Nozomi turned to see the red hare on Ko. She rushed over, grabbed the intrusive woman by the shoulder and spun her around. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you aren’t going to…”, she was cut off by the chuckling of the hare.
“Nozomi… this is Mercedes.” The smilodon tried to smile, but having someone from her past see her dressed as she was had her anxiety back full force. The tension could be cut with a knife, causing both women to instinctively go in for a hug. Mercedes reaches Ko first and quietly tries to calm her. “It’s all okay Ko. You’re fine. I’m your friend and I won’t judge you. You look adorable.”
The sabertooth shrank back. It was hard for her to believe that someone who knew who she was could just accept how she looked. Mercedes gently took Ko’s chin and turned her to look into her eyes. “Listen, I’ve been the rhythm behind you for a while. This may not be something I can get, but it feels right with you. You were always cute and childlike, even when you were growling and putting on such a tough act.”
The smilodon let out a small squeak, but her smile returned weakly. “Thank you Mercy, but please don’t tell anyone… I don’t think everyone will be as cool as you.”
“Kitten, you should trust the boys. I think they’d dig this fluffier little badass.” She looked to Nozomi who was now smiling at her. “I don’t want to get in the way and it looks like you’re in the middle of a nice day. It was good to see you. Call me when you’re done with your break, we could start a new project.” Mercy gave the mouse a smile and extended her hand. “I look forward to seeing you again and thank you for breaking through that fog she was in. It’s great to see her smile again.”
Nozomi shook her hand and glanced at Ko as she said, “It’s great to meet you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again?” The question was more for the kitten than the hare. Ko smiled more and nodded enthusiastically. She was happy that Nozomi went in to protect her and after the roller-coaster of emotions, was still into spending more time with her.
Mercedes excused herself with a big grin and headed off into the crowd. Nozomi sat on the bench and pulled Ko until her lap. “Always so many surprises tucked away in this little present.” She hugged the little girl and held her tight for a while. “So, you were in ‘Asylum’ weren’t you? I thought I recognized you from somewhere, but I didn’t realize you were that intertwined with the underground music scene.”
Ko purred in her lap. How did she know her old band? They hadn’t even been big around town. “I’ll tell you all about it if you’re interested…” Nozomi sat her back on the bear and they started heading for the gate. “Kitten, I would love to know everything you’re willing to share about yourself.”
“Okay… mommy.”
Playpen of Ko 