Disclaimer: I don't think I own Inuyasha… nope. Pretty sure I don't.
(Listening to groovy intro to Power of Love) Me- Did I just say groovy?
Miroku scuttled down the sidewalk, the cold winter air burning his face. He dug his hands into his jacket pockets to keep them as warm as he could, although that didn't work at all. He looked ahead to see how much he had left to walk. Luckily, it wasn't that far. He was going to the adoption center to get who knows what. He just knew that he wanted a pet.
He had already planned to go there that day, but he hadn't planned on having his car in the shop and snow up to his shins. Not that his car would drive on the streets anyway. Stupid salt trucks never drove down this street.
He saw no one ahead of him, so he decided to look downward to hide his features from the wind. He watched whenever he picked his foot up to step how a small mist of snow would fall in front of his shoe.
Miroku looked up to see where he was and the pet shop was nowhere in sight. He turned around and smiled as he saw that it was about 20 feet behind him. He jogged over to the entrance and opened the door, holding it open for a mother and her giggling daughter carrying a newborn kitten in her arms. The mother quietly thanked Miroku and he closed the door behind him, hearing the soft jingle of the bells attached to the bar across the door.
The distinct smell of animals bombarded him, but he soon got use to it. He had grown up with many pets so it was kind of nostalgic to him.
A small woman with a vibrant sweater vest, designed with cats and dogs all over it came out of a back room playing with a huge black dog with drool dripping practically to the floor. It was at that point that Miroku decided he would get a cat.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked. She even had a petite sounding voice.
Miroku put on a friendly smiled and answered, "Yeah, I'm looking into buying a cat."
"Well, I think you've come to the right place!" She laughed and showed him to the room she had just come from.
Miroku looked down constantly, making sure he wasn't stepping on anyone. He planned on getting a live cat, not one from a "break it, you buy it" experience. They walked into the room and there were two hallways, one labeled, "Cats", the other, "Dogs". They took the right hall and all over the walls were pictures of animals and their owners, which made Miroku stare when he saw a picture of a penguin and a tall girl with incredibly long hair standing next to him.
There was one more door, this time swinging-style, and that led them into a room filled with cages stacked on top of cages. There were also about half a dozen people there petting kittens and talking with employees about them. Many cats were also out of their cages, lounging about, playing with each other, and eating. As most cats do. A younger girl, probably volunteering there, greeted Miroku as she rushed by with at least four kittens climbing all over her. She had long brown hair and a black shirt with a white heart on it. He said, "Hey" and turned back when Risako started talking to her.
"Well, I'll let you go from here." The woman said. "If you need me for any reason, my name is Risako. And I'll just be over there." Risako pointed to a corner of the room where there was a counter and a lot of medical supplies and pet care items.
Miroku nodded and went off looking cage- to- cage. All of them were nice; there was even one with two different colored eyes, but none of them seemed right. He was about to go look for a dog when one caught his eye. Miroku stopped mid step towards the door when he pivoted on one foot and walked to the front corner of the room. He kneeled down, as not to surprise it when it opened it's eyes. The cat was an incredbily dark shade of brown, almost black. He lifted one hand and brought it to its ear and massaged it softly. Its eyes drifted opened dully and meowed in a condesending tone as it placed one of its paws in Miroku's hand in greeting.
Miroku laughed and moved his hand to its cheeck. "You're a smart one, aren't you?" The cat meowed again and Miroku took that as a, 'Yes, why yes I am'. He then noticed Risako standing next to him. "Ah, I see you've found Etsuko."
"What kind of cat is she?"
"Etsuko's a Havana Brown. She's very strange for her breed, though. They're normally very friendly and open to people, while she's conserved and grumpy all the time."
"Then why is her name Etsuko?"
"We found it funny."
"Oh, well, I think I'll take her, then." Etsuko's eyes grew wide, as if she understood what they were saying.
"Are you sure? She's not all that fun." Risako warned.
"Oh, I'm sure. I think it'll be fun trying to get her to like me."
"Okay." She said, accepting his choice. "If you could just come over here and sign some papers, you'll be free to go."
Miroku followed her into an office off to the side of the room and she gave him some papers to fill out. Miroku signed here and there, promised this and that, paid for Etsuko, and thanked Risako.
Miroku returned from the office and strolled over to Etsuko.
"Do you want to come home with me?" he asked. Etsuko simply rolled her eyes and meowed dully. Miroku laughed and placed his hands around her, wondering if she was going to let him pick her up. Luckily, aside from some vocal protesting, she settled in his arms and accepted the situation. Miroku wrapped his coat around her so she wouldn't get cold, but she seemed to want to poke her head out. She also got much happier. 'She must like the cold…' He figured. 'It was hot in there.' So he continued his walk home with his new cat, Estuko in his arms.