#idk i just kept seeing those soft parenting but for cats posts

[i-like-gay-books]

recently stopped antagonizing my cat and he actually likes me now. who knew it was that easy?

[spotaus]

Hehehehe!!!! >:3

Dude u understood exactly!!! (Thank u for quick typing this out because it made me so so giddy to see this morning!!!)

Trying to think if I had anything to add here...

Ooh! Sidetrack!

I think that Night and Dream have matching masks. Like, I promise it was both self-indulgent and actually relevant. This is world building, but -> Those who live in this kingdom have long traditions of gifting masks to those they deem important. Parents to children, lover to lover, mentor to mentee, etc. These masks are only worn for special occasions, and are otherwise kept safely tucked away. *Damaging* a mask can mean breaking of trust, of unions, of friendships, etc.

So, Dream and Night got masks from Nim. Dream recieved an Eagle (or Phoenix, it's debatable) and Nightmare recieved an Owl. They wore them in public the first time for their coronation, then again during the prophecy ceremony. (Which is why people recognize it as Nightmare under the mask post-prophecy magic wearing off.)

In all honesty, narratively, Nightmare's was carved intentionally by the mask-maker. (They're commissioned pieces, meant to be imbued with traits gifted to the reciever by the giver.) Wide eyes, so he would be curious, soft features, befitting of a secondary prince, meek and friendly looking, something approachable, able to interact with others. The wood is almost ashy, stained dark colors, to blend with shadows. His mask being so gentle, and matching his young attitude, was intentional. He was never supposed to grow up.

Dream's, on the other hand, had his mask carved from birch, and stained + decorated with gold. It's sharp, from the beak, to the eyes, to the feathers along the edges. Everything about it was meant to exude confidence, skill, power, the qualities of a king. It was always a little big on him, and he thought he looked a little scary with it on. That was the point. He was meant to be the greatest ruler yet.

And so, when Night starts wearing his 24/7, those around the castle assume something big has happened. After all, the Golden Prince seems to be popping up in a lot of rumors, and there *was* a period when the king fell ill. The people who see it assume Nightmare plans to go to war with his twin. That's why he wears the mask. (To Night, he has little connection to his mother anymore, and so the mask is only important to him because Dream has one too. It's just a convenient way to cover his face.)

With this said, I think that Night would commission masks for his closest comrades.

Of course Ccino was the first. He did this while he was still an adult, and decided on the obvious Cat option. Soft, round, smooth, but with upturned eyes in a jolly crescent. (I think it's either White or a nice deep chocolaty wood brown)

Then Killer. He had a hard time with Killer, but I think after this point he decides those with loyalty to him are very cat-coded, so he gifts killer a Tiger mask. Dust gets a black panther (subtle spots carved into a dark wood, with thin slats for eyes). Horror is the lion, strong and protective of his family. Then Cross is a snow leopard (though, Cross is so new that I don't think he recieved his mask until *after* Night became a teen). Each member is aware the other recieved the gift from Night, but rarely talk about it.

Then Error. Error, I think, doesn't have one yet. Big mix of Night being just his employer before, then becoming small and being good friends, then dating, but then he realizes he's pretty sure Error has no clue wtf is up with the mask so he doesn't want to just give him one unprompted??? So it takes a while for Night to even *dare* to broach the subject. And idk what exactly he'd do after that.

Then, big scene moment, I think Night would shatter his owl mask by the end of the story. Which means I'd have to work on his design a bit more, but I think he deserves to have his family collaborate in the aftermath to make him one that truly fits him as the young man he is now, and not what his mother made him out to be. This is also in the works, but it's smth to think on hehe-

Mm, New Age au my beloved (I just knocked out like... a lot of stuff I needed to do, so here's a quick post before I get back to it) oh! And @ancha-aus hiiiii :]

I know I focus a lot on Night but like... Dream! Dream is a huge part of the story!! So here's a tease at wtf has been up with Dream since Night ate the apple.

So... Dream! He was exiled, but he wasn't left on his lonesome. Nightmare contacted a neighboring kingdom that they already had a treaty with, and asked for them to watch over the crown prince, as he was no longer "fit to rule". They'd accepted, and Night shipped him off at the earliest convenience.

Of course, Dream had no clue it was for his own good, so naturally, after lamenting to this other kingdom about what had happened, how everything changed, he garnered pity, and then support, when Nightmare confirmed Dream's story through letters. Though, the kingdom couldn't afford a war, so they just had to stand idly by.

Dream only stayed there a few years, because by the time he was about 17, he'd become good friends with a squire: Blue. Blue worked around the castle, doing all sorts of tasks for the knight training him, but despite his exceptional skill he remained at the level of Squire due to his age. Blue was very devoted to Dream as his friend and self-proclaimed protector. He looked up to Dream, and was positive he would defeat his brother and take back the throne.

And so, when Dream left on his own to gather experience and followers without endangering this kingdom, Blue followed. Blue was never officially Knighted, but their first night in an Inn, alone on the road, start of their journey, Dream honorarily knighted Blue with his power as a prince. (That's why I refer to Blue as a Knight, even tho no one ever *actually* knighted him and he has no affiliations with any kingdoms.)

Dream was picky with who he recruited and when. He and Blue found a nice little abandoned cottage to start their base of operations, and would travel to recruit people they thought would be of value. Dream wasn't versed in espionage or inner-working over the government, but he knew how to talk to crowds. Sway the people. Plus, feeling emotions helped out too. (I like to think that's something the twins have naturally. Dream's grows with Age, and Night (due to lack of training) only has it when he's corrupted and very little hints when he's young.) So over the course of years, Dream gains more and more support. Like a militia among the neighboring countries as well as in Night's kingdom.

Ink and Cross came together. Ink had been looking for a new job, as he was a mercenary (though his talent was really in the arts) and Cross was a soldier who had left the kingdom a few rivers over that crumbled under a coup. Ink liked Dream's energy right from the start and was completely swayed with the idea of getting a lot of easy work for pay. Meanwhile Cross needed a new hope. Despite leaving a crumbling castle with no hope, Dream seemed to be working towards a better future in this kingdom. Of course he joined him, because that meant he'd live to see an era of peace. (<- of course, Cross finds out this kingdom is actually banger and the current king was slowly working through improving each piece of it, ensuring the whole kingdom could thrive one piece at a time.)

Dream never stopped training, and over the years he lost track of just how different Night was. He lost the script, a bit. His childish mind turning Night's actions all those years ago into a conspiracy. He had an echo-chamber of support, with no outside voice (no Nightmare) to remind him of the truth.

This cottage remains their base, and expands into a small town/camp. Nightmare is taken here when Dream kidnaps him from the castle the first time, too. This place is filled with plants and magic and is thriving. The perfect place to find the golden king.

[vio1315]

Okay, well I’m gonna write a memorial thing for my cat

At the time of writing this, he’s still alive, but I will post it after he’s passed

So

Basically

My cat has cancer and kidney failure

It came on extremely fast

We just had his bloodwork done to find his gallbladder was infected and all the other bloodwork was fine

Then about a month later we go back because he seems so unwell, and boom. Kidney failure. Anemic. Super super bad.

At this time he’s basically in kitty hospice cuz I really wanted him to have a few good days after like two months of feeling bad.  Now... he’s a very good cat

I think he’s the first animal that’s really been mine, and definitely the first I’ve loved to this extent.

He’s only eight years old right now, which is a lot, lot younger than I ever expected him to go.

I named him Poe, though my parents call him Boo, but it doesn’t matter cuz I call him Buddy and Baby so much he responds better to those names

My mom likes to call him Boo-ber and Boo-lardo

He had always been a very fat cat. I always got on my dad’s case for giving too many treats, and pressured my mom into giving him less food each day (it was definitely over the amount a cat should have), but he kept that weight. 21 pounds of it.  And he loves, more than anything, to lay on people. Or halfway on people. Even as I write this he’s laying on my arm, purring.

He would sit beside my dad on the couch, follow my parents to their room and lay on them until they went to sleep, and then come cuddle with me in my room until I went to sleep. He would lay on my shoulder and watch me on my tablet, I can’t remember what he did before I got one...

He had a bad habit of waking you up for extra attention if you didn’t kick him out, so that was basically his daily routine for a few years. As he got older he became really good at understanding just to lay at the foot of the bed instead.

We first got him because when we were walking through to look at cats, back and forth, he kept sticking his paw out of his cage and putting it on my dads chest to stop him. He has always been a people kitty.

They told us he was a girl cuz we only wanted a girl cat, but as we were driving home we saw the truth on his paperwork, but decided to keep him anyways.

He was so skinny at that time, and we found out why pretty fast.

He wouldn’t eat his food. They fed him science diet and he /hated/ it. Not one piece.

So finally we gave him Meow Mix which our other cats were eating at the time, and he suddenly showed us he could eat just fine.

He was always stubborn that way. He liked to find places I told him he couldn’t go and go there repeatedly no matter how many times I dragged him away. We had a good bout if battle of wills this way, but eventually he came to be very good about listening, only really getting into trouble if he was mad at me for not opening a door for him or something.

He is such a good cat.

The poor thing can’t jump up onto furniture anymore, so I have to pick him up and put him there. When I set him on my bed, the first thing he did when I got settled was lay on my shoulder and purr super loudly. He hasn’t felt super good all day and yet here he was purring back at his normal volume, and for so long too.

Earlier when I was crying he had his sorta soft expression on. Idk if he knows he’s dying or not, but he really is an absolute baby.

I have lost great grandparents and all my grandparents and many animals and even a childhood cat not too long ago, but this is the one, this is the one that hurts.

He has been there with me through the worst times in my life, been very loving, very loyal. He was my shadow so many days, following me everywhere I went, even though I never gave him treats or any such thing. He became my cat and everyone knew it.

For the first time in a very long time I cried in front of someone. I broke in front of my mom when talking. Every funeral we’ve ever attended together, I always tasked myself with being her rock. Idk why, but even when I was young attending that first funeral with her, I said to myself ‘I won’t cry’ and comforted her as best I could. And I have always held to that. Always.

But man I broke. Only once so far, but I might again when it’s time.

I definitely have in private a lot.

He’s my baby, and my whole heart, and it sucks to know he doesn’t feel very well, to see how his personality is different as he conserves energy . He was the strongest cat we ever had, it took multiple people to hold him down sometimes if he needed something. And now he can’t jump anymore. He lets himself be put in the cat carrier so easily. He looks so tired. He’s never meowed much, but the car ride from the vet was entirely silent. It’s going to come very soon.

But he still eagerly looks up for treats, after a week of starving and starving and enduring me syringe feeding him, he finally ate and can maybe feel a little more okay in that way. He’s 14 pounds now. He lost it all so fast.

I really didn’t want him to go out hungry, to go out without being less alone for a bit. The idea of him dying after the overnight vet stay was too much. I wanted him to have a lot of company, since so much leading up to this he was laying off in a corner because we didn’t know what was going on, didn’t know to pick him up and put him with us. So I just had to have him back home for a few more days, or even just one more if it comes to that. I don’t want him to have to endure much pain or anything, but I don’t want him to feel lonely. So we’ll see how long it is before the pain bears down. I think he’s already uncomfortable. It won’t be long.

There’s been times in my life I wasn’t sure I was capable of love. But I love Poe. Idk if time will take that away from me, but I love him very much, and I’m gonna miss him.

I believe fully in God’s timing, I know everything is in His control. No matter how this hurts, I know it has to be this way.  With how unstable things are, maybe this will be the most merciful thing for him, who knows. It’s why I probably won’t get another cat. I am fearful about having my ability to take care of a new animal taken from me, so I can’t risk putting an animal through that. Unless God puts another cat in my life, this is it.

My first and last cat, my most beloved and precious buddy-boy. Who’s been patient and loving beyond what I can expect of an animal, who’s seen me cry many many times in the dead of night .

I love you, Poe

[purplesurveys]

864

What was your last facebook status? Hmm I share posts a lot and add my own captions, but I never upload my own statuses unless I’m changing my profile photo. That being said, my last post involved making fun of our military. What color is the wall in your kitchen? All our walls are white, but there’s a part of the kitchen where the lower half of the wall is made up of coral-ish tiles. Last time you were in a group shot? My best guess would be late April when we took a family photo for my parents’ 23rd wedding anniversary. Other than that, my phone tells me that the last group shot I took with my friends was taken on February 7th. Damn. Last time you dressed formally? I think it was Feb 2017 because that was the last debut I remember going to. At what age did you go through puberty? I was a bit of an early bird lol, I got my period a few weeks after turning 10.

Last time you got an xray? 2016. I needed multiple medical tests before I was allowed to enroll in my university, and it was during those tests that doctors found out I have scoliosis so I needed some X-rays done for the school to see if PE was gonna be a problem for me. What is the stupidest show on television? I don’t watch a lot of TV these days but uhhhh I never saw the appeal of reality shows that have some dating gimmick.  Do you enjoy photo editing? Nah. I’ve never understood how Photoshop works. Do you pluck/wax your eyebrows? I pluck them because of anxiety, not because of maintenance. Have you ever owned a blacklight? Sure. When I was a kid I loooooved invisible pen + blacklight kits; always thought they were the coolest thing and they always made me feel like a big badass detective haha. Do you own a coloring book? Yessssss. I’m pretty sure this blog was able to cover my coloring phase two years ago. I haven’t touched my coloring books in a while, but that just means I’ve been doing okay. And that’s a real good thing. Do you shop at a dollar store? Obviously not, but we do have stores that kinda have the same gimmick. One that I can think of is Daiso (it’s actually a Japanese chain but whatever) which sells most of their stuff at ₱88. If I need something for the short-term, I’ll sometimes get it from there. Do you do any winter sports? ...No. Which is worse: Snakes, Scorpions or Spiders? I’ll go with scorpions, because I had an uncle who kept this scorpion figurine and always told me scary stories about them, so for the longest time I’ve associated scorpions with danger and venom and just generally the feeling of being scared of them. Is there an attic and/or a basement in your house? We have neither.

Do you own duct tape? My parents probably have a roll in their room but I have no reason to have one of my own. Do you own a jack knife? Nope. When was the last time you ordered something online? November. I was buying Christmas presents.

Have you ever been bitten by a tick? No, but they’ve walked on me before. I'm always able to feel and catch them, though. Do you prefer blackberries or raspberries? No preference. What color is your mom’s car? I’m not actually sure who pays for our cars, but our main family cars are white and blue-greenish. Do you like flavored water? I’ve never had it before and I’m not interested. I drink water because I find its tasteless-ness refreshing, so to drink water with flavor is super pointless to me. Do you watch wrestling? You asked the right person ;) Hahaha I love wrestling, but I can’t say that I watch recent episodes. I don’t find the storylines as captivating these days, so it has also meant that I mostly don’t know who the newer wrestlers are anymore. But even if that’s the case, I’m never completely away from wrestling because I still subscribe to wrestling-themed YouTube channels and stay updated with wrestling news sites.

Do you enjoy cranberry juice? No, but my mom is nuts about them. We always have two or three bottles of cranberry juice in the fridge at a time. I personally think it smells terrible, but I don’t like fruits. Do you drink? Yes. Do you have unwanted facial hair? Nope. Do you know the difference between "possum" and "oppossum"?` No. Have you ever had a bird or a squirrel in your house? I’ve had countless birds sit on my windowsill, but they never went inside. We don’t have squirrels. What label would you give your clothing style? Soft girl, trendy, chic. How far away is the closest mall? Two minutes away from the main entrance of our village. How many gingers do you know? Zero. Do people often misspell your name? Yes, but I don’t make a fuss about it because to be fair, mine is the uncommon spelling of the name. I do get annoyed when people *who already know me* still misspell it, though. What is your sexual orientation? Demi. At least that’s the one that makes most sense to me in the meantime. I prefer not to put a label on myself.

Do you know another language? Yes indeed. Do you think sloths are cute? Sure, but there are cuter animals. Are you reading a book currently? Not at the moment, but I really should find another memoir to read. How many hours do you work a week? 0. How high off the ground is your bed? Idk, it’s standard bed height lol. It’s high enough for me not to allow Cooper to start jumping off of it yet, but low enough for my feet to reach the floor. Do you have a tv in your room? I used to; the PS3 also used to be in my room for some reason. Once we noticed that my brother would always come over my room to use my TV and the PS3, we just moved both things to his room. Do you wear a lot of plaid? I wore a plaid skirt everyday from kindergarten to high school. I don’t think I’ve worn plaid since. I didn’t end up hating the pattern but I do just need a fucking break from it lol What do you think about gauged ears? Personally not a fan. It makes me wince :( But like I always say, you do you. Do you text a lot? I used to, before the quarantine. There’s no reason to get load now that I’m just at home all day, all week, and all month, so I’ve stopped texting indefinitely. How often do you go camping? I’ve never even been. What is the cutest breed of dog? I find all of them cute except for chihuahuas and pugs. I also feel bad for some mixed-breeds like golden retriever corgis... Do you own a cat? My sister used to. I never had one of my own. What are the initials of your high school? AA. What are your initials? RIAC. Do you do dishes by hand or dish washer? By hand. I don’t know any one Filipino house that has a dishwasher lol that’s definitely always been a first-world concept to me.

[beanjuice-duh]

“Bringing Home Ham”

This is going to be a three part introduction to what might turn into a full fledged Tumblr-base Hamilton (and other musical inspired) fanfiction. I wanted to keep going but I as nearing 2000 words and decided to break it up, see how I feel…idk I had this really vivid idea how the cat and Alexander, the modern day and all sorts of stuff. So this is my take on it all. I will include rating and themes as I post. As of right now, its as safe as you can get lol. No trigger, no smut, no cursing. (Enjoy, comments are greatly appreicated and desired) Cast: Martha Washington, George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette Word Count: 1,962 Part 1 , Part 2 Setting: February 2017, New York, New York Themes: Hamilton, sitcom-ish themes, possibly other themes ___________________________________________________________ “What am I doing?” George breathed through clattering teeth. It was easily below freezing now. The snow was not light, fluffy cinematic perspiration. He was tired. A part of him could not believe he was out in the middle of winter looking for a damn cat. He had trudged through hard, crunchy snow covered sidewalks for about six blocks. He was getting less and less hopeful he was going to find this cat. Was he going to retreat? Probably, George didn’t want to catch his death…surely there was some other way he could make it up to Martha?  He paused by a dumpster near a busted street light. Perhaps it was fate working its strange ways, he convinced himself as he texted Lafayette that he was returning home without the cat. Before he could wait for a response something breezed by him. His instincts kicked in, the moment a figure brushed past him. His entire body lurched away from whatever it was before it could touch him. The figure ducked behind a dumpster and didn’t move from its shadow. “Hey!” George glared at the shadow, just as he turned back around the familiar flashes of red and blue blinded him for a second. He held his hand over his eyes as the lights died down and a figure marched out of the car. “George?” A tall, lanky looking man smirked a bit. “George Washington, well I be damned!” He brunette walked over holding out his hand. “Its been …fuck years.” It took Washington a second to realize who he was talking to. In his defense, the last time he saw this man he was a young recruit at George’s retirement party. Now he was a full fledge officer on the force. “Henry Knox.” He smiled taking the hand in a firm grasp and giving him a solid shake. “I haven’t seen you since…05? 04” He chuckled. “Patrolling?” Knox shook his head. “Yea, I got a call from the library turns out some dunce stole some books from the shelves and made out with them.” He shrugged. “Some goon kid no doubt. Really not worth my time if you ask me, but I gotta make that quota. A night in jail should shake him up.” There was a sinister smirk on the man’s face. George’s spine chilled, this was not the line of work he enjoyed. Watching as men only filled quota, not taking the time to make good judgment. Sure burglary is wrong but clearly at this level it was hardly worth scaring a boy half to death. Still… George felt his old honor egg him on to check the dumpster. Instincts told him the kid was that thing that ran by him, no doubt. “So how’s the wife and you’re little African kid.” Knox spoke casually. George’s eyes hardened. “He still part of that charity you and your lady do right?” “Martha and Lafayette are fine. Actually Marquis made the honor roll.” He paused. “He’s our home-stay transfer student from France. He’s French.” George corrected him trying hard to keep his cool. “Honor roll?” He was definitely surprised now. “Damn I should send you my kid, I can’t get him to pass a class for the life of me.” Knox rolled his eyes. “Its all about the parenting.” George smirked a bit, letting his small jab sink in. Knox’s face was no longer amused as he walked back to the car. “Well, if I see anything, I’ll let you know officer.” There was no way he was going to tell Knox now. No way no how. He watched as Knox drove off and once he was out of sight he turned to the dumpster. “Come out kid.” He commanded, crossing his arms. “I know you’re in there, some get out before I drag you out and right to that cop.” George waited patiently. Seconds later there was some shuffling as the figure came from his hiding spot. George looked down and noticed he was looking at a long haired, somewhat short…kid with olive tone skin, half lidded eyes and dressed in a light jacket probably freezing. He did notice the bag he was carrying and wondered what else he had. “Why didn’t you turn me in?” He commanded his eyes not on Washington at all. He was looking off to the side, hands in his pockets trying to keep warm. “Because I didn’t want to kid, at least not to him. I have other friends who can pick you up.” He spoke glancing at his phone. He watched as the boy started looking side to side, looking for an escape. “Stealing hm? Thats quite the crime but I have to laugh” He smirked. “What?” “Why did you steal books.” “Cause I wanted to ok? Is there a fucking problem, OLD MAN” He hissed, watching George just outright laugh at him. His light tanned face heated up in a deep red color but he made no moves to leave now. He grabbed his straps a little tighter. “Now, why are you upset?” He snickered a bit, the kid had some nerve. That was something George could entertain. He didn’t …feel like a thug. Twenty years on the force and George knew what he was looking for. The kid looked clean, he was anxious, he didn’t look like someone who was used to stealing or at least didn’t like it. “I’m not.” He looked to the side, upset, his lower lip quivering from the cold and nothing else. Nothing. Else. “Its alright you want to steal, its easy but it is also illegal…why do you want books anyway?” “None of your business, old man.” He paused for a second. George wasn’t taking him in so many he could play nice and get home before he turned into an icicle. “I don’t have a library card ok.” “Son…” George felt the laughter bubble up again. “I’m NOT your Son.” He felt his anger bubble up. He wasn’t usually angry but god he couldn’t stand being made fun of. “Look all you have to be is eighteen or have an adult, a parent or someone sign for you.” He spoke, his smile died a bit when a sudden flash of emotion came over the kid’s face. A certain…color of defeat colored his eyes as he looked off to the side again. This time not to avoid eye contact, he was looking off…somewhere to something that only he could see. “Well, I don’t have either of those requirements.” He frowned. “Dad split, mom is dead and my cousin OD’d in his bodega a week ago. So…” He shrugged. “I’m up shit’s creek without a paddle.” George scanned his face for the lie and got nothing. He was telling the truth. Washington felt something in him change as the boy spoke. “And you’ve been out here for a week? I’m sure you have other family.” He watched the teen shake his head. “Foster care?” “Yeah ok, those losers haven’t even noticed I haven’t been in school for days. I’ve been out selling what I can to get some cash to make it through the winter.” This kid wasn’t living, he was surviving. Everyday was a chance battle to find food, steal and make a profit. George saw this boy was much older than he seemed but even that couldn’t protect him from the merciless winter of New York. He could tell this kid was cold and perhaps even hungry. He was small and Washington couldn’t tell if it was natural for him or the fact he was out on the streets. With that, George took off his scarf and handed it to him. “I don’t need that.” He immediately retorted. “Why are you giving me this?” “You look cold” George answered. “And if you’re hungry my wife made roast, I’m sure there is some left over.” He held out his hand. “I can take you home, get you some food, maybe help you find a place to stay.” He could pull some strings with the police, use the search engine to find other family anywhere in the country. The kid looked at his hand and then at his face. “Catch is you give me your bag.” Washington didn’t know what this street kid had on him. He didn’t look like a thug but he had a family to protect. Whatever he had in his bag could have been a weapon or drugs. Something he would not risk Martha and Lafayette with. After a minute or two of deliberating, the teen shivered, the cold deciding it for him. He shrugged off his bag and handed it to George who found it heavy. He was a man that kept fit but the bag had to be close to seventy pounds, he noticed the straps were barely together. “What’s your name, kid?” “Alexander Hamilton.” He muttered softly, Alex looked up and noticed he had probably said it too soft and opened up his mouth again. “My name is Alexander Hamilton.” After getting his name the rest of the walk was silent and awkward. Alex was worried that he was getting into a bad situation, what if George was a drug dealer or a pedophile…but a warm bed was all he needed. He was not throwing away his shot at a shower either. George on the other hand had a lot on his mind. Like how to tell his wife he was bringing home some strange kid. Hopefully she would still be upset at him and in the room so he could have more time to think. “Here we are.” He smiled back at Alex who was looking around at the nice home. He whistled feeling a bit impressed. The door opened slowly, George turning the key so slowly that the click was muffled. Just as he managed to get it cracked open it was jerked open from the other side. “George, bless your damn stars!” Martha jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was practically hanging on him. George quickly dropped the bag and held her up, slightly dumbfounded and entirely nervous. “What were you thinking going out there in the cold over some cat!” She wanted to hit him for being so foolish…and terribly kind. “Look George there is something I want to say…” “Me first.” He gently placed her back on her feet and backed up, from behind him Alex poked his head in and frowned. “Can we come in? I’m still freezing my ass off out here.” He moved around Washington and glanced at Martha. At first glance most people didn’t know how to take her vitiligo but Alex didn’t stare for long. “Where is your bathroom, Mister?” “Down the hall to the left.” George instructed then turned back at Martha who was left, staring at Alex as he waltzed in, her mouth opened. “I…might have lost the cat but I found a kid.” “George…” She began looking up at him still confused. “Look I know, its insane but he was homeless and cold.” He began. She opened her mouth to speak again and he kept going. “I couldn’t leave him in the cold, he said he had nowhere to go. He was stealing library books of all things. No doubt this kid has no street sense…” George couldn’t imagine how Alex managed to even survive a week out there. Martha’s eyes softened a little. “I’m going to call a favor, see if Greene can run his name or Social in the database and find him another relative somewhere… He’s got none for now…” “So we’re keeping him?” Martha smiled. “...he’s not a pet Martha. We’re keeping him until tomorrow and I’ll find him a real family, his family, he can stay with.”