Chapter 2 #2
“Yep. Just scan, hit this button here, and then take the payment via the terminal. It will ask the customer to choose their receipt method, and if they want a printed one, the computer will generate it automatically. Books go into one of our paper bags with a Moonbeam Books bookmark included. That’s all there is to it. ”
A pretty, petite blonde who seems vaguely familiar approaches the checkout counter and gently places two books down.
“Hey, Ellie,” Spenser says. “Find everything you were after today?”
She nods and pulls out a debit card, waiting as he demonstrates everything he just
explained to ring up the pair of romance novels. She pays, thanks us in a quiet voice, and hurries out of the store.
“One of my best customers,” Spenser remarks as the door closes behind her.
From here, I can see not only the front door, but also a handful of display tables, the poetry and gift sections, and the kids’ books. It’s a pretty decent vantage point, so I can see why Spenser chose to put the checkout here.
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to see the black cat from the first day sitting on a shelf next to a “New and Recent Releases” display. She’s staring at me, flicking her tail back and forth in a lazy arc.
“Hey, kitty,” I say.
She blinks at me.
“I take it that’s your cat,” I say to Spenser.
He glances up from the pile of bookmarks he’s restocking. “I suppose so.” He picks up a
pile of books that need to be reshelved.
I chuckle and cock my head at him. “You suppose? You aren’t sure?”
“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just that I’m as much hers as she is mine. Flicker’s a murmurkin,” he says off-handedly, distracted by his task.
“A what?”
“A murmurkin.” He gazes at me. “You haven’t heard of them?”
I shake my head, smiling. Day one on the job, and I’m already learning something new. “Can’t say that I have.”
“Right. I keep forgetting you’re new here.” Spenser sets down the books he’s holding. “I’m so used to Flick that I forget some people have never met one. Murmurkin are a species of domestic cat, but they’re uncommon and unusual. They tend to congregate in monster towns, drawn to the supernatural.”
I glance at Flicker, who slow-blinks her purple eyes at me. “Interesting. What makes them different from regular cats?”
“Oh, several things. They choose their owners, for one. Which makes rehoming them very challenging. Not that I ever would,” he says to the cat, who flicks her tail. “Hang on.”
He walks to another area of the store, muttering under his breath, before disappearing from view.
When he returns, he’s holding a slim volume.
“This is more on the side of myths and lore, rather than verified fact, but it’s intriguing all the same.
” He comes back to the register, flips the book open to a page about murmurkin, and passes it to me.
Suspected Origins
Although the origins of the murmurkin species are shrouded in secrecy, lore and folktales suggest they diverged from normal domestic cats approximately six hundred years ago.
Given the paranormal differences between murmurkin and housecats, it comes as no surprise that the former tend to congregate in areas of high supernatural habitation, drawn to witches, fae, monsters, and the like.
Due to their exposure to ambient magic in these areas, murmurkin developed a sort of “contact magic” of their own, sharpening their own skills—at least, this is what the legends suggest, as the cats have never seen fit to advertise or even admit this.
Instead, they tend to keep themselves hidden, disguised as normal cats in every way.
They exhibit few unusual coat patterns, extreme size variances, or other distinguishing features.
Because they are a deeply private species, they go above and beyond to look like an average stray or lazy housecat—for them, the disguise is the point.
About Murmurkin
Despite their insistence on privacy, some facts have been gleaned over the centuries, typically by human companions with whom the cats have chosen to share their secrets. Such details include:
·Murmurkin will almost always behave exactly as housecats do—lazy, aloof, chaotic—unless they have a specific reason for acting otherwise.
·Murmurkin understand human languages and are typically aware of everything spoken around them, though they rarely break character to react to the things they overhear.
On the other hand, they do occasionally react at the exact right moment during a conversation—a head tilt, an ear or tail twitch—or leave the room when talk takes a turn they find distressing or uninteresting, further cementing the notion that they understand humans quite clearly.
·Like all cats, murmurkin are judgmental. Although they choose their person and are devoted once that choice has been made, they do not hesitate to make their opinions about their human companion’s life choices known, particularly when they feel that their human is being foolish or obtuse.
The Selection
As stated above, murmurkin choose their humans (or “owners,” if one is being archaic).
Although the human may not immediately be aware of the cat’s assessment, the murmurkin selection process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks.
They will observe their potential companion and evaluate not only compatibility, but also the human’s likelihood to care for the cat, in terms of providing a safe environment and plenty of canned food and treats (though they are unusual, murmurkin are, at their core, still cats).
Rarely does the chosen person know they have been selected…
the cat simply moves in, adopting the human instead of the other way around (see: index: cat distribution system).
Once a murmurkin has selected its person and place, it is nearly impossible to rehome.
Fortunately, that is rarely an issue; there are almost no reported incidents of a human companion attempting to find a new caretaker for their pet.
The bond between cat and human is formed quickly and remains intense through both creatures’ lifetimes.
Although there is no known pattern to how murmurkin select their humans, they do seem to have an affinity for people who are on the verge of change, often in the form of an end or beginning.
Though conventional animal shelters rarely recognize murmurkin for what they are, those in supernatural communities have been known to mark the animals as “self-placing,” meaning the cat will choose its adopter, rather than the other way around.
Matchmaking
Although murmurkin are known to interfere in their humans’ lives in a number of ways, none is more obvious than their tendency toward matchmaking.
Perhaps they’re romantics at heart, or perhaps they can see love developing far in advance, but for reasons they have never disclosed, they will go out of their way to find their human a mate.
Though their actions may seem subtle at first, they will gradually become both more insistent and more persistent, until the human finally takes notice.
These actions can take many forms, including:
·Sitting on its human’s lap and staring, unblinking, at the love interest, until the humans become uncomfortable
·Taking the first scenario a step further and pointedly purring only when the intended target is present, while also refusing to purr in the presence of anyone else
·“Accidentally” knocking objects toward the intended target, particularly those that might suggest romantic interest or cause embarrassment to the cat’s human—whichever amuses the cat more in that moment
·Refusing to let the target leave, by draping themselves across doorways, sitting on car keys, loafing atop vehicles, or stealing objects from the target
·In extreme cases, when one party—or both—is being especially obtuse, the murmurkin will simply lead its human to the target and wind around their feet, which to the cats is an extremely obvious message
The oddest part of all of this, and one for which no explanation has been uncovered, is that the murmurkin is always right about the match. They never fail.
Additional Lore
·Among the supernatural—at least, those in the know—it is considered good luck to be chosen my a murmurkin
·They may be the source of the “witch’s familiar;” witches have been known to consult with murmurkin, though the cats give advice on their own terms
·Succubi and other long-lived creatures will form centuries-long bonds with them, the cat seemingly not aging (naturally, murmurkin do not comment on this, so their natural lifespan is unknown)
·Fae creatures are known to treat murmurkin with deference, though the relationship between the fairies and cats remains as mysterious as the cats themselves
“Well, that’s extremely interesting,” I say, closing the book and reevaluating Spenser’s cat, who is still watching me. “How did you and Flicker meet?”
“I found her in the basement about a week after I bought this building. I have no idea how she got down there, but when I opened the door, she came up, inspected the place, and seemed to approve. I live in the apartment above the store, so she comes home with me at night. All choices she made, but I like her company, so it worked out quite well. Believe it or not, she’s pretty good with customers.
I’ve seen her recommend books on multiple occasions and she’s never wrong. ”
“Well,” I say, shooting the cat a smile, “I look forward to working with you, Flick.”