This takes place a couple of days after their first meeting. I figure that Kumarie (named for the genderbent polar bear) is a bit of a recluse most of the time, and comes out to visit on her own terms, just like every other cat. Gillian has not seen much of her, until now. Kumarie enjoys salmon, lying in the sun, and stepping through paint before it's dried.

Painted Lines and Boundaries

"Gil…? What are you doing?"

Gillian was sitting cross legged on the floor and staring at the monstrous white cat. Kumarie ignored Gillian and settled in to wash herself, licking her paw and swiping it over her ear.

Gillian frowned.

"What is it?" She whispered, reaching out to poke the cat. Kumarie growled.

Madeline snorted and closed her textbook. She was not retaining the information anyway, and it was useless to keep reading the same paragraph over and over again. She leaned back in her chair.

"That's my cat. You said you liked cats."

"I said that I felt 'good' about cats, thank you very much," Gillian muttered and poked Kumarie again, "and that is not a cat."

Madeline laughed and looked at them both fondly.

"No, I'm pretty sure she's a cat. At least, she was yesterday."

"Nah, I think it's a marshmallow…"

"A…?" Madeline paused. It was true that her cat was big and fluffy; she was a white Maine Coon, of course, and immense even for a breed known for large cats. Madeline shook her head. "No. No, her name is Kumarie, and she is definitely a cat."

"We'll see…" It sounded foreboding but Gillian just nodded to the cat, as if striking some accord, before falling backwards onto the floorboards. Kumarie huffed and pattered out of the den. Gillian turned back to her. "So what are you doing, then? Why aren't you painting?"

"I was trying to study."

"And how's that going?"

"Badly," Madeline shrugged. She was not worried though, not really. She was already three chapters ahead of the rest of her class. It was just frustrating.

"Then we should play a game!"

Madeline raised an eyebrow. Gillian wiggled hers.

"… What kind of game?"

"Let's play poker!"

"… What kind of poker?"

"Strip poker! Here, I'll start!" Gillian started peeling off her shirt. Madeline was up and across the den in two seconds.

"Ah, ah, no!" She held her hands down, and the shirt with them. "That's fine! That's fine, let's play a different game!"

Gillian blinked.

"You're repressed," she grinned after a moment. Madeline sputtered. "No, you are, but that's okay. You're cute."

Madeline blushed.

"You're an idiot," she mumbled.

"And you're still holding my hands."

Madeline looked down and found that she was, in fact, still holding her hands, and her shirt, down. She let go as if burnt.

"I… I…"

"See? Cute."

Gillian smiled at her, all warmth and sunlight, and her heart skipped a beat. She looked away.

"'m not cute…" She pouted. She could feel the blush spreading to her ears and chest.

"You're adorable!" Gillian threw an arm around her and pulled her down onto the floor in a cloud of dust. Madeline laughed, and Gillian curled around her. She tugged on her hair.

"What else can we play?" She whispered once the dust had settled. Gillian hummed.

"How about checkers? Regular, boring checkers," she elaborated before Madeline could ask, "with clothes and everything… Spoilsport."

Madeline giggled.

"… Okay."