nipzips | IC INBOX (PRISMATICA)

oh. something need fixing? i could go right over. [ he's even putting down his teen magazine. ]

I guess you could say that. But not really Crazy D's kind of fixing. Take a look what I found.

ATT: box.jpg

whoa, they're pretty cute!

... oh. abandoned?

Yeah, they're in a box behind one of those big dumpsters. It looks like whoever left them left that dish of food and a blanket in the box, but it's already mostly gone and what's left isn't going to go very far across three cats.

And it's getting pretty cold at night, these days. That blanket isn't going to do much of anything in just a cardboard box.

man, people really need to stop getting pets if they aren't planning to take care of em.

are you thinking of taking them in?

Well...I mean, I can't take them in forever. I don't think Arnold would be okay sharing space with three cats.

But I can't just leave them here, either, so...

i mean, i guess i could take one in but i'd definitely need to ask mr. jotaro. and 3 might be a bit much to suddenly spring onto him...

maybe there's somewhere we could put them?

Can you come help me carry them? It'd be easier with two people. Or three, I guess, if Crazy D helps...

We can just take them to my apartment until I figure out what to do with them. If they bother Arnold too much I can always take him over to Abbacchio's for a little while.

yeah, i probably should go over, huh [ he's heading out now at least. ]

it'll work out fine. you anywhere near your school? i can probably be there in about 10 minutes

Yup, if you go to the south gate of the academy and then follow that street south some more for about two blocks, there's a big green dumpster and the cats are behind it. Well, and me too, I guess.

[ There's no need to respond to that because he's going to show up anyway. Josuke follows her directions and ends up where the dumpster is. He does recoil at the smell, but it's not enough to deter him from helping out some cats. ]

They in that box?

Josuke!

[She turns to look at him as he arrives, dressed neatly for the weather in a coat and tights with a backpack slung over her shoulder. Near her feet, a short distance away, is the ragged-looking box, with a few bundles of fur visibly moving inside it.]

Yeah, all three of them are in there. I heard one of them meow while I was walking past, that's the reason why I stopped in the first place.

[ He'll walk over and squat in front of the box, peering at the kittens. ]

You're right, there's barely any food left. They definitely won't make it if we leave them here. [ He's actually not great with animals, more the kind of person who will pet other people's pets than keep his own. Still, he'll try to reach out and pick up the black cat nearest to him.

-- And then he's promptly swiped at, his hand scratched up now. ] Ow! Hey!

Oh! Be careful, did it get you?

[Suddenly, competing priorities: save the cats, but also worry about Josuke and his freshly-swatted hand.]

I don't have a bandage...hang on, maybe I at least have some tissues...

[She unshoulders her backpack, digging around in the pouches until she finds a half-empty travel pack of Kleenex and offers it to him.]

[ The triple moon must be messing around with him right now, because there's a part of him that wants Reimi to tend to his scratch for him. Josuke shakes his head and accepts the tissues. ] It's fine, just a little scratch.

[ He takes the offered tissue and presses it against his small wound. ] I probably gave the guy a scare. I don't really know how to handle cats -- not even Stray Cat seemed to like me that much when I'd visit Okuyasu at his place.

[ Josuke's never kept a pet, so he doesn't have much experience handling animals. ]

[WHAT A GOOD NEEDY BOY. That probably refers to Josuke, as opposed to the cat.]

I've only ever had Arnold, but I think cats are kind of particular. You can't just reach for them and expect them to like it. You have to let them warm up to you first.

[She crouches down as if to prove her point, near the cat but not quite looking at it, keeping the majority of her attention focused on Josuke to stay nonthreatening in the cats' perception.]

It's not that different from dealing with somebody really tsundere, honestly!

[...no wonder josuke isn't that great at it...]

Tsundere ... [ He doesn't read manga so it does take a few seconds for him to remember what that means. ]

Oh yeah. People who are nice but don't act that way, huh? I don't get those people. If you actually are a nice person, why not just act like it?

[ But maybe he's far too straightforward and honest about his feelings to really understand such people. Josuke gives another glance at the cat, who hisses at him immediately. He then purses his lips in a small sulky expression and backs off a little, letting Reimi take the lead in this. ]

[C'mon Josuke get with the PROGRAM]

They might be afraid of having their feelings hurt, you know. A sensitive sort of person might put up a cold front to keep people at arm's length in the beginning, but then let them get closer over time.

[She steals a glance at the cat out of the corner of her eye, gauging how far away it is, and tries to hold still as best she can.]

Like the cat. He might be a perfectly nice cat, but right now he's got no reason to trust us, and we're a lot bigger than he is. It's hard to blame him for being suspicious. He doesn't know we're trying to help him.

[ It was hard for him to understand those people, but her explanation makes sense. Josuke can't say he relates that much though, because he's self-assured enough to brush hurt feelings off easily.

He turns to the cat now, and it hisses at him again. ] Guess you're right. I must be as big as Mt. Fuji from that little guy's perspective.

[ He knows he's tall and broad. ] How do we get them outta that box then?

Well, they have a little food left, so they're probably not hungry right now, or I'd say we could try to lure them out that way. Right now I'm just hoping they'll get curious and start trying to see what we're doing here.

[While Josuke's cat continues to be wary of him, the orange cat pokes its head out of the box, intrigued by the commotion, and after a minute or so, starts to inch out to try to investigate what might be going on.]

Shhh. Don't startle him...

R-Right. Uh, I'll try not to move. [ Since he assumes he's going to mess things up if he does. He's never been good with animals and doesn't really know much about how to deal with them. Stray Cat doesn't seem to like him that much back home, and the only reason Police likes him is because he's too old to have enough energy to be hostile at anyone. ]

What should we do? [ Pick the kitty up once it's comfortable enough? ]

Mm. We'll probably need to find something to carry them in. I guess we can take them to my apartment? Arnold will be okay with it, I think. At least for a little while.

[Painstakingly slowly, the orange cat creeps closer and closer, until eventually it's close enough to lightly sniff at the air close to Reimi and Josuke.]

A backpack probably wouldn't be good for something like that...

Crazy Diamond could probably carry the whole box with them inside, but I don't know how much they'd like that.

[ Not at all, Josuke. They would not like that at all. Crazy Diamond would just get scratched, and that means Josuke would too. Hmm. What to do about this? Josuke looks around, before he spots something in the alleyway and makes his way toward it. There's the sound of one of Crazy Diamond's 'DORAs'!

When he returns, he'll be pushing what looks like an empty baby carriage. Clearly one that was thrown away. ] What d'ya think? It was all busted up, so someone threw it away, but one touch from Crazy Diamond and it's as good as new! [ A beat, then to himself: ] Though, it's kinda gross to be touching trash.

[ He thumbs at his handiwork, giving a little wink and looking very proud of himself. Please praise him!!! He wants to be told he did a good job :( ]

[Well, if it's praise he's hoping for, it's praise he's certainly going to get, because there's familiarity with Stands and then there's actually watching one in action, and this instant of the latter has Reimi admiring it with eyes wide.]

Oh, wow! Josuke, that's perfect! We can just push them home, that'll work out great!

[Meanwhile, she holds out the back of her hand to the curious orange cat, who sniffs her a bit before nudging softly at it, letting her stroke its head with the tip of just one finger.]

This little guy is warming up to us. Hopefully the other two will, too, and then I'll try to get them into the carriage.

[ Thanks for appreciating him, Reimi. Teenagers love positive reinforcement. He does think it'll be a little awkward to be pushing a baby carriage with her. Like, shit, people are going to think his delinquent-looking ass knocked up a girl and made a baby with her! However, he chooses not to voice that out for Reimi's sake. ]

Yeah! I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake! [ He's in a good mood right now from feeling like he did a good job. ] Oh, we still gotta figure out what to do with them afterwards though. I mean, unless you really are fine with keeping three cats and Arnold.

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