Topaz & Darcy | Messenger Cats
Jan. 17th, 2022 08:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(Backdated) Topaz sends Midnight on a bit of recon shortly after Darcy returns to the mansion.
The sight of a large black cat walking daintily through the halls wasn't that uncommon. Midnight had a few places she liked to go, and Topaz could only hope she went to the right one now.
The cat approached the door, meowing pathetically and batting at it. There was a small piece of paper tucked into her collar with Darcy's name on it.
"How's my partner in mischief?" Darcy asked Midnight as she settled on the floor, one hand scratching between the cat's ears as the other freed the note and read it, a small smile appearing on her face. "Your cat mum's being silly, yes she is, because she could've just come over. But you've done your job admirably, so let me see what sort of tasty snack I can find for you." She braced herself and pushed up, rummaging on the shelf where she kept the cat treats. "Crispy salmon snacks for my favorite baby, then we're gonna go on a little walkies to visit." The treats were placed on the ground as Darcy pulled a hoodie over her head, and then she and Midnight walked the few short steps to Topaz's suite.
She gave the door two firm knocks, then stepped back to wait.
The treats were immediately gobbled up before Midnight darted ahead of Darcy to wait at Topaz's door, no doubt expecting she'd get another reward for a job well done. She purred and wound herself around Darcy's legs while they waited.
The door opened after a moment, and Midnight immediately meowed loudly, as if announcing "Look I did good." Topaz gave the cat a fond, exasperated smile before looking at Darcy.
"I assume you already gave her treats and she's just milking this because I tortured her so much?"
"Those crunchy salmon ones she tries to climb legs for, yeah." Darcy gave Topaz a smile as Midnight sauntered off. "Gonna get her a catnip ham so everyone knows exactly what's up. So uh.. how'd you like your scarf?"
"It's brilliant." Topaz stepped aside for Darcy to step in, if she wanted. "I have to fight Midnight for it if I leave it on the couch, though." Which she had done that morning; the cat was currently nesting into it. "Tea? I just put the water on."
"That is the way of cats," Darcy replied as she walked in, wincing in remembered pain as the follow-up question registered in her brain. "Collins put me off tea for a bit, thanks to all that," she added, waving vaguely at her head. "One of the shitty triggers she had in my brain. I wouldn't say no to water, though."
Of course she ruined tea as well. "Sorry." Topaz ducked into the fridge for a moment to find a water bottle and hide the flash of a guilty expression. "How are you?" she asked when she finally straightened up, handing the bottle over.
"Nothing to apologize for. I don't think I actually mentioned the wording triggers in anything, so you couldn't have known. And once I get past it a little more, tea will be fine. 's like anything else traumatic, right?" She gave Topaz's shoulder a squeeze, accepting the water bottle with quiet thanks. "Just.. maybe don't ask me directly to make a cuppa unless you want me to cry on you. The trap is gone, but the memories from that one are still mostly around."
"Like I'd ask anyone else to make my tea for me," Topaz said dryly, a small, wry smile pulling at her lips.
"Pfft, like I make bad tea unless I'm being an asshole," Darcy quipped back. "I'm.. lot of mad, some sad and confused." She continued, more honest. "Person Kevin had me stashed with gave me a wallop of a dressing down when she decided I was wallowing. Then.. ugh, gods, therapy? There is so much of it, and it suuuuuuuuuuucks. Helping, I think, but it's awful some days."
"It's better with noodles," Topaz offered. "By which I mean getting Doug to pay for noodles after therapy."
"He mostly pays in cuddles instead. A lot of video right now, because we were pushing me into whatever slots were available. Food sounds good too, though. Maybe after the not as shitty sessions."
"Hey, if that's your preference. I'll take noodles over cuddles." The tea kettle whistled; Topaz quickly turned the burner off and moved it off the heat. "Is there anything else?" she asked after a moment. "Any triggers, I mean? To avoid putting my foot in my mouth again."
"They both sound good. Now I want Doug to bring noodles home so I don't embarrass myself with chopsticks in public." Darcy took a few slow sips of water as she watched Topaz prepare her tea. "I don't think so. The tea was the one she used most frequently."
"There are practice chopsticks. Ask Doug about a Hello Kitty set." Topaz smirked despite herself, taking a sip of her tea. "They're adorable."
"Oh yeah," Darcy laughed a little sheepishly. "I just made a bit of a mess, when we went out for ramen. Eventually just asked for a fork."
Topaz was quiet for a moment, tracing the rim of her mug. "I know things have been a bit mad," she said after a moment, looking up from her drink. "But if you need anything... I mean, like the note said. I just figured you'd have enough people, and Midnight is a good guest. Mostly. Generally. If you give her treats."
Darcy set her bottle down and wrapped an arm around Topaz's shoulders with a quick squeeze. "Midnight is a good guest," she agreed as she stepped back. "And Topaz, there will never be so many people that I won't have time for you. I appreciate that folks have been good about giving me a few days to reacclimate and spreading visits out, but you are always welcome." She nudged the other woman lightly in the side, grabbing her water and moving towards the couch. "C'mon, sit, tell me what I missed."
"You think I'm the person to ask about that?" Topaz scoffed as she followed. "There are definitely more qualified people. But all right. First off that bloody portal decided to spit another person out..."
The sight of a large black cat walking daintily through the halls wasn't that uncommon. Midnight had a few places she liked to go, and Topaz could only hope she went to the right one now.
The cat approached the door, meowing pathetically and batting at it. There was a small piece of paper tucked into her collar with Darcy's name on it.
"How's my partner in mischief?" Darcy asked Midnight as she settled on the floor, one hand scratching between the cat's ears as the other freed the note and read it, a small smile appearing on her face. "Your cat mum's being silly, yes she is, because she could've just come over. But you've done your job admirably, so let me see what sort of tasty snack I can find for you." She braced herself and pushed up, rummaging on the shelf where she kept the cat treats. "Crispy salmon snacks for my favorite baby, then we're gonna go on a little walkies to visit." The treats were placed on the ground as Darcy pulled a hoodie over her head, and then she and Midnight walked the few short steps to Topaz's suite.
She gave the door two firm knocks, then stepped back to wait.
The treats were immediately gobbled up before Midnight darted ahead of Darcy to wait at Topaz's door, no doubt expecting she'd get another reward for a job well done. She purred and wound herself around Darcy's legs while they waited.
The door opened after a moment, and Midnight immediately meowed loudly, as if announcing "Look I did good." Topaz gave the cat a fond, exasperated smile before looking at Darcy.
"I assume you already gave her treats and she's just milking this because I tortured her so much?"
"Those crunchy salmon ones she tries to climb legs for, yeah." Darcy gave Topaz a smile as Midnight sauntered off. "Gonna get her a catnip ham so everyone knows exactly what's up. So uh.. how'd you like your scarf?"
"It's brilliant." Topaz stepped aside for Darcy to step in, if she wanted. "I have to fight Midnight for it if I leave it on the couch, though." Which she had done that morning; the cat was currently nesting into it. "Tea? I just put the water on."
"That is the way of cats," Darcy replied as she walked in, wincing in remembered pain as the follow-up question registered in her brain. "Collins put me off tea for a bit, thanks to all that," she added, waving vaguely at her head. "One of the shitty triggers she had in my brain. I wouldn't say no to water, though."
Of course she ruined tea as well. "Sorry." Topaz ducked into the fridge for a moment to find a water bottle and hide the flash of a guilty expression. "How are you?" she asked when she finally straightened up, handing the bottle over.
"Nothing to apologize for. I don't think I actually mentioned the wording triggers in anything, so you couldn't have known. And once I get past it a little more, tea will be fine. 's like anything else traumatic, right?" She gave Topaz's shoulder a squeeze, accepting the water bottle with quiet thanks. "Just.. maybe don't ask me directly to make a cuppa unless you want me to cry on you. The trap is gone, but the memories from that one are still mostly around."
"Like I'd ask anyone else to make my tea for me," Topaz said dryly, a small, wry smile pulling at her lips.
"Pfft, like I make bad tea unless I'm being an asshole," Darcy quipped back. "I'm.. lot of mad, some sad and confused." She continued, more honest. "Person Kevin had me stashed with gave me a wallop of a dressing down when she decided I was wallowing. Then.. ugh, gods, therapy? There is so much of it, and it suuuuuuuuuuucks. Helping, I think, but it's awful some days."
"It's better with noodles," Topaz offered. "By which I mean getting Doug to pay for noodles after therapy."
"He mostly pays in cuddles instead. A lot of video right now, because we were pushing me into whatever slots were available. Food sounds good too, though. Maybe after the not as shitty sessions."
"Hey, if that's your preference. I'll take noodles over cuddles." The tea kettle whistled; Topaz quickly turned the burner off and moved it off the heat. "Is there anything else?" she asked after a moment. "Any triggers, I mean? To avoid putting my foot in my mouth again."
"They both sound good. Now I want Doug to bring noodles home so I don't embarrass myself with chopsticks in public." Darcy took a few slow sips of water as she watched Topaz prepare her tea. "I don't think so. The tea was the one she used most frequently."
"There are practice chopsticks. Ask Doug about a Hello Kitty set." Topaz smirked despite herself, taking a sip of her tea. "They're adorable."
"Oh yeah," Darcy laughed a little sheepishly. "I just made a bit of a mess, when we went out for ramen. Eventually just asked for a fork."
Topaz was quiet for a moment, tracing the rim of her mug. "I know things have been a bit mad," she said after a moment, looking up from her drink. "But if you need anything... I mean, like the note said. I just figured you'd have enough people, and Midnight is a good guest. Mostly. Generally. If you give her treats."
Darcy set her bottle down and wrapped an arm around Topaz's shoulders with a quick squeeze. "Midnight is a good guest," she agreed as she stepped back. "And Topaz, there will never be so many people that I won't have time for you. I appreciate that folks have been good about giving me a few days to reacclimate and spreading visits out, but you are always welcome." She nudged the other woman lightly in the side, grabbing her water and moving towards the couch. "C'mon, sit, tell me what I missed."
"You think I'm the person to ask about that?" Topaz scoffed as she followed. "There are definitely more qualified people. But all right. First off that bloody portal decided to spit another person out..."
