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After last night's talk with Vorpal, Lif has a better sense of what at least part of their problem is. They are AMAZINGLY touch-starved. And there are ways to deal with this that don't involve dealing with actual people. Like paying for a couple hours in the cat lounge at the Kawaii Kitty Cafe and then just...laying on the floor and letting the cats come to you, because you've made yourself a new thing to sniff at and climb on.
This is the proper way to deal with this problem, right?
Nevy, in the meantime, misses their parents' cat. They googled, found this place, and figured hey, why not? They enter, Proclaiming, "Show me to your unluckiest kitty, please!"
Oh, Nevy.
While the staff get Nevy set up with access to the cat lounge (and regale them with tails tales of a certain black kitten who has a tendency to get herself tangled up in the hammocks and yarn balls), Lif has attracted the company of a lovely calico with bright blue eyes.
Nevy should probably not be making a noise that's halfway between a giggle and a cackle while whispering, "Yessss... kitties... yessss!" That sort of thing might worry people. But, well, such is life.
When they see said Void, they melt into almost as much of a puddle as Lif. They coo over his widdle beans, croon "Who's a widdle omen of suffewing? Izzums you? Izzums you?" and use their pen's quill to play with the thing, teasing it with the fluffy tip of the feather.
Lif glances up toward the poet, her hand scritching lightly under the chin of the calico. "Having fun?"
Nevy looks up, grinning either madly or beatifically. "Kitty!"
"Jesus fuck, you're loony, huh?" Lif moves from laying to sitting and scoots closer to Nevermore.
Nevy blinks. "I am not. Unless it's... like... a crescent lune. Moon? That would be good." They giggle for a moment and dangle their quill, causing the Void to turn a circle in an attempt to capture his feathery prey. They look back at the Changeling. "You were... um..." They screw up their face in thought. "Not Link... not Libby... um..." They shake their head. "Sorry. I know I met you, but your name has fled for the highlands, there to become a highwayman."
"Lif Loracks. Yes, I speak for the trees. Somewhat literally, these days. Why didn't you sleep last night?" Her tone of voice remains steady, stable.
Nevy's eyes widen. "How did you know?"
It's not like Calamity's ever gonna be able to own a cat - at least in their mind - and feral cats are the opposite of fun, when you just want something fuzzy to love on. So they've shown up here, in their ratty hoodie and jeans ripped from wear rather than fashion. The staff may give them something of a curious look, like they're not really the usual clientele, but soon enough Calamity is headed toward the cat lounge.
They pause for a moment when they see the familiar face.
"You...Nevy. Uh. Hi." A small wave to them, and they blink at the other person in the room curiously.
"Because you're loopy, yeah." A smirk at Nevy, before they examine the newcomer curiously. "Ey, you a friend of this one? Tell them to sleep sometime."
Nevy grins to Calamity. "Hey! You!" They point at the black cat. "Look! It's an omen!" They look affronted. "I will! I was distracted last night. I had an idea and I wanted to get it started and then I looked at the clock and it was today."
Annie's not nearly as touch-starved as Lif, but her te lease on the apartment she's sharing with Eugene doesn't allow pets, and sometimes you just want to cuddle with something small. Which is why the Nymph's making her way in, dressed in a casual denim skirt and light green tee shirt reading "There's One In Every Minyan", with the "One" in rainbow stripes. "Hey, Lif, Nevy, Calamity. How have you been?"
"Not my friend," Calamity says bluntly, shaking their head and raising their eyebrows at Nevy's clear loopiness. The addition of the second changeling makes Calamity shy away a little, looking at her with a little suspicion. "...Hey."
"How have I been? Busy, busy, busy. I had a meeting with Devon last night, about some of those tree problems." She gestures sublely, that she's gonna leave it at that. "So I've been focusing on that and school, but I've declared myself to have some time off. Just a little. As a treat."
Nevy blinks at Cal's denial of friendship. "Oh. Okay. Um..." They purse their lips, then look to the kitty.
"Taking breaks is important," Annie nods. "That is why I am here, after all." Beat. "Also because my apartment does not allow pets."
"Lotta places don't..." Calamity says, before they pspsps at a small grey cat with a crooked tail.
"Yeah, campus housing, I can't have any pets. And my roommate's been...really distant lately." They glance at Calamity. "I'm Lif, by the way."
Nevy nods. "My apartment's no-pet too. Otherwise I'd have a kitty." They lean into the void. "Wouldn't I? Wouldn't I, my wuvwy widdle abyss of darkness?"
Annie arches an eyebrow at Nevy's baby talk, but doesn't say anything about it. "I am sorry to hear about your roommate problems," she says to Lif, as a tabby approaches her, taking a cautious sniff before curling up in her lap. And promptly getting ear scritches, because that's what you do with a cat that's being friendly.
"'M Calamity," Cal says to Lif, and even gives them the ghost of a smile. "Cats're a pretty good replacement for roommates, they don't eat all your fuckin' food..."
"Calamity. That's a pretty awesome name. Cool parents or did you pick it out?"
Nevy looks over to Calamity, while one hand keeps teasing the little black cat.
Annie shrugs slightly. "The only roommate I have is the one I am sharing a bed with, so them stealing my food is not that much of a concern."
"Picked it out m'self, folks're pieces of shit." They say it matter-of-factly, with very little emotion behind the statement, and holds their hand out for the grey kitty to sniff before considering Annie. "'s not really a roommate then, 's just your partner."
"My roommate keeps halal, so the quickest way to keep him out of my food has always been to pick up something like pork chops." She chuckles.
Nevy nods. "That would do it!" They look back to the cat. "But you wike pork chops, don't you? I'm sure you do!"
Annie shrugs at Calamity. "I am still learning all the nuances of this language. Sue me, I think is the correct idiom here?" She nods at Lif. "Makes sense. There are other people that works on, too." Beat. "Like vegetarians."
"Ah -" Calamity nods at Lif in understanding, and huffs in amusement at what Annie's said. "What's your first language?" They sound merely curious, though there's still a small layer of suspicion.
Lif watches Nevermore for a moment. "Will you be okay to get yourself home later? You're...very not with it right now."
Nevy huffs. "I'll be fine. I'm gonna get a lyft." They pause, then giggle. "Lyft Loracks?"
"Yiddish," Annie answers Calamity, before blinking at Nevy's giggle.
Nevy gets a glance and an eyebrow raise from Calamity before they turn their attention back to Annie. "...Huh. Cool." She gets a tiny smile, now. "My uh..." They pause, and change the direction of their sentence. "I learned English and Spanish at the same time..."
"My mother spoke Portuguese, but I don't remember much of it. Especially after we moved in with my stepdad and half-sister, they didn't speak it at all, so it was only English in our house. Maybe next semester I should see if there's classes on campus for it..."
Nevy blinks and rubs at their face. "Sorry... yeah, I'm going to bed when I get home. I just... if I try to get to sleep too early, it'll screw up my sleep schedule for a week." They think. "I... think I want to pick French back up. I studied in college, but I haven't touched it in more than a decade."
"There might be," Annie nods to Lif. "If not, there is always the option of night classes, though I do not know how much those will cost you." She glances at Nevy, then. "Make sure you do, okay? Sleep deprivation is really bad for you."
"Haven't really spoke Spanish in a while, but 's useful to have. Kinda comes back to me when I need it - 'cept the fuckin' nouns..." Calamity scoffs and shakes their head, dark curls bouncing. "'F you're overtired enough, you might just crash enough to unfuck your sleep schedule completely. 'S happened to me, if I can't get to sleep too many nights in a row..."
"The other option for me would be to study Old Norse." That comes out with a light edge of snark, before she nods at Calamity. "Sleep debt is real and it will fuck you. Plus, it's actually as bad when it comes to impairment as drinking. Maybe worse."
Nevy nods. "Honest, this is just one night, and I'm not planning to linger any longer than I have to. I'm not in college anymore."
Annie rolls her eyes at Lif, before returning her attention to Nevy. "Okay, then. I will not belabour the point any further."
"Some of us are in college and can use the reminder for ourselves." Lif chuckles. "I was up late last night with more botany crimes."
Nevermore raises an eyebrow. "I'm... assuming you don't mean mutiny against Captain Bligh?"
"...Botany crimes?" Calamity raises their eyebrows, trying to look the normal amount of intrigued.
Annie clearly doesn't get Nevy's reference. "More like guerrilla beautification, I think." She grins at Lif. "That is the phrasing you used, yes?"
"Planting native species without authorization. Last night we dropped some yarrow and wild ginger in a park that's been real neglected." They echo Annie's grin. "You know Johnnie, right? Imagine her giving all of the plants little kisses after planting them."
Nevy grins along. "Be they, do crimes?"
"...Huh. Never really thought about that being a crime, 's so..." Calamity frowns slightly, unable to find the word they want. "I dunno. 'S cool, though. Never been much of a plant person, m'self."
"That is simultaneously adorable and not at all what I would be expected of her," Annie admits, glancing at Calamity. "More of a cat person, I take it?" She gestures at their surroundings demonstratively.
They tap their nose and point at Nevy. "Be they do crimes. As for Johnnie...she really broke a lot of my expectations of her last night. It was...uh, really nice to spend the time with her."
Nevy grins, then glances around the place. "Who's Johnnie? I don't think I've met her yet."
"Eeeh." Calamity shrugs at Annie. "Cats're about the same as plants, no time or room for 'em, you know?" As the conversation turns to someone that Calamity knows but doesn't know it doesn't know, they fall silent, grabbing a string to tease the gray cat with.
Annie arches an eyebrow at Lif. "Yeah? I assume you are looking to spend more time with her, then?" She blinks at Nevy's question, sliding her eyes towards Calamity ever so briefly before answering them. "A mutual friend of Lif and I."
“Careful, Calamity. I’ll set you up with a smol succulent who doesn’t need much time or space at all. Maybe the one that looks like butt rocks.”
A pause, then a grin. “Johnnie is tall and gorgeous. Cheekbones for days, the most amazing curly hair, and a smile that looks sinful when she turns it on you. But she’s not always good with people all the time.”
Tick-tick-tick-Ding! Nevy nods. "Gotcha. Okay." They side-eye Lif and smile. "Sounds like you're a fan."
"...Butt rocks?" Calamity's eyebrows go up. "Fuck're those?"
"It does sound like you desire her, Lif," Annie smirks at the ex-Spring. "Succulents are the ones that do not need a lot of water, right?"
“My desires are my own.” There’s a subtle wink before they pull out their phone to google a picture. “Lithops is the proper name, but everyone just calls them butt rocks.”
Nevy blinks at the picture for a couple seconds before nodding. “Yup,” they say. “That’s a plateful of butt rocks there. Really colorful butt rocks, too.”
Annie leans in to see the photo better. "I do not know what else I was expecting, honestly," she admits after a second.
“I kind of love them, they’re ridiculous. Those and the succulents with the translucent tips that look like they’d pop if you’d poke them with a pin.” Lif tucks her phone back away.
Nevy mutters “Baboon rocks?” Before they grab their mind and wrench it back on track. “They’re oddly cute. You don’t know of any that, like, look oddly skull-like, I’m guessing?”
"Three guesses why they ask and the first two do not count," Annie deadpans.
“Not succulents, but...” she pulls up,her phone again, to show Nevy another picture.
Nevy’s mouth drops open. “Are those local? How hard are they to care for? I want one. That’s awesome!”
Annie chuckles quietly. "Surprising everyone who has ever met you, I am sure." She glances at Lif. "What is your favourite, then, since you know so many varieties?"
“Those are what snapdragon seed pods look like after the flower has died.” A grin, before she turns to answer Annie. “Favorite plant? That’s a very, very tough question. I have a soft spot for sundews, but I don’t know if they’re my favorite.”
Nevy blinks. “It’s a plant that leaves a skull after birthing new life. That is the most incredible thing I have ever heard in my entire life.” They grin, then look to Annie. “How about you? What’s your favorite plant?”
Annie considers that for a long moment. "I do not think I have ever thought about that question before. I know a lot of them are very pretty, but it would be hard to pick just one. Maybe tulips?"
“Nevermore, your goth is showing.” Lif grins broadly. “And tulips are adorable, I can get behind loving them.”
Nevy grins. "Me? Goth? That's impossible." They gesture to one sleeve, which the little voidkitty is unsuccessfully gnawing at.
"Okay, butt rocks...kind of ridiculous and stupid." Calamity giggles quietly. "The colors're cool. I...don't have a favorite plant, I don't think. Spend a lotta time in the parks here, but 's not somethin' I ever really thought about...?"
Annie grins at Lif. "Thank you. I am fond of false starwort as well, but not quite so much as I am of tulips." She glances at Calamity. "Why not just pick one?"
“Calamity, if I brought you some butt rocks in a real small pot sometime, would you try not to kill them?”
"I...I mean sure, I'd try." Calamity shrugs at Lif. There's a buzz from their pocket, and they grimace and pull a shitty looking flip phone from their pocket. "Fuck, I...I gotta go. God I wish I could bring you home..." they mutter at the grey cat who's now contentedly curled in their lap. "I uh...I'll give you my number, I guess?"
Nevy waves. "Hey, uh - we should... talk sometime?" They hesitate, seeing Calamity leave, then look to the others and shrug.
"Be well, Calamity," Annie says softly at the grimace. She glances at Lif, then. "Is that going to be a thing, now? You buying people plants for them to look after?"
“Well, they can’t have a cat, but it’s easy to find a plant small and easy enough for anyone. And they clearly need something cute to love on.” She sighs. “I probably would have, at that age.”
Nevy nods. "We all need love." They smile down at the kitty. "Don't we?"
"Fair enough," Annie admits, smirking slightly at the other changeling. "If you decide you still do need something cute to love on, let me know?" There's a pause, as she slowly starts grinning at Nevy. "Thinking of a little illicit adoption, are you?"
“...was that a flirtation, Annie? Because you’re definitely cute.” Mildly confused, but affable about it.
"Nah," Nevy says, looking fondly at the tiny predator beast chewing ineffectually on their sleeves. "My uncle's super allergic, so if he ever has to swing by to fix anything I'd rather he not, you know... die."
They blink at Lif. "Oh! Um. I just learned why you asked about Spring when we first met. I, uh... no, it wasn't that."
"Ooh, yeah, fair point. I did not know you had cm uncle living nearby, though." She glances between Nevy and Lif, looking confused slightly. "You talked to them about our affinity groups before, Lif?" Beat. "Would you like it to be a flirtation?"
“I didn’t go in depth. Sort of snapped a little because of a misunderstanding. Something about Spring stereotypes, if you catch my drift.”
Nevy nods, looking a little apologetic. "I'd been... getting an unexpected amount of attention, lately." They chuckle and smile at Annie. "For some reason, people seem to keep flirting with me."
Annie shrugs one shoulder. "I mean, I probably would be willing to flirt with you, if ethical boundaries were not a thing." She glances at Lif. "I can understand not wanting to be thought of as the stereotype of your affinity group, whether that is the pretty people who do pretty people things or the hotheads constantly spoiling for a fight."
“I can’t live up to that stereotype yet. Too weak, still thinking too much to be a dumb brute.” They let out a bit of a laugh.
Nevermore chuckles. "I just have the normal everyday stereotypes to deal with. You know. I'm the weird witchy person who probably holds satanic rituals in the basement." They snort. "Like I could afford a place with a basement."
They look to Lif again. "But yeah. I'm sorry about making you uncomfortable there."
Annie chuckles quietly. "I have met too many smart Summers to believe in it anyway, honestly."
“It’s fine. Anyway, I need to go check on a sapling and then head home. You two be safe out there.”
Nevy nods. "You too." They gently move the void off their lap. "Are you a hugger?"
"Pleasure talking to you, Lif, and I hope the sapling is doing well," Annie says, before pausing to let Lif answer Nevy's question.
“I hug.” She opens her arms wide in offering.
Nevy grins and hugs Lif. They're, you know, not bad at it.
Annie also gives Lif a hug. She's probably not quite as good as it as Nevy, but also not awful.
“Thank you both, take care.” And exit The Lorax.
Nevy looks to Annie. "So, anything else new?" They say, gently picking up The Void and giving him scritches.
"Not particularly," she shrugs. "What about you?"
They shrug and yawn. "Auhhh... I just finished up a new piece last night. Did I mention that?"
"No, not yet. What is it of?" Annie seems genuinely curious.
They pull out their phone and show the picture: a hooded woman's face, half-covered by a series of masks, which peel off one at a time from the left to the right - first a full-faced helmet, then a batman-style mask with the chin exposed, then a domino mask, then just the exposed face beneath. The little face that's visible on the leftmost portions of face is cocky and confident, with a raised eyebrow sculpted on the cowl and a little smirk just visible. The further right on the face the expression goes, though, the more vulnerable and lonely the expression gets.
Annie considers the picture carefully. "Interesting work. Do you mind if I ask what inspired this one?"
Nevy shrugs. "The cultural need for we femme-presenting folks to keep up a happy mask despite our true emotions. The sort of emotions this kind of superhero sort would probably actually feel. Some conversation with a couple friends - and no, I'm not really comfortable giving more information than that; this one's a little... more personal."
"Fair enough. I will not press, then," Annie shrugs one shoulder. "You have been well, though? Nothing worrying happening in your life?"
That gets a sidelong look. "Should there be?" They yawn again.
"I mean, I would prefer there not be, honestly," Annie admits, considering Nevy for a moment. "It might be time for you to head home, though. Do you need me to call you an Uber or something?"
They shake their head. "I've got a Lyft gift card, I'll call them now." They yawn again, then look down at the kitty. "Have fun spreading misfortune, okay, kitty?" They look to Annie. "And you have a good one, too, okay?"
"Will do," Annie says, smiling at Nevy. "Sleep well."
"Thanks!"
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