The Wisdom of Cats (Evan)

[Matthew Waylan]

I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior. ~Hippolyte Taine

Waking up to a kitten had become a regular habit for Matt.Fable was better then any alarm clock and was consequently fuzzier. Smiling as he pet the tiny kitten Matt thought about his plans. Matt just smiled as Fable licked his nose to get him up and awake. He carefully caught the cat as he sat up making sure not to disrupt the blue eyed many colored patches of fur cat too much.

He would have to buy supplies for her today wouldn't he? Matt tried to think of what Fable would need. Honestly he still didn't really know. Maybe he better just go ask. That would be better.Matt looked at the clock and smiled, it was a free day for him as he really had no where else to be. He sighed and got ready.

Time to go kitten supply shopping.

Matt was faced with a challenge as he looked at the tiny kitten that was staring back at him. For one thing the two had gotten into a staring match. For another he contemplated bringing it along with him. Then of course he would have to make sure it did not get away. He couldn't bring Fable into the mall, and he was sure the nearest pet smart was a few hours away. Matt suddenly remembered a smallish shop that was near the mall.

Did it have to do with animals though? He wasn't sure if it was a pet shop at all, but right now it was his only hope. Matt took fable and grabbed a sweater. The kitten would have t camp out there, until he got to the store. Fable, in return snuggled up against his chest and promptly fell asleep. That was one thing about Fable that Matt liked, the kitten could sleep anywhere any time if the place was warm enough and cozy enough.

Driving down the road Matt spotted the shop it was downtown and near to the mall. He was relieved to find it was in fact a pet store and it did in fact sell supplies. "Marian's Pets and Supplies". Hopefully it was open.

Matt approached the door and looked around. The place was small but it would work well for his purposes. Especially since the place was basically deserted. There was only one other person in the store, whom Matt assumed was the worker. If he was left alone that would suit Matt just fine. He slowly made his way towards the middle of the store to where the cat supplies were.

Fable sensing that they were somewhere and it was safe made her head pop out of the hoodie and began to survey the area. Absentmindedly Matt pet the top of her head while he looked at cat toys.

[Evan Brackett]

Since July, Evan's enthusiasm for his part-time job had only increased. The small shop near the center of town had turned out to be the perfect work place for the farm boy, a clean combination of his need to earn money and passion for animals. The atmosphere of a small, independent pet store never got old, and every hour he worked was worth the pay he received. The teenager had already managed to replace his broken phone and missing pants, and his other savings had grown substantially. Things were looking bright.

Today he was working alone. It was one of the slower days of the week, and he knew he would be lucky to see a few browsers let alone any paying customers. A boring day in almost any other business, but working in a pet store had its perks. Mainly, getting to take care of animals. That included cleaning cages and keeping the animals entertained.

Van had just returned one of their puppies to its kennel (the last of the most recent litter, they only sold animals from local breeders) when he heard the bell hanging above the front door ring. Another browser he assumed, but part of his job was assisting customers. Matt certainly would not be left to fend for himself, whether he liked it or not.

Taking a moment to smooth his shirt and slacks, Evan sought out the other teen. "Hello!" he chirped from the end of the aisle, "Welcome to Marian's Pets and Supplies. Can I help you find something?" It wasn't until he was closer that the brunette noticed the kitten peeking out of the boy's jacket, and his demeanor changed the second he saw her.

And honestly, seeing a guy jump from peppy store clerk to squeeing fifteen-year-old girl in half a second flat is rather off-putting.

Evan didn't consider that as he leaned towards the stranger's stomach, close enough that he would have been uncomfortable if he weren't entranced by the kitten's adorableness. "Awww! She's so cute! What's her name?" he cried, scratching her chin. "I love cats." He loved all animals, but cats were his particular favorite.

[Matthew Waylan]

Matt wandered through the isles looking at all of the different things he could purchase for Fable. He didn't know exactly what was needed, but supposed the tiny kitten needed to be licensed and have tags, though he did rather like the bell that he saw. That was he would know when the tiny fluff ball would be coming. He finally found the section for cats and almost had the urge t scratch his head. He had no idea what he was looking for.

Matt was glad that it was a slower day in the store. Primarily because it was easier for him to get away without talking to people. When it was crowded someone always wanted something and someone always wanted to talk. He looked bad if he kept silent if someone was purposely talking to him. Matt didn't want to look bad at all, he just wanted his silence, and to be left alone.

Matt could hear the puppies from the section he was in and they were making fable squirm. His face was contorted trying to get her to stay still. Obviously a curious kitten wriggling around inside a jacket doesn't make for a very calm or easy trip. Matt grinned though as he finally got her to calm down. It seemed that actually petting her worked well enough. That and scratching behind her ears. That worried extremely well. Matt filed that information away for a later date as he looked at the things that were available for him to purchase.

Matt didn't notice the other person in the store coming up to him until he heard the foot steps emerging behind him.He slowly moved to the side closest to the toys, allowing room for the clerk to pass by if needed. Matt turned to face the other when he was called out to. Instinctively Matt put a hand over fable. He didn't know if he was breaking the rules of the store for one, and for another.. Matt was protective of the tiny kitten. After all Dani had given it to him and he was told to protect it. Many wouldn't have done as he did, but it was a task he was willing to take. As well as what he wanted. Not that he would admit it.

Matt did however notice the change in the clerk that came over him when he saw fable. Well at least Matt didn't break the rules. He wasn't going to leave Fable home though. Who knew what sort of trouble she would get herself into. In that sense Fable was extremely like Dani. Birds of a feather flock together hm?

Matt instinctively leaned away from the advancing clerk. He was a little too close and Matt sort of just wanted to to be away from him.It was a little weird and when the stranger, because really that was what the clerk was, a stranger, approached and started to ask questions Matt coughed into his hand and attempted to avoid the subject. No such luck apparently. Coughing just a bit he looked at the guy inspecting fable and sighed taking her out of his coat holding her out. If she wasn't in his coat, neither would the squealing clerk be(or close to in this case). He kept his voice soft, trying to not intimidate the guy, as he was known to do that when he spoke. “Fable.”

Looking at him Matt decided that he couldn't do that much harm to his squirming kitten if he worked here and right deposited it in his hands, turning to look at the cat things. Sighing he looked at everything. “What do I need again?” Matt whispered this, seemingly unknowingly. After all, Matt wasn't to speak very often, the fact that he felt comfortable enough in the clerks presence was a miracle in itself.

It was all Fable's fault.

[Evan Brackett]

Evan paid no mind to the uncomfortable teen in front of him, but he didn’t try to close the distance as Matt leaned away. The phaser stood up straight when the kitten was thrust towards him, and continued to coo at her as she was passed into his hands. He gently stroked her fur as he moved the fluffball into the crook of one of his arms. She wasn’t too much of a handful for him, practically mild in her squirming when compared to Spider. “She’s so cute,” he reiterated as she began to purr. “And Fable is an interesting name. How’d you come up with it?” Evan wasn’t a talkative guy himself, but when it came to cats and his job he could find some words to spare.

Looking up at the customer, Van just barely caught his whispered thought. “Is this your first cat? What do you already have? Are you just looking for toys?” he questioned. It wasn’t his intention to intimidate the poor boy, but he had to have more information before he could help him properly.

[Matthew Waylan]

Matt was having trouble trying to look at the various items in the isle that would work for Fable. he already had her harness, which was safely equipped, but other then that he didn't know what she needed. He was in uncertain waters here and had no idea how to navigate back to the safe, sane waters, where of course, he didn't own a cat. Then of course he heard the question from the worker. "Ah...it fit." Matt wasn't a fan of talking, but he was asked a question. He tried to answer those. .

Matt was about to pick up a bed when all of the sudden he was hit by the rapid fire part of the questioning of employee. "Ah..uh...Yea..." Matt just nodded and looked over at the other teen. Couldn't he see he was at a loss here? " First cat. Harness." Matt looked down at his feet. Right now he was failing as a cat owner. Matt looked over to the employee and raised an eyebrow about to say something he didn't normally. Shakily he took a breath and gave a small smile before uttering a word he normally wouldn't. "Help?"

[Evan Brackett]

“Wait, you just have a harness? Seriously?” Van tried not to jump to conclusions in light of his past problems, but it was hard for him not to judge this guy when he had such a passion for cats. The only kind of pet owner that adopted an animal without doing research ahead of time and preparing for it was a bad pet owner, and that usually didn’t end well for the pet. “What about food? A litter box? You want to house train her, definitely. I assume you’re keeping her as an indoor cat, but you want to make sure she knows how to use a litter box regardless.” His voice had lost the light tone it held before. He still had to help the customer, but he was straining to stay polite.

Without waiting for a response, he walked to the front of the store, grabbed a cart, and wheeled it back to the cat aisle. He picked up a cat box and a bag of litter and deposited them into the basket. “Where did you get her?” he inquired. “Does she have all her shots? You really shouldn’t have brought her in here if she hasn’t been to the vet yet. It poses a risk to the other animals.” He tried to hand her back to Matt as he spoke, so his hands would be free to load up the cart. They had some major shopping to do.

[Matthew Waylan]

Matt looked down and nodded trying to become invisible. He only had a harness because he wasn't expecting a cat. If he had known he was going to have a kitten deposited in his lap while he slept, well then he would have done a little research. Not like he had that much of a choice anyway one way or another he would have gone home with the cat. Especially if Dani was present. Apparently it needed him more then she did. Something was wrong with that picture. "I've been bottle feeding it..." Because he didn't think it could eat food yet. It had looked a bit malnourished so he kept bottle feeding it. That was what Dani had told him anyway. He was just following orders.

Matt waited patiently the employee to come back. He could hear in his voice the disdain and the agitation that was rising. It wasn't his fault. He was trying to do the right thing here and it seemed that no matter what he did he wasn't doing it correctly. "My sister gave her to me." Matt looked at the employee as he was bombarded with question after question. At the end of the questioning period he took a deep breath and began to talk. he could only hope the employee would just shut up and listen. if only for a little. "My sister found her on the street. The next morning she was on my lap while i was sleeping. Then my sister poofed to Easai. I'm trying to do the right thing here." By the time he was done talking Matt looked over at the employee as thing after thing was placed in the cart.His voice in a mere whisper he looked down and pet his cat on the head lightly. "Will you help me or not?"

[Evan Brackett]

At the mention of bottle feeding, Evan grabbed a couple cases of cat milk substitute and added them to the cart. “Well, she looks old enough to start weaning. You don’t want to force her into it, but try offering her a bowl of this and see if she takes it. And don’t give her cow milk.” He was being a bit hypocritical in his views, having learned most of this after rescuing Spider last winter. Most of his research was done online, but he disappeared to the counter for a moment to grab some pamphlets. “These have some information about cat and kitten care,” he explained as he handed them over, “You can go to sites on the back for more information. The ASPCA one will tell you everything you need to know about weaning her from the bottle.”

He turned back to the shelves then, grabbing various toys and cat products that the boy would need, abruptly dumping everything in the cart in the middle of the customer’s response. “Eisai? Your sister is a meta?” he asked in surprise. “Are you?” It shouldn’t have seemed as strange as he’d taken it, considering Pilot Ridge was basically meta-human central for the United States. Chances were most of his customers had abilities, but he knew better than anyone that cats couldn’t be kept in the dorms.

That wasn’t the only thing he gleamed from the conversation, though; knowing that the cat was a surprise rather than an impulsive companion choice made him more sympathetic to the boy’s cause. “I am helping you,” he said defensively, mistaking Matt’s intent, “But if you live at Hammel, you can’t keep Fable. I go to school there too, and I got in trouble for hiding a kitten in my dorm.” His parents had made a bigger deal of it than the school and he got to keep Spider in the end, but he was sure this type of situation was handled on a case by case basis. He couldn’t guarantee that this kid would get off as easily as he had.

[Matthew Waylan]

Matt just nodded as the employee stacked more things in the cart. He probably knew more about kittens then Matt would ever know. At least it seemed that way from the tone of voice and the knowledge the employee was exhibiting. He took the pamphlets and would make sure to read them as soon as he got home. Then we would investigate online. The information that The employee was offering would make it easier on him, and his family.Hopefully it would be better for his cat as well.

Matt nodded that yes his sister was meta and no he was not meta. He wished he were, but he wasn't. But then again he didn't want to be meta. Being meta came with problems, and Matt was fairly happy with his normal life. His sister had to go through enough trouble with her power. He was there when it manifested, and although she had gotten more control, well it wasn't a pretty picture just yet. He hated that he couldn't do anything about those stupid side effects and how they effected his sister. He couldn't begin to imagine to not know his own voice.

Matt shook his head at the others defensive voice. He could just go to a different store, one where they didn't question why he was here and why he was buying cat things. He already felt bad but he wasn't sure what to do. " I'm not a meta..." He didn't need to worry about losing Fable. Besides he wouldn't hear the end of it from Dani if Fable got taken away. Even across multiple oceans she had a way of getting what she wanted. Fable staying with Matt was something she wanted.

[Evan Brackett]

It certainly wasn’t Evan’s intent to drive customers away with his interrogations. He was asking a lot of questions, but the majority of them were meant to help him help the other teen. The last few were an exception, but there wasn't much else he could do if his curiosity was piqued. Not a lot of students came into the store, and even fewer went to Hammel. It was practically obligatory for him to ask such things, even if he came off as nosy and a bit rude. (Because, let’s face it, Evan was being both nosy and rude.)

Anyway, his curiosity dropped dramatically when he learned that the stranger was neither an irresponsible pet owner nor a meta, his attitude dissipating. “Oh, sorry,” he apologized with a small shrug. “You just…that surprised me.” His number one goal from the start was to help the guy, and that still remained.

“So you must live in town then,” he concluded. It was a bit obvious now. “Well, there’s a vet not too far from here. I can give you directions. You should have her checked on to make sure she’s not sick, get her shots, tested for worms, that sort of thing. And they can help you with care information too, of course.” He smiled and poked at the name tag pinned to his polo shirt. “I’m Van by the way. Evan Brackett.” It was an awkward, poorly placed introduction for sure, but the clerk thought much better of Matt now.

[Matthew Waylan]

He didn't come to be questioned, he came to get help. Hopefully Evan would be able to help him.

Matt just nodded at Evan as he apologized, though he seriously doubted that Evan was truly sorry. When he said it surprised him Matt just shrugged, it wasn't his fault. At least now he wasn't being so pushy.

Looking towards Evan Matt nodded. He did indeed live in town. Yes, transferring in his senior year was crazy, but it was mandatory, at least in his mindset. At the mention of a vet nearby Matt nodded and committed the information to memory. It would be helpful to know what he was looking for. " all right," Matt mumbled, voice low. Fable was certainly distracting. He fought to keep her still. " Matt Waylan." So his name was Evan. It was what it was.

[Evan Brackett]

Van grinned at the nod. “Cool.” He didn’t know a lot of non-meta kids anymore. He hadn’t met many since he transferred to Hammel, and he had long since drifted away from his middle school friends. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Matt,” Evan chirped back, holding his hand out to shake. He was expecting to see the kid again, if only to buy supplies for his cat. It had to be a good idea to befriend a few customers, especially if he wanted them become regulars.

The clerk looked over the contents of the cart, shifting things around, and silently checking items off his mental checklist of essential cat care items. “Okay, looks like you have everything you’ll need for now. Make sure you take her to the vet as soon as possible.” Twisting the cart back around, he started walking it to the front of the store. “I can ring you up now if you’re ready to go, or you can continue browsing,” he informed the other boy. He started to pile things up on the counter anyway, assuming that the customer had indeed followed him to the cash register.

[Matthew Waylan]

-fin-