Welcome to Gaia! ::

With the power being out at the salon, Caleb couldn't very well work. No, he needed power for the lights to see what he was doing, power for the electric trimmers and blow driers... What an annoyance. The salon would lose money from lost patronage, and many citizens in Destiny City wanted to clean up their looks before the long barrage of company holiday parties. Oh well, there wasn't much he could do about it other than wait. Several calls had been put in to the power company already, the outages dotting the city.

With a sigh, Caleb wrapped his scarf and arms around himself. It wasn't too terribly windy but it was cold. Many people lined the streets, either trying to shop or trying to get to a shop that had power. The redhead was simply trying to go home. It was then that his ears picked up some mercifully pathetic mewling and green eyes looked down to find the source - a tiny black kitten on a doorstep, shivering from the cold.

Oh, but that bow looked familiar!

In a heartbeat, Caleb had knelt beside her, removing his scarf for her. "...Lace? Is that you?" came a harsh whisper. Hopefully none of the passersby would overhear him talking to a cat (though, when you thought about it, it wasn't quite that unusual - people talked to animals all the time). "Mon petite, it's me. Carnelian. You're so cold. Let me carry you somewhere warm, okay?"

"Don't worry, sweet thing. I'll take you home and warm you up. My condo still has power."

Wrapping his scarf around the shivering kitten, it was still warm from his body heat. Caleb then held the poor thing against his chest and wrapped his heavy coat around her to protect Lace from the wind. Something her age and her size shouldn't be outside in this kind of weather. Where was her agent? Or was she out looking for sweets again? It didn't matter, ultimately. She needed help, and fast!

Thankfully, the drive to his condo was relatively easy. Shopping traffic was heavy, certainly, but Lace was kept wrapped in the scarf and placed in front of the heating vents until they pulled into the designated parking space at the condo complex. Two flights of stairs and jingling keys later, Lace found herself inside the plush two-bedroom condo Carnelian called home. He placed the precious bundle on the soft and comfortable couch before turning on the fireplace for her.

"I've got a heating pad around here, somewhere. I'll go find it. Are you hungry, mon petite? If I can't find the heating pad, would you mind a warm bath?" Who knew? Mauvians weren't technically the same thing as an Earth cat, despite looking nearly identical.

Caleb had disappeared into the bedroom to uncovered the heating pad he knew lay within. Placed atop several folded and cleaned blankets for winter months like this, the pad was about the size of a large cutting board and was gray in color. From it extended a long, white cord with a plug on the end, perfect for sitting on the couch in the living room. Triumphant, the redhead returned to plug the heating pad into the wall just for Lace. It would be plenty big enough for her.

Once the pad was plugged in and turned on to begin heating, Caleb chuckled at the tiny kitten's generosity. "Mon petite, you didn't have to give me anything. Your company is gift enough. You're still very cold, so you should stay under the blankets. The pad will heat up shortly. Are you hungry?"

The gift would be cherished, as would Lace, but her pseudo-hypothermia needed to be treated right away! Warm food might be the best answer. "Lace, do you like soup?"

"Alright, I'll open it, as long as you're nice and toasty warm." With long nails, he scratched the top of Lace's head, happy to hear her purring rather than shivering and stuttering from cold. Poor thing, she was so small and being left out in the cold... it tugged on his heartstrings.

Unwrapping the carefully-wrapped package (how did she do that? was it cat-magic?) and found a small silver bracelet, inlaid with a red jewel, just like his hair and sailor uniform. It was a smile of gratitude he gave to Lace, and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "You're a sweetheart, Lace. You can stay here tonight, or at least until your agent finds out if your home has heat and power again. I certainly wouldn't mind having you here for a few hours. Let me get you some soup, darling."

The soup would be canned, but it was quick and easy. Campbell's chicken noodle soup would be on the menu tonight, poured in a bowl and heated in the microwave for speed. It mostly comprised of broth, which ought to be easier for Lace to handle. In a deep, white ceramic bowl, Caleb returned to Lace's side with a wide spoon to make things easier for her. "Here you are. Take your time, this will warm you up."