CASSIE LUANNA
Witch
Posts: 180
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 20:34:52 GMT
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Post by CASSIE LUANNA on Nov 27, 2023 19:17:09 GMT
━ climb that goddamn mountain ━ CASSIE SPENT, LIKE, HALF AN HOUR TRYING to shove Olive in the cat carrier. She knew this cat was her own little person, but oh my gosh, she was so annoying. Like Nicky said, they have their own personalities and whatever, but could she just, like, work with Cassie for one minute?
And she felt super guilty about taking her back to the shelter lady, but it wasn’t just to try to, like, exchange her or something. Maybe Rhiannon had tips! From Cassie’s research, she knew it wasn’t really possible to train cats, but… maybe there was something she could do?
After finally getting Olive into the carrier, Cassie bundled up and walked the short distance from her work to the shelter, sending little bursts of power into her every once in a while just to calm Olive down. She was yowling like a crazy person, and people were looking at Cassie like she was a cat-napper-animal-abuser. Ugh, was she? Just for taking the cat back to the shelter?
The door dinged lightly as she walked in, and Cassie felt a new surge of nerves rush through her. Shit, shit, shit. Rhiannon was gonna think she was an awful freaking person. Ugh. Cassie gave her a sheepish smile as she appeared, and carefully set Olive (still in her carrier) on the front desk.
“Hey,” She smiled, then realized this lady probably saw a billion people every week. “I, um… I adopted Olive at the event in the square a couple months ago? My name’s Cassie.” She said it lightly, like she was trying to jog the woman’s memory. “I… Okay, well, I really love her, but she doesn’t love me. She’s… kinda mean, and not in a cute, endearing way, y’know?” Cassie rushed through her explanation, trying to find something good enough to replace the truth. It wasn’t like she could just say “she won’t participate in spells or rituals with me!” ‘cause that would sound crazy.
“Actually, I feel like I kinda don’t love her. Is that really shitty to say? I mean, I’m not bad to her or anything━I take care of her━but she’s not… nice. And I don’t know what to do. I thought you might have some advice or something.” Cassie sighed heavily, frowning at Olive, who was shifting around in the cat carrier and beginning to meow again, like she was just working herself up to those angry yowls.
RHIANNON GREY | no notes.
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RHIANNON GREY
Psychic
Posts: 93
Age:
48
Occupation:
Vet/Owner of Animal Shelter
Status:
Single
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 1, 2024 19:26:10 GMT
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Post by RHIANNON GREY on Dec 21, 2023 16:58:43 GMT
The damp little nose bumped into the side of her own, purrs vibrating against her cheek. A siren’s call if she let herself feel it all for too long. Sighing softly, Rhi gently lifted the kitten away from the crook of her neck. He’d burrowed in the minute he’d been picked up, the check of the nick on his ear that had still been bleeding when he’d been bought in turning into ten minutes of cuddling. For a stray the little guy seemed to have absolutely no fear of strangers – which was going to help when someone came along looking to give a cat a good home. Just like Olive.
Guilt settled like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach as she set the kitten down in lap. He tried to crawl in close to her stomach, but she cradled his head and thumbed his ear back enough for her to get a good look at it. It was healing well, the edges of the notch still a little pink, but in a few weeks even that would fade. Unlike the detective’s memories of Olive.
”At least you’re not that sort of a guy,” she murmured to the kitten, slipping her thumbs beneath his belly, cradling his portly body as she lifted him up in front of her. He continued to purr, his eyes slipping half shut in unabashed joy. ”You’ve got no problem showing everybody how you feel.” And maybe she’d spent too much time around the animals, understanding them on a far higher level than she ever would people.
Rhi smacked a kiss atop the kitten’s head and placed him gently back into his cage. Hopefully it wouldn’t be home to him for too long. She could’ve called the detective in, tried to convince him that one kitten was just as good as another, but it would’ve been a lie and at this point he probably still hated her enough that he wouldn’t even open an email from her or answer a call. His cat was gone and that was all that mattered. She’d still find a good home for Rocky (he’d definitely been a fighter if the nick in his ear was anything to go by).
Dusting her hands off she headed back towards reception, hurrying her steps as she heard the door ding. There were always a couple of volunteers on site, but she’d tried to spend more time here lately, leaving the clinic in Scott’s hands as often as she could – he was more than capable, especially on the afternoons where she tried to stack general check-ups. If he needed her, he could call and she’d be there in minutes. It was probably in some foolish hope that eventually the detective would soften and he’d be walking back through the door, another box of cat food and litter in his arms and an apology on his lips that would be met with a far longer one on her own.
Had she said foolish? Pffft.
The black ball of fur in the carrier and the girl offering her a sheepish smile were proof that you should probably never give up hope. Rhi could practically hear the detective snorting at the idea, but sometimes you got a second chance to make things right.
”Hi,” Rhi said brightly, approaching the desk. She would have slipped a finger past the wire to greet Olive, but with the smell of the other kitten on her, she held back for now. ”I wouldn’t forget who took this one home,” she promised. ”You were with your boyfriend, right?” The one who’d helped to convince her that Olive was a perfect fit.
Wincing inwardly, Rhi tried to brush off that growing hope as Cassie admitted that Olive didn’t love her. She shouldn’t have taken joy in that, but, God, it felt a little serendipitous. ”All cats have their own personality and, like humans, it’s not always the best.” Except for when you’d been bribed with salmon that first time around.
”What have you been doing huh?” Rhi crooned to Olive, bending down to look at her through the bars as she started meowing. Rhi brushed her hands off again, nodding towards the carrier. ”You mind if I get her out?” she asked before she did just that. She only had to take one look at Olive to know she hadn’t been mistreated – not that she’d felt that vibe off of Cassie at any point, if she had she’d never have allowed her to take an animal.
Tucking Olive against her chest, Rhi smiled softly at the girl and shook her hand. ”It’s not shitty and I’m not gonna blame you for it. I can see she’s been well cared for. Have you ever had a friendship or a relationship that you really wished would work out but didn’t? You can care about someone, but know that the chemistry’s not right, that no matter what you do it’ll never be right. That happens with animals too. You never have to feel bad for it. You brought her here to try and do the right thing – which, honestly, we might be able to do. Just give me a minute, OK?”
Rhi stepped aside, keeping Olive in sight, just so Cassie didn’t think she was taking her away. She punched the detective’s number into her phone and explained that she had some news about Olive. Asking him to come down to the shelter could possibly backfire, but she asked him to anyway.
Stepping back towards Cassie, she slanted a smile at the girl and nodded towards the couch that ran along one wall. ”How about we take a seat?” Sitting with Olive in her lap, Rhiannon sighed. ”I might be a little to blame for Olive being a bit of a bitch,” she admitted. ”She was originally brought in as a stray by someone who found her on the street. Afterwards he kept coming back to see her, and foolishly I didn’t see that meant that the two of them were really bonding.” The whole story spun out, only trailing off when the door opened and Rhi caught sight of him.
”Detective de la Peña, this is Cassie, the young woman who adopted Olive…”
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ENRIQUE DE LA PEÑA
Shapeshifter
Posts: 65
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Mar 22, 2024 22:48:16 GMT
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Post by ENRIQUE DE LA PEÑA on Jan 16, 2024 21:16:04 GMT
━ if you support evil, you are evil ━ “W-WHAT?” RICKY ASKED QUICKLY, BUT IT didn’t sound like Rhiannon wanted to go on. She needed him to get to the shelter, and it was about Olive, so maybe it was alright if she didn’t fully explain. It irritated him, of course, and he didn’t want to waste his time going there just to experience another… whatever that had been before… but he couldn’t help the way all his muscles jumped. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
He was there in ten.
The entire drive, he’d been half jumping out of his seat, twitching like one of the fiends he locked up for a living. The rest of his life felt like it’d been falling apart━actually, ever since Olive had been taken from him━so maybe this could be something good in the midst of all that. Actually, perhaps if this went well, it meant that things would begin looking up for him again.
Ricky rushed through the door, panting, and clearly making the girl jump a bit. The only one who looked happy to see him was Olive, who immediately escaped the couch and ran over to rub on his legs. “Hey, you,” He hummed softly, bending to scoop her into his arms. Olive immediately began purring like a jet engine as he cradled her and rubbed that balding spot in front of her ear. All cats had it, but Ricky was convinced that Olive’s was special in some way.
“Right.” Ricky lifted his gaze from his cat to the thief that stole her, and found that said thief was a little girl. How could Rhi sell her to a child? “I’ll give you whatever you want for her.” He said sharply and to the point, almost as if this wasn’t solely emotional. “Name your price.” Rhiannon hadn’t wanted him to do this before, but surely she would know it would happen when she invited him here, right?
CASSIE LUANNA | no notes.
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CASSIE LUANNA
Witch
Posts: 180
Played by:
Julia
Last seen Apr 19, 2024 20:34:52 GMT
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Post by CASSIE LUANNA on Jan 16, 2024 21:44:28 GMT
━ climb that goddamn mountain ━ CASSIE BLUSHED AT THE MENTION OF HER boyfriend, but no! She had to focus! Linc’s cuteness was not the reason she was here!
“No, ‘course,” Cassie motioned to the carrier when Rhi asked if she could take Olive out. Good freakin’ luck, Cassie thought to herself, That kitten is a b-i-t-c-hhhhhh. But she was nice to Rhi, and Cassie had to hold in her eye-roll.
A little bit of weight lifted from Cassie’s chest when Rhi assured her that she wasn’t the worst cat mom in existence. Cassie puffed out a long breath and gave Rhiannon a sad smile, nodding once weakly.
Also, she didn’t know what kind of solution could come of this, but it sounded like Rhi had one? Or at least something better than, like, forcing Cassie to surrender Olive. Which was totally possible. “Okay…” Cassie said, uncertainty in her voice, and waited as Rhi made her phone call. She quickly texted Linc her updates on the situation, and was halfway through her second superfastexplanation text when Rhi returned. She left it unfinished, and locked her phone, tucking it in her pocket.
Cassie smiled a little brighter as Rhi came back and motioned for her to sit, and she followed dutifully, plopping down on one side of the couch. Her brows furrowed as she listened to the story, and it all started to make sense. Olive couldn’t be her cat, ‘cause she wasn’t really up for adoption. Not in her little kitty mind, anyway.
When the door opened suddenly, partway through the story, Cassie jumped, her eyes skittering over to the man whom Olive clearly recognized. Cassie smiled sadly as Rhi introduced her. She wished she could’ve had that kind of relationship with Olive, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Maybe next time. “... And you’re the guy whose cat I accidentally stole.” She said, already admitting defeat. If Rhi’s story explained nothing else, it was clear that Olive was his.
He went right into the whole ‘name your price’ thing, though, and her brows went up, mind running a million miles a second. But Linc paid, so was it really fair for Cassie to set a price? Well, she guessed that, in the end, it was better to have what she actually wanted. “Just… maybe you can buy me a different cat.” She turned her smile on Rhi, “If that’s okay? ‘Cause I still want one━just, y’know, one that’s not, like, previously imprinted.” She snorted. Maybe a different little black cat, perfect for a witch’s familiar.
RHIANNON GREY | no notes.
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RHIANNON GREY
Psychic
Posts: 93
Age:
48
Occupation:
Vet/Owner of Animal Shelter
Status:
Single
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 1, 2024 19:26:10 GMT
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Post by RHIANNON GREY on Feb 10, 2024 20:30:40 GMT
She’d been trying to find a way to bring matters to this point – well, almost this point – ever since Ricky had stormed out of the shelter. He might not’ve seen it at the time, but the accusations had cut deep. Despite her devotion to the animals in her care, she wasn’t desperate enough to give them away to just any home. She gave everything to making sure that they ended up in the right homes. Compared to other shelters she had an incredible record of that happening the first time. Yet, she wasn’t infallible. The feeling of betrayal that had rolled off of the detective had been almost choking and she’d tasted in her throat right up until the moment Cassie had walked through the door with Olive and an opportunity to make amends had been right there.
If she’d thought that Olive would’ve been happier staying with the girl she’d never have taken the cat from her, but like with the detective, Cassie radiated her feelings. Nothing would be right for any of them if she left things the way they were and there was no point in all four of them being miserable over it. With Olive parading over her lap, Rhi had used the wait for the detective to arrive to explain it all. It meant that when he stormed in the door ten minutes later, Cassie knew exactly how she’d fucked up, and how they could possibly make it right. The moment the door opened Olive was out of her lap, rushing to her person. Rhi felt the taste of betrayal fading from her throat finally as Ricky spoke softly to the cat, the mutual love reflected back in the purrs that filled the air.
Of course he didn’t respond to her introduction. Detective de la Peña was all business, leaping straight to the girl’s price for the cat, as though Olive was a used car and not the cat whose loss had carved a hole in that rock of a heart of his. ”The guy whose cat I shouldn’t have put up for adoption, this is on me,” she assured Cassie as she put the blame on herself.
Getting to his feet, she put a hand put up in Ricky’s direction, red brows drawing together to warn him to calm down. They would get all of this sorted out, but not by not just throwing money around. Her lips curved as she looked back at Cassie – the girl had a cooler head on her shoulders at least. ”That’s absolutely fine with me. I wouldn’t have charged an adoption fee for her twice. If the detective’s willing to pay the fee for you to pick another cat out, I’m happy to take his money.” If not she’d have waived the fee altogether for Cassie to find a cat who responded to her the same way Olive did the man who’d rescued her with salmon and a prickly attitude it took an animal to love.
”Would you like to head through to the back to look at the other cats while I speak to the detective about the adoption process?” she asked Cassie, stepping towards the desk to buzz open the door that closed the reception area off from the kennels that lined the rear of the facility. Was it wishful thinking that Cassie might find some love in her heart for another stray kitten? One that was a little tattered around the edges, but as sweet as they came.
Folding her arms across her chest, she looked back at Ricky and the cat that was still purring away in his arms. She was doing the right thing, that was obvious from the love radiating out from the kitten and what she thought she was feeling from the man holding her. ”I know you hate them, but there are more forms if you’re taking Olive home with you. And,” she paused, knowing this would probably have his mouth puckering. ”There’s the small matter of a home visit. I don’t let animals go home with just anybody, despite what you think. I have to be sure that the home environment is safe for the animal.” That meant more than just old sheets and cat food. She sold other things through her practice – beds, toys, healthy treats (all of which would go home with Olive as an I’m sorry – and there was always the question of check ups too. That sort of care didn’t stop the second you got them home.
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