7098/Here Kitty Kitty Kitty...

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Here Kitty Kitty Kitty...
Date of Scene: 27 July 2021
Location: Central Park
Synopsis: Madison and Alderic make friends - an all it took was 10 hot dogs.
Cast of Characters: Madison Evans, Alderic




Madison Evans has posed:
    It's afternoon in Central Park - and Madison has once again parted with her mother, with a promise to catch a bus back before dark and - yes she'll keep her phone on her. And no - she won't get into any trouble. And no - she's not going to go eating White Castle food //again//.
    As much as she might want to.
    Of course, she didn't say anything about a giant pretzel with cheese sauce, and that's exactly what the teen is digging into now, sitting on the ground underneath a tree because the nearby benches were all taken up. A Jedi Academy backpack sits in the dirt beside her, as she tears off a large piece of her pretzel and dips it into the sauce - and next to the backpack is a large coke, and a chocolate chip cookie in a little paper sleeve.

Alderic has posed:
Alderic didn't quite like being out during the day. There were always so many people around! But his stomach was rumbling, and he was finding it hard to sleep. He was, in fact, up the very tree that Madison had chosen to sit beneath, poised carefully on one of the thicker branches near the middle of its height. He's staring down at the girl. Well, more accurately, he's staring at her food! His broad feline tongue flicks over his muzzle and whiskers as he watches her tear off a bit of the pretzel and dip it.
    Ordinarily, Alderic would stay hidden, and wait for night to fall before he went prowling around to find something to eat. Maybe harassing a hotdog vendor until he gets a snack. He didn't have much of a choice here, though. He hadn't eaten since he escaped from that underground laboratory a few days ago, and while he'd covered a lot of distance to make it to Manhattan, none of that was spent lookign for food.
    Finally he moves, shaking the tree branch a little with his weight. He climbs down the tree trunk, landing on the ground behind Madison on the other side. There's a bit of a thump but he's graceful enough that she'd likely be the only one who heard it, unless some other superheroes are hiding about somewhere. Settling on his hands and feet in a low crouch, he turns his attention to Madison, attempting to get hers with a soft, raspy "Rrowrl..."

Madison Evans has posed:
    It's the rustling branches that get her attention first, and Madison looks up - expecting to find some crows on the branches. Then there's the quiet 'thud' behind her - it's not a loud noise, but it implies a solid amount of weight. What on Earth...? And then the 'rrowrl.' ...did a tiger get loose from the zoo? Are there still pumas in central park?
    She turns to look - and the faint impression of golden-hued fur, and the sheer size of the creature (being? creature?) sends her skittering back, pushing herself urgently with her legs and hands, and sending her prezel sliding off her lap on its tray to land on the ground. It's only after a few feet that she seems to recall that it's important to appear big - and she promptly pops to her feet.
    "Nice, umm, kitty kitty," she says anxiously.
    It's only now that she seems to realize the cat... isn't //shaped// right. "What the-"

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic backs up a little too. Not so far as to get out in the open - he doesn't want anyone to see him after all. Who knows who could be watching, and the last thing he needs is to cause trouble! His eyes and ears are on high alert, though the latter remain locked on Madison for a moment. Despite his fairly bestial appearance, the cougar is hardly feral-looking. He's large, certainly but in his crouched position he's less tall than Madison.
    He's definitely humanoid, though he has all the features of a cougar. Fur, tail, large fangs for the biting. He's not baring them at her, though, and he's not hissing or snarling or clawing. He glances from her towards the pretzel that she dropped on the ground, then back to her. "Rrowr!" A little louder now, more pointedly perhaps. Still, he doesn't lunge for it, or for Madison. He seems to be waiting, even though he fidgets a little restlessly as he does. Maybe he's asking permission?

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Oh," Madison remarks a bit dumbfounded. "Oh, you're, umm- a person? I mean- you're a person. I thought- For a second I thought the tiger'd gotten loose from the zoo or something!" she exclaims, letting out a quiet laugh. She remains where she is, studying the strange figure, and trying to figure out just what is going on. Whoever - or whatever it was, didn't it seem just as scared of her as she was of it? Should she just leave? Her backpack's still over there by the tree, though!
    "I- hi, I'm Madison," she supplies. "Are you alright? Can I, umm, help you?" she takes a half-step closer, then stops again. It's probably safe. Isn't it?

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic straightens up a little bit when Madison laughs, his head tilting curiously. His tail swishes behind him once or twice. It's a good indicator of the cougar's mood, after all, and right now he seems fairly calm. She asks a question, and this time he answers with a nod! It's followed by another soft "rowr!" when she asks if she can help him. When she moves forward, so does he, though he hesitates for a moment with one hand lifted off the ground.
    Then, slowly, he crawls closer to where she had been sitting. Watching her the whole while, he moves in to pick up the pretzel in his maw, before backing up a few paces. He starts to bite on it, trying to chew off a chunk of it that's small enough for him to swallow! The way he's going at it - it's not even made of meat! It looks like he's pretty hungry, the poor guy.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "...oh. Oh, you're hungry?" Madison asks. "But you're... a cat, yeah? I mean - a cat person. Are cat people supposed to eat pretzels? Because I thought cats only ate meat so, umm, I mean, there's a hot dog vendor over there - I could go buy some hot dogs, without the buns, if you wanted I mean it wouldn't cost that much money and if you're hungry mom says we should always try to be kind to other people and- ...I'm babbling, aren't I? I do that sometimes."
    She takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly, and tries again.
    "Would you like some hot dogs instead?"

Alderic has posed:
    While Alderic is listening to Madison, he's still scarfing down that pretzel like it was the last bit of food he might ever get! The mention of hot dogs brings his attention fully back to Madison, though. He watches her for a few moments, skeptical perhaps, or simply confused! He may not know what 'hot dogs' are, from the expression he's giving her. While Alderic may not be smart, he's got enough intelligence to use context to figure out they're made of meat, though, and that makes him interested in them more than the pretzel! Well, at least Madison wasn't going to be lunch, right?
    Slowly, and cautiously, Alderic approaches Madison. He's rather large compared to her, and as he draws nearer that becomes more and more apparent. He stops just outside of arms reach, though, far enough away that he can still turn and run before she's able to grab onto him. Not that she would, Alderic just isn't very trusting of humans yet! Mutant or otherwise. He leans forward, straining his neck as he leans towards her, sniffing curiously at her while looking up at her face. Then he nods his head! "Rrowr!" He sounds excited this time!

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Oh," Madison breathes quietly as he starts to come closer - and she stands nervously in place, wondering if she should run. Wondering if that would just prompt him to chase her. Wondering if that's //actually a thing// - or just a wive's tale. And if it is a thing - does it apply to cat //people//? It only when he's closer that she sees the collar, and her eyes fix on it, focusing on the name. "Al...deric? Are you a... pet? Does someone own you?" But isn't it a person? Maybe it's not. Maybe it's a weird mutated pet. But did it just nod to her hot dog question? Pets can't do that!
    "Well, umm, you wait here. I'm going to get hot dogs," she promises. "I'll get them over there." She points at a cart not far away, before she starts to back away slowly. After backing away for a short distance - she turns and starts to job.
    "HI! I need like - I don't know. //Ten// hot dogs. Without the buns, please. Or any of the fixings or anything. Just... ten hot dogs. Thanks." She offers over a credit card, and waits as the man starts filling her order.

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic's ears perk a little when she says his name. "Rowr!" Apparently he recognizes his own name, too. There's more headshaking when she asks if he's a pet, or if someone owns him. He's not either of those things! Though maybe being a pet wouldn't be so bad. Guaranteed shelter and food are nice things to have, after all! Alderic nods again when she tells him to wait there, and as she starts to back away, Alderic turns back to the tree. It doesn't take much for him to bound quickly towards the tree trunk and then launch himself straight up into it! Within a moment he's hidden safely in the branches again, watching Madison from afar while she heads to the vendor to procure an armful of hot dogs.
    The vendor, of course, is a little surprised at the request, but the girl is paying with a credit card, and frankly, it's probably not the weirdest request he's gotten today. "You sure, kid? You practicing for an eating contest or somethin?" he asks, though at the same time he's starting to pile the hot dogs into a tray. He runs her card and hands it back to her, offering her a receipt as well.

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison pauses to watch him leap up into the tree - her eyes going wide. "Whoa," she murmurs quietly. "Wish I could- you know, I probably could do that!" she muses thoughtfully. She'll have to try it it!
    Once she's faced with the hot dog vendor, she beams brightly as her mind races for an excuse. "It's, umm, for a scavenger hunt!" Madison answers brightly - flashing the man a huge smile. "It was a rhyme, you see. '10 feet of pure meat.' It almost sounds dirty. Anyways, thanks so much!" She takes back her credit card, along with the receipt, and the hot dogs - and heads back to the tree. By the time she reaches it, the receipt and credit card are tucked into a pocket - and she's nibbling at one of the hot dogs herself.
    Nine'll be enough, surely.

Alderic has posed:
    "Yeah, knowin' teenagers, probably intentional," the man muses with a shake of his head as he hands the girl her hot dogs. "Good luck!"
    When Madison heads back to the tree where Alderic is hiding, the cougar climbs down out of it again. He comes down like a cat, head-first using his claws to slow his descent towards the ground. He lands with a heavy thump like before, and then happily hurries over to her.
    There's suddenly a lot of loud purring, and Alderic moves to nuzzle against her like an oversized housecat. He even does that thing where he curls around behind her before appearing on her other side, still nuzzling happily. It seems he's eager to try hot dogs, though, because she's barely got time to set them down before Alderic's shoving his face into the tray. He settles down on the ground right in front of her, holding the tray and the hot dogs down with one hand while he starts to gnaw and chew on them hurriedly, like they might disappear if he doesn't eat them quickly enough!

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Oh- gosh!" Madison exclaims in surprise as a giant cat is suddenly rubbing against her - knocking her off balance enough that she has to step to the side for a moment. "Well - um, gosh. I'm glad you're, uh, happy... Alderic," she replies, as she sets down the hot dogs for him - taking another nibble at her own. "Glad I could help, and that you're such a friendly, um... person."
    Is it a boy - or a girl? She doesn't want to look too close - it sees rude. Alderic seems like a boy's name. But how to find out without just- well, why not? "So, umm, are you a boy cat, Alderic?" she asks brightly. "Only I don't mean to be rude or nothing, just I've never met a... cat person before."

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic certainly seems the masculine sort, considering the broad chest and general physique of his body. Thankfully, he has enough fur in places to keep him modest, but the general lack of clothing would make it easy for her to just look. He responds mid-bite with a "Rro-o-owr!" to her question while he eats, and it might be hard to notice while he's still plowing throuhg hot dogs, but he nods as well.
    The food is gone only a moment later, and Alderic is licking at the paper tray that they had been delivered in. He's purring loudly, the deep rumbling coming from his chest. Once there's no trace of hot dog left on the paper, the large cat-man turns back to Madison, this time to nuzzle his head firmly up under her chin! It's a little harder than it should be, considering he may not be fully aware of his own strength, but it's still light enough that he doesn't actually hurt her.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "...I'm pretty sure my apartment complex has a no pets policy and I'm not sure how I'd get you on a bus but I guess none of that really matters though because you're person, yeah, and not a pet, and my mom would kill me if I brought a strange man home..."
    Even if he is an overly friendly large cat man. She giggles as she's nudged back by his friendly rubs - and reaches out to pat him awkwardly. "But you seem nice enough. But what to do about- well. What if I told Spider-man to come find you?" she suggests. "He could take you out to King's Landing to live there, maybe?" she muses in a thoughtful voice, reaching into her pocket for her phone.
    "Can't just have naked cat people living in the park... I don't think."

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic settles back into a crouch in front of her, hands on the ground in front of his feet. The pat on the head may be awkward, but it's recieved well by the puma-man. His rumbling purr continues and he tilts his head to his head up against her hand. Apparently she's made a friend in the big cat, even if he's unusual. But then, there are a lot of unusual people about the city, he may just be another drop in the bucket of strange creatures living in New York City these days.
    His head tilts slightly, unfamiliar with both spider-men and King's Landing. The suggestion of having someone come find him causes Alderic visible concern, though, and he backs away a bit. He growls a little and shakes his head, clearly not -wanting- someone to come find him and take him somewhere else. It seems Alderic is more willing to take his chances living on his own in the park!

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Oh, hey, it's okay. You don't need to worry. Spider-man's a real nice guy - he's a hero! He saves people! He's teaching me how to fight and protect myself, you know? And King's Landing - that's where he goes, and he takes other people, to you know... practice, and exercise, and learn. So it would be easy for everyone to just, you know, make sure you were okay and you had food and stuff. You know?" Madeline explains hastily, talking a mile a minute. "It's down by the water - that's that it's called 'Landing' - you see, and it was owned by some guy named 'King.' It's a junk yard."

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic doesn't keep that posture after the initial disagreement, and when Madison hurries to explain herself he rumbles again and returns to nuzzling against her. He seems to have taken a liking to her! Still, he shakes his head at the idea of someone else coming to find him - perhaps he simply doesn't find it easy to trust people. At least, not yet. "Rrowr," he tells her, though what exactly that means is a mystery. Still, he seems to appreciate her efforts to find him a safe place to go, and he expresses this with more loud purring, and a few licks at her face with a big, raspy cat tongue!

Madison Evans has posed:
    "I promise - Spider-man is like //the// nicest guy," Madison says brightly, growing a little more confident as she pets at the cat-man's head. It's strange, sure, but she hangs out with giant ants at school. Why let this unnerve her? "And he wouldn't ever, //ever// make you do anything you didn't want to do. Or go anywhere you didn't want to go - so long as you aren't doing any harm, you know?" she explains. "So I'll tell him to keep an eye out for you. And, umm, bring you some more hot dogs, at least." Obviously hot dogs are going to sell him on the whole idea. Right?
    She beams at the cat, giving him a little scratch behind an ear as she adds, "//Trust// me!"

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic's purring continues unabated as she starts petting over his head. Humanoid as he may be, he still likes the petting and scritching, and even tilts his head to lean into it when she fidns that spot behind his ear. The promise of more hot dogs does indeed win him over - they were better than what he had been eating up until now, after all! He nods his head again, and shifts his weight a bit to settle against her, even as she's still standing. He's just getting a little comfortable while she pets his head, is all. So far, Alderic does seem to trust her - at least enough to know she, herself, won't do him any harm. It might do well to have some good people looking out for him, too, before he gets himself into any -actual- trouble in the city!

Madison Evans has posed:
    "How'd you end up out here anyways?" Madison mutters quietly with some puzzlement. "I mean, were you born a person? Or born a cat? Or- or what? And then how do you end up in the middle of Central Park?" None of it makes any sense. She continues petting, and scratching as she ponders what she could possibly do - and honestly, getting the word out on Spider-man's 'web' seems like the best idea. What else could she do? Call animal control?
    Yeah right.
    "I'm afraid I won't be able to come out here too often, though. It's too far from my home..." she says with some regret.

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic tilts his head again when she asks how he ended up here. It's not so much that he doesn't know, it's more that he doesn't know how to tell her! He gives another "Rowr!" when she asks if he was born a cat. There's a thoughtful, low-toned "Rrrr..." and he flattens his ears back a bit, thinking as he is about how to explain it to her. He does seem to enjoy the petting, though, and the scritching especially when it gets behind his ears.
    Finally, Alderic moves away from her a little bit, and turns to face her. He crouches and hunches down really low, and he holds both hands up in front of him, held about a foot apart and clenched in fists like he's holding something. Then, suddenly, he turns and runs, scampering hard and fast in a circle around the trunk of the tree until finally disappearing behind it. He peeks his head out from around it, looking at her like he was trying to hide. "Rrowr!" he says to her, as if that explains everything.

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison watches this pantomime intently. She even tries mirroring the hand gestures, without any comprehension on her features. "Alright. Well. That was about as clear as a bucket of cement," she states brightly. "But that's fine. Oh, did I- I'm Madison, by the way. I don't think I said. Madison. But I guess you can't really say it so I'm not sure it matters but maybe you'll hear people say it so like - if Spider-man shows up and says 'Madison sent me and I have hot dogs' then - you know. You'll know," she offers helpfully.
    She'll have to tell him to say //exactly that//. And to acually bring hot dogs.
    "Are you okay - living here? In Central Park? Like - is it really safe?"

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic can't really do better than that, unfortunately. He's lacking in social skills, along with many other things people learn in society. He returns to Madison when he's finished up his little pantomime, and nuzzles up against her again. It's okay that she doesn't understand, the important thing is that he's made a friend!
    "Rrowr!" he replies to her, perhaps trying to say her name or perhaps just agreeing with her. He settles in front of her again, looking around at the park. He doesn't know if it's -safe-, and his tail twitches behind him with that uncertainty. "Rowr?" he intones, the sound seeming like a question though what he's asking is as clear as his explanation of how he got there. He nuzzles up against her though. At least he looks strong enough to defend himself, and he's got all those big teeth and claws. He -should- be okay, right?

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well... okay. I guess it's probably safe, just try not to scare anyone, yeah? If people think there's a mountain lion in the city they'll try to find it and get it out of the city and that could be... bad," Madison explains quietly. "And if you hurt anyone, it'd be even worse. So stay out of sight. And... and I'll send Spider-man. He's pretty smart, really, so he'll probably know better what to do, anyways."
    She sighs before adding, "Besides, he's an actual hero and I'm just a high school student with Jedi powers. So... Yeah." She pats his head absently. "I'll be alright. We'll figure it out."

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic nods his head and purrs warmly, still nuzzling up against Madison happily. He seems rather excited, all the same, to have made a new friend! He tilts his head curiously when she mentions "Jedi powers", not knowing at -all- what those are. He seems confident, though, that they will indeed figure something out! He's been a cougar for longer than he's been a mutant, so living outdoors in the park shouldn't be a problem for him, at least as long as nobody notices him and calls animal control!

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well. ...just stay hidden, huh Alderic? I'll try to get Spider-man to check on you tomorrow..." Madison's gaze shifts towards the sky, and she lets out a sigh. "But I better go or my mom'll get worried. I'm not supposed to be out too late... She thinks people will jump me with a gun or a knife or something if I stay out."
    She pats the feline fondly, then moves to retrieve her backpack, sliding it into place, and picks up her drink and her cookie.
    "Becareful. Okay?"

Alderic has posed:
    Alderic's ears perk when Madison mentions her mom's worries about her being out late, and he rumbles and nuzzles against her again, this time brushing the side of his body against her like he did when she came back with food. "Rrowr!" He purrs at the fond pat, and gives her one more nuzzle before letting her collect her things. His head tilts a little and he nods his head! "Rrowr!" he responds, purring warmly. He doesn't go right back to hiding, though, instead sitting there at the base of the tree while he watches Madison depart.