Box of 'Nip

Catnip Giftbox

Lucy walked home along the wall lining the river that flowed through Magnolia. She hummed happily as she fingered a protection bracelet with dangling charms of a lion, tiger, panther, jaguar, ocelot, and other large cats. Loke said it came from the Spirit World and would protect her from anything that threatened their love.

Love! Seriously, what was that fluffy-haired playboy talking about?

"Be careful, miss," a passing boatman shouted.

She waved it off. "Thanks!" Her eyes did not leave the bracelet.

It was awfully cute. Protective or not, she would have worn it purely because it was both playful and classy, made of solid gold with inlaid precious stones for the cats' eyes. She wanted to get something for him, but what could she possibly get a Spirit?

"It can't be anything he can't take back with him," she decided, talking to herself while Plue followed and commented with occasional agreements of Puun. "That means it has to be something perishable. Food? I wonder if Loke likes cheese or milk. Or fish. What types? Well, every cat likes tuna. Or is he not that sort of cat?"

She put her hands behind her head and kept her balance without looking down.

"Maybe I should ask Happy or Carla...but wouldn't they also suggest fish or cheese? Maybe a fancy meal at that nice seafood restaurant with the cute..." She shook her head. "No! Bad Lucy! Someone like him would interpret that as a date, and then I'd never hear the end of it. Besides, if I bought him food, he'd insist I feed it to him."

She frowned and hopped off the wall. There was a pet store nearby, so she decided a little browsing would not be bad.

"And what could I ask the workers? 'Hey, I have a friend who's a lion and I want to get him a gift.' Sure! Like that would work."

She looked through the store, unsatisfied with the dangle toys and squeaky mice. She squealed at the puppies and kittens that clambered for attention. She looked at the exotic birds, colorful fish, and mice racing in their wheels.

Bad Lucy! Stop looking at the cute pets, focus on a gift!

Finally something caught her eye. "I wonder..." She giggled at the thought, grabbed the box of catnip, and paid for it. "If he hates it, I can give it to Happy, or brew it with my tea."

When she got home, she pulled out her Keys. "Open the Gate of the Lion! Leo!" There was a brilliant flash, and the wild-haired, strawberry-blond Celestial Spirit stood in front of her grinning the smile he used to charm ladies. Loke's blue-tinted sunglasses gleamed with mischief. His suit was tailored finely, with a deep green button-up shirt that matched his eyes, and a yellow and black tiger-striped tie that seemed just a bit garish.

"You rang, Princess?"

She swallowed with a loud gulp. It was getting harder to look at him without blushing. "I...I...uh..." Not now, Lucy, focus, focus! "Yeah, I wanted to thank you for the bracelet and...I got..." She suddenly felt hesitant. Here he gave her a golden charm bracelet, and she was repaying him with chopped up dried leaves! She felt small and cheap.

Loke sniffed deeply. "Is that...?" His deep green eyes widened. "Lucy, did you...? Oh no. Not good. Uh..." He looked around frantically. "Okay, uh, lock your door and...and...curtains. Yes. Close them."

"Huh?" she asked in confusion. Why was he freaking out?

"C-c-cat-catnip." He began to race around. "Lock lock lock! Door! Lock door! Yep-yep-yep." He locked her front door and zipped over to the window. Suddenly, he stopped short, stared at her curtains, and giggled.