Suddenly, Kittens

[thelongcon]

Life is going on as usual, when suddenly - kittens. They're everywhere.



Instructions:
1. Post with your character. Blank comments are fine.
2. Others respond

3. Hope this brightens up your day

For those who don't like cats, or have allergies...
Fun fact: baby rabbits and rats also can be called kittens.

Comments

[phonetical]

[No one ask how she found it or where she found it or why she brought it with her on the ship. Uhura had reasons and that's all anybody needed to know.

So please, Spock, don't be surprised when she walks into your chambers with a black cat draped in her arms and she's petting and mumbling to it in a slightly higher than normal pitched voice.

(Okay, she's babytalking it. Say something about it. She dares you.)]

[ozhika]

[ Nyota's presence is usually a welcome and pleasant surprise on Spock's off time, enough that he's long since programmed his door to admit her without the need for knocking. He's actually finishing up a report when she walks in. If not for the... rather peculiar noises she's making, he might not have even looked up. For a moment he thinks she's making them at him.

There goes the brow. He's not going to say anything about it just yet... He's sort of under the impression that he's owed an explanation by dint of this being simply unprecedented. ]

Good evening...

[ And... to the cat: ]

...Hello.

[phonetical]

[She loves him, she honestly does, but these noises will never be directed at him because it'll be weird and he'll question her about the logic of speaking to him like an infant and that'll quickly kill any attempt at a mood between them

And no one is owed anything except the cat. The cat's owed some cuddles and some replicated kibble and maybe a few minutes with her other half to get acquainted with him. She'll stand next to Spock's for the moment, holding onto the cat as it purrs almost as loud as the Enterprise on idle.]

Hello to you too. [How come the cat gets a friendlier greeting?] I found her on the outpost and couldn't leave her behind.

[ozhika]

[ Spock is trying to learn not to question her more peculiar gestures when they're not doing him any harm, in spite of his curiosity... but he's not perfected it yet. He is happily mistaken about who she was addressing, but that doesn't mean it's not still a bit perplexing. The cat does not appear to be an infant either, even if it does seem to be still in adolescent stages. The advanced form of a kitten.

How is wishing you a good evening less friendly than a neutral greeting, Nyota that isn't logical... Well, alright, perhaps the cat is confusing him a lot less than you are at the moment.

The Vulcan's eyes track over the cat as Uhura offers some explanation. Compassion, then? The purring, while extra loud to his sensitive ears, is not irritating. ]

I see... And now what do you intend to do with her?

[phonetical]

[If the advanced form of a kitten means a post-weaning, eight month old or so cat, then Spock is correct in his split second judgement. Nyota's noticed that outside of this particular moment, the kitten still has its stereotypical energy--as proof of the ripped up bits of paper on her room floor says--so she estimates that it's not fully grown. McCoy's not a vet so she knows better than to take the cat to him for examination to be absolutely sure. Still, even if it was elderly, she'd be babytalking it anyway because she secretly likes cute things. Like tribbles. At least this is not a tribble. It's a very good thing that it's a cat and not a tribble.

Spock, you still miss out on the nuances of human speech patterns, we see.]

Keep her? [Nyota glances up at him, smirking.] That's what a person usually does with a cat they like.

[The sarcasm's probably lost on him. Fine. Enough words. She cups her hand around the kitten's belly, turning it so she can hold it out to him. The kitten, lacking proper ability to ask verbal questions, looks confused at the sudden change in position and hangs there, tiny furry toes splayed out.]

Hold her. She doesn't bite.

[ozhika]

[ Well, he is the science officer and a xenobiologist; with cats being more familiar creatures on Earth, they were commonly used in Academy anatomical instructions and commonplace sighting during walking commutes. Spock was mostly judging the size and the look of the coat, which still seemed in the process of thickening up. In short, she looks quite soft.

Which helps the next moment, wherein the cat is thrust out between them and he's commanded to take custody. Spock is still in the process of beginning to compose a list of all the logical reasons why keeping an animal on a Federation starship is not practical ( but not against regulation ), so it takes him a half second to switch gears. ]

...Why?

[ Even as he slowly swivels his desk chair. Following orders is habitual for him, maybe more so when they're from her. He may also have a certain soft spot for pretty things like Nyota does the cute, and he cannot deny that the feline is a rather beautiful creature. He's only a little wary about the claws and teeth and his hands... Which is why he's a little awkward about reaching out for her middle. ]

[phonetical]

[She is soft. Soft and warm and vibrating; all the good things of a kitten. Sure, there are a million and one reasons why a cat on a starship is unacceptable, but there's technically nothing on the rule books about it. Also, sometimes, rolling around space day in and day out gets people a little homesick. This cat will remind Nyota of the literal creature comforts of being on Earth.

Why wouldn't he toss all the logical reasoning away and cuddle the thing? Because he's a Vulcan and Uhura will never forget that. His question is no surprise to her. Time to appeal to his rational half.]

She needs to be held and socialized, so she's not afraid of us. Besides... if I get to keep her, I want her to get familiarized with your scent. [His scent, specifically. She's in this, with him and the cat, for the long haul.]

[ozhika]

[ Indeed, that is logically sound. Spock does not wish the creature to fear him, and similarly, he wishes to please Nyota when he can. He settles the feline in his lap, divided between attentions to both females of their own species. His fingers find the line of the kitten's back as she sniffs him, tiny nails digging through his uniform, barely notable next to the way she's shoving her nose against his collar. ]

Nyota... My expertise...

[ Does not extend to small animals, and yet he finds the kitten's spine without trouble, following the line of he fur down until there's a notable arch beneath his hand. The subsequent pleasure of a job seemingly well done is small, but Spock returns his hand to repeat the gesture, until the kitten is sinking into his lap. ]

I do not need to remind you of the potential dangers.

[ She is almost as practical as him, that is what makes a relationship like this so easy. But then, she has her sentiments... ]

[phonetical]

No one comes out of the box a pro. There's always a beginning to expertise.

[Is being sentimental sometimes such a crime? Those sentiments don't impede her work in any way, so it's not too troublesome except when they cause her to pluck a kitten off an outpost. At least it's obvious that Nyota has the capacity to love, fall in love, and want only the best for her fellow living creatures. The best qualities of a human.

She kneels down next to Spock, one knee on the ground, getting closer to his sitting height and the kitten that is beginning to knead her paws into his lap. His expertise is just perfect.]

Disease, injuries to both us and the cat, the Captain not wanting a pet on board... Am I clear on that field?

[Uhura smirks up at him, knowing she has indeed gone through the list of potential dangers. She's found a way out of all of them except one.]

That's why I want you to help me.