The day was nearing its end when she returned to her cabin. Her stomach growled and her eyes were heavy. No wonder, she had skipped lunch and her breakfast had been an energy bar. All because she had overslept after the short night yesterday and then had been far too excited before the test to eat breakfast. She hung her white blouse back in the cupboard and took the topmost T-shirt from the pile, a reddish one.

Despite being dead tired, she felt like celebrating. But looking at her budget after today, it felt more like Fallerian instant noodles. Which she had not in her cabin either.

In this indecisive moment, a call came from Eli.

"Hi Rerra, have you eaten already?"

"Hi Eli, no, I was just heading out."

"Then how about a niche diner? An order wach cancheld lacht minute."

"Sounds good, your catering yesterday was nice."

"I chend you de addrech."

"Thanks, I'll be over soon."

She looked up the address. It was on the other side of the station just three floors above the docking ring. She had never been that far on the counterside and was curious. She wondered for a short moment if she should change to a top. But both sports and gym uniforms really needed a wash. Well, she would come then true to herself, Miss Long-sleeved-shirt. She almost heard Trina snickering.

* * *

She rounded half the station on her deck since she was much closer to the hub, this way she had to walk less than on the outer deck. The counterside was very different from her side of the station. On her deck there were many large homes for retired cats. There was even a real garden and a desert patch, all in the 0.3 g zone. Extrapolating from her cabin rent, the residents here must be very well off. Even the charge for the lift was more expensive than on her side.

Down on the fourth deck, the area was notably wealthier too, the shops with posh brands everywhere. Plenty of cats wore haute couture and jewellery. And the real stuff, judging from what she had seen at the parents' meetings at Clarice where all the upper 1 % were enrolled. In this neighbourhood, she stood out with her plain red shirt, like a commoner which she now was. Embarrassed, she walked near the side of the corridor and was thankful that her destination was close.

The door was white like the rest of the wall with only the tiniest seams outlined. No windows facing the corridor in the wall, just a shiny wide facade from the slightly bowed corridor’s bottom to ceiling. On touching the door, 'Petra Catering' appeared being written in cursive in light grey and finally a circled area below. She touched it again and now 'calling' appeared on the door and soon faded. Elite understatement.

Eli stood in the open door. "Come in", she smiled.

"Thank you", she smiled back and followed her. The entrance was notably cooler than the corridor. But behind the next door, warm and humid air with the scent of many cats and kittens overwhelmed her nostrils. She stopped in the doorframe and blinked, took several deep breaths and looked around. The room was large and laid out with carpets and blankets. An older cat half lay half sat in a corner in a pillow fort. Next to her were two adult cats, looking a little younger than Eli. And on the floor were about ten kittens of all ages, two young adults, and three infants in a basket. Nearly all of them had the rare white black striped fur pattern which was typical for Petra. And she had a good view of the fur since everyone was naked. She hesitated, feeling even more conscious of her short whitish fur.

"I introduche Rerra", Eli said loud enough that even the kittens stopped their play.

"Welcome, Rerra", the old cat in the corner sat upright and greeted her with a soft voice. "Welcome to the Petra den. I am Codeson, clanmother."

"Rerra without Clan, 17 years", she said and did a respectful bow with a straight tail, a reflex from the countless times when she had to attend official Samul functions.

"Rerra without Clan", the clanmother said, "you are well educated."

Eli knew it, so she would not deny it. "I was born Samul, I was even the 14th in succession. But I renounced my pedigree, which pleased both sides." She nodded to affirm it.

"You hide your fur but you carry an unusual scent."

Huh, no one had ever told her that before. She sniffed her hand. Well, a little grease was lingering. "I work in the shipyards so you might smell this."

"Your unusual hands seemed indeed well suited for delicate work", the clanmother nodded, "Come have a seat and the rest can introduce themselves."

There was not much formal introduction, just names and ages. Eli was the oldest at 27. The cat to the left of the clanmother was Kit and the very pregnant one to her right was Tab, both 24 and 22, still five years older than her. The kittens had resumed their play and with them chasing around, she was not sure who was who even after the introduction. They were supervised by two young cats, Yuha who was 18 and Fieta who was 16.

She still stood at the door to the den, unsure how to proceed. Eli saved her, "Come Rerra, help me in che kitchen."

She followed Eli back to the entrance and then through the right into a large kitchen. The entire outer wall was storage, normal, hot, cold, freezing, dry or moistured cabinets. There were even two fish tanks which held some unknown colourful seafood. Three serving trolleys were parked at the adjacent wall, one of them she had seen in action when Eli had catered in Trina's office.

The other length of the kitchen was the workbench with shiny cooking plates at regular intervals. The workbench was filled with fried food, some fish, some vegetables, some insects, and some meat, too much to identify by smell.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You have been cooking all this?"

Eli laughed. "No, we are a family buchinech. I am for che lookch, my chichterch help with cooking and cuchtomer relatchion. But my mocher chtarted it all. Petra ich again a name to go, at leacht on che chtachion."

"And we load all this on the trolley?"

"Yech."

They loaded the trolley. She put the bowls and platters with food from the worktop and Eli took the plates and small bowls from the cupboards.

They were soon ready. "And now", Eli looked at her, "Do you mind to chtrip?"

She froze. "You mean undress? But"

"You are guecht eicher way. Chorry, if it wach"

She was not sure how it would feel. She had even hesitated to enter when she had been clothed. But she felt like she should do it for Eli. "No, fine, I can do it. Maybe not in the kitchen?"

Eli laughed. "Of courche."

They went to the door across the entrance which opened to a room with many drawers. Eli took out a drawer from the top row and pressed some buttons. 'Rerra' was now written in faint letters in fake cursive handwriting.

When she touched another drawer, one could read the labels there as well.

"Come when ready." And Eli left.

She stood there for a moment. Should she really take off everything? Her thin fur hid nothing. But Eli had invited her for dinner, and even into her den. Something the stiff Samul would never ever do without a political agenda, not even a lower Samul tribe. Not that they had a den like this. The only naked Samuls were the kittens in the crib. But she had never been there after she had started school. But here, the Petra den like when Hopkins II had sent the first tribes out to populate the planet. And a naked adult naked at a Samul? Maybe partially if there was a special fashion trend, and then compensated by lots of jewellery. She grinned at thinking of her mother naked and without her jewellery. Just nude as born that was so much against all she learnt all her life.

'So, yes, forgo with Samul, make that separation final', she teased herself, took a deep breath and off went her shirt, bra, long trousers and even her briefs. She folded them and put them neatly into the drawer. She had trouble putting it back into the top row and cursed her short build again.

Which only distracted her for a moment. She was not sure when she had been the last time in the nude outside of a shower room or for intimacy. Without her clothing, she was so much more aware of the air currents. Her body readied itself like going for a hunt. Her adrenalin shot up and her instincts wanted her claws out - which of course failed miserably with her human hands. She took a deep breath. It carried the slight scent of the den and she relaxed. Another deep breath to clear her mind and then she stretched her arms. And went back to the kitchen.

"All good?", Eli asked while loading a second serving cart.

She nodded but then added. "It's the first time I've gone naked in front of strangers."

"All family, no chtragerch here", Eli smiled. "Come, go wich che fircht trolley. I will come in a moment."

The trolley was not very cooperative, the wheels wanted to curve to either side. And with the heavy load, she was worried about bowls dropping or falling off. But the way was short and soon she entered the den. Hungry kittens raced to the trolley, the youngest on all fours, their tails up. The two young cats, Yuha and Fieta, shooed them to the sides, so Yuha could fold the carpet up and the trolley could proceed. She felt like a carpet-breaking trolley in a sea of kittens. Another ten steps into the centre, she stopped and stepped to the side because Eli came already with the second trolley, manoeuvring it like the pro she was. Only then it came back to her that she stood naked in the den in front of everyone. But no one commented and she was soon distracted again as the clanmother stood up. "Thank you, Rerra, for your service. As it has been the tradition since the beginning, our guests eat first. Please, fill your plate."

"Dear clanmother, Eli, I thank you for the invite", she hesitated, she was bad at speeches.

"Jucht take and eat", whispered Eli.

No speeches were another thing that was very different from an official Samul reception. She was happy about this and quickly loaded her plate with random foods from nearby bowls, quite some of them even unknown to her. And she had eaten her fair share of expensive food at Samul receptions.

The kittens were following her movements, whenever she glanced at them. As soon as there was enough on her plate, she stepped back to clear the way for them.

"Thank you very much", she said again and nibbled on a fried breadstick.

"Thank you, clanmother", shouted the five youngest kittens together and then went to attack the trolleys.

Despite her hunger, she was distracted by the young kittens trying to get the largest chunk of their favourites onto the heavy plates. Apart from occasional hissing and growling, it was much more ordered than she would have guessed. After the kittens came the teens and finally, the two cats her age together with Kit, Tab, and Eli. The clanmother went alone at last.

Only then, she could enjoy the superb food. Petra might have been a sidenote in history by now, but their dinner table could take it up with any high table at Samul. And without the stiff formalities. Only then it was coming to her again, she was still naked like everyone here. The ease with which she had accepted that level of intimacy astonished her. Clothing did not matter here. No one gaffed, they were all busy with eating and joking. She relaxed, the feeling of being ridiculed was gone. Here, in the Petra den, she could be herself and no one seemed to care.

For second helpings, everyone just went when their plates were empty. This time she more consciously selected what to put on her plate and ate slowly.

Eli had already finished her plate and lay on the floor. Two long-furred infants were sucking on her breasts. Tab was also nursing hers. Some kittens had already finished and jumped at each other to burn their energy. The den radiated life to the fullest, she could not do anything other than smile. She was so happy. She felt like she was in a pencil sketch from the times when the tribes still had their dens in caves. Which were premade ones, Hopkins II had nothing left to chance for his cats, the nerdy, rational part of her brain complained. She shooed it away, tonight was for warm feelings.

While she slowly finished her third helping, the kittens came to her. First one, then a second until all five kittens were sitting and lying around her.

"Sister Rerra", one of the older kittens finally dared, "may I hug you?"

She shoved the last morsels in her mouth and put the plate on the trolley. The kittens watched her and waited. "Should I lay down?"

The kitten nodded.

"Who wants to give me the hug?"

The kittens took that question literally. "I" shouted them all.

She smiled madly. "I mean, what is your name?"

"I am Tabita. Ok?"

She still grinned and lay down. Tabita mounted her near the belly button and then carefully walked up and lay down, her head resting between her breasts. The kitten was surprisingly light. In fact, it was the first time that she had been that close to such a young kitten. At Samul, the crib was until three and the dens had been separated as soon as school started and kept separated. Now, Tabita stretched her paws to the sides. "Me too", cried another kitten and soon she was covered under a blanket of softly purring warm kittens lying side by side. Most of them had closed their eyes. Rerra, the novelty mattress.

Yuha came, "Miss Rerra, should I take them away?"

She shook her head, smiling, and whispering, "No, I don't mind."

Yuta nodded and smiled knowingly.

She lifted her head and looked around. Eli's two infants had fallen asleep. Eli carefully lifted them off herself and laid them in their basket where Tab's infant was already sleeping. Then she walked over and smiled at her. "They have adopted thich chtray", Eli whispered.

"At Samul we never had a den like this", she whispered back, "Thank you."

"You can chtay tonight if you want", Eli offered.

"I will", she said, "I am too tired to walk back and this is so nice. I am so happy."

Eli chuckled and grinned. "Bathroom ich the lacht door from the entranche. Good night."

"Good night."

Soon the lights in the den were dimmed.