Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Garden is the eleventh chapter in Weak Constitution: Common Cat. It is from Kara's point of view.

Summary
Kara wakes up. At first, he is confused why someone is in his bed, but soon remembers it is Blue. He looks over Blue's form for a bit, before getting up for the day. He writes Blue a note, before going outside to his backyard garden.

Kara's garden is lush, full of fruits, vegetables, and herbs even though it is now fall. Because of his magic, his plants tend to grow strongly and overproduce. Kara reflects on how he could have been a hedge mage if he was born a century or two earlier, but now the title has stigma attached to it, and he sees his gardening as more of a hobby.

Kara begins weeding and watering his plants, and notices three Almac swans at the pond in his garden. They are friendly to him, and one Almac, new to his garden, offers Kara an egg. Kara declines, and offers to let the Almacs nest in his garden and raise their eggs. The Almacs build a nest, and Kara holds onto the egg for them as they build, then placing it gently down. Kara prides himself on his knowledge of Almacs and journals on their behavior, but knows he cannot publish any of his findings without bringing attention to the Almacs in his garden.

Kara goes back inside to the house, which he reveals is a gift from his aunt. He sits down on a couch with the general care book for familiars and pets. The feeding section of the book instructs Kara to feed Blue only once a day at most, and tells about how to deny food and torture pets and familiars with it. Kara is shocked, and refuses to listen to the instructions. He finds the rest of the book to be similar: filled with ideas for using cruelty and punishment to train, rather than rewards. Kara rejects it all, and realizes that this is why familiars seem to die so easily.

Kara resolves to treat Blue as an actual being, with actual needs. He will feed Blue, clothe him, and treat him well. He goes back up to his bedroom, and thinks about buying Blue clothes that fit him properly.

Important Events

 * Kara writes a note for Blue, telling him he is just downstairs if Blue needs him. He leaves it on the bed.
 * Kara turns down the egg from the Almacs, and lets them build a nest in his garden.
 * Kara reads the general care book for pets and familiars, and rejects it entirely

New Characters

 * Kara's aunt is mentioned. She gifted Kara this house.

New Information

 * Kara does not drink often, and rarely picks people up from bars.
 * Kara uses sleeping pills sometimes. He often forgets what exactly happened the previous day, as a side effect of them. He took one in Chapter 10.
 * Kara's backyard is a large garden, with a pond. He grows lots of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and the garden is home to Almac swans.
 * Kara can see nature's magic, and uses it in his gardening.
 * Kara considers himself a bit odd and outside the norms. He always has been.
 * The occupation of "hedge mage" has stigma attached to it, and was more well-respected in previous centuries.
 * Attitudes and magic frequencies can have impacts on places and plants.
 * Almac swans are a type of magical creature. Every part of them is highly valued as a component. They are extremely intelligent, willful, and rare.
 * Almacs usually avoid inhabited areas. They will give gifts to humans they like, such as their eggs.
 * Almacs have strange social workings. Some may not be allowed to nest in the typical nesting grounds due to their social standing.
 * Kara draws, and owns a sketchbook.
 * Kara takes notes on the Almacs in his garden. By now, he has a few journals full of his observations on them.
 * Kara is one of the most educated people on Almacs. Most researchers theorize without ever seeing one.
 * The general care book for familiars and pets is very sadistic, emphasizing punishment and cruelty as ways to train pets.
 * Pets and familiars are supposed to have only one meal a day, or less if they behave bad. Table scraps are only treats, and should not be given often in case a pet becomes "proud".
 * Pets and familiars are not supposed to eat off a plate. The book gives instructions for a master to leave out a plate of food and dust it with a powder that will make the pet vomit, as punishment for eating off a plate, along with beating them as extra punishment.
 * The book gives a DIY recipe for a "simple nutritious meal" a pet or familiar can have. According to Kara, it would be horrible.
 * The book lists various punishments and games to make one's pet or familiar more humble, submissive, and subservient. Familiars and pets are treated as if they have no needs at all.
 * If a pet or familiar does not seem to serve their master well, the book advises putting them down or returning them. If the pet is valuable due to their breeding, they should be placed in a professional training center.
 * Many of the punishments listed in the book are to be carried out in public, even for the most minor infractions. This includes public beatings and rape.