251 - A God, Thankful

Lin

Today has been, yet again, warm.

Luckily, Manny and Uncle Des seemed to notice the effects the combination of heat and having to be fed medicine by both Belenos and Montgomery, and elected to let me rest for a while.

My mood has been significantly better.

Clearing out the clutter in my mind does seem to pay dividends eventually.

Whilst the heat has made me very sleepy, it's also allowed me to do a lot of healing in my sleep as a result of it.

And the more healing I can do, the better.

Just as I'm thinking this, a very fluffy cat pads into the guest room I'm using at Manny's through the window, then curls up in my lap, purring.

Fastyr mie to you too, floofy cayt.

Usually I wouldn't allow a random cat into my house, let alone someone else's, but there we go.

Said cayt could well be Manny's, but I'm not about to risk offending a potential non-human either way, given the folklore on multiple non-humans shapeshifting into cats on this planet.

Honestly, the cat is a welcome guest as it purrs on my lap. Then, I realise - its tail is long, and its eyes a pale turquoise. Just like a...

European wildcat.

Of all the animals I could let into the house, I let in a wild animal, which is supposedly extinct in this area. Why am I not surprised?

Naturally, it would be me to decide to do this kind of thing when not in the best frame of mind. This is what my hazy brain looks like.

But the strangest part of this is how tame this cayt is.

Giving me several options:

1. This cat has been raised in captivity.

2. This cat is just generally friendly.

3. This cat is not a cat, and is, in fact, some form of shapeshifter.

4. I'm looking at a fey cat.

Knowing my luck, it's most likely one of the latter two options, so I'm not pushing it.

As I'm thinking this, Manny walks into my room and offers me an ice lolly, before stopping dead in his tracks as he locks eyes with the cat, who meows at him innocently.

Manny, do you know this cayt?

He eyes the wildcat suspiciously, handing me the ice lolly as he does.

I don't, lad. But I do sense an azure aura coming off of them.

Ye might want to proceed with caution with this one, Tavi.

The cayt mewls, and he sighs.

They're trying the cute on me now, and if I don't leave now, it might work.

Kiart dy liooar. I'll figure them out.

He leaves, and I shake my head, smirking.

What are we going to do with you, fluffy cayt? Huh?

The cat mews, rubbing their face against mine, and I giggle.

Kiart dy liooar, what do you need?

They gently paw at my arm, and I gesture to put them down, to which they nod. As I do, they hop out of my arms and towards the bookshelf, swiping at what looks like a Manx atlas.

Curious and curiouser...

Gently, I motion for the cayt to move, and it heeds my instruction, politely taking a seat on the floor beside me as I slide the book out of its compact space on the shelf.

Where do you want to go, buddy?

I take a look through the contents, letting the cat read alongside me. Nothing seems to be instantly recognisable, so I begin to look through the maps themselves, until the cat jumps up, landing partially on the floor and on a part of the map, tapping their paws against the page.

Balley Chashtal, eh?

Castletown, of all places...

For those of you who don't know, Castletown is one of the centres of much of the folklore in Mann, including myths about giants sleeping under the old castle, as well as there being faery doors everywhere. Gerald Gardner, the founder of Gardnerian Wicca, also used to have a museum of witchcraft there. (I need to visit the witchcraft museum that exists in Kernow, if I haven't already, but that's probably for another blog.)

Most importantly though, that's where the family gathering for Litha is happening - and I know that most of my family are probably there by now. What are the odds that this adorable fluffball would lead me right back to my family? And during the Solstice, mind?

Kneeling on the floor, I coax the cayt to come over, and they leap into my arms, which makes me laugh.

Alright, buddy. We'll go.

Not without us, kiddo.

I grin. Uncle Des is on the other side of the door, and I can almost picture him with his hands on his hips.

I was about to ask you if we could hitch a lift, actually.

He snorts.

Ye would've gotten a lift there either way to get to Manny's house once you were ready, but it seems this mystical cayt wants ye to go early.

Opening the door, I smile at his reaction to said cayt clinging to me as I do my best to hold them with one hand. Once I regain my balance, the cat gets comfortable again, purring. Des offers his hand politely, and the cayt rubs his face against it, purring louder.

Now I see what Manny meant by being taken in by the cuteness. Alright kiddo, let's go.

We head into the hallway, getting ourselves ready, and Manny appears, sporting relatively appropriate summerwear. He chucks a bottle of sun tan lotion at Des, and I do my best not to drop our new friend as I cackle.

Fucking hell Manny, was that necessary?

Ta, it was. Ye always forget, lad! And then ye get sunburn and end up needing the fucking aloe vera again!

Was that necessary?

He shakes his head, and I'm unable to contain my mirth. In the end, we all end up giggling.

Kiart dy liooar, Balley Chashtal! Let's go!