Wazzer is enjoying the novel sensation of lying on her bed on a Thursday night, reading. There is a small scratching at the door. Curious, she opens up. A pretty calico cat is sitting in the hallway. The cat head-bonks Wazzer’s calf.

“Hey, Cilla,” she says, scratching the beast behind the ears. “Where’s your mum?” She sticks her head out into the townhouse hallway. Her landlady’s voice floats up from the breakfast nook downstairs. As expected, Willow is at her most recent station: talking animatedly into her computer. This has been happening quite a lot since she met the steampunk engineer Owen from Omaru.

At first, they were having awfully long conversations about soil science. Then Willow got a web cam.  Tonight, Wazzer thinks, they’ve moved on to some other techy thing. Engineering, maybe. Willow is giggling, “Why, sir! I have no doubt that you have a most Prodigious Engine of Destruction! Adaptable for all the tightest situations!”

Whatever’s up, in the battle for her favorite human’s attention, Cilla has lost, and is bonking Wazzer’s ankle again. Wazzer retreats into her room, letting the cat follow her. She’s going to get white cat fur on her from letting Cilla nestle up next to her as she reads, but, eh, whatever.

They co-exist peaceably until a shrill shriek from downstairs sends Cilla bolting. Wazzer follows her to the door, to see Willow jumping up and down on the stairs.

“Oh, Wazzer! I’ve been invited to a ball!”

Wazzer’s eyebrows rise. “They still do that?”

“Owen’s invited me to the Steampunk Ball in Omaru in July! We’ll spend the weekend together, and maybe – oh, Wazzer – ” her radiant expression collapses into anxiety – “what am I going to wear?”

Tags:   drama! · romance · wazzer · willow2 Comments