P6: A CAT VS THE INTERNET

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┋ P6: A CAT VS THE INTERNET ┋

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Molly's plan had borne fruit.

As she had noticed, try as she might, she couldn't catch that elusive mouse. It always slipped away from her, so she tried to persuade it when she realized it was a bit smarter than the rest.

And just as she had expected, she had gotten herself an assistant.

"And that's what happened!"

When John got home, he was disturbed to see a mouse cleaning the floor with a rag, while Molly stood in the middle of the room trying to explain her idea.

However, he started to feel nervous when he saw John shiver at the sight of the mouse moving from side to side.

"Y-You see... It's very small, and I don't think it'll cause us any trouble."

Despite her explanation, John was left with an even bigger question.

<<Did my cat just make friends with a mouse?>>

He had been happy not to have had any problems for most of the day, but this put him on edge.

He didn't like the idea of a mouse roaming around the house at all.

But.

"Honestly... I feel like it would be a great help these days. I've wanted to develop a hobby, and I'd like to give it more time if possible..."

His partner's words softened his heart again, even though he tried to remain firm.

"H-How did you strike a deal with it? How did it even understand you?" John asked, still watching the little rodent going back and forth across the floor.

"Well... whether it understood me is still a theory. It moves from left to right to say yes and spins around itself to say no. So... that's how we understand each other."

Deep down, John wanted to help her improve her leisure time if she wished. However, he did not want that rodent in the house. Not at all.

"The mice... they scare me," John admitted, watching the feline's spirits immediately drop as her ears flattened. "B-But... we can give it a try."

John clenched his fists, making sure to reaffirm his belief that he could overcome this fear.

"Do you think... you could train it? If it's clever enough for me not to notice it... then, maybe, we can have it. What do you think?"

For now, it was the closest thing John could do to balance the situation.

"Train... Train..." Molly pondered, turning to look at the mouse, who twitched its whiskers upon seeing John, then scurried into another room. "Yes... I think I can. It's clever enough to understand us."

Molly hugged John tightly, rubbing against him.

"Do you want me to show you my hobby?"

"Okay, okay. If that changes the subject, gladly, sweetheart."

Molly took his hand, walking to his room and showing him her open laptop.

"I want to create a channel to upload videos to the internet!"

"No, absolutely not."

"E-Eeehh...?"

Molly started typing on the laptop with her clumsy paws, trying to search for a specific video.

"But there are others like me who do it!"

John approached to see what she meant, squinting as he realized her feline confusion.

"Those aren't real people, they're 3D avatars. Just... wow, the quality of these nowadays is impressive."

"3D avatars...?"

"Ummm... And why would you want to have an internet channel to upload videos? You know you can't expose yourself to people outside, and if you upload your image to the internet, it stays there forever."

"Y-Yes, you're right," she said, covering her mouth in surprise. However, she shook her head, determinedly looking at the laptop. "But I still want to try. Creating content and sharing it with people... it's fun. I want to do it, please."

Somewhat thoughtful and considering the circumstances, John took the laptop and began to search for a safer option.

"What about this for now? If you can manage this, then I'll consider the video channel."

A blog. The safest option to share content anonymously on the internet.

"A... blog? What's that?"

"It's not complicated. It's very simple, once you create one in a couple of clicks, you just need to write something and then hit the button that says publish. Once you've done that, your content will be out there on the internet."

John sat beside her, embracing her for a moment. Then, he began to show her step by step how to create a blog. However, once finished, he collapsed onto the bed.

"I'll take a break... and do my homework. Please, Molly... I entrust... the rest to you..."

With that said, to her surprise, she witnessed her partner's ability to instantly fall asleep. To ensure his state, she lightly tapped his cheek, but he remained deeply asleep.

"I wonder... what will happen out there..."

With the laptop in her lap and an empty blog, she began to ponder ideas she could share on the internet.

"He always comes back late and tired... While I can assist him here at home... in his daily life, he seems tired enough to always return and sleep."

Molly fell silent for a moment, trying to devise an effective plan. She wanted to be more useful to John in some way.

She sat in front of the laptop, her eyes shining with determination. She knew she had to find a way to be helpful to John beyond the household. After all, he put in so much effort outside the home, and she wanted to contribute to his well-being somehow.

She began to reflect on what she knew how to do. Cleaning and domestic skills were great, but she needed something more. She looked around, recalling moments when John had excitedly talked about his interests.

Amid her thoughts, the sound of a clock in the living room made her turn. "That's it! Time management," she murmured to herself. She remembered John's conversations about how overwhelmed he was with his responsibilities.

Determined, Molly began to write. She wrote about time management techniques, tips for handling busy schedules, and how to maintain a balance between work and rest. She wanted to create content that could help people like John improve their quality of life.

As she wrote, she became immersed in the process. Sometimes, she paused to look at John, who was still sleeping peacefully. A smile formed on her face as she imagined his reaction when he saw what she was doing.

After a while, Molly looked at what she had written and felt satisfied. She published her first article, taking a deep breath before clicking "Publish." A feeling of excitement and nervousness washed over her.

Slowly, Molly's blog began to take shape. She wrote about various topics: from relaxation techniques to tips for boosting productivity. Each post was imbued with the desire to help John and others who might need it.

Meanwhile, John continued resting, completely unaware of Molly's activities. Eventually, he woke up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He looked around, finding Molly absorbed in front of the laptop.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" he asked, approaching her.

Molly startled slightly but quickly regained composure. "Oh, hi! I'm... well, I've been writing a bit on the internet."

John sat next to her, curious. "Really? What are you writing about?"

Molly explained about her blog, how she had decided to share tips to help others with time management and leading more balanced lives.

John looked at her with amazement and affection. "That's great! How long have you been writing?"

Molly smiled, letting out a slight purr.

"4 hours..."

<<4 hours?!>>

John hurried to check the time on his phone and saw that it was almost midnight.

He stepped out of the room for a moment while allowing Molly to continue exploring the internet and headed to the kitchen to check his theory.

<<Ah >>

Expecting to find the living room dusty or something similar, it was quite the opposite. It was clean, yet the kitchen was empty.

<<Don't tell me... that mouse really was helping with the cleaning.>> he thought to himself, then turned to see Molly, focused on her blog.

John swallowed hard and nodded, smiling.

That night, John immersed himself in the kitchen to give Molly time to have fun, doing his best to improve his dish. However, he noticed there weren't many ingredients at home.

<<How does she manage to cook when I haven't bought ingredients? Is not buying them... or is she?>> John shook his head, dismissing the idea, and hurried to prepare the meal with what was available.

And about twenty minutes later, the meal would be ready. French fries with rice and tuna, a simple dish but it was what he had at hand. He always had leftover tuna because he bought a little extra for Molly so she wouldn't go hungry while he wasn't at home.

He approached the room and left the two plates on the bed, sitting beside her.

"Shall we eat?" he asked with a smile, offering her the plate.

However, Molly immediately perked up, hastily placing the laptop on the floor.

"W-What time is it?" she asked confusedly, glancing at her paws.

"Well... it'll soon be midnight; so, I wanted to prepare you some food—"

"I-I'm sorry, really," she commented, lowering her ears. "I didn't mean to forget, really, really, really."

John leaned in to pat her head, shaking his head in denial.

"When you're having fun, time flies. Don't worry. Besides, let me handle the cooking occasionally, so you can have fun without any worries like now. You and I, we're a team. Don't forget that."

With that said, he gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, handing her the plate of food.

They both ate in silence, with John making attempts to make her laugh or cheer her up, but she kept her gaze distant, eating intermittently.

***

Shortly after, Molly stayed a bit longer on the laptop, telling John she wouldn't be too late and would go to sleep soon. There was still something pending she wanted to do, something she had seen many people do online in such situations.

She headed to an internet forum, created an account, and started to address her concern.

"Has anyone else found themselves getting too caught up in the internet?"

Within minutes of posting and observing her thread, a comment popped up in the empty space.

"Have you considered taking a break from the internet? Or at least using your time for something productive?"

Molly fell silent, feeling a boiling sensation rise within her. Focusing her mind, she quickly typed a response.

"How do I get more traffic to my blog?"

Immediately, the other person replied.

"No one creates blogs these days. Start a video channel, lol."

"My blog is productive; I post tips to help people..."

"It's very new; it will take time to grow. But blogs aren't popular anymore. Better upload videos or disconnect from the internet."

The surge of anger shook her fur once more, prompting a long sigh from her.

Molly engaged in a debate with the troll without revealing her true feline identity, trying to keep her composure and focus on obtaining advice to balance her domestic life and online time. The argument dragged on longer than expected, and in the meantime, dawn crept in without Molly noticing.

John, unaware of the intense verbal battle his cat was waging in the virtual world, woke up the next morning and headed to the living room, ready to start his day. To his surprise, he found Molly in front of the laptop, furiously typing, squinting at the screen, and wagging her tail as if engaged in a heated conversation.

"Looks like someone has been busy," joked John, observing Molly's intense focus on the screen.

Molly, without averting her gaze from the computer, replied swiftly, "I can't believe the stubbornness of this guy!"

John approached to see what was happening and was surprised by the intensity with which Molly was arguing in the forum. "Are you... arguing on the internet at this hour?"

"It's this persistent troll!" exclaimed Molly, without taking her eyes off the screen. "He needs to understand that sometimes one gets too distracted on the internet and needs help to organize themselves."

<<The internet is consuming her... But she seems more energetic than other days.>>

John couldn't help but laugh at his cat's determination. "Well, it seems you've found an interesting challenge there."

As John prepared for his day, he occasionally heard sarcastic comments and witty responses from Molly in her online debate. As the sun rose in the sky, Molly continued arguing with the troll, showing no signs of giving up.

Finally, John got ready to leave and approached Molly, who was still immersed in her online exchange. "Molly, sweetheart, I have to head to college. Don't forget to get some sleep!"

Molly, still engrossed in the discussion, absentmindedly nodded while continuing to type rapidly.

John left the house, leaving Molly engrossed in the virtual dispute. Throughout the day at work, John couldn't help but chuckle at the image of Molly, a cat so focused on her online argument like any person would be.

Upon returning home, he found Molly still in front of the laptop, though she seemed a bit more relaxed. "Are you still arguing with that troll?"

Molly looked up, a bit tired but with a spark of determination in her eyes. "I did it! I managed to make him understand a couple of things, although it took me all night."

John smiled at his cat's dedication and approached to show affection. "Good, good... You're amazing, Molly. Are you ready to rest a bit now?"

Molly yawned and finally left the laptop. "Yes, I think it's time for a well-deserved rest. But... that troll won't get away so easily next time!"

John prepared the same dish as the day before, having dinner with her joyfully.

They both shared a laugh as Molly headed to her favorite spot for a well-deserved nap, resting on a blanket with many pillows on the floor, beside her partner, leaving behind the intense virtual argument for a while.

.....................

<<I need to hide my laptop tomorrow. She needs disconnect from the internet.>> thought John, holding the laptop in his arms, hiding it from his partner.

However, tired, Molly simply fell asleep instantly.

That night, they both managed to get some sleep, sleeping more comfortably.