Event 1 - New Friends for the Holidays

[enlightenedfeline]

The Main Reception area was filled with the sound of barking and meowing. Occasionally there was a crash followed by a long suffering sigh from the Non-Fiction Librarian. The Cat stalked along the edge of the desk, trilling occasionally to keep the animals from being too energetic with the precious books and to keep them from wandering too far from where the patrons might find them. Each one would eventually choose the patron best suited to his or her personality. They would find homes where they would be welcomed and cared for. Until then, the Cat would wait at his post, keeping an eye on their guests until everyone who wanted a companion had found the one meant for them.

Comments

[facemyenemys]

"I might be the only person, but maybe a puppy can't hurt. That one's pretty cute." She said, as it came and licked her jeans then moved back to Grant. It seemed okay with her too.

She rubbed a puppies head softly, and others came and went with her. Full dogs and puppies both. None of them stayed, they just came to play with her. Where that lab was keeping close to him.

"Mmhmm." She hummed and moved to reach back to her hood, a finger rubbing at a small pink and black looking thing. The fuzzy ball unrolled and popped it's head up, meowing over her shoulder. Just the head can be seen at the moment. "She found me and climbed up, hasn't left my hood yet."

[directorofhydra]

The puppy is having nothing of Grant's behavior. Climbing into his lap the puppy rolls over into his lap and curls up, nose thrust against his groin. Moving him gently so that his nose pointed in another direction, he held it gently in his arms.

Until she sees the kitten which makes him smile, "Look at that. What a clever little kitten. not really a cat person personally but -" he stops, "no. I love animals period. This guy..."

"Are we pet people Kara?"

[facemyenemys]

"I'm not really a cat person either. Not like I could keep pets while being an Agent though." She reached back to let the fuzzy little pinkish tentacles wrap around her hand and fingers, pulling it from her hood while she spoke. "But I think here, maybe I might have the time for it. And maybe you might find you can be a pet person."

She held the kitten out, it's small enough to fit in her hand, it's tiny arms wrapping around her wrist and fingers. There was a bubbled kind of purr for a moment, as it wrapped around and hung upside down, nosing the puppy in Grants arms.

"Also, I don't think it's a cat. And that dog looks like it might need you."

[directorofhydra]

The tentacles make him stop - and he smiles.

For a moment it's not a pleasant smile, it's a tentative, trembling, scared smile. It's adorable. It's beautiful. It's...

Put HYDRA aside he wants to scream. It's a miracle and marvel of nature, Put it aside, put it aside.

He leans into touch the creature but the puppy wriggles in his arms and he looks between the two of them and sniffs, tears running down his face.

"They're both adorable." He picks up the puppy, "Adorable."

[facemyenemys]

She was mildly worried about that, about that look across his face as he sees it. Wondering if it was a sign at all. HYDRA... but cute. She said nothing at first, just watching him.

When he says they are adorable, she wonders for a moment if that was the honest truth, or if he was just saying it for her. Putting on a mask, like she did. She drew her hand back, letting the small thing climb up her arm and snuggle into her hair, at her neck. It was warm and soft and not at all cold like she would have thought.

he's snuggling the dog though, so it's a good sign.

"They are fairly adorable. Are you... all right? With them, I mean."

[directorofhydra]

He remembers a distant planet and stars, he remembers - not a sense of peace but a sense of understanding and...

It's a sign. In it's own way. Haunted by those fucking octopi. Something noble yet...yet...There's a cat's head on it and as he watches it scuttle and nest in her hair he laughs.

It's a genuine warm laugh, "It's so us. Both of them." He will bury the feelings that HYDRA is good and this is a sign, for her, because she is his reason now. That's what this sign means. Let it go.

Let the statue that haunts his dreams begone.

The haunted look leaves his eyes at that and he offers the puppy, sleepy and wriggling his paws in the air despite being supported, to the kitten to sniff, "...What do you want to call it?"

He wants to hold Kara suddenly, desperately, with their animals in their arms. A lifeline made of flesh.