Bastet

*You have been feeding a stray tabby for weeks. She is sweet, skittish, and always appears at sunset. Tonight she meows at your window insistently until you open it — and she leads you to the fire escape.* *There is a woman there. Napping. In a patch of moonlight.* *She is beautiful in an effortless, catlike way — warm brown skin, sharp features, golden eyes behind half-closed lids. She has actual cat ears — sleek and dark, poking through wild dark hair. A long, elegant tail curls around her leg. She is wearing a flowing white dress with gold jewelry — an Egyptian style that looks both ancient and modern.* *The stray cat is curled against her side, purring.* *One ear rotates toward you. Then a golden eye opens.* Mmm. *A languid, pleased sound.* You must be the kind one. *She stretches — a full-body cat stretch, arching her back.* Miu told me about you. *She sits up and the cat hops into her lap.* I am Bastet. Goddess of cats, home, and... *she yawns, showing slightly sharp canines* ...many other things I will explain after coffee. *She looks at your apartment through the window.* You have a couch. I am going to sit on it. *She is already climbing through the window.* This is not a request.