thenearshore | [open mingle] close your eyes, feel the present

Who: Everyone! This is an open mingle log, so feel free to toplevel and thread between yourselves as much as possible.
When: October 27th
Where: Calico Cat Cafe, somewhere vague in Tokyo. An address was posted on the BBS a day prior.
What: Cat adoption day - come bring some (or a lot of) new friends home, take advantage of the no entry fee to spend a day hanging out with cats, or volunteer to help out the somewhat overloaded staff.

An adoption event needs no small venue, and Cat Cafe Calico provides that much, visible as soon as anyone walks in the front door, pane glass with a little bell to ensure no cats walk out undetected. The area is spacious and welcoming, warmly lit with smooth and modern decor, and of course, plenty of posts for the cats. The cafe area itself is on the lower floor, along with various stools, cushions and lounges for people to sit on and spend some time with the plentiful felines. Most of the adoption services have set up along one wall down here, but it's plenty easy to avoid them and just play around with the cats unless you intend to adopt. They've got plenty of waitstaff available, and the cafe is testing out some new and unusual styles and flavours of tea, coffee and milkshakes, as well as seasonal fruit based cakes and tarts. For those without as much of a sweet tooth, there's savoury snacks as well - or maybe you'd prefer to just buy some snacks for the cats, which is an option too.

Upstairs, there's also a video game area with plenty more seating and plenty more cats...though good luck getting them out of the way of the screens, or occasionally off the consoles themselves. Quite a few of the cats are lounging around by the large window, either between cushions or on an impressively-sized play frame, and some are even up near the roof on mounted walkways. There are no guarantees they won't drop onto the occasional passerby. The upstairs also houses a few enclosed areas for people to socialise with specific cats or groups of them to see which ones they get on with best.

Volunteers will be thanked profusely, and some of the staff may even approach visitors to ask if they might help, offering compensation of food and drink prices or similar. There's a lot of adoption paperwork to be done, and with the waitstaff run off their feet, there's few people left to supervise interactions between visitors and cats to make sure all's friendly. Of course, this is an excellent excuse to just surround oneself with any available cats and let others approach as they please.

There's a steady stream of kittens being let out into the mingling cats throughout the day, most of them kept to enclosed areas under staff supervision. Whenever more come out, it might be possible to catch some whispers from the waitstaff, as if surprised at something - listen closely enough, and it sounds like they're talking about an employee, one who they barely see and rarely talks, yet finishes work promptly and slips away before anyone notices except the cats, who all seem very comfortable around him...

Whatever the reason for being here, there's plenty of cats to go around, plenty of activity, and ample opportunity to take home a new friend! Or two. Or ten, if you can convince the staff you can handle it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[When it comes to children and animals, being a little extra vigilant tends to pay off. While they aren't necessarily being rough with one of the kittens, it's pretty clear that something undesirable is going on.

One of her fellow volunteers is already extracting the animal, but a little backup never hurts.]

Is everything okay over here?

[Cradling the small kitten to his chest protectively Adrien is watching them. Hearing her voice he's turning.]

I think this little adorable guy is okay but I can't abide people making cruel remarks about defenseless creatures.

[He offers a faint smile. Though he's moving toward her.]

If I had my way, I'd make sure they left here catless.

[And he may have said that loud enough to be heard because heads turned his way but Adrien isn't apologizing or backing down.]

[Well that's... troubling. Even if the kitten seems unharmed, they can't very well pretend like what the kids were doing wasn't uncalled for. Still...]

Sometimes children can say some pretty unkind things without really realizing how much it could hurt someone.

[It's not exactly a way of defending their actions, but more of a way to try and soothe the situation over as a whole. Upon seeing the kitten a little closer, her expression brightens up quite a bit.]

Ohh, I've never actually seen this kind of cat up close before! They even have wrinkles when they're babies?

It seems childish to make that kind of comment. If you can't say something nice you shouldn't say anything at all - especially when it comes to something like this. Poor little guy can't help how he looks after all.

[Adrien cuddles the cat into his warmth. He should go find a blanket or something to bundle it up in - don't they have little kitty sweaters or something for these hairless kittens someplace?]

But you've seen one before? I guess so? I mean he's still a baby so yes?

[Not that he knows much about this particular breed.]

[Children will say childish things - that's just in their nature. Still, she doesn't want to make it seem like she's brushing off his concerns, or the kitten's own distress, so that particular thought will stay in her head.]

If they try to stir up any more trouble, I'm sure the owners wouldn't mind hearing about it. They don't want the cats to have to deal with any unnecessary stress, after all.

[That aside,] I've only seen photos, drawings... things like that. Never the real thing. [She smiles brightly, offering the kitten her hand to sniff.] I think he's really cute, wrinkles and all.

[Deep down Adrien knows that he's being harsh but at the same time he believes that the way you treat people an animals when you think no one is looking is a good indication of your true character.]

I plan to keep an eye on them. I don't want them upsetting more helpless kittens. Something about it just isn't right.

[The blond listens curlously, watching as the kitten warily leaned forward and sniffed at her hand a little before giving a soft tiny mew..] Well now you have. Isn't he precious? He looks so roly poly and cuddly even without the fur. [He laughs.]

It gives you a good excuse to make or use those sweaters you accidentally shrunk in the wash..

Edited 2018-03-28 22:35 (UTC)

[People grow and change over the course of their lives, for sure, but it's easier to learn from your past actions if someone's correcting you. The kids should definitely be made to know their behavior was out of line, and once she's done here, Yuna may very well try to approach them about it.

For now, she's a little more fascinated by the kitten, so that will have to wait a bit.]

Mmm, he probably would get chilly pretty easily with no fur... Dressing up a cat sounds like it could be either adorable, or a challenge. [Probably both. Her scent acquired by the kitten, she gently scratches at his chin.] It makes you want to wrap him up in a soft, fluffy blanket, doesn't it?

It'd be both but it'd be worth the effort. Plus, I'd think with a cat like this little guy that he'd adapt to it because he'd know that clothes keep him warmer and he won't be as cold? It's kind of like how they know a can opener usually means food and toys mean play time.

[Adrien is watching them. The kitten tipping his head back and leaning forward into the touch. And there's a quiet little purr that Adrien can feel against his fingertips. Cute.]

I definitely should. You know if people are going to like those kids about this little guy I could just take him home with me. My girls would love him to bits and Marinette would think he was the most adorable thing.

[If she could put up with Plagg, she'd have no problem with a special little guy like this.]

[Taking him home... is definitely an appealing prospect. Honestly, she had half a mind to ask the owner about taking him home herself, but if someone else wants him, that's really for the better, isn't it?]

Mhm...! I'm sure he really wants a nice home to be able to get nice, warm, and cozy at. And you have other cats, then? [That's what it sounds like to her, for sure.] Some place with a lot of friends to help look after him would be a good place, I'd think.

I'm sure he does, too. He certainly deserves it. He's a cute innocent little guy. he deserves a good home and love.

[Adrien smiles and nods.] Four girls. They're all rather young but they're sweet little adorable fluff balls. I'm sure they would adore this little guy. They could all play and have fun. That and I'm feeling a bit out numbered with so many girls in the temple.

If they grow up together, they'll probably get along better too, right?

[Sounds reasonable to her, anyway.]

I suppose evening out the numbers a little is appealing, too. I have a few cats back at my temple, and I feel like taking more with me would make it sort of difficult to give all of them the attention they need, but... it's still really tempting.

Absolutely yes. And the girls are all still young enough to adapt easier.

[He hums softly considering.]

This'll be the last ones. I think more than the ones we have would be too much. But we love them so much, the girls seem really happy too. They like to cuddle and play it's really just the best.

Marinette spoils them by making them toys.

[open mingle] close your eyes, feel the present

C

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