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tramitem_log2020-03-19 04:38 am
♫The withered leaves collect at my feet♫
He had spent all day Sunday doing research, where within the limits of Queens he could find responsible facilities that sourced their cats from fosters. He didn't really want to go through a breeder. A cat wasn't some creature that should be bred to be sold; they were loving companions and thousands of them were born without homes daily. Those were cats that needed homes and he really, really, really wanted to give one a home.
Clarence lingered for several minutes outside the shop, looking through the windows at the rabbits displayed there as he tried to pep himself up.
The problem was he hadn't mentioned anything about it to Philemon or Kris yet. Sure, they seemed pretty chill and had even still given him the same fifty bucks to spend this week as they normally did, despite not having to go to school and buy lunch. But he couldn't just show up with a kitten. Even if he tried to hide it, cats liked to cry when they got lonely. Whatever kind of cat he picked up would eventually make some noises in his room when he wasn't there, and then it would be all over. Still...
Stepping inside the door of a known pet shop that worked with fosters, he moved along after reassuring the clerk he didn't need help. Finding the area of cats was easy. Six large kennels were set off to one side. Two contained batches of kittens, so tiny still but big enough to be adopted out. Each of the other four had an older cat in them, much more docile than the smaller groups but still in need of homes just the same.
"... they're so cute," Clarence found himself mumbling, charmed by all the sweet faces staring back at him. Heavens, but this was the hard part. Even if he decided to take one home, could he really choose just one over all the others? And as much as he liked the idea of getting a kitten, older cats were less likely to be adopted, so he would be helping out further if he got one of the bigger ones, right?
One of the adults, an orange tabby with green eyes, stared up at him sleepily. It was a male and looked quite different from the one in his dreams, but Clarence was still very tempted to ask the clerk if he could hold him.
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The age gap flew right on by him without being acknowledged. Anthony was just pleased to have this nagging question answered so it didn't bother him all day in reruns in his mind like the Gilligan's Island theme song.
"That's it! Clams never look very happy to me, no lips. They can't really smile or anything."
The darkly inclined expression leveled at him gave Anthony more pause. It seemed in contrast to the moment really with everyone around the kid in a decent mood, some even laughing out loud at the antics of the kittens, but maybe it was just his way or he was upset over the idea he couldn't take home big orange there. He did seem to know his stuff about cats though!
"I wouldn't mind giving them attention. They are cute enough. I do worry about the furniture. They're always trying to claw things up, aren't they? How do you keep them from ripping apart a bedspread or burrowing themselves down into a sofa cushion?"
Anthony paused and gave a little frown as another more dangerous concern came to mind.
"And they jump like anything. How do you keep them off the stove so they don't get burned?"
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It wasn't anything particularly against the guy. Just typical teenage angst used a way to buffer against... everything.
"You play with them." Clarence finally gave into his urge to reach out and try to touch the cat through the bars of the kennel. The orange boy blinked at him then inclined his head for a few attempts at head scritches. Clarence's voice softened considerably after that.
"You see, most destructive behavior from cats is usually due to stress. Pent up energy they can't get rid of themselves. If you don't think you'll be able to give them all the attention they'll need, sometimes it's better to make sure they have another cat to play with. You'll still have to play with them a bit, though."
He rolls his eyes. "You sound like you're worried about a toddler. Cats are curious but they're not dumb. Usually they'll jump if they think they have a safe space to land. If you're worried about burners, just don't take the pans off the oven until everything has cooled down."
Seemed obvious to him, but he had dealt with cats in the past. This guy didn't seem to have the same background. Clarence worked to be less critical and huffed out a breath. "Don't worry so much about it. You'll work it out, I'm sure."
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Which in that brief pause between sentences made him reflect on his own actions of a few weeks ago. Mr. Fell had only been trying to piece things together and he had acted rather rude to him, hadn't he? What's done was done on that score but... there might have been the briefest moment of guilt before he drew in a breath to clear those thoughts away.
"Well, they are kids at that age. Small furry kids with needle-like nails but they don't have as much sense as an adult cat would."
Peeking in through the glass to see inside the room he caught the briefest flash of a furry tail before the kitten disappeared into a cat crate. It seemed the grey tabby had indeed won.
"Though as small as that I don't imagine they could make the leap from the floor to the counter. They would need to be a little taller first."
The kid seemed a natural with cats just as he was fairly gifted when it came to tended to plants.
"You know..."
The glimmer of an idea was floated as the big orange pressed it's nose against the bars.
"If you asked they might let you visit with that cat in one of the other rooms. They often will let people spend some time with the animals. It's good for them. Gives them interaction time that they need."
And then gradually that idea began to take on more shape.
"They even take on volunteers to help out with that. Might be something you could do... If you were interested?"
I actually don't have any non-evil smiling icons /sobs
"You mostly just gotta worry about your pants. But they can retract their claws, so that's a plus." Personally, Clarence found it super endearing when kittens climbed up onto their owners. Such aggressive cuddling.
"Volunteer?" He hadn't really considered anything like that. Probably because he wasn't sure how effectively it would curb his desire for a cat. It may just make him crave one all the more. Still, he considered the idea.
"... I should probably focus more on getting an actual job, but I do like the idea." He smiled, actually smiled, though he wasn't all that great at keeping eye contact. "It would be a lot easier to get permission for something like volunteering."
He looked sideways at the guy. "Who are you, anyway? Some kind of traveling sage hippie out giving kids advice to follow their dreams?"
Lol! That can be a problem!
Though really he did fancy that idea, inspiring some one to consider a path they hadn't thought of before. He hadn't really done much of that in his life and those few times he had... well, that usually got some one into mischief. The worse time being that moment with Eve in the garden, if that were to be accepted as an actual memory.
"Anthony J. Crowley. I usually give out my advice to plants. I'm the Director of Living Collections at the New York Botanical Gardens and potential new cat parent. And you? What is your name?"
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Hearing that, he perked up a bit further. Gardens were nice. He wondered if he and Phil had ever met. "Oh, um, I'm Clarence. Clarence Blakely. I do art. But I guess I'm just a high school student for now."
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There were so many kinds and they each had their own merits.
"I've always liked art. We had a show of giant glass pieces by Dale Chihuly at the gardens recently and in May we are going to have a showing of works by Yayoi Kusama. Her pieces will be scattered around the park. If you have any free time you should drop by and check them out."
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Oh. Names he actually recognized. A little brighter in color than his usual palette, but he could appreciate the bizarre aesthetic of both artists.
"How much is admission?" He was definitely interested, but he might have to ration his allowance to go.
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He glanced back at the window where Grace was apparently shoving a second kitten into her carry case. Two kittens, yeah he'd thought so.
"If you go on Wednesday or early on a Saturday you can get a Grounds-only admission for free. Many of the pieces will be displayed outdoors."
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His own gaze followed Crowley's back to the adoption room and he smiled when he saw Grace pick out a second kitten. Two would be a lot more fun, and a lot less stress, for the kittens themselves. He didn't quite manage to hide his smile by the time Crowley's attention returned on him.
"Free? Really? I'll have to go on a Wednesday then." He could possibly drag Elliott along with him. "A friend of mind is going into environmental sciences or something. He'd probably like to go see the plants."
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As it turned out the kid had a nice smile when he used it. And he really had a thing for cats! He and Grace would get along perfectly.
"Might as well bring some friends and make a day of it. There are new things blooming every day now and there will be even more as the air gets warmer."
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The orange tabby, recognizing a loss of attention, batted gently at Clarence's fingers through the bars of the kennel, begging for more pets which Clarence obliged.
"That sounds nice. I don't think too much about flowers, but they can be pretty." Nature wasn't something you came across much in the rush of New York City, unless you made an effort to go to a park. It would be a nice change of pace.
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"Many people do take them for granted until they see just how many colors and varieties we have growing out there. Then again... there are some that can never see the forest for the trees. You'll know the type when you see them, surrounded by nature but chatting away on their cell phone."
Inside the little meet and greet room the chaos had finally come to the end. Grace's two new kittens had been secured in their crate and the other escapees had been gently escorted back into their cages. And with everyone safely locked away that seemed like his cue to reunite with the girlfriend.
"It was nice meeting you. And good luck with the cat situation. I hope that all works out for the best."
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It was a brief meeting, but definitely impactful in a strange way. Clarence still wasn't sure what to think of the guy. At least he wasn't leaving with a bad impression. "Yeah. Good luck raising those two. Remember, if you need help, you can always ask Google."
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It had been a pleasant first meeting, just one of a dozen small encounters one could have in a day and filled with none of the mental turmoil that might have been had if either of them realized they were one of the unusual. Anthony liked the kid and thought there was a lot of promise in a budding young artist. But, duty called. He opened the door and rejoined Grace so he could meet the two little fluff balls she had decided to adopt.