Name: Haruka Tsukada
Age: 22
Background: Born to a poor family, Haruka has struggled all his life to attain success. Although he never had a natural knack for academics, he worked hard to do well so that he could go to a good college. However, now that he has finally been accepted to the university he wanted, he has realized that he still has to work every day in order to be able to pay off his debts. Now he is holding down two jobs as well as the work of a full-time student. After several incidents involving his health, his friends gathered enough money to buy him a pet, in hopes of it helping with his stress.
Appearance: Haruka

((Would you like to make the first post, or should I?))

Name: Shin Nagasaki
Age: 19 years old
Background: Long before he was born, his mother was born, or his grand-father's father was born, there had been a curse put on the family. Shin's great-great-great-great-so on and so forth-grandfather had been the "player" of his village. Though there was one girl that he couldn't get to, and he sweared that he'd do so before he died. Well, after a while, he did manage to get the girl. But this was no ordinary woman. The moment she found out that he was sleeping around with other women, she placed a curse on him. The curse fused his blood with cat-blood ( because she called him "sneaky as a cat" ). This caused the man to turn into a cat. And although he could turn back into a human, he would be stuck with cat-ears. So as the man managed to have children, it got passed down one by one, and is still coursing through his ancestors.

Now Shin was born with this, as was his mother. She always warned the boy "don't get caught 'cause we won't get you back!" whenever he went out into the city. He didn't believe her and teased the men who gathered up loose pets. Until one day Shin accidentally slipped and was caught. He found out that his mother's words were true while he was sitting in his cage and his mother walked by.
Appearance: Shin. ( His cat appearance & "human" appearance )

"Guys, if I'm already so stressed that it's affecting my health, won't getting a pet just make things worse?" Haruka asked, scratching his head as he questioned his friends. Just thinking about having to take care of one more thing on top of all the work he had to do almost made him dizzy. Only a few days ago he'd been released from the hospital. He'd passed out at work for the second time, due entirely to over-exhaustion.

Although the doctors told him he needed rest, Haruka knew that there was nothing he could do. With two jobs on top of school, he barely had enough time to sleep, let alone find a hobby or something else to blow off steam. Of course, he didn't work weekends, but that was only because both of the stores were closed then; he would have worked those days if he could have.

"Trust me, Haru," a girl with long black hair said, smiling at him as they walked down the street, "a pet will do you good. They're supposed to lower blood pressure and stress levels, which is just what you need. Plus, cats are pretty low-maintenance. They clean themselves and you don't have to walk them. It'll be perfect. Besides, all the pets at the shelter are in need of really good homes. You'll be helping them out."

When they finally arrived, the group looked around at all of the cages and the different animals that had been collected off of the streets. Some were mangy while others looked like they really belonged in someone's home. As they walked past the rows of animals, Haruka tried to pick out one he liked. However, it was difficult when he couldn't really put his heart into it.

Shin was not liking the situation he was in. It had been three weeks since he been caught. Three weeks and not a single person had been here. Or at least near his section. He was out near the back. He overheard that it was so the animals that had been here longer would get picked first. Well that didn't seem to be working now, eh?

Walking in a circle a few times, Shin got himself comfortable and waited for something to happen. By now he wasn't expecting much. Though his thoughts changed when he heard footsteps and voices near him--probably about ten cages down. They didn't sound like the usual people which excited him. Although he didn't didn't want to be someone's pet, it was sure better then sitting in here until something happened.

"Pick me! Pick me!" Shin meowed as he watched the group walk by his cage. He moved himself up to the cage and slid his paw through the bars, hoping that would make someone get him.

"Come on, I have reallyyyy soft fur!" Shin meowed again, rubbing himself up against the bars. Although he knew that they didn't understand him, it was worth a shot to try and get some attention to himself, no?


[ ooc; I hope this is okay. x] If you need me to change anything, just say. :3 ]

Hearing a particularly noisy cat near the back, Haruka almost cringed. "I really can't imagine having a loud one like that," he said to the girl next to him, knowing that it would wake him up during the night, which he absolutely couldn't afford. With how little sleep he got, Haruka didn't want to have to live off of any less.

"Aww, but it looks so lively!" the girl said, hurrying over to the cage and reaching a finger in to scratch the cat's ear. "Awww, and so soft too! I mean, just look at the fur! Isn't is a cute pattern?" she asked, as though she were looking for a cat for herself rather than for Haruka. "Look! It's got such bright green eyes!" she squealed, thinking that it was absolutely adorable. "You're definitely getting this one. She's so cute!"

As the cat was taken out of its cage and placed in Haruka's arms, he grimaced down at it. It was young and probably really frisky, but it didn't seem to move around much while he was holding it. Sighing, he finally said, "All right. I'll take it," thinking that it would be better to simply settle for that cat rather than try and argue his friend into getting him a pet more suited to his personality. After all, how bad could it be?

Shin stopped mid-meow when he heard the boy talk about a loud cat. Couldn't be talking about him right? He was simply being friendly! Though as he tried to hear for another cat, there was none. Letting out a light scoff, Shin couldn't believe that he was being loud.

Though he was brought out of those thoughts by someone scratching his ear. Instantly, he was letting out a loud purr and dipping his head into it more. When in cat form, his ears and butt were his weak points. While human, he was a sucker for his neck being bitten.

The only thing he had to dislike about the girl was that she called him a her. But that thought was also instantly thrown out of mind when he felt himself get picked up and put into the boy who at called him loud hand's. Well, arms really.

He was loud...? That made Shin stay quiet. After all, if he wanted to get out of this dump, this boy right here would probably be his best bet. After that he could leave and go back to his mom and just... do something for letting her leave him in here.

Just to try and do better, Shin gently pawed at the boy's chest and gave the boy big innocent eyes. How could someone resist that? So far, no one had been able to.

Sighing once more, Haruka walked to the front of the store with his friends and the shelter director, ready to sign the adoption papers and bring the thing home. It was rather soft, and the coat was a pleasant colour. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all. The cat had seemed to quiet down after being picked up, and Haruka wondered if it just needed some attention. While he was at home he would be happy to have it in his lap, watching television or something like that, and unlike a dog it would be able to take care of itself during the day and evening while he was out at school and at work.

Placing the cat into a carrying cage, Haruka went through all of the paper work with the man and finally finished with a handshake. Picking up the carrier, he left with his friends, eager to be done with this little shopping trip.

When they all arrived back at his apartment, Haruka was surprised to find that they had given him a litterbox, food and water bowls, a little cat bed, and a few toys as well. It was their way of helping him out, since all of his friends understood what a hard time he was having with his life. "Thanks guys," he said, giving out a round of hugs and waving them goodbye. Once it was just him and the cat left, Haruka looked at it for a few moments before opening the carrier door, just watching and waiting to see how it would react to its new home.

((Umm, specs? You still here?))