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An ordinary afternoon, a clear sky turning into orange and light conversations. Truly, today was one of those very soothing and regular days. Lu Guang has been dragged forcefully to the basketball court because his mate have had a sudden surge of sporty rivalry. Now, they were on their way back.
Cheng Xiaoshi was bouncing the ball against the street cement at the rythm of his walk, and the steady pace of it was bringing a sense of security in the two men. The brown-haired looked up to the setting Sun while the second had his eyes monopolized by, alternately, the ground then the player.
It was one of those moments when his attention was on the ground that his eyes lit up slightly. He pointed with his finger a dark alley on their left.
«—Cheng Xiaoshi, look !
— Mh?»
The dark eyes of the called one lowered until meeting the tar.
There was, hidden in the shadows, a cat. Black, with yellow eyes strangely alike to the time-traveler's ones when using his powers. He meowed (the cat, of course, not Cheng Xiaoshi).
Lu Guang stepped closer to the animal and crouched down before it. He stretched out his arms, waiting for either the approval of the feline or its cold rejection. It had been the first one of those options, as the cat jumped onto his shoulder and soon enough the man in white was petting its back with tenderness.
Cheng Xiaoshi softened at this sight. He took a few steps to join his best friend.
« Do you thin it has a home ? I've never saw it here before, yet it isn't wearing any collar...»
The older one hummed, thinking, before speaking up :
« I don't know, it may be a stray cat. I mean, I've never really noticed this alley ever before...»
He looked intently at this latter. And finally, with his extreme recklessness, he suggested cheerfully :
«— Go for a little urbex ?
— In this street........? I'm not very sure we can call that urbex... Or I mean, for what ????
— Heh, wouldn't it be fun ?? C'monnn Guangguang !!»
"Guangguang" snorted.
«It will end up badly.» That was what he said, and Cheng Xiaoshi didn't believe him. Or else, it was on these words he began to commit into this dark and narrow alley.
But why does he never listen to him......?
Lu Guang had decided to wait for him at the entrance accompanied by the black cat. Sometimes, he could hear the sound of the basketball bouncing against the ground or the stone walls. So yes, Cheng Xiaoshi did seem to have fun in this.
He seemed, until.... his scream echoed to his partner.
The said one jumped up to his feet. The cat was still hanging onto his shirt when he began to jog towards the source of the call. Night was dawning. It wasn't a well good sign.
«Cheng Xiaoshi...?» He called in a murmur. His foot knocked an object. Circular, round.
A ball.
Lu Guang lowered his eyes to confirm his hypothesis : it was indeed their basketball. He bent over to take it in his hands then resumed his exploration.
The alley was quiet. Too quiet to testify his parter's presence. Or at least, it was true if the latter was able to speak.
His shoes tapped against the cement he was beginning to confuse with the walls because of the Sun that was eventually disappearing. He continued his research, eyes and senses all on alert.
Yet it didn't avoid the man to fail of stumbling a bit less than a dozen times : the alley was filled with cardboard boxes, cans and hairballs.
He took a turn in a corner, and let out a gasp of surprise when he felt himself falling backwards, his foot slipping on something slimy. He propped himself up with his forearms then stood up on his two legs, and tent identifying the thing that had caused this accident.
It was of a pinkish beige. There were morcels, but also truly liquid parts too. Lu Guang recognized what it was.
It was.........
It was.......!!!
Cat food !
He resumed his walk once again, determined to find Cheng Xiaoshi. There was no place for doubts anymore. This street...... was like a huge cat tree. No, it was a cat lair !!
He walked... somewhat blindly, I admit, but he persisted. We mustn't underestimate cats. We mustn't.....
What's that ?
In front of the one accompagnied with the black feline there was... a shape. Strange, on the ground. A sort of a bunch of balls and ropes, in silhouette.
Lu Guang swallowed hard. He put his hand in his pocket looking for his phone, which he found, took out and turned on to put on its flash. He directed it towards the misshapen pile and his eyes widened.
He chuckled and snorted at the time.
«Lmgh shv mhf frumph huph !!» It was the only "words" he managed to hear from his partner. His parter, who was buried under cats, a lot of cats, too much cats. It was obvious he was struggling breathing under there.
Lu Guang quikly laid his device on the ground and cleared away the victim from his soft kidnappers. As soon his head was free, Cheng Xiaoshi exclaimed :
«Shoooooooooshhhhh you save me, I thought I would die like this !!!»
Promptly, the photograph wasn't submerged anymore and the two men took their way back home.
During their walk, Lu Guang was petting once again the dark cat on his shoulder, listening to the numerous complaints from his comrade while it.
When he eventually had to be distraught of the feline once they got in front of the photo studio again, letting it go back where it had to, the pristine man looked up at his friend.
«What?, the latter asked, noticing the scrutiny towards him. Do I have cat hair in mine or something ??»
Lu Guang shook his head.
«I was just telling myself you look a bit like this black cat, Cheng Xcat-oshi.»
Xcat-oshi blinked, shocked at this nickname. Maybe it was a revenge from Lu Guang for not listening to him, but the latter will call him this way for a whole week after that. 'Looks cute, he thought. (The nickname, obviously, not Cheng Xiaoshi.)
Fortunately Lu Guang loved cats, or else he would have took it the bad way.