001✖; (video @hot.damn)

[circumitus]

[The last thing Rey wants to do is show her face for all to see, but after meeting Peter, it feels bizarrely necessary.]

"Would seem some people here recognize each other from worlds different from their own -- this current one as well." [Pause.] "Just to put it out there: Am not that same person, even if we share the same face."

[She then makes a face when a croaky meow can be heard in the background. Rey adjusts the position of the device to reveal a three-legged cyclopean cat, sitting on a table at the bar, his spindly tail whipping happily back and forth while salivating some weird pale green drool out the corner of his mouth.]

"And this can't seem to get the memo. Can't seem to get rid of it, either."

[Maybe a part of her doesn't want to, but it is inconvenient.

[Lastly -- and she looks very uncomfortable saying this -- she adds:] "Some have asked what its name is. Ideas and information would be... appreciated."

Comments

[braidmage]

[ Well... that answers none of his questions but Reynir is just going to go with it. ]

Why would you want to get rid of it?

[ Sure it's not easy on the eyes, but cats are extremely useful and important. Reynir can't imagine anyone having a cat and wanting to get rid of it. That's just idiotic! ]

[circumitus]

It could settle being with someone better.

[Someone more adept to care for a living thing than her, anyway.

[The first guy the cat seemed to have met was... Kabal, who seemed to take a liking to the animal but was in the same shoes as Rey. Unlike Kabal, the cat didn't proceed to continuously follow him.]

[braidmage]

But it's chosen to be with you.

[ If she was such a bad option, surely the animal would move on. Therefore, Reynir decides Rey is maybe just being hard on herself. Time to encourage her? ]

Cats don't need much. They take care of themselves, mostly, and it's really easy to do the rest. I'm sure you'll be great at it. If you ever need any advice, you can just ask.

[ Although... maybe this cat's needs are a little different than the standard, who knows. ]

[circumitus]

[Rey opens her mouth to argue that she's been "chosen", then closes it. Fuck, that's not too far off from the truth, is it? Oh cockdammit.

[She just makes a disgruntled, growling sound under her breath before she speaks.]

Well, what the hell do they eat? Meat, right? Don't think there's kibble around here.

[Though she could probably stand to take another trip to the zombie-infested food mart if it came to that.]

[braidmage]

Yes, they are carnivores. They eat meat and nothing else.

[ Assuming of course that is true of this specimen as it is with most cats. ]

If he's a stray that adopted you, chances are he was already finding his food by hunting mice or whatever else he could find. But if you decide to feed him, meat's the way to go. Or fish. Cats love fish.

[circumitus]

Mn. Some fish in the lake.

[As Rey contemplates this, she remembers something:]

Not sure how often it gets hungry. Brought back a rodent a few times and then ran off again. Fucking weirdo. [Rey obviously doesn't get cat behavior. Like, at all.]

[braidmage]

Oh! I can explain that.

[ Reynir does understand cat behavior, and he's happy to be your translator right now, Rey. ]

He was bringing you a present. If a cat brings you a dead mouse or bird or even sometimes a fallen piece of fruit, that means it likes you. He was just being nice.

[circumitus]

Wait, seriously?

[Pause.]

Huh. Makes sense. The cat already seems amicable. Just doesn't seem to share that with everyone. [For some reason, it's very fixated on her.]

[braidmage]

Seriously.

[ Reynir can't help grinning at Rey's surprise. ]

Well, of course not! He's only one cat! He can hardly feed all the humans in this place! He decided you're the one he likes.

[ And Reynir holds up a finger indicating she should wait, ducks out of frame of the video and returns a moment later with a long-haired and rather fluffy calico cat with an almost heart-shaped pattern on her forehead draped around his shoulders. ]

This is Kisa. She lets me hold her like this because she trusts me. Cats are very picky about which humans they want to be around.

[circumitus]

[Mind, Tripod never gave Rey any reason to think that he didn't like her; she just didn't think he was so adamant about it. Then again, she's also not taking care of herself that well, so maybe the cat has good cause for concern on this one.]

Uhm-- [Rey starts to speak, then snaps her mouth back shut once Reynir disappears briefly. She blinks at the animal that definitely looks more cat-like than the one following her around.]

That so, huh? [She just stares, studying the chill calico for a second, before glancing back to the three-legged mutant sitting behind her, statuesque.] Wonder how well it would get along with other cats now...

[braidmage]

[ Reynir gives a shrug that jostles Kisa slightly, but she doesn't seem to mind in the least. She is, in fact, kneading her paws against Reynir's shoulder, claws digging into his thick cloak and then releasing again, and purring loud enough that the device might even pick it up. Not typical cat behavior, maybe, but she's always been an odd one. ]

I would say we should arrange a play date but that might go really badly. Kisa sort of likes being around humans more than being around other cats. We found her in the Silent World when she was only a baby, so she didn't grow up around any other kittens.

[ Oddly, Reynir is more worried about this sweet-looking miss bullying the cat that has attached itself to Rey than vice-versa. ]

[circumitus]

[Almost as if sensing that he's been a subject of the conversation and now interested in the other cat noises coming from Rey's phone, Tripod hurries towards where she is sitting before shoving his nose at the screen. His one eye widens as he squishes his face close, now mostly blocking Rey's face from view. She grimaces, but doesn't intervene.]

Seems like this one disagrees, but will take your word for it. Not sure if it's even safe to be around other animals, actually.

[Or people for that matter. The mutant cat looks moderately radioactive.]

[braidmage]

That's probably a good thing to find out, if you can. Animals can get lonely, too, just like people.

[ Reynir doesn't want to overwhelm her with too much information all at once, so he stops with the protips for now and instead just smiles, says: ]

Cats aren't just cute, they're useful and brave. They're... blessed creatures. You're really lucky one of them decided to stick around you.

[circumitus]

[Rey isn't sure if she would describe the particular creature following her around "blessed" or even cute in the conventional sense, but the sort of reverence Reynir speaks of cats seems to be related to the species as a whole, rather than individuals, so whatever.]

They're not homebodies or anything, are they? Haven't really settled anywhere here.

[Where would she even put a mutant cat, really.]

[braidmage]

[ Reynir gives a big shrug, making a wordless 'I don't know' noise. ]

Depends on the cat. They're not all the same, you know. If he's stuck with you so far, he probably doesn't mind so much.

[circumitus]

Oh. Great. More reasons to keep it around...

[She doesn't sound too excited about that. For her it's just more responsibility to think about; one more thing she didn't sign up for. If it turned out to be cruel and unusual to be moving around like she has been with an animal now relying on her, that would be one excuse she could use to hock it off onto someone else. Maybe to someone who thinks of these as more "blessed creatures" than herself.

[No pressure or anything. It's just another living thing that looks at her adoringly for reasons she can't understand.]