Liam and Sharon: Best Idea
Sep. 20th, 2023 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_catseye posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsLiam proposes a plan that surely won't end in disaster.
Liam found Sharon in the parlor lounging in a sunbeam. Oh man, that looked amazing and he wanted to cuddle up with her and enjoy it, too. Instead, he nudged her with a booted foot. "Hey, I got an idea. C'mon."
Sharon glanced up at him with sleep-slitted eyes. She did not move.
"An idea worthy of disturbing my nap?" she asked. The tip of her tail was moving. They were small, rapid flicks that carried the implication: Think carefully about your answer.
"I think so..." Liam squatted down, his tail quivering over his shoulder in excitement. "Did you know that there's a whole work shed with all the tools? And materials? I've got the best idea and I need your help."
Sharon's eyes opened the rest of the way. She considered the vibrating teen.
"Confess the mention of tools is causing concern," she said. Still, not enough concern to forgo her mandatory post-nap stretch. She laced her humanoid fingers above her head and arched her back lazily. "More information is required. What is this best idea?"
"Cat tree. But sized for us!" He'd wanted one, but his parents had resisted due to space and stuff. There was a lot of space here though! "I can totally make it. And get carpet scraps to cover it. Easy!"
For a split second Sharon just stared at him. Then, solemnly, she intoned:
"You are correct. That is best idea."
The purple cat rolled to her feet and stood to attention, tail now held high and alert. "Have never built anything before," she admitted. "What is required of me?"
Giving Sharon a long look, Liam made a face. "You need boots. And. Clothes. At least enough for protection," he was wearing boots with jeans, and a t-shirt with a tool belt already around this hips and cut-resistant sleeves hanging off the band.
Sharon glanced down. A cat's body had many helpful elements, but compatibility with workplace safety measures was not one of them.
"I foresee problems with this," she said. "Work gloves, yes. But hind legs not suited for commercial boots. Would trip me or fall off. Hair getting caught in machinery is a concern also?" She waved a furred arm at him. "But I am hair all over. And what about tail?"
"You're not using power tools," Liam assured her, standing up easily and offering her his hand. "But I need you to size it. Here," he pulled the cut resistant sleeves he had planned to wear and handed them to Sharon. "You can wear this with gloves. We'll... figure out shoes. But yeah. You.... shift, right? So shift so you're more human?"
There was, perhaps, just an instant of hesitation as the cat moved to accept the items. Then she shook her head.
"I cannot shift," she said. Sharon stared at the sleeves in her hand, disappointed, and looked back at Liam. "I cannot help if we cannot figure out accommodation?"
"We'll figure it out," Liam figured her feet had to be pretty tough and at least today it would mostly be measuring and cutting, not a lot of nails or screws on the floor. "It'll be fine," just gotta roll with the punches.
Sharon's tail dropped. It didn't seem fine. Liam had been so excited to share his idea with her. Seeing the enthusiasm run out of him was terrible.
She would never even have considered admitting this to anyone else, but it was Liam, so maybe it would be all right. Sharon licked her lips, uncertain. "If we wait," she began, "maybe-"
She stopped, suddenly struck by inspiration. Sharon's tail stood bolt upright, lashing with excitement. "Wait!" she burst out. "Wait, I met a girl! Pixie, with dragonfly wings! Said she designs clothes for mutants! I will ask!" Sharon dropped the sleeves and circled the younger boy, mashing her cheek against his knees in relief. "I will ask," she promised him. "Will get appropriate clothes. Then I can help with best idea."
Dragonfly wings? So cool. "Is she nicer than Big Bird?" he asked, "That guy was a butthole. But yeah, that's cool. Then you can really help!"
"Very nice. Gave me manicure. Was promptly ruined by climbing tree, but not her fault." Sharon snaked her tail around to tweak the waistband of Liam's pants, where a hole for his tail had been made somewhat inexpertly. "Can help you also, maybe. Country kitten is in the city now. Time to embrace fashion."
"What's wrong with my pants?" he asked, turning to look behind him, not that he could really see and mostly just ended up chasing his tail for a moment. "They're fine!"
"They are very functional," Sharon replied diplomatically, choosing not to acknowledge that her own temporary closet contained not a single article of clothing. She headbutted Liam in the back of the knees. "Come. Shall find Pixie. Appeal to her as a challenge and further our own ultimate goal: cats with power tools."
Reaching down, Liam didn't so much stroke Sharon as make biscuits in her fur with one hand, claws extending and retracting without hurting her. "Yeah, okay. Because power tools!"
Liam found Sharon in the parlor lounging in a sunbeam. Oh man, that looked amazing and he wanted to cuddle up with her and enjoy it, too. Instead, he nudged her with a booted foot. "Hey, I got an idea. C'mon."
Sharon glanced up at him with sleep-slitted eyes. She did not move.
"An idea worthy of disturbing my nap?" she asked. The tip of her tail was moving. They were small, rapid flicks that carried the implication: Think carefully about your answer.
"I think so..." Liam squatted down, his tail quivering over his shoulder in excitement. "Did you know that there's a whole work shed with all the tools? And materials? I've got the best idea and I need your help."
Sharon's eyes opened the rest of the way. She considered the vibrating teen.
"Confess the mention of tools is causing concern," she said. Still, not enough concern to forgo her mandatory post-nap stretch. She laced her humanoid fingers above her head and arched her back lazily. "More information is required. What is this best idea?"
"Cat tree. But sized for us!" He'd wanted one, but his parents had resisted due to space and stuff. There was a lot of space here though! "I can totally make it. And get carpet scraps to cover it. Easy!"
For a split second Sharon just stared at him. Then, solemnly, she intoned:
"You are correct. That is best idea."
The purple cat rolled to her feet and stood to attention, tail now held high and alert. "Have never built anything before," she admitted. "What is required of me?"
Giving Sharon a long look, Liam made a face. "You need boots. And. Clothes. At least enough for protection," he was wearing boots with jeans, and a t-shirt with a tool belt already around this hips and cut-resistant sleeves hanging off the band.
Sharon glanced down. A cat's body had many helpful elements, but compatibility with workplace safety measures was not one of them.
"I foresee problems with this," she said. "Work gloves, yes. But hind legs not suited for commercial boots. Would trip me or fall off. Hair getting caught in machinery is a concern also?" She waved a furred arm at him. "But I am hair all over. And what about tail?"
"You're not using power tools," Liam assured her, standing up easily and offering her his hand. "But I need you to size it. Here," he pulled the cut resistant sleeves he had planned to wear and handed them to Sharon. "You can wear this with gloves. We'll... figure out shoes. But yeah. You.... shift, right? So shift so you're more human?"
There was, perhaps, just an instant of hesitation as the cat moved to accept the items. Then she shook her head.
"I cannot shift," she said. Sharon stared at the sleeves in her hand, disappointed, and looked back at Liam. "I cannot help if we cannot figure out accommodation?"
"We'll figure it out," Liam figured her feet had to be pretty tough and at least today it would mostly be measuring and cutting, not a lot of nails or screws on the floor. "It'll be fine," just gotta roll with the punches.
Sharon's tail dropped. It didn't seem fine. Liam had been so excited to share his idea with her. Seeing the enthusiasm run out of him was terrible.
She would never even have considered admitting this to anyone else, but it was Liam, so maybe it would be all right. Sharon licked her lips, uncertain. "If we wait," she began, "maybe-"
She stopped, suddenly struck by inspiration. Sharon's tail stood bolt upright, lashing with excitement. "Wait!" she burst out. "Wait, I met a girl! Pixie, with dragonfly wings! Said she designs clothes for mutants! I will ask!" Sharon dropped the sleeves and circled the younger boy, mashing her cheek against his knees in relief. "I will ask," she promised him. "Will get appropriate clothes. Then I can help with best idea."
Dragonfly wings? So cool. "Is she nicer than Big Bird?" he asked, "That guy was a butthole. But yeah, that's cool. Then you can really help!"
"Very nice. Gave me manicure. Was promptly ruined by climbing tree, but not her fault." Sharon snaked her tail around to tweak the waistband of Liam's pants, where a hole for his tail had been made somewhat inexpertly. "Can help you also, maybe. Country kitten is in the city now. Time to embrace fashion."
"What's wrong with my pants?" he asked, turning to look behind him, not that he could really see and mostly just ended up chasing his tail for a moment. "They're fine!"
"They are very functional," Sharon replied diplomatically, choosing not to acknowledge that her own temporary closet contained not a single article of clothing. She headbutted Liam in the back of the knees. "Come. Shall find Pixie. Appeal to her as a challenge and further our own ultimate goal: cats with power tools."
Reaching down, Liam didn't so much stroke Sharon as make biscuits in her fur with one hand, claws extending and retracting without hurting her. "Yeah, okay. Because power tools!"
