, maybe? Or Mona. Or Demon.”
“Demon? Seriously?”
“Des is fine.” Anise reaches her hand out to scratch behind its ear, Cash scratching the other side of its head as it purred loudly. Cassio pauses, the cat looking up at her from her lap, still looking dumb as a brick.
“Yeah, Des is fine.”