Sharon & Darcy | Parenthood
Nov. 18th, 2023 02:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsJudge Kyle has decreed Sharon and Match cannot keep their children. Darcy ends up helping.
Darcy quirked an eyebrow at the note on the door to Sharon's suite, giving the cat in her arms a grin. "Looks like we're to just make ourselves comfortable then, yeah Crooksie?" She scritched behind his ears for just a moment, then let herself into the room.
The crinkle of what sounded like a plastic bag caught her ear, and she looked at the floor. Nothing, but... there were kittens somewhere. Sharon too. "Sharon?" she called out as she knelt, letting Crookshanks off his leash. "Gonna help me find the other cats in the room, old boy?"
A swish of tail answered her as the senior cat moved slowly towards a warm-looking cat bed.
Something brushed the side of Darcy's leg. A cat with a mid-length purple coat was nuzzling her, purring. It wound around the woman once and threw itself on the floor directly in front of her, playfully rolling into its back in the classic "begging for attention, or setting a trap?" posture of the common domestic feline. Knowing yellow eyes looked up at her.
"If you use your mean claws on me, I'm not letting you into my room for a week," Darcy said seriously as she carefully crouched down to sit. She was polite though, and kept her pats to spots that were generally cat acceptable instead of going for the fluffy, soft fur of Sharon's stomach. "You're just as adorable in this form as you are in the other two I've seen," she continued. "A little more portable. I'm bringing you to the office like this, you can try and surprise someone."
The cat that was Sharon looked up at Darcy like a sly purple crescent, the tip of her tail flicking against the carpet. She allowed a few moments more of stroking before climbing back to her feet. With a quick shake of her fur, Sharon glanced back at Darcy with a look that could only be described as beckoning and trotted in the direction of her room.
It always amused Darcy how expressive cats could be. Even more so when she knew this particular cat understood what she was saying. She pushed herself to her feet, following Catseye with a bemused expression.
The scene in her room was... adorable was probably the only word for it. Darcy wondered if it was physically possible to manifest heart eyes as she let out a quiet coo over the two small kittens curled up on the extensive cat tree taking up part of the room. "Aww, babies. They're precious, hon."
A proud purr rose in Sharon's throat. With a flick of her tail, the cat disappeared behind her bed. There was a soft, organic sound, and a human hand reached up to pluck a robe from where it had been draped over the headboard. An instant later Sharon stood, belting up the robe as she did.
"We were playing," said the girl. She moved to join Darcy by the cat tree, clearly pleased. One clawed hand reached out to pat the cat tree. "Do you like? Is another gift from Alani. Had specially upholstered in ultra plush Sherpa fleece. My children love it."
"Match should be careful, Alani's going to become such a good provider that you marry her instead," Darcy mused. "It's a very nice tree. You didn't have to shift on my behalf." A grumpy meow caught her attention, and she looked down to see Crookshanks staring at the kittens. "Do you want in the tree, or are you just curious about the new kitten smells?" she asked. He didn't answer in words, just pressing his face against the fleece of the tree. "Oh, more warm stuff. Go on then, get on the low level and end up with kittens on your head." She reached her own hand out, fingers rubbing against the material. "This feels like a few of my cozier blankets, so I'm not surprised the kittens love it."
"They are used to milk crates and trash cans. Like me, they deserve the best." Sharon dipped to pluck the grey and white kitten from the tree as Crookshanks turned to rub his hip and tail against it, marking it with his scent. She cradled the kitten with a sorrowful expression. "But Kyle says they cannot stay. I said this is discrimination, but with me he is convinced is slippery slope. That if I am allowed two kittens this will become all the kittens." The girl briefly pressed noses with the kitten. "Is true, but he was not to know. Is no matter. Match and I are to lose custody."
"All kitties deserve the best, even if the best is the smallest cardboard box they can squirm into," Darcy agreed, gently smoothing two fingertips over the top of the kitten's head. "And who did Judge Kyle grant custody to? Do you need representation for appeal?" She grinned, reaching out to rub her hand over Sharon's hair affectionately. "I don't normally do family law, but I might be able to handle your case for the nominal fee of letting Crooks use cat you as a heating element for one afternoon nap."
"Did not specify. Only that I am not allowed minions, no matter how adorable. Must find them a new home when they are well again." Sharon rubbed her cheek against the top of the kitten's head before placing it on Darcy's shoulder, where it wobbled for a moment before achieving equilibrium. "Match cried. He is the one who named them. Has become very attached to Toothless and Lightning McQueen."
"Hm." Darcy thought about it for a moment. "Could you keep it to just these two, or is Kyle right that you'd end up being one of those pet hoarders that horrify me on the television?"
Sharon looked Darcy directly in the eyes and said with the complete sincerity of a born liar: "My self-control is perfect."
Darcy tweaked the tip of her human ear. "Can't bullshit a bullshitter, sweetie. Alright. If they are left nominally in someone else's custody but in your care, then can you control yourself? Otherwise I'm going to have to side with Judge Kyle and your children are going to end up in the system with limited visitation. Granted, the system is "still here" and visitation will probably be "when the doors aren't locked"... but. Namor might make a pretty good cat foster dad. He likes tiny, fierce things."
Sharon's face froze. There was a distinct sense that somewhere behind her eyes gears were grinding against the dual truths of Namor's status as both natural enemy and savior of at least a portion of her former clowder.
"Namor is an . . . individual. With . . . several qualities." Yes. As a statement this was both neutral and factual. Sharon relaxed and returned her attention to Darcy and the kitten balanced on her shoulder. Somewhere around her calves the feather-light paw of Toothless extended from the depths of the cat-tree and began tapping at the edge of her robe.
"But he is not my preference," she continued as she snaked her tail around to redirect the grey kitten's attention to a more active target. She fixed Darcy with her liquid yellow eyes, which was a trick that worked better in a form that didn't tower over the person to whom she was appealing. "Would prefer my children be placed in a home I have already thoroughly vetted. You would be willing, maybe?"
Darcy blinked. "Only these two. And when I'm out of the mansion for more than a day you're taking care of them and Crooks. Including litter boxes. I'm sure it won't be a hardship." She knelt, scooping Toothless up and giving them a protected perch in her hand. "And of course anytime you want to visit as we've already established. Or babysit. Communal kitten custody."
"Is yes? You will be foster mother to my children?" Sharon leaned forward to embrace Darcy, nearly dislodging both Toothless and Lightning McQueen as she did.
"It will be no bother," the girl promised as the grey and white kitten tottered on the smaller woman's shoulder. "I will visit often. I am excellent mother, only unjustly persecuted by Kyle Gibney. This shall be proven."
"It's a yes, of course." Darcy's voice was muffled, but she hugged back tightly. "If you do not bring home every homeless kitten in the area, maybe Judge Kyle will let you have permanent custody again. But until then, they can stay with me... well. Once I get them some basic supplies. After all, they need supplies at both homes."
Darcy quirked an eyebrow at the note on the door to Sharon's suite, giving the cat in her arms a grin. "Looks like we're to just make ourselves comfortable then, yeah Crooksie?" She scritched behind his ears for just a moment, then let herself into the room.
The crinkle of what sounded like a plastic bag caught her ear, and she looked at the floor. Nothing, but... there were kittens somewhere. Sharon too. "Sharon?" she called out as she knelt, letting Crookshanks off his leash. "Gonna help me find the other cats in the room, old boy?"
A swish of tail answered her as the senior cat moved slowly towards a warm-looking cat bed.
Something brushed the side of Darcy's leg. A cat with a mid-length purple coat was nuzzling her, purring. It wound around the woman once and threw itself on the floor directly in front of her, playfully rolling into its back in the classic "begging for attention, or setting a trap?" posture of the common domestic feline. Knowing yellow eyes looked up at her.
"If you use your mean claws on me, I'm not letting you into my room for a week," Darcy said seriously as she carefully crouched down to sit. She was polite though, and kept her pats to spots that were generally cat acceptable instead of going for the fluffy, soft fur of Sharon's stomach. "You're just as adorable in this form as you are in the other two I've seen," she continued. "A little more portable. I'm bringing you to the office like this, you can try and surprise someone."
The cat that was Sharon looked up at Darcy like a sly purple crescent, the tip of her tail flicking against the carpet. She allowed a few moments more of stroking before climbing back to her feet. With a quick shake of her fur, Sharon glanced back at Darcy with a look that could only be described as beckoning and trotted in the direction of her room.
It always amused Darcy how expressive cats could be. Even more so when she knew this particular cat understood what she was saying. She pushed herself to her feet, following Catseye with a bemused expression.
The scene in her room was... adorable was probably the only word for it. Darcy wondered if it was physically possible to manifest heart eyes as she let out a quiet coo over the two small kittens curled up on the extensive cat tree taking up part of the room. "Aww, babies. They're precious, hon."
A proud purr rose in Sharon's throat. With a flick of her tail, the cat disappeared behind her bed. There was a soft, organic sound, and a human hand reached up to pluck a robe from where it had been draped over the headboard. An instant later Sharon stood, belting up the robe as she did.
"We were playing," said the girl. She moved to join Darcy by the cat tree, clearly pleased. One clawed hand reached out to pat the cat tree. "Do you like? Is another gift from Alani. Had specially upholstered in ultra plush Sherpa fleece. My children love it."
"Match should be careful, Alani's going to become such a good provider that you marry her instead," Darcy mused. "It's a very nice tree. You didn't have to shift on my behalf." A grumpy meow caught her attention, and she looked down to see Crookshanks staring at the kittens. "Do you want in the tree, or are you just curious about the new kitten smells?" she asked. He didn't answer in words, just pressing his face against the fleece of the tree. "Oh, more warm stuff. Go on then, get on the low level and end up with kittens on your head." She reached her own hand out, fingers rubbing against the material. "This feels like a few of my cozier blankets, so I'm not surprised the kittens love it."
"They are used to milk crates and trash cans. Like me, they deserve the best." Sharon dipped to pluck the grey and white kitten from the tree as Crookshanks turned to rub his hip and tail against it, marking it with his scent. She cradled the kitten with a sorrowful expression. "But Kyle says they cannot stay. I said this is discrimination, but with me he is convinced is slippery slope. That if I am allowed two kittens this will become all the kittens." The girl briefly pressed noses with the kitten. "Is true, but he was not to know. Is no matter. Match and I are to lose custody."
"All kitties deserve the best, even if the best is the smallest cardboard box they can squirm into," Darcy agreed, gently smoothing two fingertips over the top of the kitten's head. "And who did Judge Kyle grant custody to? Do you need representation for appeal?" She grinned, reaching out to rub her hand over Sharon's hair affectionately. "I don't normally do family law, but I might be able to handle your case for the nominal fee of letting Crooks use cat you as a heating element for one afternoon nap."
"Did not specify. Only that I am not allowed minions, no matter how adorable. Must find them a new home when they are well again." Sharon rubbed her cheek against the top of the kitten's head before placing it on Darcy's shoulder, where it wobbled for a moment before achieving equilibrium. "Match cried. He is the one who named them. Has become very attached to Toothless and Lightning McQueen."
"Hm." Darcy thought about it for a moment. "Could you keep it to just these two, or is Kyle right that you'd end up being one of those pet hoarders that horrify me on the television?"
Sharon looked Darcy directly in the eyes and said with the complete sincerity of a born liar: "My self-control is perfect."
Darcy tweaked the tip of her human ear. "Can't bullshit a bullshitter, sweetie. Alright. If they are left nominally in someone else's custody but in your care, then can you control yourself? Otherwise I'm going to have to side with Judge Kyle and your children are going to end up in the system with limited visitation. Granted, the system is "still here" and visitation will probably be "when the doors aren't locked"... but. Namor might make a pretty good cat foster dad. He likes tiny, fierce things."
Sharon's face froze. There was a distinct sense that somewhere behind her eyes gears were grinding against the dual truths of Namor's status as both natural enemy and savior of at least a portion of her former clowder.
"Namor is an . . . individual. With . . . several qualities." Yes. As a statement this was both neutral and factual. Sharon relaxed and returned her attention to Darcy and the kitten balanced on her shoulder. Somewhere around her calves the feather-light paw of Toothless extended from the depths of the cat-tree and began tapping at the edge of her robe.
"But he is not my preference," she continued as she snaked her tail around to redirect the grey kitten's attention to a more active target. She fixed Darcy with her liquid yellow eyes, which was a trick that worked better in a form that didn't tower over the person to whom she was appealing. "Would prefer my children be placed in a home I have already thoroughly vetted. You would be willing, maybe?"
Darcy blinked. "Only these two. And when I'm out of the mansion for more than a day you're taking care of them and Crooks. Including litter boxes. I'm sure it won't be a hardship." She knelt, scooping Toothless up and giving them a protected perch in her hand. "And of course anytime you want to visit as we've already established. Or babysit. Communal kitten custody."
"Is yes? You will be foster mother to my children?" Sharon leaned forward to embrace Darcy, nearly dislodging both Toothless and Lightning McQueen as she did.
"It will be no bother," the girl promised as the grey and white kitten tottered on the smaller woman's shoulder. "I will visit often. I am excellent mother, only unjustly persecuted by Kyle Gibney. This shall be proven."
"It's a yes, of course." Darcy's voice was muffled, but she hugged back tightly. "If you do not bring home every homeless kitten in the area, maybe Judge Kyle will let you have permanent custody again. But until then, they can stay with me... well. Once I get them some basic supplies. After all, they need supplies at both homes."
