Logs:Your Youngest, Herr Doktor

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Content Warning

Small animals in distress

Cast

Killy, Jolene Logan, Ludwig Altman, Sieghilde Altman

Setting

The Altman Foundation

Log

The work day (such as it is) is concluded, and so Ludwig's presence in the library of the Foundation is probably entirely recreational. Or at least not directly related to the function of the Foundation in any case. He's still in a suit, though his tie is worn looped around his neck untied and his collar button is unfastened. The smell of pipe smoke and the sweet smell of fruity brandied liquor carries out of the library along with the sound of what may by Schubert on piano. Oh so cultured, that Ludwig.

He's presently seated at the 'customer' side of the library's bar-- because of course it has a bar --with an open laptop into which he is typing notes on one of those big, black leather and red accented NoNo books, apparently transcribing or translating its contents into something more useful to him. And given the giant swastika on it, probably a bit less fashy.

She'd been splitting time between her house and the foundation. There were some built in perks to the arrangement. Her house was...well, a work in progress, and hot water was questionable, along with how stocked the fridge was. Here there was a nice room, hot water, and a fridge that Sonja always had some delight stored away in. And then there was a the library, she had a few books of her own stashed away, but not like this place.

She'd been stashed away in a corner, sitting on the floor like a savage as she read, rising to stretch, she carefully replaced the book, no matter the book, she seemed to always treat them with a bit of reverence and care. And then she moved behind the bar, humming as she did. "Another Herr Altman?" Moving to pour herself a drink, a little dance in her movements.

Killy arrives in a perhaps more restrained manner than he arrives other places, calling ahead to Jolene to let her know he’s there, since presumably she’s the one who invited him to visit the place.

"Eine Ja, bitte. Danke, Fraulein." Ludwig's in that mental zone where he's reading German penned by a Nazi dingbat, translating it into German penned by an antifascist dingbat, while forgetting that he's not around casual German speakers. He nudges his glass over to try and be helpful, even if she can't piece his answer together by context or fetish tattoo. Her energy is therefore not shared by the very taciturn, very sedate, very stooped and broodingly studious Ludwig.

Killy's found himself in Radnor. One of the poshest towns on the Main Line. He's in a cul de sac which is dominated by a large three story English country house style facade inside of which exists a modern upscale office building. Marble floors, brass fixtures, that sort of thing. The vestibule is secured enough by modern human standards, but wouldn't really hold up to even a lazy attack by werewolves. Presumably the key card reader wouldn't be much of a hindrance.

Oh she pieced it together. Relay was amazing, but her deep dark secret?.....she'd been working on learning German, she wanted to be able to keep up, and was far too proud to admit she could use the help with the language. Besides, that's what books, apps, and video chatting strangers at night was for! Super Secret language learning. "Gern geschehen" She offered in turn as she filled his drink.

She had giving Killy the address, it was a foundation to help people, and if she was MIA it was a natural place to look for her, not to mention she'd gushed at great lengths about the library. "Killy's arrived, the company might be a pleasant pause to an unpleasant task...." She ventured, she might not know the whole of his task, or even a large fraction, but it wasn't hard to understand the man frequently engaged in work that showed some of the worst aspects of humanity.

Killy steps into the library, taking a moment to absorb the sight. “Oh...wow...this is incredible...” He does a little spin, taking it all in with a smile. When he sees Jolene he grins and waves and starts walking over. Drawing near to her and Ludwig, he pauses. “Sorry to intrude, and don’t feel like you have to stop on my account. Jolene just said I could find her here, and she’s talked so much about the Foundation I wanted to see, but I know I haven’t been properly invited, so...” He puts on his most charming smile, and stands by Jolene.

Ludwig looks up from his work with the subtle irritation of an academic who has been disturbed from his studies. But Ludwig also seems the sort to only be happy when he's got something to sneer about, so it's probably fine. "I have had an Anshega as a guest at the Viennese Altman Foundation. They thought they could prove a point by testing my open to all of Wolf's children claim. They did not prove it. In any case, you are certainly no less welcome than the Anshega were. So by all means, do come in, and find yourself a chair, a book, a drink, and a pipe. In whatever order and quantity pleases you."

Ludwig offers all of that while slowly rising so that he can assume the role of host and abandon that of the stoop-backed academic. "Though the contents of the library may not interest you. It's primarily concerned with ghosts and spirits and such." And Nazis. Just ignore the conspicuous nazi books on that one shelf over there and that omission might not be that obvious.

And as Ludwig rattles with that little hum of irritation, she brightens a bit, as if she understands that the universe makes sense once more, now that the man has something to grumble about. She even gave a some musical chirping of sound, that conveyed her pleasure at what was most assuredly a warm welcome from the Austrian man. "...wait....does that mean I could have tried the smoke from the other night?" Perking right up, as another boundary is slayed by words given casually.

She leans into Killy, giving him a little side hug? "Beer? Schnapps?" Just behind the bar from where she'd topped of her and Ludwig's own drinks. She apparently had made it a personal rule not to wear shoes in the library for whatever Jolie reasons there might be, and was wearing socks with kittens on them today. Possibly to set the frame work for explaining what a great idea a mousing kitten would be, a conversation that might be inevitable.

Killy returns the side hug, smiling at Jolene. “Some schnapps sounds great. And, ah, I was never much of a reader, but it’s very nice here, I’d love to sit and relax a while. You have a really nice place here,” he says to Ludwig, smiling. “And thank you for the hospitality.”

"Reading is a habit that can be formed and a skill that can be honed, but not everyone has the inclination or aptitude for it as an avocation." Ludwig makes a little dismissive gesture of his hand, casually dispensing with the sheer volume of utility sitting on shelves all around him. No big deal. "It is my pleasure. Please, sit. Be at ease." Ludwig glances aside at Jolene in order to confirm she is playing the role of hostess to his satisfaction-- seems so --all before turning back to his computer and his book and resuming his perch on the bar stool to resume his annotations.

Ludwig seems equally ambivalent about kitten socks, too, for that matter. Nothing escapes that man except the stuff he doesn't want to talk about. A true Austrian talent, that.

There was nuance to a conversation, then Austrian nuance, and she was starting to pick up on the differences. "Something to smoke?" As if she knew where those goods were kept too. Of course she would, she was a clever little sneak, and watched people like it was a profession. If it was an interview, she might say...detailed oriented. But the trouble maker wasn't the sort to interview, and those details were far more important to her than most jobs cared for. She cared what hand was dominant, what people preferred smokes, drinks, coffee orders were. She made a point of out of the tidbits that most over looked.

Humming as she moseyed about behind the bar, and pulled, of all things, a little plate of what appeared to be...apple donuts? Or maybe it was deep friend apple rings. Look, she tried to make Apfelradln, and actually did a fair job....not so good that Ludwig wouldn't find it slightly wanting, she'd never deprive him of his favorite past time, besides she'd never actually tried them before! The plate was set on the bar as an offering, with no invitation, and she was careful not to watch it too hard.

Killy leans against the bar and pops one of the treats into his mouth. “Mmmm, ooh, these are tasty. And they seem homemade... Jolene, did you make these?” he asks excitedly, beaming a smile as he produces a cigarette. “Is it ok if it’s not a pipe?”

"LUDWIG!" Sieghilde's voice calls from the back door to the Foundation. "LUDWIG, PLEASE GO GET TOWELS AND A HEATING PAD!" There's not a feeling of emergency that radiates to the Ithaeur from his Rahu little sister, but a feeling of very deep concern.

Fingernails on chalkboard that opening call, but it does succeed in making Ludwig stop in his proverbial tracks. Mid-sentence, even. He clicks save, closes his notebook, drops his book mark into the book, shuts it, and then rises to his feeet with a murmured, "You may smoke your cigarettes, yes. We have a top notch filtration system. Please limit them to the tiled area of the bar, here, however. And excuse me, please."

Ludwig bustles off in search of the aforementioned heating pad and towels. Because it's always something!

"I did, the kitchen here is amazing, they're called Apf-" And she freezes, her head snapping at the call from Sigi, lacking any of the nuances of of their history, or pack connections, she only knows that something is not right, and her eyes fix on Ludwig as he heads off. And because she is whos he is....she throws a look to Killy, tentatively heading not for supplies, but for Sigi. Her instincts to make sure everything was okay, overriding any notions of appropriate boundaries, or giving people space.

Sieghilde comes in with something tucked underneath her jacket, her head on a swivel, looking for her brother. The corners of her mouth turn down a little bit, and she's not smoking, which is -- in and of itself -- perhaps a surprise. "Wig?" she calls, "Where's the towel?" No explanations forthcoming at the moment.

Killy starts at the shouting, almost standing, unlit cigarette hanging on his lip. When Jolene goes to move, he readies to follow her, stopping when Sigi enters. “Ah, he’s gone to get the towels and heating pad...is something up?” He seems to be forcing calm on himself, as he’s clearly ready for something going down.

Ludwig returns promptly with a towel over each shoulder, the heating pad draped over his forearm, and his pipe firmly held in the other. He sidles up alongside Sieghilde and sets both towels onto the bar, then plops the heating pad down upon it likewise. There. Requested items delivered.

"Now. Why on earth did you need towels and a heating pad?" He doesn't seem particularly put out or concerned, at least to outside observers. If anything, he's just going with the flow and enjoying the ride at the moment.

And she...her bright eyes were fixed on the jacket, her head canting to the side, but largely trying to stay out of the way, which was no easy feat as curiosity was a weakness of hers! Her crazy girls a mane that was half in her face, and she was rocking slightly on the balls of her feet, ready to pivot in any direction, but not rushing to ask the questions that have already been asked.

One hand reaches out to unfold one of the towels, wrapping it around the heating pad, and then takes the other one and shakes it out with one hand. The other hand, her right, is still supporting the thing (whatever it is) within her jacket. She extracts it, and carefully, loosely, wraps it up in the towel before setting it on top of the heating pad. Her hand remains hovering nearby, just in case, but--

--the little thing in the towel just sort of wobbles back and forth.

"I found her in the alley," Sigi explains. "She was near frozen. I don't think she'd have made it much longer. No sign of any mother or siblings. Probably dumped, poor thing."

She's a little grey and white kitten, maybe five weeks old. Barely got her eyes open, this one, and she's skinny and covered in mud and melted snow and probably fleas. Her eyes are ice-blue, and she fixes that dizzy, overwhelmed gaze on Ludwig, and makes a tiny little creaking hissing sound that resolves into something like a weak little

mew

Killy beams and coos, leaning over to get a bit closer look. “Ooooh, so cute...she’s adorable...well, its good you found her, she deserves a nice warm place to stay after being left out in the cold.” He lets the kitten smell his finger, a big grin one his face. “Who’s a cute little kitty-cat, hmm? You are!”

Ludwig goes fishing for the cable to the heating pad and plugs it in under the bar once he's sorted out the why and the wherefore of the towels and heating pad, both. The wobbly little furball is regarded with his best doleful stare and a small, resigned sigh. "I will have to go warm some milk and fetch an eyedropper, I suppose." He's complaining about it! He must be thrilled. Sheer uncut joy in Ludwig, surely, given the way he sulks off towards the kitchen, muttering to himself in one of his many dead languages. Even Killy's enthusiasm appears to be grating on him! He's in love.

And a hand goes to her mouth, fighting back a delightful squee before murmuring in First tongue ~You are small but mighty, you have a great destiny.~ She assures the kitten in a tongue no human mouth should be able to speak. And the truth was, we best hope the kitten doesn't understand...or it might become insufferable! "Oh Sigi, I'm so glad you found him...poor little thing..." She murmurs, back in English looking up at the woman, with just sort of raw adoration. The Altman's! Keeper of Strays! ...It was a noble calling.

She doesn't move far away from the kitten, just in case it decides to wobble too close to the end of the bar or to ... I dunno, implode or something like that. "Yeah, I'm glad I found her too," Sigi agrees quietly. Her long-fingered hand rests gently on the towelly lump as she watches her brother grumble his way off. "Well, I guess it's his cat." He wouldn't be complaining so ardently otherwise, right? Amusement curls across the pack link, and a low tone of delight. "Sorry to alarm everyone. She's ... a little touch-and-go, but I think if we look after her, she'll be okay. Much longer and I'm not sure."

Killy smiles softly and watches the kitten, glancing to Jolene. “Mmhmm, she just needs to be pampered while she gets back on her feet.” He grins goofily and relaxes against the bar. “What a fun twist to the day.”

Ludwig returns once more carrying a saucer of warmed milk, more and fluffier towels, and an empty olde tyme doctor's bag that Ludwig uses for his travel toiletries, emptied. He sets the bag down, nests it with the fluffier towels, and creates a little kitten bed safe as houses. Then he fills the little dropper with milk, tests it on the back of his hand, and then offers the dropper out to the wee keetom, all while still muttering to himself. "Trink, dich dummes kleines pelziges arschloch." Awh, they're bonding.

"It will need a name," Ludwig informs them all bluntly, this in English.

She was in hostess mode before Sigi arrived, and so the bar top also had a plate of Apfelradln on it, and Jolene had pulled out another glass, pouring Sigi a bit of the fruit brandied liquor they’d been enjoying before the kitten chaos had begun. She gave a breathy laugh “That name definitely won’t do, I have faith you’ll come up with something fitting Herr Altman.” Watching the little bit of fussing he does to look after the tiny kitten, as she very clearly puts the responsibility back on Ludwig, reaffirming….that it’s his cat. Her toes wiggle in her kitten socks with much excitement!

"Oh, trust me, no matter what he names her, he'll call her Stupid Little Furry Asshole most of the time anyway," Sigi answers, still sort of hovering near the kitten with one hand resting on the towels as a safegard. Against what? Who knows. But a safeguard. She hasn't bothered with her e-cig for like ten whole minutes, a shock, really.

The kitten makes that little broken-mew hissy sound again, too tired or too weak to properly mewl at him. Maybe she'll never actually make proper sounds and only ever sound like a broken steam radiator. Ludwig would just hate that. She sniffs at the eyedropper, and then her little pink tongue curls out as she leaaaaans up toward it and starts hungrily gobbling down drops of milk. She leans so much that she slooooowly collapses over onto her side, flailing her stupid little furry muddy flea-covered paws. Oh no, she's cute.

Killy coos again, scooting back a tad to make room for the feeding. “Awww, no, she’s such a sweetie, though! She should have a name like...Mittens, or Button.” He chuckles. “But she’s not mine, I’m sure any name she gets will be perfect!” He pours himself another shot and sips at it.

Ludwig scowls at the helpless animal incapable of even the most rudimentary forms of life-sustaining behaviors. His head shakes slowly in scorn. Disdain, even! A match made in heaven. "Well. Let us not worry ourselves. It may not live out the week. For now we shall call it Small Cat. Small Cat, this is the Frau Doktor Altman, Fraulein Logan, and Killy. I am Herr Doktor Altman. This box is your box. Once you're warmed up and fed we will discuss your duties here."

Ludwig's conversation with the kitten is thoroughly one sided, since it's gnawing on the glass eyedropper of milk hungrily. "Somehow, Small Cat, I do not believe you are paying attention. You are useless. Pathetic and sad." He keeps scowling at it as he feeds it. "You were Gods in Egypt, now look at you!"

And thus….wolves were smitten. She watches with a fixed gaze as the kitten greedily latches to the dropper. “….eating like that must be a good sign…” As if she doesn’t know the first thing about pets, but eating was usually a good sign for things that seemed like they might teeter too close to dying! “Mmmm, a proper name I think, at least Herr Furry Little Asshole certainly!” She laughs as they all throw their two cents in on Ludwig’s naming options!

“Even gods start small and hungry Ludwig…” She murmurs as she watches the kitten adoringly, a shot glass dangling from her fingers, and a stupid little grin on her lips. “You will be a good small cat, and you can always pay attention later, I’m certain he will remind you of your station, and your duties under his care.” Giving a gentle hip nudge to Killy, before holding the shot glass to Sigi in offering, having poured it moments before but gotten distracted, as they were all prone to do, by the kitten.

The look that Sieghilde gives Ludwig is... pretty classic little sister, let's be honest. "I have a feeling she may end up stuck with Small Cat, but for the moment, that is not so bad," Sieghilde agrees. "It is a little like when children were just Baby Boy if they were sickly. Though she is a girl, I did check."

He complains, and Sieghilde watches the whole thing. Once the kitten consumes all of the milk from the dropper, Sigi takes the time where Ludwig must refill the dropper to move her into the little kitten bed, formerly Ludwig's toiletries bag which he is never getting back, getting the heating pad settled and the towels fluffed up so the kitten can slowly collapse over to one side when she's put in the bag. One tiny muddy paw reaches up in the air, little claws stretched up, and she makes that crackling, hissing sound again. One need not speak cat to know it means more food please

Killy bumps Jolene back as she walks past, gently so he doesn’t make her spell drink. The kitten has all the rest of his attention for now, and he smiles easily, nearly squeezing at all her little noises. Killy may love cute animals terribly much. “Oooh...when she’s warmer I bet she’d love resting a nest made of snuggly wolf curled around her.”

"If she survives, that is," Ludwig forebodes like an asshole. "Small Cat will likely enjoy such things. The next twelve hours will probably be the most crucial. I will call a veterinarian in the morning." Ludwig presents the eye dropper to the kitten once again, letting it seek it out the last inch to make it have to work for it. Fight, you stupid little furry asshole. More milk is carefully introduced into the kitten in this fashion. It's not an ideal situation, but he makes the most of it.

"I was working on my annotations for the Willigut collection, Small Cat. You are interrupting very important work. Imagine if my library went on to the next generation without my annotations? It hardly bears considering. And here you are, interrupting it with your silly dirty flea ridden face and its ridiculous pink tongue." Ludwig gives the other three a decidedly sour look, "Look. Look at its feeble arms."

"Horrifically weak arms, and it can't even meow properly, it'll never strike fear into the heart of Mäuse with such a sound." She readily agrees, with a sharp smile that is more than a little amused at Ludwig listing the failings of the frail kitten. "Interrupting such important work, and having nothing to offer..." Save it needed him, well, anyone really, but all of them had decided on some level Ludwig was the answer to the question that was the kitten. Maybe the old...older? Old man needed something that needed him!

"I'm certain he will be insufferable, your cleaner will chastise you, your tailor will tsk..." She offers more things for Ludwig to complain about, because she liked to see him happy, and hid her smirk behind the task of pouring herself yet another shot, and finally trying one of the treats she'd made.

Now that the kitten is finally situated somewhere safe and she is unlikely to topple herself out of the bag, Sigi picks up the shot of alcohol which Jolene poured for her oh so many poses ago, raises it toward the kitten, and declares, "Prosst, Small Cat. You are making my brother very happy. He will never lack for something to complain about ever again. You had better survive." A shot, and then she raps the glass twice on the bartop.

The little kitten flails her tiny little paws at the eyedropper, eagerly chowing down. "I think we can probably wash her after the food. Warm water, clean body, full belly, hopefully she will sleep." Killy's commentary about snuggling has her chuckling. "My brother would never do anything so openly adorable." (This is probably a lie.)

Killy snorts softly, refilling his glass. “Oh, she better, the cutie pants.” He raises his glass and knocks down another after Sigi toasts.

“If he’s too proud, I’ll gladly take a shift keeping Little Cat warm and comfy. I have no scruples about appearing adorable,” he says with a sage nod.

"Yes. Feeble. And its meow. Tragic." Ludwig catalogs the cat's many faults while continuing to nurse it with eyedropper and milk. Eventually he relents and carefully scoops it up out of its little home to cradle it up and nurse it more directly. Ludwig doesn't seem too concerned about the fleas, apparently. "Sieghilde, would you be so good as to fetch some warm water and the mildest soap we have? Dreft would likely do." Killy's volunteering to be adorable with the kitten is considered, "I would wait until after the delousing, in any case. Assuming it survives." Assuming.

“Certainly not where anyone could witness such adorable cuddling.” She readily agrees, though she turns those otherworldly eyes to Ludwig, clearly trying to visualize just such a thing, and makes a hmmm of sound that says she may well be able to picture him cuddling the kitten even as he’d openly protest what a nuisance it was.

“It appears Herr Doktor Ludwig is not above farming out adorable cuddling responsibilities.” Lifting her own shot in salute, knocking it back before taking a bit of the apple treat, and making a happy food sound. “I did good….” She murmurs mostly to herself. And so the fuzzbutt of a kitten, was likely the safest kitten in the world in that moment... "You better survive." She murmured in the general direction of the kitten and then paused. "What are Austrian grieving customs like?" Because why not ask a cultural question at the expense of the kitten.

"Yeah, I think we have some, or some of the baby shampoo. I'll be back," agrees Sigi, thumping her chest and burping. She stops for a moment, blinks wide-eyed at Jolene, and then shakes her head, bounding out of the room with that lazy athletic stride she has.

The kitten rattles another little mew, flailing her little paws out as Ludwig picks her up and rolls her onto her back for more food. She paws at the air as if seeking a belly to knead, and makes that little rattly sound again. On closer inspection, her gums are pale, but not deathly pale -- a symptom of a flea infestation, parasitic anemia -- and her belly is a little swollen. She does have this lovely steel-grey fluff of fur, spotted with white, a tiny little star on her otherwise grey forehead, like her third eye's about to open right there.

Killy raises his eyebrow at Jolene’s question; it was definitely a heavy one, considering the Austrian werewolves in the room and the propensity for werewolves to have lost loved ones. He bites his tongue, and looks over the kitten some more. “Worms or malnutrition...bad fleas...mmmm, poor girl.”

"Vienna is a city of the dead. It takes death and funerary custom very seriously as a rule. But it is more a cultural thing beyond the basic reverence for the past and so on. Especially in Vienna itself." Now that the kitty is bundled, warm, and being increasingly filled with warm milk, it is starting to get less pathetic and more sleepy. Which will make the bathing that much easier. "My wife was Russian orthodox. So she was buried by their custom. I was raised Catholic. My biological father was a drunk, a deadbeat, and ... arguably the most gifted ritemaster in Austria. When my mother died, she was buried according to the Catholic tradition. It's all very ecumenical and typically involves a good deal of drinking and marble slabs."

Ironically, talking about funerary customs with the Altmans is quite simple. The family business, even.

She gave Sigi an almost apologetic glance, like she realized she might have fucked up…

Was it insensitive? Maaaaaybe. But she was just starting to get to a point where she could acknowledge her own losses. There’d been no time in the end for the last of the funerals, no rites, nothing left but to run. And unfortunately, Ludwig was the adultist adult in the room, which meant he’d have to field the harder questions. Like her trying to prepare for what grief might feel like when it finally broke through.

Her heart was racing, but she was looking between the glass, the kitten, the bottle, and briefly at Ludwig, hoping he understood on some level she wasn’t trying to put him in an uncomfortable situation, so much as she trusted him with an uncomfortable situation. She let out a bit of warm breath as he answered without hesitation, or judgement, and slowly nodded. “So…very cultural based it sounds like…save alcohol seems to be pretty consistent in a lot of cultures for the grieving…” She makes a thoughtful sound, and realizes she’s slipping, and her easy little mask is too.

“Well small cat, let us hope you never give us a reason to drink.” She offers flashing a toothy grin, because, right right right, it was about the cat, and not the girl who was standing still for the first time since she’d lost all of her people, and could feel the weight of that loss catching up with her. And then a bit softer to Ludwig she gave a slight show of throat and a little “Thank you.”

It doesn't take long: the Foundation is nothing if not 'very well organized.' Sieghilde returns promptly with a small bottle of Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo, that classic yellow-top bottle, another pile of towels, a soft flannel blanket, and a fine-toothed fur brush. (This will not be the first time they had to remove pests from someone's fur, on this or any other continent, so, you know, they come prepared.) She carefully and quietly goes about setting up the accouterments at the sink behind the bar, and glances up at her brother when they're ready.

Ludwig eyes the bundle in his hands with a dour frown and then slides his gaze over to Sieghilde. Oh. She wants the kitten, doesn't she. He looks back to the kitten, then back to Sieghilde. And while maintaining hard eye contact he slooooooowly extends out his hands towards her, kitten, towel, and milk dropper all in one cozy little ball. "The baby is asleep."

Once he has passed along the responsibility, Ludwig plucks a flea and some shmutz from his jacket front, cleans his lapel with a napkin, and trundles off to pour himself a glass of proper brandy.

Killy slips behind the bar to get a beer, staying out of the way, then moves to stand by Jolene, close enough that she can feel his presence and hopefully feel the comforting thoughts he’s thinking her way. “Mmm, I’m sure she’ll appreciate a nice warm bath, and being good and clean.”

She watched as Sieghilde set up the kitten washing station like this was a ritual that had perhaps been performed before. Then there was the precarious baby hand off. "You've done well with the baby, both of you." Giving a wistful sigh as she leaned on the bar, feeling the warmth of the man next to her, and giving him a little sidelong smile. "See....the Library is a magical place." As if this was just one of the many ways that the library delivered on the fantastical.

"I'll take good care of her," Sieghilde answers, holding her brother's gaze just as solidly as he stares at her. "Don't worry." Of course he will worry. She cradles the kitten to herself as though she's holding a human baby, rather easily so, like she's held kittens and puppies and children galore over the years. (She has.) "I think she will probably sleep better once she's clean, yes."

With her free hand, she turns on the water in the sink and holds her wrist underneath it, in between carefully adjusting the temperature. The sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, the best temperature test for little babies.

Once she's satisfied with the water temperature, Sigi carefully unwraps the kitten -- who protests with the sharpest sound they've heard out of her yet, the kitten version of nooooo -- but her tummy is fully and she's sleepy, so she's relatively easy to handle as Sigi rests her in the sink on one of her hands (so she doesn't have to sit on the cold metal), using the other to gently splash water over her. "Uch. She's covered in fleas."

Ludwig fills himself a glass of the brandy, caps the bottle back up, and takes a rather bracing gulp of the drink. Smooth. "Magical. Mmm. The other half of the Willigut library, that was the more magical of them portions. This one is purely theoretical and reference materials." Ludwig realizes only too late he may have got the meaning wrong, but he self-corrects. "Also in that way, yes. Yes. Serendipity is a frequent houseguest." Ludwig flashes one of his rare smiles and then drains the rest of his brandy, preparing a second glass.

"I could pretend to be a spirit of fleas and order them away. It might work." Ludwig has had much worse ideas!

Killy makes a face. “Ugh, fleas. They suck, it’s good to be rid of them.”

He looks to Jolene and smiles. “It does seem like a fascinating place, I can see why you enjoy it here so much.” He relaxes even more, his hand moving to rest on Jolene’s back and give it a little rub.

And she slowly looks to Ludwig, and leans forward, teeth a brazen challenge of a smile. "If you do it, and it works, I will hand transcribe my spirit repository so you have a copy of it." Now, that didn't mean it necessarily had information he didn't. But she suspected he was a sucker for books, spirit books, and possibly gambling...we'd see!

She relaxed under the little touches from Killy, and threw a side eye to Sigi to see what the sister thought the odds of her proposition were!(edited)

"It's not the worst idea you've had," Sieghilde answers; she devotes most of her attention to carefully and gently cleaning the mostly-compliant kitten. She's actually quite the adorable little fluffball under all that mud and all those fleas and all that grime and melted snow. "We'll want to get her a de-wormer sooner rather than later. I agree with Killy's assessment that this belly is probably full of worms, sad to say. But once we clear her system out, if she lasts the night, I think she'll be okay. She's certainly got plenty of opinions."

Why, that's practically a monologue for Sieghilde.

Ludwig takes that confirmation of his plan's place on the bell curve of his idea as permission to try, and so carries his brandy glass over to consider the air around the little kitten. After a good deal of staring, he snarls very slightly with the softest of rattles in the back of his throat. A short moment later, his focus is on the kitten. And then he's squinting very pointedly. And then, almost as one, the fleas on the kitten begin leaping away, mostly into the water. When he's finished, Ludwig looks faintly pleased with himself and takes another sip of his brandy. "You have a very clever brother, Frau Doktor."

And then he removes his reading glasses to clean his lenses on the tongue of his unwound tie. "You were saying, Fraulein. About your repository." He twitches his nose once and slowly curls his glasses back over his ears. He looks so not smug that he must be secretly incredibly smug under his nonchalance.

Killy chuckles and sips at his beer. “Damn, that’s one hell of a trick. Take that, damned fleas, begone!” He lifts his beer in a toast, and then grows quiet, still smiling if a bit pensive seeming. His eyes stay on the kitten, and his body stays close to Jolene’s.

She makes a praising sound, a little vocalization that suited spirits better than people, grinning with open excitement as the fleas followed his will so readily. Her eyes glittering. "I suppose I will have to use that lovely black card to hire someone to massage my hand after all the cramps I'm going to get from transcribing..." But she doesn't look upset at all, she looks energized by the little display. She also immediately refills her drink, lifts it in salute, and tosses it back, as if it's somehow part of some ritual that only lives in her head.

She showed no signs of pulling away from Killy's warm presence at her side, and watched on as Sigi bathed the kitten, alight with that little bit of spirit finesse.(edited)

When the fleas start leaping away, Sigi leans back, mostly so they don't leap on to her. She sets the kitten down into the sink, which has warmed now from the water, and the corners of her mouth curl up in low-key delight. "So it would seem, Herr Doktor," Sieghilde answers, though her delight is much more evident through the social link that the siblings and Sigi's wife share. She goes back to washing the baby once the fleas are gone, and once she's all scrubbed up and clean? Sigi wraps her up in a warm towel, dries her off neatly, and carries her back to her brother. "Your youngest, Herr Doktor," she intones quite seriously.