01<@Ardweden> [Day: Thursday, May 13, 2010. Time: 5:37 p.m.] 01<@Ardweden> [It's about two weeks since Heather first got that key, and she's slowly getting ahold of this dreamwalking thing. She has also moved up in the ranks of boyfriends, as the guy currently going out with her is one Jonah Strauss, who is both a swimmer and super smart. Admittedly, he hasn't told anyone they're going *out* yet... or maybe ever... but the attention he paid to her in the locker room after swim practice was nothing to sneeze at.] 01<@Ardweden> [He had to head out, though, so now Heather's wandering home by herself. She's taking a route through the Square, which is something that's probably become a normal occurrence since the Lunatic Fringe episode a while ago. It's still daylight, and the Square is reasonably busy, with people going into the small shops there or just enjoying the nice weather.] 01<@Ardweden> [Start!] 06* Heather wanders home, also enjoying the nice weather. Because hey, it could be cold. Or rainy. Or cold and rainy. 01<@Ardweden> [It is neither of those, which is really great! A twenty- something couple walks by her. The woman has a cup of coffee in her free hand and is giggling at something the man said.] 06* Heather glances at her as she passes by. Coffee would be nice... but she'd rather save the money. 01<@Ardweden> [They're *way* too into each other to notice Heather.] 06* Heather continues on her way, then. 01<@Ardweden> [As Heather passes the alley between the Lunatic Fringe and one of the bars, she hears a sound from down the way. It sounds like... squeaking? Almost? But it's not quite a mouse or a rat.] 06* Heather pauses, and glances down the alley. Squeaking? 01<@Ardweden> [Squeaking. It's constant, almost like wailing. A squeaky wailing.] 06* Heather investigates. Warily. Just in case it IS a mouse or rat. That'd freak her out. 01<@Ardweden> [Heather heads into the alley, picking her way past the occasional broken bottle and a dirty puddle of water that hasn't entirely dried up from the storm last night. When she gets near the end, she finds a high cardboard box up against a dumpster. Whatever's squeaking must be coming from there.] 06* Heather cautiously investigates the box. 01<@Ardweden> [Heather peers over the edge of the box, and she can see a little bundle of bedraggled, black fur, with a ratlike, equally black tail. Only it's *not* a rat, she realizes, as the fur opens its mouth and lets out another sad, little wail. It's a kitten, and it looks pretty young.] 06* Heather stares at the kitten, her heart breaking. "Poor guy," she says softly. 01<@Ardweden> [The kitten realizes she's there and curls out from its corner, staggering over towards her with stumbling steps. It keeps mewling, trying to climb its way out of the box, but it can't jump very high and ends up just pawing the cardboard walls.] 06* Heather smiles at it. "You were abandoned too, huh?" Coming to a decision, she gently picks up the box, then starts walking. 01<@Ardweden> [The kitten falls over when Heather picks up the box, but then tries to regain its balance and manages to do so! And then it doesn't. Regardless, it slide/walks over to the side closest to Heather and keeps with the squeaky mews.] 01<@Ardweden> [Its eyes, Heather can see now, are a blue-green color.] 06* Heather trains a warm smile on it, looking up only occasionally to make sure she doesn't walk into a lamp post or something. 01<@Ardweden> [Heather manages to avoid any and all light fixtures, though the kitten's crying does attract some attention from strangers. Their glances range from purely curious to approving.] 06* Heather ignores the attention, despite it being far from what she's used to. She's focused on the cat. She wants to pet him, but, box takes two hands. 01<@Ardweden> [It sadly does! The kitten keeps trying to climb out of the box and onto Heather, but alas, its attempts are futile.] 06* Heather thinks that's probably for the best, since she doesn't want it to fall, and her hands are full with the box. 01<@Ardweden> [After another fifteen to twenty minutes or so, Heather approaches the house. Her dad's car is in the driveway. Looks like he's home.] 06* Heather tries the door, hoping it isn't locked. 01<@Ardweden> [It is not!] 06* Heather opens it awkwardly, then, trying her best to keep the box level. She makes her way inside, calling, "Dad?" 01<@Ardweden> ["Heather!" her father calls from the direction of the living room. "About time. I was-" He stops in the hallway, looking at his daughter and what's in her arms. "Why are you carrying a dirty cardboard box?"] 01<@Ardweden> [Right about now, the kitten decides to make his presence known again with a loud kitten cry.] 06* Heather watches her father nervously. "I... Someone abandoned him, so..." 01<@Ardweden> ["No. Definitely not." He walks over and looks in the box. "He's too young. And he probably has fleas. You don't want to get fleas, do you?"] 06* Heather looks up at him, "But dad! He'll never survive on his own! Come on, please?" 01<@Ardweden> [He frowns. "No. Keeping a cat is going to involve vet bills. And he'll have to be trained to use a litter box - we'll have to *get* a litter box. And look at how young he is. We need to take him to the shelter, where he belongs."] 06* Heather looks at her father pleadingly. "I can train him! I can take care of him! And with my job I can cover vet bills and cat food and everything! Please?" She asks again. 01<@Ardweden> [Her father looks at the kitten, then Heather, then the kitten again - who, by the way, is once again trying to paw his way out of the box and onto Heather - and then back to Heather. He looks about to say no again, then visibly changes his mind and just sighs heavily. "Fine. *Fine*. But we're taking him to the vet as soon as we can. Look up the number and schedule an appointment. And if he misbehaves, it's on you, Heather."] 06* Heather grins. "Thank you, dad! Thank you!" She would hug him, but... box. 01<@Ardweden> [The kitten also mewls his support. Her father shakes his head. "Go put him in your room and look up how to take care of him. I guess he's hungry?"] 06* Heather nods enthusiastically and goes to do just that. 01<@Ardweden> [Before long, Heather is in her room, door closed behind her!] 06* Heather sets the box down and turns on her computer. While it's booting up, she pickes up the kitten and scratches it behind the ears. "You need a name," she says. 01<@Ardweden> [The kitten is so small Heather easily picks him up with one hand. When she starts scritching him behind the ears, he starts purring. Holy crap, he can *purr*. He takes any purchase he can, claws out, and he immediately sticks his face right into the crook of Heather's arm. It tickles. He purrs.] 06* Heather giggles at that and strokes his fur. 01<@Ardweden> [He starts licking Heather's arm, even as she pets him. Meanwhile, her computer finishes booting up!] 01<@Ardweden> [Kitten's still purring. Definitely better than crying.] 06* Heather agrees and gets on the net, googling how to take care of a cat. Google would know, right? 01<@Ardweden> [Google does know! There's all sorts of advice, but it's mostly for older cats. When looking for kittens... this one seems pretty young, based on pictures of baby strays. He's probably cold and hungry, and might not be able to take solid food yet.] 06* Heather makes a mental note of that. No cat food. So....... baby cat food? 01<@Ardweden> [Litter training looks pretty easy. Just put him in the litterbox after he eats, and he'll eventually get the idea. Food-wise, when Heather checks, there's formula that should replace mother's milk. It looks like the milk people drink, while better than water, is not the best. And he'll need to be fed 3-4 times a day.] 01<@Ardweden> [All of these online articles say to follow a vet's advice, but her dad was planning to take him to one anyway.] 06* Heather grins. This doesn't seem so hard after all. Although she does wonder how she's going to manage feeding four times a day while going to school. Maybe she'll cut class for a while. 01<@Ardweden> [There's a knocking on Heather's door, then her dad opens it a crack. "Heather?" he says, poking his head in. "I got some milk and cold cuts for the kitten, until we can get him some food. Did you look up a vet yet?"] 06* Heather shakes her head. "I was looking up how to take care of him. He's not supposed to eat solids yet." 01<@Ardweden> ["Hm, let's give him this, then." He walks in and sets a saucer of milk down on the floor, closer to Heather. The kitten keeps purring in her arm, and her dad smiles a little at the sight. "We'll go shopping for him once he's settled."] 06* Heather hesitates. "I'm not sure he can drink regular milk. There's a formula, but...." She looks that up real quick to be on the safe side. 01<@Ardweden> [Regular milk is ill advised for long periods of time, but in a pinch is better than nothing. It looks like Heather'll definitely want to get formula eventually, though. The vet might have some, or the local pet supply store.] 06* Heather nods. "Okay... It looks like it'll be okay for now." She sets the kitten down next to the milk. 01<@Ardweden> [He looks around and stumbles, away from the milk, towards the milk... that's milk? He sniffs at it, then licks at it, then sticks his WHOLE FACE in it. And his front paws. Right in the milk.] 01<@Ardweden> [He's still purring. Heather's father chuckles.] 06* Heather giggles. She looks at her dad. "What do you think we should call him?" 01<@Ardweden> [A smile tugs at her dad's mouth. "He's your responsibility. I think you should name him."] 06* Heather considers. 06* Heather picks a name. "How about Lugh?" Of course, it sounds like Lou. Her dad probably doesn't know the difference. 01<@Ardweden> ["Lou?" he asks, kneeling next to the kitten, petting him gently on the head. "You like that, Louie?" The kitten keeps purring and lapping at the milk, and then her father looks up at Heather. "Sounds fine to me."] 06* Heather grins. "Lugh it is, then." She turns back to her computer, looking up the vet. 01<@Ardweden> ["I'll leave you to it," he says, hoping that this sense of responsibility sticks with his daughter this time. "Let me know when you're ready for that shopping trip." He stands, says to the cat, "See you around, Lou," and heads out, closing the door behind him.] 06* Heather calls, "Thanks dad!" as he leaves. 01<@Ardweden> ["Just remember, he's your responsibility," he reminds her before he closes the door. Ah, the R word. He likes throwing that around.] 06* Heather doesn't mind. She signed the paper! 01<@Ardweden> [She did! While Heather pokes online some more, she hears mewling, and then pawing at her pants leg.] 06* Heather smiles down at Lugh, then picks him up and sits him on her lap, she pets him with one hand while using the mouse with her other. Multitasking! 01<@Ardweden> [Heather does it! As she puts him on her lap, he seems really sticky and wet... oh, it's the milk, she realizes as he sticks his milk-covered face back in her arm and starts purring again.] 06* Heather doesn't mind. "My responsibility, huh?" She scratches him behind the neck. "Don't worry, Lugh. I won't abandon you." 01<@Ardweden> [End!]