isleofavalon | closed 🌠 the night is blind, so hard to find the way back home

[There's that weird feeling again when he sees those tears again. He's seen and been with countless others who cry or get upset, yet somehow it's Tifa that makes him feel something more than general empathy. Like he wants to make them stop, but feels helpless because he doesn't know how. So he just focuses on her question about the kitten who is eying Tifa warily and actually flinches when Tifa's hand reaches out to it. He can only sigh a little helplessly.]

Only a little bruised and had inhaled a lot of dust and smoke, but she's been treated. Now she's just afraid...understandably so given what she witnessed. Since I was the one who found her and can understand her, she's been clinging to me and wouldn't go with anyone else. ...But I can't take care of a kitten.

[There's a complicated look as he looks at the little one who has huddled further into his arm, and he can hear its painful, fearful cries. Slowly he reaches over to lightly stroke its back, and the kitten starts to relax if only just.]

That's why I came to you... Since you have some experience I was hoping she might be able to bond with you instead, but... [His voice trails as he glances at the state of the apartment, of how Tifa was clearly preparing to leave it and go somewhere else.] If it's too much, then I'll find somewhere else.

No, it's not too much. Aerith won't mind.

[Her answer comes immediately, and while she sounds sure of herself, her expression betrays that when she looks down at the kitten again, watching it withdraw further into the blanket.]

It's going to take some work, but I can do it.

[She's willing to, and she isn't about to send Eustace off to find someone else to take care of her. Not when she was his first choice.

The kitten's scared cries has her sighing again, and Tifa beckons Eustace in the direction of the kitchen.]

Has she eaten?

Barely anything.

[A small haggard sigh as he runs a hand over his eyes and follows her inti the kitchen. It's only because he's good at masking it, but he really is weary and exhausted from everything. So there is some genuine relief when Tifa accepts, but be also sensed some of her uncertainty, one that's well founded given the circumstances.]

And I'll stay around until she gets used to you.

Yeah, that might be best.

[She gives him a soft, thankful smile over her shoulder while she rummages through her fridge for something—anything that could be okay for a kitten to eat. The milk she has won't do and will only make her sick, so... maybe something meaty. But is she too young to eat anything that's too heavy? There's some frozen soup broth that she's prepared and kept for future use that could be alright...]

Let me just warm this up on the stove. If she'll let you put her down... she might be okay exploring a bit?

[Although a change in environment that's due to come might only stress her out, so she leaves that up to him to decide... Especially if he can understand her...]

[The kitten just continues to cling to his arm, but Eustace thinks her idea isn't a bad one.]

I'll give it a try. She can't cling onto me forever.

[He'll move to a relatively "quiet" corner, out of Tifa's way, and sits on the floor. There he tries to coax the kitten out.]

...C'mon, I know you're scared, but you need to get used to it.

[Just some protesting mewls before he gently grabs her and tries to set her down.

The moment her paws touch the floor, she immediately climbs up onto his leg and scramble to his shoulder and to his head.

...

What is with small animals and perching themselves on top of his head????]

[Tifa is preoccupied with the stove and getting the frozen soup into a large enough pot, but she turns around just in time to catch the kitten clambering to the top of Eustace's head, those tiny, sharp kitten claws out and eager to climb. She can still see she's quivering, so Tifa doesn't approach, only taking a few steps so that she can lean her hands on the opposite end of the table to watch.

Sorry Eustace, you're on your own for now!

Her head tilts fondly.]

Looks like you'll be stuck here a while.

[If he's going to wait for the little one to get used to being here. Not that she minds his company...]

You said you could understand her, yeah?

[Just some slight wincing. No matter how thick or "floofy" his hair is, those little claws still hurt a bit. Thankfully once she's on top she retracts them as he remains still and wonders what to do.

...If he tries to move her will she just latch on instead........]

Mostly. It's similar to trying to understand a young child so the words don't always come through clearly if at all.

[Probably just a bunch of words strung together that don't really have much meaning... that's how kids tend to talk when they have a lot to say, although... she wouldn't be surprised if the kitten was fairly quiet now that she's out in the open, with Tifa watching them both.

In spite of everything that's happened, this is just the sight that she needed to cheer up, even if it's just a little bit.]

Alright, tell her to hold still a sec.

[And she's pulling her phone out of her pocket, pointing the camera right at them, and taking the photo before he can say or do anything about it. Not even a 'say cheese' as a warning.

She examines it for a moment with a pleased smile before tucking her phone away again.]

Cute.

[She should send this to Zidane and Gran. Yep, that's what she'll do.]

[...What is she—!!!]

Hey!

[HE DID NOT GIVE PERMISSION????]

[He'll just have to wait until later if he wants to see it. He can ask Zidane or Gran if he really, really wants to.

This might not be under the best conditions, but she can still turn this around... find some silver lining now that the kitten and Eustace are both safe and sound.]

Just to commemorate her first day in her forever home.

[Although she's leaving in the morning, but... that's neither here nor there. Home is where the heart is, after all, and Tifa's is going to Aerith's.]

If we don't have any baby pics, what are we going to tell her when she's all grown up?

Baby pics... You make it sound like she's our child.

[Just a low mutter as he wonders if he can somehow delete that photo later.... Though the damage has probably been done, ugh. Should he try and get a silly picture of her in retaliation&dmash;no wait what is he thinking—]

[Maybe that was the point...!

They could all use a little bit of lightness in their days right now.

Tifa only smiles across at him, swaying a little with her hands on the table before turning back to the soup in the pot, and with a little bit of magic, there's steam coming up from inside it as it starts to melt back into broth and fill the room with a hearty, chicken smell.

She's silent for a while longer as she stirs the soup, not turning around.]

... You want some?

[They might regret this later, especially since the little kitty is watching and hearing everything. At the very least she's a little more relaxed as she remains perched on Eustace's head, looking around at everything. Not wanting to ruin whatever mood she's in, Eustace just sighs and reached up to just lightly scratch her head before he hears Tifa's offer.

...]

...I appreciate the offer, but—

[GRrrrrwwwllllllwlllr]

.......

[He may have. Forgotten that he hasn't really eaten that much over the past few days...................................

Betrayed by his own body, how dare.]

One big bowl it is.

[And she has half a mind to tease him more about it by bringing out a mixing bowl she uses for baking rather than a normal bowl, but... she's done enough of that already.

Smiling, she goes back to stirring the soup, allowing a comfortable silence to linger between them again, broken only by the kitten's mewls as she bats at Eustace's nose from on top of his head, claws out and all.

Eventually, Tifa speaks again, her voice gentle.]

So, does she have a name?

[He just lets out a breath but otherwise doesn't say anything more. He really hadn't intended to stay longer than necessary especially since it's such a sudden visit. Thinking this, his gaze drifts to the mostly packed bag. If he had known she was on her way out... He wouldn't have bothered her... Yet she was still the first person who came to mind.

His thoughts are disrupted when the kitten leans down to bat at his nose. Even if those claws are small they're still sharp dangit.]

Hey, knock it off.

[Just a light chastise as he pokes the paw, telling the kitten to at least pull back her claws if she's going to treat him as a toy. The kitten just mews and continues to paw at him, a little gentler but it's hard for her to control those little claws. After another poke he finally reaches up to pull her off, holding her in his arms as he "counters" by tickling her belly a bit. A move he's only confident in doing so due to his thick leather claws that can withstand the sharp teeth and claws that inevitably attack. Although it sounds like mews of protest Eustace can clearly hear the laughter and smiles a bit. It's clear she's starting to relax and he can only hope she continues to do so.

He only frees her when Tifa asks her question, letting her roll around before letting her bat at his gloved hands.]

No, she doesn't. Some of the other rescuers were calling her "Blackie" but she's not a fan of it.

[A loud mew as if to confirm her dislike.]

Edited 2021-10-09 17:35 (UTC)

[Blackie is a terrible name for a cat, and she's inclined to agree with the kitten on that one. Besides, that was her name with the rescuers, and not associated with anything good.

There's no hiding the heaviness that still hangs in the air around Tifa as she scoops up a small spoonful of broth onto the best dish she could find for feeding a cat—a flat pasta bowl. They don't like it when bowls press their whiskers back, and she could remember Maru protesting vehemently to actual bowls when they first got him before they realized.

This will have to do for now until she can get to the store.

And then there's a second bowl for Eustace, bigger and filled with pieces of chicken soup, and she brings his to the table, and sets hers down on the floor out of the way of their feet.]

We're going to have to think of something better suited for her. Something she likes.

You'll probably have better luck than me. I'm not really good with names.

[Took him a while get Eria's, and that was after throwing like fifty different suggestions and playing something like twenty questions with her.

At first the kitten remains distracted, by Eustace, but she pauses when she catches the whiff of something yummy along with the light clink of the bowl on the floor nearby. Instantly she looks up... ...And then hides behind Eustace's leg because the lady. But just like Eustace, her little belly betrays her with the low rumble, causing her to shrink back even further.]

...C'mon, you need to eat. It's good, I promise.

[He lightly strokes the kitten's head before gently pushing her little butt forward and standing. Instantly the kitten latches onto his leg instead, and it's a good thing he's still wearing boots or that might have hurt a bit. Sighing he just...slowly walks towards the table, passenger in tow. Once there he pries her off and gently sets her down by the bowl, ignoring her sobbing mews of protest as he sits down in the chair right next to her.

Eustace might seem mean, but he knows—and is proven when that delicious smell overcomes her fish and she first paws at the bowl...then noses it...and then takes one little lick before starting to hungrily lap it up.]

[Tifa isn't much better with names... Her own familiar still doesn't have one, and while she seems perfectly fine with being called "dolphin", she'd like to find a name for her eventually. It just has to be the right one—one that suits her big personality.

Hopefully she won't get jealous about the kitten getting a name before she does...

She lets Eustace handle the cat for now, watching as he struggles to move to his seat, but soon enough, the kitten takes to the food so quick that she might as well just swallow the bowl whole.

And while watching the kitten as she takes the chair next to Eustace, that's when the idea comes to her.]

Luck...?

[The word rings again in her head, but... hmm.]

There are superstitions that black cats bring nothing but good luck, you know... but I think she beat those odds.

[They're stupid superstitions anyway.]

Lucky doesn't feel right, so... What about... [She pauses to ponder again.] Clover?

[Nom nom nom. Eustace hasn't touched the soup yet, watching the kitten to make sure she doesn't eat too fast, but he glances over at her suggestion.]

Clover?

[At the same time, the kitten lifts her head and gives a cute little, "Mew?" and looks at them. Canting his head slightly as he looks at the kitten, he can hear a sound of interest in that voice.]

...Hm. Do you like that?

[Another "Mew!" before she puts her paws against his leg.]

Don't look at me, she's the one who suggested it, and also the one who made your meal.

[He picks her up and holds the kitten up to Tifa, who immediately curls in at first. But she isn't cowering like she did at first and is looking at Tifa curiously.]

[She has soup dribbling all over her nose and mouth, down her chin and onto the floor, but Tifa doesn't mind. The kitten will likely lap up the mess later and she won't have to worry about cleaning it... Ah, the joys of having a pet. They always clean up after themselves.

She had been hoping for a bit more enthusiasm at the name, but she also knows that this is going to be a work in progress. Getting the kitten to trust her might take more work than she expected, but it's fine. It'll be worth it all once she's feeling better and can do what cats do with confidence.

Still, Tifa can't quite help the sad laugh that escapes her as she tilts her head right back at the kitten.]

We can think of another name if that one doesn't suit you.

[Eustace leans in close to the kitten.]

Come on now... Tell her what you said just now.

[The kitten mews in protest, clearly shy!]

Then do you want another name?

[VIGOROUS HEAD SHAKING which may splatter some of that dribbling soup...but he can help clean it up later. For now he just looks over at Tifa.]

There's your answer...

[...Although maybe some of that dribble got onto Tifa's chin.]

[It does get on her chin, but she only wipes it away politely.]

So, you like Clover then?

[It's a good thing that she has Eustace here with her to go through this. If he weren't, Tifa isn't sure what she would do, or if there would be anything she could do to make the kitten more comfortable. There's a lot going on, and Tifa's own nerves are on edge, which wouldn't help the progress any...

At least Clover is better than Blackie, and it has a special meaning for her.

Speaking of that, Tifa wants to know more about what happened in Celliwig, and what he found, but... is that really something to talk about in front of the kid? ... Probably not.]

We should get a bed set up for her somewhere... In my room, maybe?

[At first the kitten is quiet and shy, but after some gentle prodding from Eustace, it lets out a soft mew and a little purr. Only then does he lower the kitten...and start wiping its face.]

Might be for the best. She'll feel more secure being in close company of someone else. She may even want to sleep with you should she get used to you enough.

[That would be nice, getting there... but Tifa isn't going to push the matter. For now, although this world might seem a lot smaller than what she's used to, Clover is free to roam and explore as much as she wants to. At least it shouldn't be too overwhelming in comparison, and she seems okay with being out and about so long as Eustace is here.

...

Clover does start to wander a little further now, albeit slowly, to the edges of the kitchen, and she sniffs the air around her leading into the living room, and that's when Tifa turns her attention back to Eustace, her voice lowered.]

So, that café's really gone, huh...? I was in Lestari, so I've only heard about what happened in Celliwig.

[With the kitten now exploring a bit, Eustace takes the opportunity to start eating his own share of the soup, noting it's good taste as always. He only looks up when she quietly asks her question, and he remains silent for a moment before he turns back to his bowl, head lowered slightly.]

...Mm. The whole block.

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