Blessed Be These Summer Days (Open + Closed)

[challengesfate]

Who: Lucina and Prompto, and YOU
When: August 16th to August 20th
Where: The Far Shore (Temple of Lucina) + The Near Shore
What: Getting settled into a new life (OPEN) + Prayer #43 (CLOSED)

The Far Shore - Settling In

[The Temple of Lucina is a fairly new addition to the Far Shore, and though it may not be as lavish as other temples, the mere fact of its newness is enough to impress Lucina with a sense of awe. In her first days of godhood, she is entranced by examining the statues in the main hall and the fountain of water that bubbles up from the largest one, the woman who shared her name and yet was not her. She opens and closes the fridge in the kitchen, marveling at the exact moment the light inside turns off as the door closes, and lets the water fill up the bathtub in the bathroom and dips her hands in, surprised at how warm it is. She examines the flowers in the garden and climbs the lotus and quince trees to sit in the higher branches, peering out from the natural border at the gods and shinki who pass by. Overall, if you come calling to the strange new temple, the god and shinki within will be happy to welcome you inside to look and make your acquaintance!]

The Near Shore - Prayer #43: A Prayer For Strays

[Naturally, when one is made a god, there is work that is expected to be done, and when Lucina first hears this prayer, she finds herself feeling...proud, almost, that someone has come to call on her, even for a small thing like this. With Prompto in tow, the pair quickly make their way to the Near Shore and set to navigating their way through winding city streets to the goal of their request: a clowder of uncollared, somewhat scruffy cats mewling at the gate of a small urban house, scratching and trying to leap up and over to the empty bowls perched on the stoop. Lucina frowns a little at the sight, bringing a hand to her chin.]

There certainly are a lot of cats...what do you suppose we could use to feed them?

Comments

[challengesfate]

Right. Stress is...bad.

[In general, she means, because Lucina may have been brought on for this job, but she doesn't know what to do in the face of it actually happening. It is actually stressing her out, for a moment, until Prompto's genuine offer.]

Ah, perhaps...we can both contribute. And if she does not want to come, we will have to set it up somewhere nearby, won't we? So we can check on her and the others, and she has shelter if it rains...

[Would the owner be mad if they made a kitten box like, right on their stoop? It's okay to hop the fence if it's for the sake of cats, right? But maybe they're getting ahead of themselves.]

But, first, we should definitely find some food for everyone.

[photoshooter]

Yeah! Umm, we should get them real cat food, right? So we need money. So we need a way to make money fast...

[He rubs one cat's face as he thinks, frowning, but then quickly lights up with an idea.]

Or we could borrow cat food from someone and pay them back later! It's just that they seem hungry now, and I feel bad for the little guys, and anything I can think of would still take some time.

[challengesfate]

[Yeah, honestly, going around to the neighbors asking for some tuna or anything cats can eat sounds like it would go a lot faster than haggling with a shopkeeper. Lucina nods, gently cupping Momma Cat's face.

This is their first prayer. They have to follow through. They just have to.]

We could do that for now...and then work on earning money to pay others back, and to keep feeding the cats, until the homeowner returns. And...if Mother Cat decides to come with us, then we won't be without food for her. How does that sound?

[photoshooter]

Sounds like a plan! I bet if we give her some time to find out how nice we are, she'll totally want to come with. So maybe one of us should stay here while the other goes to rustle up some grub.

[He brushes cat hair off his knees and stands again.]

Mama Cat seems to like you, so do you want the first shift here?

[challengesfate]

[She looks up, a little surprised. Is - that's a thing? Small animals can like you? She knows bigger animals can like people, she's seen pegasi and wyverns and griffons and the like share bonds with their riders, but...a cat? There is a way for cats to like you? For real?

Lucina looks back down at Momma Cat, rubs her thumb gently along the side of her face.]

Will you be alright, by yourself?

[I mean. Lucina knows she would quickly get lost and flustered, this city is nothing like she's ever seen before, but it feels like kind of a rude thing to stay here while Prompto runs around.]

[photoshooter]

I'll be okay. It doesn't look like there's anything dangerous around here, but if I run into trouble, I'll dash back here so fast you won't even know I was gone!

[He makes an O.K. sign with his fingers, then looks around, rubbing the back of his neck.]

I won't go far, anyway. I'll just find someone else that looks like they've been leaving food out for the strays and come right back. Cool?

[challengesfate]

Uh...yes. Cool. [She nods. The cats are starting to clamor closer to her now, trying to get on her lap. They don't jostle Momma Cat, though.] Just be careful.

[photoshooter]

I will! And you can call me if you need me!

[The O.K. sign turns into double pistols and then he's darting off, happy to have a job.

.........................

SOME TIME LATER, he comes back lugging a cardboard box with a two-thirds-full bag of dry cat food in it and an old cat toy.]

The old lady said I could have it if I come help her unload her groceries later. She was really nice. How're you doing over here?

[challengesfate]

Uh - okay!

[Yes, she will call you on the phone she is still nowhere near used to using, that will be fantastic. (Prompto you probably guided her through making a message for her voice mail y u do this)

When he returns, it's to a rather sweet sight. Momma Cat has decided that Lucina's lap is a wonderful place to rest, flicking her tail lazily as the young woman gently strokes her back, going with the grain of the fur. The other cats have huddled around her, comfortable and cozy, as she speaks to them in a low voice.]

- And there is a garden that gets a good amount of sun. Perhaps we could get pillows to put outside when it's not wet for you to sit on? Or if you prefer the shade, there are so many trees there. The air is sweet...it's a nice place.

[Is. Is she trying to sell Momma Cat on her temple. Oh Gods, that's adorable. When she hears Prompto, though, she looks up - and all the cats look up with her. They smell the food.]

Prompto - I'm alright. Do you need some help with that?

[photoshooter]

[He smiles widely at the sight of her, then shakes his head quickly, setting the box down.]

Nah. Don't move.

[He pulls out his phone once more, ignoring the cats swarming the box in favor of this moment, this lighting, that gentle expression on her face.]

Smile, okay?

[challengesfate]

[The request is a bit odd, but...Lucina does manage a smile for you, Prompto. It's a little bemused, a little curious. Momma Cat has not moved from her new place of sits, instead choosing to look over at Prompto with her reflective cat eyes.

Go for it dude, take the shot!]

[photoshooter]

[Click!

It's even better than the first one he took, thinks Prompto, smiling to himself. Then the cats start complaining, some of them tumbling into the box.]

All right, all right, chill out! Food's coming!

[He has to put his phone away before he can show her to rescue the bag of cat food, pulling it away from the hungry cats.]

Aw, shoot, I forgot about the bowls...

[challengesfate]

[Lucina has enough forewarning to stay still enough while Prompto takes his photo, and then once he's done, she moves, gently prodding Momma Cat to let her get up. She stretches a bit, glancing over the fence to the homeowner's house.]

...If we put the bowls back, do you think we'll be remiss for borrowing the ones already left out? We could leave some extra food in them as well, just in case.

[And if you're not okay with hopping the fence then Lucina will totally do it.]

[photoshooter]

[He's a JRPG character, all he does is hop fences for sidequests. He peers over the fence at the bowls, still playing keep-away with the food. Man, hungry cats are loud.]

Ummm, I think it'd be okay. I mean, they're the ones who asked for our help, right? And if they see there's food left in the bowls when they get back, then they'll know their prayer was answered.

[challengesfate]

[There is no hopping in Lucina's JRPG but Prompto's already done a lot. All she's done is pet kitties! You gotta let her help, dude.]

I'll get them, then. Try to see if you can distract them with the funny toy, perhaps? This shouldn't take long.

[photoshooter]

[Petting kitties is super important work! But okay, that's fair.]

Got it!

[He gives her a thumbs up, grabs the stick from the box, and leads the cats a couple steps away, trying to get them to follow the toy instead of the bag.]

Over here, guys! Come on, don't you want to play with the thing? It's soooo bouncy!

[challengesfate]

[His tone of voice makes Lucina chuckle despite herself as she looks left, then right, then casually hops the fence. She'd rather not call a lot of attention to herself, no matter how partially visible she was to humanity. In no time at all she's collected the few bowls set out on the porch and is over the fence again, making a beeline for the cat food bag.]

Okay...

[The smartest thing to do, Lucina realizes, is to just scoop out food with the bowls and set it down. She doesn't overfill them, either; too much and the cats will make themself sick, she's sure. The first bowl is quickly swarmed by furry friends, and she sets on filling the next one as more begin to pad over and investigate. Momma Cat sidles up next to Lucina, settling down and waiting her turn, and the princess has not forgotten her. There's a third, tiny bowl that was left out on the porch that is quickly filled up and placed in front of her, other cats being gently shooed away.]

Kindly - no, please, there's - the other bowls, please, this is for her...

[photoshooter]

[Prompto laughs as the cats prompt(o)ly abandon him for the food, some of them spending more time lightly scuffling with one another than actually eating. He waves some of them away from Momma Cat with the stick part of the cat toy.]

Come on, guys, give her some space. She's got babies on board, you know?

[When the cats seem more or less settled on which bowls they're eating from, a couple of them already wandering off, satisfied, Prompto crouches to watch them, playing idly with the toy.]

Looks like she really has already taken to you, Lucie. Guess she's got good taste.

[challengesfate]

[Thank goodness for Prompto - Lucina can't do all this alone, she knows that, and his distraction is just enough for the other cats to be led to other bowls, letting Momma Cat take her time. Lucina is pretty sure she's not supposed to touch an animal while it's eating, but Momma Cat's tail ends up curled lightly around her hand anyway, and it's kind of sweet.]

She's very affectionate. I wonder...where did all these cats come from to begin with? Could they have run away from home, or gotten loose? They're quite used to human companionship.

[Or did someone abandon their cats and does she have to shank a bitch]

[photoshooter]

Hmm. Well, if they're used to getting fed, it makes sense they're friendly with people. But I don't think they can all be runaways.

[He crosses his arms and taps the toy against his bicep.]

Some of them might've been born on the street. I mean, anywhere there's people, there's always some stray cats around. And then some could be kittens that got turned loose if the mommy and daddy cats' owners couldn't find homes for them.

[challengesfate]

Is that so...

[Turning unwanted kids out onto the street is...a harsh reality of life that Lucina can understand happening. There are a lot of awful, terrible things she can understand. But it does hurt her heart to think of actual baby animals having to go through it as well. Gaze far away, she reaches down to Momma Cat, who has cleaned out her bowl and oblidges to gentle head pats.]

...I know it's impossible, but when you say it in such a way...I wish we could do more for them.

[photoshooter]

Yeah.

[He watches them, the goddess and the cat, and something about the situation squeezes at his heart.]

But these guys will be all right, at least. They've got someone who cares enough about them to call on the gods to make sure they're fed. So it's not really like they're struggling out here all alone. They've got friends!

[challengesfate]

That's true. [Another pet, ending in a gentle scritch behind the ears.] They have at least two more very loving friends. [She pauses, glances up at Prompto.] Later, will you need help with that woman's parcels? I would be happy to assist as well.

[photoshooter]

[Surprised, he meets her gaze, then smiles, flexes one arm, and pats his bicep.]

Well, I think I can handle anything the old lady throws at me. But. [He lets both arms drop and swings them idly.] If you want to come with, I wouldn't mind the company. Four hands'll make the work go twice as fast!

[challengesfate]

[There's a soft "hm!" at that, more an amused sound than anything.] I would be happy to come with you. And if the job is much more strenuous than expected, I will help.