#c:corey jensen

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Would you believe me if I said that I really only drink protein shakes because I have to and not because I enjoy them?" Mal would rather sit down with a brownie. Or a cinnamon roll. Gosh, what he wouldn't do for a cinnamon roll right about now. He turned, his attention shifting towards the barista as he placed his order, before answering the question. "Actually, I'm Malachi. I own the gym next door. And I know -- what's taken me so long to check out my next door neighbor? But again, not really a big smoothie kind of a guy. Some of my patrons have been talking about this place though. Figured I'd check it out and see if they'd like to do some sort of partnership with Swolemates or something."

"Gym Junkie seems about right for you," Corey observed. Even under the layers of clothing, the man's large, muscular stature was obvious. "I seen you around before?" they asked, ordering their own smoothie; a citrus-y, fruity one with strawberry and lemonade. "The fat free yogurt ain't bad. This'll set you up right for the day. What made you decide to try out a new place? Curiosity? Favorite place closed for refurb?"

[ofwishfulthinking]

"I mean, no judgment." Archie shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Sometimes people end up with a partner with allergies, or they fall on hard times and can't financially afford their pet anymore. Sometimes it's worse than that, but I try my best to weed those folks out during the application process. Make sure they're not just adopting a kitten for a bratty kid only to end up giving them back when said kid doesn't live up to the expectations of pet ownership." Archie had seen it all before and he always felt for the cat in question. They never had a choice in the matter.

"Yes, already neutered and up to date on vaccines. He's got a chip too. So the info would just have to be updated if you chose to adopt, but that wouldn't be done here. Same process as Pirate, except you get to skip a couple of steps since you've adopted from us before." He prattled off the usual adoption protocol easily. Archie couldn't say how many times each day he ended up giving the same explanation. "You can always put in the application now and just pick him up then. Honestly," Archie met Corey's gaze, "if you're serious about adopting him, I can just waive the fee for you now. My shop, my rules," he concluded with a laugh. "Acclimating them might take some time. Weeks even, but most cats really do prefer a partner."

"Return policy," Corey repeated, practically scoffing as they fussed over the tortie in their arms. "Like I'd let you take my son from me. What do you think I am, some kind of monster?" Corey's main connection to Archie had been through Mat. As his unofficial sibling, and teenage beard, they wanted to make sure he was happy with whoever he was with. Corey didn't know all the details. Didn't need to. That was Mat's business. But Archie seemed cool, and this place had taken care of Pirate when he'd needed it, until Corey could take him home. "Naw, I'm just teasing. The little guy's a dream."

Corey had never anticipated themselves becoming 'cat dad' but they were in many ways a natural caretaker, and it wasn't in their nature to leave Pirate in the cold winter, starving and injured. Even if he'd been perfectly healthy, they'd have wanted to give him a warm, comfy bed. "Get out, really? Is this a boy?" Corey didn't truly know how to tell. There was too much fluff in the way anyways. "Do you think they'll get along? And that he'll still be available then?" The last thing they wanted was for Pirate to be unhappy. His eye injury had probably happened because of a fight with another cat. They didn't want him to be scared, but having a friend could be good for him, especially if Corey was out late playing shows.

[jdxculpepper]

"Jingles?" JD chuckled as he watched the dog. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt even the stirring of joy, but animals had a way of making even the grumpiest person feel happy, if even for a moment. He was proof of that. "How'd he come by that name," he asked. He'd met a lot of dogs, and heard names that ran the gamut from typical to unique, but this was the first time he'd met a dog named Jingles. "Was he born at Christmastime or something?"

"Looks like he appreciates being able to come out anyway." JD didn't know this person, but they were suddenly all right in his book. Anyone who took the time out of their day to care for an animal, especially an animal that wasn't theirs, was a good person in his opinion. "Nope. I don't own any animals myself, but I've met enough of them, especially hiking out here. Most dogs are all the same," he replied as he continued to scratch behind Jingles' ears, "good boys at heart."

"Mine?" Corey scoffed, letting out a low chuckle and shaking their head. "No, he ain't mine. He's an asshole." But Corey said the words affectionately. "C'mere Jingles, you little jerk," Corey cooed, crouching a little to try and coax him over, but he seemed way more interested in his new, mountain-man friend. "See? Asshole." Corey had a leash. They kept it on him when they were walking in more populated areas, places with traffic, or when there was someone else around and they wanted to be polite. They'd just been a little slow on the uptake this time.

"Naw, he's a sweet guy. He probably just smelled you coming and wanted to make a new friend. He belongs to my neighbor, though. They just couldn't get him out today." Corey hadn't seen any signs saying it was the law to have a leash, which was just as well, 'cause they would've hated arguing with Samantha - Jingle's owner - why she should pay that fine even though they had been the one to take the leash off. "You got a dog?" Corey asked. "You seem good with him."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"That obvious," Mal asked, a self-deprecating smile tugging at his lips. "I usually just make my own things at home," he explained. Not that this stranger needed an explanation. "I can try the gym junkie." He laughed at the little jab. People tended to have a similiar response to him. Malachi knew what he looked like. Add in the military service and it all made for an imposing image, but in reality, he was as far as imposing as anyone could come. "I'm usually a sucker for chocolate, but I guess I can settle for fat free yogurt," he added with a grimace.

The guy in line next to Corey had arms that were about as wide as Corey's head. Corey liked to think they were in pretty good shape; they exercised regularly and had played basketball at a collegiate level (though they still maintained part of that was just down to them being 6'1 while assigned female at birth), but this guy was a unit. "First time?" Corey asked with a chuckle. "Depends what you're lookin' for. They got some high protein ones that are real good before a workout. I like the 'Super Fruit', partly 'cause of the fruity name, admittedly, but the 'Gym Junkie' is great too. Seems like a fitting one for you. It's got whey protein in it. berries, banana, fat free yogurt..."

[jdxculpepper]

JD couldn't really say he was surprised as he listened to the lore behind the dog's name. He'd suspected as much, after all. "Cats always seem to have strange names," he commented. "Though I like Pirate. Seems like it suits the whole situation." JD had never had a pet. Growing up, they'd barely made ends meet. What resources they had had available, his mother had sunk into pursuing her addictions. He'd only just managed to keep them both fed by working odd jobs here and there. So, there'd been no space for a pet. Now that he was older, the idea of getting attached to anything terrified him. What if he didn't come home one day? Who would tell the animal waiting for him? So, no, it was just better to not get involved.

"Actually, yeah, that's exactly what I do," he answered with a wry grin. "I work out here." A lot of his job involved making sure that the federal wild areas remained safe and that people who used the space remained respectful. Some of it involved policing hunters, but for the most part, his days were quiet which was exactly what he needed. "You'd be surprised the things people get up to when they think there's no one out here to stop them."

Corey gave a little chuckle at the name, playful eye roll accompanying the gesture. "Yeah, more proof he ain't mind, see? I wouldn't be callin' him that. Think his birthday is Christmas Eve and all his brothers and sisters got Christmas themed names from the breeder. Owner kept it." Their neighbor had told them the story the first time they'd asked the same question, back when they'd brought him home as a puppy. "Guess I can't say much. My ex-girlfriend named my cat Pirate 'cause he's got one eye."

"Jingles," Corey repeated, clicking their tongue a couple times to get his attention. He came back over, wagging his tail with a velocity that practically moved his whole body. "There ya go. Good man." Corey bent their six-foot-one frame to give some rewarding ear scratches. "Shame. You seem to like 'em. I only got one recently though. Well, he got me, I guess. Picked the right garbage can to crawl into after a brawl with another stray. They make ya soft." Corey wouldn't give the little guy up for anything, though. He'd been a real life-saver, after losing their mom and then Andie leaving. He made the house feel less lonely.

"What is it you do out here? Walk around looking for dogs to pet, make sure nobody is lighting campfires?" Corey could be to-the-point, but they were genuinely curious.

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Fair," Archie returned with a laugh. He'd started ordering the shop's recurring supplies in bulk recently and it definitely did help to offset costs. "Well, I mean, there is a return policy." He just hoped none of the cats ever needed it. He took the time to vet applications and truly believed that the people who adopted the cats were the best fit, but Archie knew that life happened and sometimes that meant that the cat got the short end of the stick. He tried not to judge those people -- he'd done worse, he knew, and most people didn't want to give up a beloved pet. So, in those cases, he hoped that the cats would be returned to the cafe rather than simply dumped on the street. Street life wasn't an option he wanted for the cafe cats. Heck, it wasn't an option he wanted for any cat.

He watched as Corey cuddled the tortie and smiled. "You know, we have an adoption event coming up in two weeks. You could just adopt this guy then. All the fees are waived. I'm pretty sure Pirate would appreciate having a sibling. Most cats do better in pairs anyway."

"You think I made it this long as a musician without finding the shit I can buy in bulk to get it cheaper?" Corey answered with a playful scoff. A couple of the nearby cats mewed and rubbed up against Corey's legs, prompting a smile. "You sure about that? There's a no return policy? What about an exchange? This little funky looking one is cute. What color is that? A gray tortoise shell? I could call it Silver." Pirate and Silver actually would make a pretty cute pair. Corey bent down to pet the creature, and it rubbed its soft little head against their hand happily.

"This is my first pet, but the internet fully supports the 'cats are picky little assholes' theory. I've been leaving this shit in his bowl for days. Even mixed in wet food, and one of those toppers, and the little bastards eats the wet food or the top layer and leaves the rest." Corey scooped up the friendly little creature, cradling it with their lanky frame. "Seriously, you should trade me this one for the bag. I think that's more than fair."

[ofwishfulthinking]

Frisky Kitty was, simply put, Alejandro's pride and joy. He had made a lot of mistakes in his 32 years, but this place was not one of them. If Alejandro could spend every day for the rest of his life here, surrounded by the cats, he'd consider himself a happy and fulfilled life. Surely, making the socialization and adoption of adoptable cats and the trapping, fixing, and releasing of the feral ones his life mission would tip his karmic scales towards the positive side. After all, Ale could take all the help he could get.

"I didn't even know they make bags that large," Ale joked, putting up a hand to assist Corey. It didn't seem like they needed too much assistance, but the last thing he needed was an accident in his shop. His insurance (and the tenuous hold he had on this life he'd built) could not survive that. "Yeah cats can be like that. The little assholes. Some people insist that cats can eat the same thing for their entire life, but anyone who has cats know that they're finnicky and just like to give trouble." Still, he adored them. He pointed to a corner so that Corey could set the bag down, and shrugged. "Sorry, you're passed your return by date. You're stuck with him now."

Starter For: @ofwishfulthinking (Alejandro) Location: Frisky Kitty Cafe

Corey knew Alejandro through Mat. Anyone who was dating their best friend was someone Corey wanted to check out. He needed to get the best friend seal of approval, although, ultimately, Mat would make his own choices. Owning a place that focused on rehabilitating and rehoming stray cats was a pretty big green flag, so Corey had decided the dude was cool, for now.

"Sup? Here, help me out with this thing, would ya?" Corey was no slouch when it came to physical things; they were 6'1" and worked out regularly, but they were carrying the biggest bag of cat food known to man. They just about managed to get it to the counter before setting it down with a 'thud'.

"Alright, so that little jackass Pirate has decided he'd rather fucking kill me than eat Royal Canin anymore, so I'm donating this. Figured you could use it. And you're lucky I'm not bringing his orange ass back here with it," Corey teased. They talked a big game, but they adored that little guy.

[jdxculpepper]

Every day, JD found himself grateful for his job. He simply could not imagine spending day in and day out amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. Though it was farfetched, the very idea of a desk job caused a shiver to run down his spine. In truth, JD was well aware that, had it not been for the Fish and Wildlife department, he would have likely spent the rest of his life in a more readily available job. Ranching wasn't a bad way to spend your life -- it was necessary -- and while JD had done it for some time, it simply wasn't him. Being out here, doing this job -- that brought him peace, and JD was grateful for it.

This time of year, the trails were usually quiet, but still JD made his daily rounds. One could never be sure what would be found out there. He'd just rounded the bend when a dog bounded over. JD waited a few moments, watching for the creature's owner, before bending to scratch behind the dog's ear. "He yours," he asked as the person, whom he could only hope was the owner, approached. The dog seemed to be well enough behaved if just a bit excitable, but JD couldn't blame him. If he had to spend hours cooped up, he too would be overly excited about the idea of stretching his legs. At the question, JD shook his head. "No citation. Leashes are preferred, but if you're going to have him off leash, try to keep him in your sights. We try to keep it safe out here, but you never know what could happen." There were so many ways a domestic pet could find themself injured -- wild animals, falling, exposed roots.

Starter For: @jdxculpepper Location: The Outlook

Compared to some of the folks in Paxton, Corey wasn't a huge 'outdoor person', but they did enjoy going on a nice walk sometimes. The passtime had become more frequent when they'd developed an interest in birding. Probably a pretty nerdy hobby for a 'rock star' (term beng applied as loosely as humanly possible), but Corey liked the peaceful nature of it. It was sorely needed sometimes in the noise of their life.

Their walk today, however, was a little less peaceful than usual, and their companion today wasn't exactly being helpful. Corey's binoculars had been left in the harness around their chest for the last few miles. "Jingles, god damnit, can you get back here?" Who the hell named a dog Jingles, anyway? Apparently it was because he had been born around Christmas. The creature probably should've been on a farm or ranch, but had found himself living with Corey's neighbor who'd been recovering from surgery and struggling to walk him. Since Corey was heading out to the trails anyway, they'd offered to help out.

The Aussie had probably got too much pent up energy, so Corey couldn't hold it against him that he was wagging his crazy little tail and running off down the trail. Corey exhaled, speeding up to follow him. They turned a bend, only to run into a uniformed man who had bent down to pet the creature. "Uh, hey," Corey nodded. "You ain't gonna give me a fine for him not being on a leash, are you? Dude's gotta stretch his legs."