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 Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 11:23 am
He'd seen the ad on a discarded flyer, the title simple. Soup Kitchen. The blue note was typed and clearly photocopied dozens of times, the font slightly angled in error. The words were crinkled, but legible. Located three and a half blocks away from the corner he was lounging around and conveniently open on Sundays, the very day he'd found the notice.
In other words, Fate had blessed him with the opportunity of free food.
It hadn't taken long to find the spot, an old, run-down building where hobos and transients had clearly been lurking around. The ginger feline tugged the blue flyer from beneath the tie he'd tucked it under, holding it in his mouth. Some of the lingering homeless beckoned the cat over, willing and eager to pet the new furry companion, but the Maine Coon had his sights set on the open door in front of him, the scent of chicken noodle wafting out, welcoming him.
Green eyes widened, Bob doing the best innocent expression he could muster before stepping foot inside.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 5:38 pm
Despite Pops' protest, Rory had been staying out later and later as the days themselves grew longer. Summer was quickly approaching and she argued with her pops regularly about her volunteer schedule. Almost always, the teenager won the argument through tricks of guilt and phrases like, don't you trust me?
She was sneaky and determined to keep up with needs some of her projects demanded.
The Soup Kitchen was always the worst though, because there were never enough volunteers willing to feed and stay until everything had been served or to even make sure that everyone who'd come in got fed. Often, it took all of the self-restraint the turquoise haired girl had not to b***h them out for it.
Gosh, people could be so darn selfish!
Today was one of the days where her shift had run long because someone else had bailed and Rory wasn't going to just walk away. So there she was, at the end of the serving table with her gaze sweeping across the sparsely populated room to see if there was someone that'd been missed. Or if there was a greedy parent stealing their child's food. Satisfied, she hummed happily until -
There was a cat, a very large and mangy looking cat at the door wearing a tie. Okay that was weird but Rory rounded the table immediately and headed over, crouching the closer she got. "What are you doing here fella?"
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 5:52 am
The room was bare, but he wasn't expecting it to look like a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. A handful of unfortunate looking folk were still working on their meager dinners, several hunched over their bowls as hands moved to hover protectively around their remaining bread crusts. Here and there, a child or two let out one of the young human squeaks they did, quickly hushed by their mother shortly after.
"What are you doing here fella?"
The feline's head turned at the sound of the sweet voice, emerald eyes falling on the waves of green as a kind young girl approached him from behind one of the workers' stations.
Ding - young girl heading his way and not the straw-end of a broom? Looks like he was getting fed tonight!
He stepped forward to meet her, quickly moving to rub his soft head against her legs and hands. The purrs rumbled through him and he waited until she stooped closer to his level before he was willing to drop the flyer at her feet.
"Mow."
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 7:24 am
Rory liked cats because, despite them being grumpy butts who only did things on their time, their way, they were fluffy and lovable and if you got a cuddly cat, then they were puuuurrfect. Pun intended. This cat, mangy looking fur and all, appeared to be a rather affectionate cat and Rory was beaming at him when he brushed against her legs. A delighted squeak escaped her as she ran fingers along his skull and down his back.
For a cat that looked like an unkempt stray, his fur was less matted than she expected.
Bonus!
It was the sound of paper fluttering the short distance to the floor, the shwick of it sliding across the concrete, that drew the girl's attention away from the cat. Confusion rippled across her face as she looked away, pressed one knee against the cold stone and use small, nimble, fingers to pick the flyer up.
"How'd you get this?" She asked quietly, with full understanding that she was talking to a cat. "Or even know what it is?"
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 8:45 am
The only response she received was a simple head tilt and a second, innocent "Meow?"
The head scratches were pleasant, definitely a bonus on top of the scrumptious smells coming from behind the worker's table. From what he could spy on his level, there were several vats and dishes laid out in assembly line form, beginning with the bowls and silverware and finishing with humble sized Styrofoam cups of coffee and bottled waters. Judging by the fact this cute little kid had come from behind one of these tables, she looked to be one of the only lonely souls left to serve the grub.
Meal ticket, thy name is green haired beauty.
His head rubbed into her hand, the tufts of orange on his forehead pulling back and revealing the black star mark. His purr grew louder, as did his stomach's growling.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 8:58 am
There was something odd about the cat who wore a tie and not a collar, but Rory couldn't quite place her finger on what or why she felt that way. So instead, she pushed the feeling to the back of her mind. Mostly.
One of her fingers hooked beneath his tie and tugged on it a little. "Does this mean you belong to someone handsome boy?" She asked, sounding a mix of hopeful that he didn't and disappointed that he might. Pops wouldn't appreciate her bringing home a stray but -
This orange maine coon looked hungry and lovable. Rory needed a a furry lovable friend, she could totally sell her dad on it. Probably. Most likely.
Hesitantly, she reached for the cat's stomach to gather him and cradled him against her chest. The girl provided the cat ample opportunity to slip away if he decided that no, you cannot hold me human before cooing. "You look hungry, I might be able to sneak you some of the chicken from the soup."
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 9:30 am
He stiffened momentarily as she lifted him off the ground, feeling his paws leaving the flat, safe surface of the scratched linoleum flooring beneath him. Usually when people were attempting to pick him up, it was for the purpose of tossing him out or off of things. But no, this little lady had decided to coddle him like an infant, cradling him like he was precious and fragile and the large feline was loving every moment of it.
He hadn't been babied and loved on like this since...well, since Amy had left them. Leaning forward, he gave the tip of her nose a small lick to express his appreciation as his tie wrinkled itself in the movement. At the mention of chicken, his eyes grew wide and he instinctively nodded his head. While it was always frustrating to be unable to speak his desires, Bob had grown used to answering through other means - even if it looked suspiciously clever for his species.
Most of the other Guardians probably felt it beneath them to pretend to be a cat for acquiring basic means but Bob had no problem with playing the role. Paws moved out to gently bat at a turquoise curl that had tumbled down over her shoulder, mindful to keep his claws retracted. Innocence was key, innocence and adorableness.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 9:51 am
Bob was heavier than Rory expected but still, she preserved because she wanted to hold this big fluffy beast of a cat okay. A happy smile accompanied by flushed cheeks were the cat's reward when he licked at her nose. The teen let out a pleasant hum as she spun on her feet and clutched at the ball of fluff a little more tightly.
"I shouldn't be sneaking you anything buuuut - "
There was a shrug of shoulders as teal eyes swept across the volunteer area, where most of the others had dispersed or were tucked into the kitchen to begin clean up. "Cats are in need of food too."
She volunteered at the human society too, she knew that there were more wild cats than could be detained and while that should have alarmed her considering the stray in her arms...Rory didn't care, he was soft and fluffy and seemed like he needed good loving. That was all that was important, clearly.
"Everyone here's been fed and we still have enough for some solid servings," she mused coming to stand near a large vat filled with soup. Reluctantly, she set the maine coon down, giving him a scratch between the ears before disappearing long enough to wash her hands.
Then she poured a hearty bowl of soup into one bowl before pulling the chicken out and placing it in a separate one. Adding a tiny bit of broth she hummed in approval before setting it before Bob.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 7:51 am
As she made her way over to the sink, the curious feline approached the large container and peeked his head over the edge. The sides of the silver vat still felt warm as he neared, so he was mindful not to actually touch the metal dish itself. Soup that wasn't just broth - he'd hit the big time here.
It was amazing, really, how many restaurants and shops, especially the big league ones, would do whatever it took to scam a customer out of a good deal. Heck, he could probably name some off the top of his head right then and there that would ensure their soup was half broth, scattered with cheap noodles and veggies. But here, here, where bored individuals or those in search of inner satisfaction for helping those worse off than themselves, served actual meat with their meals. Huge chunks of chicken, and it was the good stuff. And they were serving it to a bunch of bums who had absolutely no intention (much less the means) to return the favor.
Funny how the world worked, sometimes.
He watched the young woman ladle soup into a bowl before taking the time to separate the meat from the rest, soon presenting him with his very own portion of warm, sliced poultry.
Wasting no time, he bent his head and bit into the chunk on top, fangs sliding easily into the white meat. There was enough broth still soaked into it that he received a burst of flavor with every chew - gah, this stuff was delicious.
So consumed with his meal, he almost forgot where he was or the fact the girl who had taken him in was still watching him as he ate. Rising up for a moment, he gave her an appreciative chirp-like noise, remembering to let the purring continue as he finished his bowl - had to keep up appearances, after all.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 6:44 pm
The soup kitchen hadn't been fond of the idea of spending their meager budget on something like real chicken but young Rory was a literal force of nature when it came to something she believed in. She'd fought, she'd campaigned, and she'd won.
In the young girl's mind, it wasn't fair to punish the poor when, most, were trying their best. They deserved at least one decent meal a week - that'd been the compromise. A nice, real meal once a week on their busiest days.
It wasn't exactly what she wanted but she compromised where she could.
"You were really hungry weren't you?" Rory hummed, leaning against the table with her arms folded across her chest as she watched him eat. Seeing him eat so enthusiastically made the girl wonder when the last time the cat had a proper meal.
In the end, it was that thought that made the teen decide the cat was coming home with her. She could take him with her to the humane society to make sure he was vaccinated on her next shift. Pops would take convincing, but Rory was confident.
So, she pushed off the table and knelt by him. "How'd you like to come home with me handsome fella?"
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Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 9:52 am
It was probably a blessing that young Rory could not read minds, else her opinion on the mangy orange cat might have changed ever so slightly. The sizable effort and time she'd put into fighting her war for the homeless and hungry was being used towards a cat who had eaten only hours prior, in the comfort of a warm home with nothing for want.
But young Rory, thankfully, failed to know any of that.
Long ears perked at her inquiry as his brain raced to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. It had been a long time since someone had offered to take him home, least of all being a young woman. Kids had taken pity on him before, but for the most part it was the senile little old ladies that loved to "adopt" him into their houses, the newest edition to their already growing collection of felines. He'd take advantage of their kindness long enough to raid fridges and whatnot but his visits rarely lasted more than a night.
But a pretty young gal like this?
Hm. This could get interesting.
"Mrrrrrrrrrrrow." He chirped up in response, his head moving to nuzzle against her inviting fingers. Hey - what's the worst that could happen, right?
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 4:34 pm
Rory took the cat's mewl as a yes and beamed happily when she gathered up the empty bowl and stood. "Let me just clean up and - " she glanced at the maine coon with a look of consideration. She felt a bit silly chattering away to a cat, he probably couldn't actually understand her. "I'll be back," she said a little hesitantly, like she was afraid he'd find his way out of the soup kitchen before she returned.
"I just need to clean up a little," she added quickly, knowing the cat couldn't understand or care what she was doing. Still, she disappeared shortly after, into the staff only section of the kitchen. Twenty minutes later she returned with a jacket pulled over her shoulders and a messenger bag across her front.
She stooped beside Bob to scoop him up and hold him close to her chest. "Lets go home handsome cat."
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:07 pm
While Rory busied herself with her cleaning, Bob took to the ground. Literally.
The large orange cat rolled around, stretching out and allowing his stomach time to happily digest the bits of chicken and soup broth that he'd practically inhaled only minutes prior. The floor was cool (and relatively clean, thankfully), feeling good against his excessively furry back. Paws flopped upward and dangled in their stretch and he closed his eyes.
They didn't reopen until the teal haired girl reappeared in the kitchen, donning her belongings before stooping back down to his level. He happily allowed her to retrieve him, as well, the Guardian purring contently as he gently moved himself to lay across her shoulder. Coddled like a spoiled infant, he rested his chin atop his paws and watched the world pass by as she exited the kitchen, making her way to a brand new domain - for him to hopefully take full advantage of. Nuxaz I figure it's a good point to end here and pick up elsewhere? Unless you had a wrap-up in mind!
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