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 Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 5:48 pm
There was a knock on one Cordelia Carden's door late one evening by a familiar redheaded man in glasses. As soon as the door opened, a sleek brown cat was held up in two hands, a red eyepatch over its eye, effectively blocking the holder from view.
"Look!" came Fritz's voice from somewhere behind said animal. "I found a cat."
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 6:06 pm
The knock on the door was met by a young woman who was rubbing at her face before carefully setting glasses back on her nose. It wasn't so late in the evening that she'd been in bed, but she had started to doze off on the couch while flipping through the pages of a book with a random show on Netflix serving as background nose. Something had gotten into her eyes the other day and while they were still irritated she was taking a rest from her usual contacts. "You're awfully tall for a cat... And you sound an awful lot like Fritz." A wry grin curved her lips as she stepped back away from the door so that Fritz and his new furry friend could come inside. "Did you find the cat, Fritz? Or did it find you?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 7:29 pm
One of the cat's paws lifted, apparently of its own volition, and waved at Cordy.
"No, it's definitely a cat," came Fritz's voice from behind the creature before he poked his head out from the side and beamed. "Look, isn't he pretty? I came across him in the streets just a few hours ago, he's got an eyepatch, so I figured I'd pick him up."
He stepped inside Cordy's house, then glanced at her again, lowering the cat so he was held in Fritz's arms.
"You're wearing glasses!"
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 7:54 pm
Up until Fritz made mention of her glasses she'd almost forgotten about them. Her hand came up, fingertips lightly brushing along the stem before straightening the frames on her nose, ignoring the light flush to her face and the almost gut reaction to yank them off and pretend like she hadn't been wearing them. "I... Something was irritating my contacts so I thought it might be nice to give my eyes a rest." Once Fritz was inside she nudged the door shut, locking it back up out of habit. The one bedroom apartment wasn't in a terrible part of town, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. "He's absolutely charming, Fritz-- And I see that." She was smiling again in moments, caught up in how infectious it was to see Fritz beaming so brightly. "Make yourself comfortable. I was just listening to the television while reading, but I could throw on some tea, if you'd like... Does your new friend have a name?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:03 pm
The cat was jostled about as Fritz peered at Cordelia, trying to see how different she looked. "They look nice," he said with a smile. "I like them, you should wear them more often, make me feel less like I'm the odd man out."
He strode into the living room, cat in hand - or arms, rather - and looked around curiously. Fritz had never been to Cordelia's apartment before; it was small, perhaps, but well decorated and neat, and he turned back to face her at the mention of tea, face lighting up.
"That would be wonderful, yes please. And, er, his name is - "
"Wendell," said the cat. "I'm Wendell."
"Yes," said Fritz happily. "His name is Wendell."
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:23 pm
Cordelia's apartment was rather simple, all in all, but most definitely her in a way that only the people who were close to her would recognize right from stepping in the door. Most of the furniture was in neutral colors; blacks and greys with a splash of color on the throw pillows. That theme would have remained in the living room had it not been for a very bohemian crocheted afghan strewn over the back of the sofa. The assorted colors made it seem as though it was made entirely out of scraps, and one end was slightly frayed around the edges. It was well worn and cozy looking. A tiny bistro table with two chairs served as her 'dining room' set-- Cordelia hadn't had much company since moving out on her own, aside from Lucien (who had only stayed briefly) and the occasional visit from Fiona or Arin. Unopened mail sat on the table and, just as she'd said, there was a book lying open on the sofa and a few more stacked on the coffee table. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wendell," Cordelia smiled brightly, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her ear while murmuring a soft 'thank you' back at the compliments she was receiving from her friend. "I used to think the glasses were silly, back when I was in highschool. I refused to wear them at all... Yours are charming on you, Fritz. They don't make you look like the odd man out at all." While she left Fritz and his new friend to settle in she moved to the kitchen, filling her teapot with water. "Wendell, do you like tea or would you like something else?" Cordelia asked the question and then paused, glancing over her shoulder with a slightly furrowed brow as it finally settled in that the cat had answered her first question too. "I-- You found a guardian cat, Fritz?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:30 pm
It was a very nice apartment; and something about it, perhaps because it was Cordy's, made Fritz feel almost immediately comfortable inside of it. The decorations were all very her, surrounding him in warmth and security that made his chest ache just a little.
Wendell was also looking around with curiosity, his amber eyes roving from place to place, appearing quite content with hanging from Fritz's arms. Fritz hiked him a little higher, the cat's paws resting on his shoulder now. "Glasses aren't silly," he informed Cordy. "They're just a way of seeing things better. As for whether they're charming - well, thank you."
"I like them too," said Wendell solemnly, turning his dark head towards Cordy, blinking owlishly at her. "They're very nice!"
Fritz patted the cat's head, then grinned over at Cordy as the realization sunk in.
"I did indeed. He's lovely, isn't he? It was by accident, and of course I can't bond with a mauvian, but he's coming to stay with me anyway."
Wendell gave a meow to the affirmative, leaping nimbly from Fritz's arms to coil around his shoulders, peering over at the teapot. "This is a lovely place," he said. "I like it very much."
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:48 pm
"They were silly when I was a bratty, spoiled snob attending Crystal Academy and trying to fit in with every other cookie cutter nightmare." Cordelia snorted, setting the kettle on the stove in order to let the water heat as she moved to pull her tea chest down out of the cabinet. Once opened she pulled out the vanilla chamomile, measuring it out into the tea ball that fit into her kettle before putting the rest of away. "He's very handsome... And thank you. You're both more than welcome to visit whenever you'd like. I tend to keep odd hours, sometimes, but that doesn't mean my door isn't open to either one of you." That offer was extended to a rare few, but she couldn't imagine turning Fritz away if he was in need of a friend. "You'll have to take good care of him, Wendell. Fritz is a dear friend of mine."
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 9:07 pm
Fritz winced a little. "Yes, I suppose that would put a damper on wearing them, wouldn't it?" he said. "My apologies, Cordy, you have all my sympathies. However, I do think they look well on you now, and you should not be ashamed of having them."
He flashed her a reassuring smile - or an attempt at one, for that matter, Fritz taking a seat at the tiny dining table with Wendell still on his shoulders. A sleek brown tail batted at his head as the cat leapt nimbly down and perched on the corner, careful not to go to near the middle.
"Thank you very much!" said Wendell, clearly pleased. "I've never met any of you all before, I'm very excited. There's a toy shop nearby, in the city, did you know? They have a train."
Fritz patted the cat's head fondly, feeling a little squirm of pleasure in his stomach. "You are also a dear friend of mine, Cordelia darling, thank you. We'll have to find Wendell his senshi, at some point, but at least for now he can have some company."
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:45 pm
"You don't have to apologize for who I used to be-- If anything, there are a number of people that I still owe an apology too." Cordelia smiled softly, whatever small traces of sadness over the teenager she was soon replaced by fondness as she watched Fritz and his new feline friend. She would have thanked him for the compliment next had she not been caught by Wendell’s question about the toy store.
“I remember that one from when I was a little girl. My father used to take me to see the train. I think he enjoyed it far more than I did, but…” She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “From my experience, Mauvians tend to be exactly where they’re needed when they’re needed there. If Wendell is with you at the moment I’m sure that’s right where he should be and you should enjoy your time with him.
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”Well, you owe none to me,” said Fritz, smiling over at her. Wendell had lifted a paw and was gently and politely cleaning it, all the while listening with rapt attention to Cordy, clearly fascinated by what she was saying.
“It’s a train,” said Wendell, Very Seriously. “I haven’t ever seen one like it before. It’s delightful. I kind of want one, but I don’t know where to get one, but also I wouldn’t want to make too much noise, that sounds like it would be rude.”
Fritz reached out a hand, patting the cat’s head fondly again. “I would very much like to,” he said, expression brightening. “Er, spend time with him that is, I do like cats very much and Rhys is allergic, so I could never have them very much. I mean, I have Crook, but that was it, I always wanted a whole mob of them.”
Wendell’s head craned around to look at Cordy with a wide, curious eye.
“What are you making? Are you making tea? May I try some?”
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“They sell smaller train sets, usually around the holidays but I know there are hobby shops where we might be able to get you one.” This had to be what having a small child around was like, Cordelia thought idly before wondering whether or not she should have asked Fritz first before offering to help Wendell find his own train set.
Rather than distract herself with thought and get caught with a furrowed brow, Cordelia turned just as she heard the kettle start to whistle. She pulled it off of the heat, tossing the strainer ball inside to steep while she got down three cups. “It would be terribly rude of me to not offer you your own cup of tea, wouldn’t it?” She smiled as she brought the cups over to the table, pausing beside Fritz for a moment.
“You seem like more of a cat person than a dog person-- Cats know when to let you have space and when to crowd it. I’ve pondered getting one myself for a while, just to have a bit of extra company around the apartment when I’m not running out and about.” Her fingers twitched lightly at her side as she pondered lightly brushing her hand against Fritz’s shoulder, resisting by turning to head back to the kitchen. “Are either of you hungry?”
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Fritz was already making notes for whenever he went back to the toy shop. It didn’t matter that Wendell wasn’t technically his cat; he’d found him, and until they discovered who it was that he was bonded to, he was going to keep him - if only for the private reason of simply having someone to talk to when he was at home who could actually talk back to him.
Wendell was pleased by the offer of tea, letting out a meow of pleasure. Fritz’s eyes flicked up to Cordy, a small smile on his face.
“I’ve always been a cat person,” he admitted. “Rhys was never an animal person in general, I always had to force him into letting us get any pet at all, Crook was a long attempt. But you should,” he added, the smile sliding into a grin. “It would add a bit of fun, wouldn’t it?”
He leaned back in the chair, Fritz crossing one leg over the other and exhaling a breath.
“A little. Wendell?”
“Whatever you’re having, I’d be glad to have as well,” said the cat demurely, purring as he bumped against Fritz’s shoulder.
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“Rhys sounds a lot like Luc.” Cordelia chuckled as she checked the time on the stove to figure out how long the tea had been steeping. She fished the tea ball out of the kettle, tossing it into the sink. She let the tea sit for a moment as she stepped over to the fridge, peering inside only to pluck out two apples, a block of colby jack cheese and a small bag of pepperoni slices that she’d initially picked up to throw onto an extra cheese oven pizza.
“Luc had a goldfish while I wanted a hamster and I’d asked for a puppy at one point, but my parents’ traveled a lot and a puppy wouldn’t have gotten along with Nan’s cat all that well.” As she spoke Cordelia used a slicer to core the apples and section them into pieces, drawing a knife to slice the cheese afterwards. They were all arranged neatly on serving plate along with the pepperoni and a line of Ritz crackers. It wasn’t much, but for a last minute snack it wouldn’t be terrible.
Cordelia brought the snack plate over to the table, setting it down carefully before she returned to the kitchen to retrieve the teapot and three small plates. “Sugar or honey for your tea, Fritz?” She looked to him while carefully filling each of their cups after setting the dishes down alongside the first plate.
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”Who’s Luc?” Fritz asked, jiggling his leg a little mostly just out of a need to move instead of sitting still. Wendell was watching Cordy with a certain amount of interest, head cocked to the side, gold eyes wide with curiosity - though Fritz suspected that it had more to do with the fact that the tea ball steeper was probably a good cat toy.
“Well, you’re free to come over and visit Wendell and Crook anytime you’d like,” said Fritz grandly. “Crook isn’t a talking cat, however, but he does enjoy meeting people, I’m sure he’d be delighted to meet you as well.”
The snacks were received with a happy smile from Fritz and a sniffing Wendell, the pair of them looking interestedly over everything. Wendell reached out a paw, patting at a cracker, while Fritz helped himself to a cracker with cheese.
“Honey, please, thank you, dear.”
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“Luc-- Lucien is my cousin. We were both only children, so I guess that made us the closest to siblings that the other had.” When she returned from the kitchen this time it was with a jar of honey and two spoons; one for Fritz and a second for Wendell, in the event the cat might enjoy honey in in tea as well. She would pass on any added sweetener herself, the vanilla making the chamomile light enough that she could drink it without any.
“Just Wendell and Crook? What if I wanted to visit with you, Fritz?” The question was flirtatious without intending to be, a warm smile lighting her face as she settled into a chair opposite her friend. “Is that permitted too?”
While she awaited an answer to her questions she glanced over to the cat. “Honey for your tea, Wendell?”
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Fritz gave a small nod of understanding. “I don’t have any cousins here, but I do have Rhys, as you know, and he’s enough family for two,” he said, sounding faintly amused. “I suppose I’ll have a brother-in-law soon enough, once he and Hitch finally get married, I really thought it would be sooner than now, but they’re getting there.”
A grin flickered across his face as Cordy sat down on the opposite side, Fritz reaching out for one of the spoons to stir honey into his tea.
“You can come visit me anytime you’d like,” he said, as Wendell delicately took a cracker between his teeth and munched on it. “You know you’re welcome anytime you’d like.”
“Yes, please,” came Wendell’s answer, though slightly muffled. He swallowed his bite of cracker with some effort.
“I do like honey and tea together.”
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“Have they set a date for the wedding yet?” Her brow lofted as she reached for the second spoon so that she could stir a bit of honey into Wendell’s cup. The one she had brought for him was a wider than the cups she generally served tea in. She had hoped the cat would have an easier time drinking from a broader, more shallow cup as opposed to trying to stick his head into something similar to what she’d brought over for Fritz and herself.
There was something nice about having normal conversations like this over tea with a friend… Although with the addition of a talking cat it did feel a bit more like the sort of fantasy tea party with stuffed animals and dolls that she would have forced Luc into having with her when they were children. The thought brought a grin to her face that was accompanied by a soft chuckle.
“Let me know if that’s sweet enough or you, Wendell.” She lightly tapped Wendell’s cup with the spoon before setting it down gently on the table for the moment before looking across the table to Fritz. “I may take you up on the visiting, Fritz. It’s been awfully quiet here since Luc found his own place-- Not that quiet is a bad thing.”
Except for when it was too quiet and then she found herself wondering what ridiculous thing was going to happen next…
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”February 6th, I do believe,” said Fritz, still stirring the honey carefully into his tea. “Which is very soon, Rhys is all in a tizzy trying to get ready, and Hitch has already fallen over twice in his attempts at getting things prepared. Rhys stays over at my place sometimes when he’s working - he’s fallen asleep several times - and then Hitch will come over because heaven forbid the two are apart for more than a few minutes, and then it’ll be a whole big thing.”
In spite of the exasperation in his voice, there was a look of pleasure and happiness in Fritz’s eyes that he couldn’t quite contain. Complain as he did about his twin and his twin’s fiance, he was impossibly happy for them to be married, and more excited than he was letting on about having another brother, though Hitch had already guessed.
“It’s perfect,” said Wendell succinctly, dragging Fritz out of his thoughts. He smiled at the cat, reaching out to stroke his ears, scritching behind them and receiving a purr in return. “My thanks, Cordelia.”
“My door is always open,” said Fritz, lifting his tea to his lips and taking a small sip, relishing the warmth and taste of the drink. “Whenever you feel your mind is not at rest, feel free to come by my loft.”
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“The same goes for you, just so you know. If the wedding planning gets to be too much and you need to escape from Rhys while he’s escaping to your place you’re more than welcome here.” She brought her cup to her lips, taking a small sip. “It’s just as good to have some time to yourself as it is to spend time in the company of others.”
It was also good to see Fritz so at ease with everything and so happy for the brother who had been through so much and the fiancee who had stood by him through it all. It stood as a reminder that it was possible to find light even during darker times.
“You’re most welcome, Wendell,” she added as an afterthought in response to the cat, flashing him a smile as well. “If there’s anything else that I can get for you, either of you, really, please let me know.”
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”Fortunately,” said Fritz with a sigh, “The wedding isn’t too complex. There are only a few people who will be in attendance and that makes it a great deal better to deal with.”
He gave Cordy a slightly apologetic smile. “I wish you could come with me; I should have thought to ask, but Rhys is very...shy in a great many ways, so I thought the less people who were there, the better. He’s already feeling absurdly overwhelmed, and they’ve wanted to be married for over a year now.”
Wendell, who had been licking his tea delicately, now raised his head, peering at the pair of them as he licked stray drops from around his nose and mouth.
“I am quite literally the best right now,” he said seriously. “But thank you, Cordelia.”
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“Goodness, Fritz, I wouldn’t want to impose by insisting you invite me anyways.” Beneath the table she lightly nudged his shin with her foot. “With as much as he’s been through I can understand wanting to keep everything small and private. You’ll just have to join me for lunch one day after the wedding and describe it to me all in great detail from the point of view of a proud brother who’s just welcomed someone into his family.”
Cordelia brought her cup to her lips once more, taking a small sip of her own tea. It was good to know that despite the trials and tribulations their powered lives brought that they could have nice, normal moments too. Well, as normal as chatting over tea with a cat could be…
“You’re most welcome, Wendell.”
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:52 pm
He felt the gentle nudge and smiled, feeling the little twinges of guilt begin to subside. Fritz's hand automatically moved to Wendell's head, gently smoothing fingers across his sleek fur, his other hand curling around the handle of his teacup as he gave Cordelia a grateful look.
"I will do that, then," he said with a nod. "Shall we say...lunch, the day after, then?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 11:41 am
"Lunch the day after it is." Idle chatter filled the rest of the evening as they sipped their tea and nibbled on snacks, a bit of laughter and a story or two worked into things along the way. Wendell was charming in his own quirky way, and she was very glad that he'd found his way to Fritz. As things began to wind down she got up to shuffle things back to the kitchen, accepting Fritz's offer to help her clear the table without fussing much. It offered an opportunity for the comfortable silence to settle in again as she rinsed suds of of dishes and set them in the drainer to drip dry. When they'd finished and he'd gathered Wendell again she walked him over to the door, leaning against it once she'd pulled it open. "Thank you for coming over tonight, Fritz. It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Wendell. I hope we'll see each other again."
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 11:20 pm
It was by far one of the most pleasant afternoons that Fritz had had. Being at Cordelia's was endlessly relaxing, and her company, as well as Wendell's, was a delightful thing, something that helped to ease the tension and the pressure in Fritz's chest. It didn't completely take it away, but it at least made it easier, sometimes, to handle.
At the door, he let Wendell climb up his shoulder, Fritz turning back to look at Cordy.
"Of course," he said, as Wendell chimed in, "You will definitely see me again!"
Fritz hesitated a moment, inner restraints always there, the fight to overcome them less of a fight and more of a struggle against himself. He pushed it all down, leaned forward, and brushed the barest hint of a peck against Cordy's cheek in farewell before straightening again, feeling mildly productive that he'd managed to break down a barrier.
Even if, chances were, it would go back up again at some point.
"A lovely evening to you, my friend," he said, and stepped through the door.
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