fandomhighdorms | Second Floor Common Room, Sunday Evening

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Second Floor Common Room, Sunday Evening

Well, graduation was over with, and most of Sparkle's crap was already packed up, and he had Lewis' word that when he got back to Toronto, they'd be just a couple of days away from moving into the new house that Lewis had been saving up for decades for. The only trouble was? Still a group home. And given the assortment of teens that Lewis tended to pick up, allergies were sort of a thing.

He'd begged. He'd pleaded. Hell, he'd threatened to live in the garage or something. No, Lewis wasn't going to budge.

No cats.

So Sparkle was now in the common room with Velcro, frowning at the little guy while he tried to make the best of his last day here, before... something something. Taking him to the shelter, maybe, or seeing how long he could smuggle his shouldercat around in his bookbag before Lewis took notice, or maybe actually running away somewhere after all and starting life over as a hermit in, like, sunny California or hey, the seventies were kind of okay. He could handle running away to the seventies.

But for the time being, he'd settle for making the best of his last day here before his portal would cart him off, by dangling a shoelace at the end of a broom handle for the cat to chase around the room like a complete lunatic.

"That's right, moron. You're a good stupid boy, aren't you?"

[OOC: Open! Probably Sparkle's last post on the island before alumni-land. There's a new owner in mind for the kitty already, no worries.]

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Hanna came in from her run, and on her way up wandered through the Common Rooms, scrounging for food. Opening the fridge, she found a bottle of water and contemplated dinner.

"Hello, Sparkle." She grinned over at Velcro as he batted at the shoelace. "Hello, Velcro."

"Hey, Bugs," Sparkle greeted, giving her a little smile that was meant to have way more pep to it than he managed to put into it. Dammit. "Velcro says hi, too. I mean, that's not what he actually means when he's waving his ass in the air like that, but, you know, I'm allowed to take some liberties, here. How're you?"

Waaay easier to talk about how she was than it was to talk about his cat-related melancholy. Dammit, Sparkle didn't do farewells well. At least he could visit the people he left behind. Or phone them. Or something.

Hanna got a bottle of water for Sparkle, should he want it, and some cheese sticks for herself, then climbed over the couch to sit down. "Good. Not sure what to do now that classes are over for a week. But good." She smiled a little. "I heard you on the Radio today. Toronto?" She offered him the bottle and started nibbling on the cheese. "Can Velcro eat cheese? Or do cats not eat that?"

"Toronto, yeah. Like, tomorrow. It can't come fast enough and it seems kind of too soon, you know?" He smiled a little and accepted the bottle with a nod. "And I think he can eat cheese. Like, he shouldn't eat a lot of it, and I'd steer clear of the stuff with the veins of mould in it, you know? But he'll hoover that stuff up if you let him, anyway."

He gave his toes a wiggle.

"You like cats?"

"Yes. I like all animals, but cats..." She frowned, and broke off a thumbnail-sized slice for Velcro, holding it out on her palm. "I understand them, a little. They're hunters too." She looked abashed. "And they're soft and fuzzy." Two great things put together in one tiny package!

Sparkle couldn't help but laugh at that.

"The only thing this guy hunts is the wild kibble. And maybe a cricket or two when they wander into my room." He watched as the cat sniffed his way over to her palm, and then, after some brief consideration, pretty much inhaled the offered morsel. "Aaaaand now you're friends for life."

Hanna kept her hand out so Velcro could sniff and ascertain that, but her smile was much brighter. "I like his name. Does he stick to things?" She paused and added, "I kept meaning to go to the pet shop, but... there was so much happening this semester." Gaunt, and small children everywhere, then -- ghosts, or something like them. "I'm sorry you're leaving so soon."

"Oh, does he ever," Sparkle chuckled, setting down his makeshift cat toy, and then picking Velcro up. "Hold still, and I'll demonstrate."

And there he went, depositing the cat on her shoulder. He was going to happily dangle there until she decided to remove him, now.

"I'm sorry I'm going so soon too, for the record." A pause. A long pause. And then Sparkle was pulling in a deep breath. "He can't come with me."

Hanna was quietly giggling as soon as Velcro was 'attached', and reached out to scritch behind his ears. Her face fell when Sparkle told her the news. "He can't? Why not?"

"There are a few kids back home with allergies," he muttered, wrinkling his nose. "Like, bad ones. I tried bargaining with Lewis, but he's keeping his foot down on the whole 'no pets' thing."

Which was kind of breaking Sparkle's heart, yeah. A lot. But it wasn't like there was much that he could do about it.

"... Don't suppose you'd like a clingy, kind of needy fierce cricket-hunter in your life on a more regular basis?"

Hanna inhaled, then looked stunned. "I would love that. But. Are you sure? Perhaps... someone in Toronto, so he could be closer..."

KITTY.

"I... really don't know anybody in Toronto that I'd trust with my cat," Sparkle admitted, frowning. "Like, I don't... have much in the way of meaningful relationships or anything back there? At all. Sure as hell not with anybody who could take care of Velcro here."

Hanna leaned into Sparkle, not sure of her words. "Do you think he would like that?" She stroked Velcro's fur, and said softly, "I am afraid he will miss you very much."

He wouldn't be the only one, of course.

Having seen his mother and Joi off, Flick found himself stopping by the common room on the way up his room.

"Is it kitten bonding time?" he asked, amused.

"I'll miss him too," Sparkle agreed, "but I think he'd like being with you way more than he'd like being stuck at the shelter until some random person comes in and decides they want to pick him up. But, like... he's a black cat. They're the least likely to be adopted, you know?"

Sparkle really didn't want his cat to be stuck living the same kind of life he had.

"People think they're bad luck. Dumbasses."

"Yeah, getting some last-minute playtime in before I pass him off on Hanna and catch my portal tomorrow," Sparkle replied, giving Flick a wry smile. "Still trying to come up with logistics for smuggling him out in my bag. I figure I could probably make it two, three months before somebody figures out that I've got him, if I'm really careful about it."

"Ridiculous." Hanna's slight German accent rolled those r's and put an edge of disdain on the vowels. "All cats are black at night. Or gray in the shadows." She stroked him again and then said simply, "Yes."

Carmilla and she had talked about this before; she was sure her roommate wouldn't mind. And if things did not work out, she would have more time than Sparkle did to find Velcro a better home.

Flick tilted his head and watched the cat for a few seconds. "No cats allowed where you're going? Is someone allergic?"

"Yeah?" Sparkle exhaled, realizing all at once that he'd been holding his breath. "Oh, shit, thank you. I've got his stuff mostly packed up, except for his food and litter. We can swing by my room and you can get them tonight, or I can drop him off tomorrow before my portal. It'll give me a chance to say goodbye, I guess."

God, he sounded pathetic. It was just a cat.

But, like, Velcro was his cat. And he could sound pathetic about it if he wanted to, dammit.

"Yeah," Sparkle sighed. "Like, anyone could be, any given moment. The joys of group home life."

Yep. Totally joyful, that group home life.

"We get people in and out often enough that there's no real guarantee, you know?"

Hanna gave him a sympathetic look. "Tomorrow is soon enough. You and he should have a last night to get used to everything. I have no plans tomorrow." She reached over and squeezed Sparkle's hand. "I will take very good care of him," she promised.

Besides: research had to be done! So much research on kitties!

Flick nodded. He'd never been in a situation like that personally but Joi ran a place like that so he'd definitely been around it.

"But, you're giving him to someone here so you can come visit, right?" Flick guessed. "Better than a shelter, I think."

"Oo, Sparkle!"

Cecil hurried in, and unless Sparkle was fast, he was getting hugged. "I didn't think I'd find you before you left."

And Sparkle gave her a little smile at that. God, she was pretty much the best person on the island right now, he decided. She was going to take good care of Velcro, he knew it.

"Thanks," he said, sincerely. "Like... a lot. I was kind of worried about where he was going to end up, you know?"

"Way better than a shelter, yeah," Sparkle agreed, nodding. "Like, he's a good cat. Deserves better than that, you know?"

Sparkle maybe didn't trust any manner of foster system out there, these days. There were issues there.

"I think Hanna will be good to him, though. Like, she seems like good people, anyway."

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Second Floor Common Room, Sunday Evening

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