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Summary: Tim and The Talking Cat finally break Jeremy out of his shell.
Date: November 21, 2009
Log Title The Cat is Real
Rating: PG
NYC - Mutant Town
Mutant Town, also known as District X, has become a haven for mutants. This section of town doesn't care what you look like, accepting all mutants no matter what their appearance. Most of the businesses in this section of town are mutant run ranging from small convenience stores to clothing shops to restaurants to night clubs. The buildings here aren't the high rise buildings you might find in mid-town but most are about 5-6 stories high. Mutant Town might not be the most luxurious section of town, in fact it's fairly run down, but this section of where mutants are safe and welcomed regardless of race, religion and culture.
Late afternoon in Mutant town, and of course being Saturday night the place is abuzz. With the many people walking the street, one of the newer additions to the populace is hiding behind a garbage can in an alley facing a shoe store. A pair of combat boots being GabrielCat's main focus. The big cat just stares and purrs at the visage of the window. People on the street are already bundled up for the cold, some drinking warm beverages to stay off the temperature.
Not to far from the shoe store, Jeremy has decided sit for the day. He's on the sidewalk with a ragged blanket wrapped around him to try to help from the cold. He's still cold but it's better than nothing. His back pack is right next to him and there's a cardboard sign leaning against his backpack: 'Hungry, Homeless, Please Help'. It seems he's been lucky enough to find a hat to wear to try to help keep warm against the chill. Most people seem to ignore him as they walk by, such is the way of life in New York.
Leaving a small trail of slime behind him but not as much as usual, Tim's a bit bundled tonight. Scarf and coat worn tight, he's got hands in his pockets. Approaching the shoe store, the slimey mutant comes to a stop to peer at a few of the shoes in the window. "Hmm. Wonder if Aaron could use a new pair…" he mutters. Looking around, he blinks at the sign on the ground neer Jeremy and starts to walk over slowly. "Not havin' much lucky catchin' anyone's attention?" he asks when he gets close enough.
The cat's attention is broken as Tim steps in front of the window of the shoe store. He canters his head as Tim looks down and talks to who else, but Jeremy. "Ahh, our pathes have crossed a-gayne eet seems." He says quietly. The cat soon peeks his head out of the alley to look in on the two as they converse.
"I dunno, I got your attention." Jeremy does reply to Tim, looking up with a kind of hopeful expression. Then that Spanish Accent catches his attention which is immediately followed by spotting the cat. Jeremy jumps up and the blanket falls to the sidewalk as he flattens himself against the wall. "You again?" He says starting wide eyed at the cat. "No..you're not real."
Tim smiles slightly to Jeremy and chuckles a little. "Yeah, seems like ya did. You do better with the signs though if ya offer some kind of entertainment to people. Like a dance or something," he shrugs. He reaches into his pockers, presumably to get some money to give Jeremy but stops when he spots the cat. Jeremy's reaction brings a slight frown to Tim's face and the slimey mutant looks down at Gabe. "Well, hello. Everything gonna be alright here?"
Gabe canters his head again at Tim and Jeremy. The only thing exiting from the cats mouth is a meow, and a licking of his chops. He's obviously having fun not answering Tim fully, and slightly less fun by not talking as Jeremy already doesn't believe Gabe is real.
Jeremy rubs his eyes and looks back down at The Cat. "I thought I was halucinating…I wasn't?" He hasn't done any drugs today so he doesn't think it was the heroin anymore. He looks back at Tim with confusion. "Did he just meow? And he really was talking before, with a crazy Spanish accent? And…I don't dance, or sing." He comments about the entertainment.
Tim watches Gabe for a moment and then arches an eyebrow. "Yeah, seems like the cat did meow. Personally, I'd be a little surprised if it barked," he remarks, trying to lighten the mood. "Dunno if the cat did it but I heard someone say something with an accent that wasn't mine," he says. He watches the cat a moment longer before looking up at Jeremy. "I can't sing or dance either. You know how to draw or do anything else people might want?" he asks curiously. "Oh yeah, here," he says, handing about six dollars out to Jeremy.
GabeCat straightens his head before licking his paw a couple times. He shivers a little bit before moving himself closer to Jeremy to get a little warmer. Purring slightly as he sits on the concrete. He's not saying anything quite yet, he's waiting for the perfect time.
"Violin." Jeremy says nervoulsy as he takes the money from Tim with a holey, gloved hand and moving it to his pocket. "Thank you very much for the help, and I can play the violin." That's about the only artistic talent he has. "Why won't this cat leave me alone." He says looking down on it while still staying tight against the wall.
Tim smiles and nods. "Well. If ya can get your hands on one, you got a nice way to make some money right there. Set up in a park and play, people'll give ya cash. Especially around the holidays," he remarks. "I dunno. Maybe the cat likes ya," he suggests, crouching down. He shakes the slime off a hand and reaches out to give the cat a litle scritch behind the ears.
The brown and black cat starts to purr as he's getting scritched behind the ear. "Ahh, tank you. That ear was keeling mee." He says, looking back up at Tim.
Jeremy is obvious a bit scared of the cat as he won't even risk bending down to pet him. "Why is this cat bothering me." He mutters to himself. "And yes, a violin is something that is very easy to get my hands on." Maybe the scarcasim is coming out in an attempt to deal with his nerves with the talkig cat. "Can't you just tell me why you're bothering me?" He says to the cat rhetorically.
Tim seems slightly surprised by the cat talking but shrugs it off. "Never said it would be easy. Hmm. Maybe pokin' around a pawn shop or two," he muses softly, wondering if he'll be able to help Jeremy at all. "Why's the cat freak ya out so much?" he asks.
"Well, I'm no sure. Joo were yust here." GabeCat offers before sitting up on his front paws. "I rememeber only the shoe store." he offers before looking to both males.
"Cat's aren't supposed to talk." Jeremy says in reponse to Tim as he slides down the wall and back to a sitting position. "I thought he was a bad…halucination or something but here he is again." Jeremy shivers and pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them. He blinks as the cat talks again and seems to gasp at something to say, eventually giving up with a head shake. "Maybe I'm going crazy."
Tim moves to sit instead of crouching, pulling his hand away from Gabe. "Well, people aren't supposed to leak slime but," he holds up a hand, globs of green dripping to the sidewalk. "Weird stuff happens. I found out we're happier when we just accept the weirdness," he shrugs. Looking around, he seems to be searching for something. "Here we go. I'll be right back," he chimes, hopping to his feet and trotting his way over towards a convience mart.
"And I saw you do something very eenteresting. But no one deed anysing about it." Gabe says looking up at Jeremy. Then the cats attention gets pulled towards the standing and leaving Tim. "Theenk of eet dis way: It's not weerd for me." He says, smiling up at Jeremy.
Jeremy looks at Tim's slimy hand but his face doesn't show what he's thinkng. "I don't like the weirdness." He says and if he's talking about Gabe, or Tim's slime or something else, Jeremy doesn't specifiy. He watches Tim walk off and sighs looking back at Gabe. "Yeah, cause we all know that just accepting the messed up things in life will really make us happier because even if life still sucks at least I accept I'm not a total freak." He says shaking his head. He thinks he's more talking to himself as he believes the Cat isn't a 'person', then he stops. "WAit, what do you mean, saw me do something interesting?"
After several moments, Tim comes back with a bag in hand and humming a little tune. "Sorry for that wait," he says, sitting back down. Reaching into the bag, he takes out a can of catfood and two bags of cheese-puff snacks. "Hope ya don't mind a snack," he says, opening the can and sliding it over to Gabe. One of the cheese snack bags is handed to Jeremy while Tim opens the other. "Interesting?"
"Well, while we are alone, I saw joo take something from that man jesterday." He whispers, stretching up high to make himself heard. The cat sits back down before continuing. "Far be eet from me to yudge someone for that. I've done stuff like dat too." He offers before a can of food is opened for him. Of course, he won't refuse a free meal. "Tane joo." He says before tucking into the can. He's not undignified as he eats though, going a bit slowly at first.
"I..I didn't take anything from anyone." Jeremy says quitely as he takes the bag of cheese snacks from Tim. "Thanks, I really appricated it." He tries not to eat them too fast but he can't help being hungry. "He didn't see anything, he's a talking cat, what's to trust about a talking cat?" He says trying to hide that he did do something.
Tim chuckles slightly at the happy reaction to the food. 'Don't worry about it, buddy," he chimes. An eyebrow is arched slightly but the slimey mutant just shrugs. "I'm not one to judge," he says idly, popping open his own bag.
The cat seems to be real interested in the food that is in front of him. "Hey, yust cause I can talk does not mean I am not trustworty." He says before taking more food into his maw. Of course he doesn't talk with food in his mouth.
Jeremy stares at his bag of cheese snacks and quitely finishes them off, not saying anything for a while. He feels the spotlight on him for the things he's done wrong and he doesn't like it. He's not proud of what he's done but he has to survive. "Noone's trustworthy." He says as starts to take a glove off one hand and look at it.
Tim arches an eyebrow. "I wouldn't say that," he remarks. "You just need to be careful who you trust," he says. "But if you don't trust anyone ever…you'll be a very sad and lonely person," he says, looking a little sad himself. "Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith and if you get hurt…pick yourself back up again."
Gabriel continues to eat the food in the can, by now it's gone. "Tank you a-gain." He says to Tim. "I agree weeth heem." He offers to Jeremy, looking to Jeremy as he takes off his glove.
"Sometimes you take that leap of faith and end up dead." Jeremy says as he takes a deep breath and reaches out a hand to place on GabeCat's head. He doesn't trust either of them but at least he can reluctantly use his powers to see if he can trust the cat. He just lays his hand on the cat's head, he doesn't pet Gabe, and tries to 'see' as much as he can before Gabe shakes his hend off.
Tim shrugs. "Yeah…that's a possibility," he says. "But then again…you can end up dead huddled alone in a warehouse too," he says. "I mean…is it really worth living if you never take a chance? Never try to better things?" he asks. "I used to be like you ya know…not saying I know everything you've gone through or anything like that," he says quickly. "Just saying, I spent some time on the streets. Stole some stuff to survive, spent my days in a warehouse," he shrugs. "I'd still be there if I didn't take a leap."
GabeCat merely thinks that Jeremy is petting him as he places a hand on his head. After about fifteen seconds he's seen the past year. A winged man, a flaming sword, an Infinity Gem, a corporate businesshead, and most recently, a cat walking out of a bed in a penthouse apartment. It isn't until after fifteen seconds that GabeCat moves his head out from under Jeremy's hand. "Joo know, when joo pet a pet, you're supposed to rub de fur too, right?" He says, not knowing what had happened.
"You're human." Jeremy says point blank to Gabe as he quickly puts his glove on. "You're a hero or something…a Goverment hero." He says looking at the cat quite suspicously now. "And I've never said I've stole anything." He says to Tim though he is lying. "Right now, I dunno, I just want to survive, that's all. I don't want to end up another dead teen."
Tim blinks a moment. "I never said ya did. Said I did," he says, tilting his head to the side. "He's a what now?" the slime-maker asks, peering at Gabe.
"A hero? For de Government? But… I'm a cat." He offers to both. "I don't understand." He says before laying down on the ground. Gabe thought he was just a cat. But then again his memory only lasts from a couple days ago.
Jeremy rubs his forhead trying to process everything he saw. "Yeah, Freedom Force…Gabriel…you're not a cat you're a person. You have wings." He says trying to figure out how much he wants to saw. He didn't see much but enough to see the last year of Gabe's life. "I'm a mutant too." He says with an air of defeat in his voice, as if he's ashamed of it.
Tim stares a moment. "Why's he a cat then?" he asks, confused. "You're a mutant too?" he asks Jeremy, smiling. "Some kind of tactile telepath?" he guesses. "I just make slime," he chuckles.
"Wings?" Gabe asks, looking on his back. "Well, if joo say so." He offers before looking up at Jeremy. "Gabriel…I like eet." he offers up before standing up and smiling at both Tim and Jeremy.
Jeremy isn't smiling and he just shakes his head. "No, I see the past." Gabe and Tim are only the second people he's really told this too, the first person got him hooked on heroin to help him deal with it. "I don't know how, just…Gabriel got turned into a cat." He says sighing again.
Tim tilts his head to the other side. "Oh. Why do ya look so down?" he asks. Turning ti Gabe, Tim offers a hand after wiping the slime off again. "Nice to meet ya, Gabriel. I'm Tim."
GabeCat places a paw in the slime-free hand. "A pleasure." He says, still smiling. "Why, did you do it?" He asks, referring to touching Gabriel's head to see his past.
"Jeremy. I'm Jeremy." He says introducing himself now that he has their names. "Because, seeing the past isn't cool, it's annoying. I can't stop it, it drives me crazy." At GabeCat's question, Jeremy shrugs. "Cause I wanted to know if you were trustworthy, like you were claiming to be."
Tim gives Gabe's paw a little shake and then offers his hand to Jeremy. "Nice to meet you too," he says. "Can't really turn you power off either…" he trails off, gesturing at the puddle of slime he's sitting in. "It can be pretty annoying."
"And do joo tink I am trustworthy?" Gabriel asks Jeremy. The cat seems pretty at ease round the others, even going as far as standing up on his hind legs for a little bit. A quick glance behind him gets him fixated on the boots again.
Jeremy shakes Tim's hand with a gloved one of his own. "I..don't know. You are a superhero, for the goverment, you'd probably get me in trouble for stuff I've done." He says thinking about the stealing and the drugs he does. "No, I can't turn off my power, my skin touches something, I see the past."
Tim peers curiously at Gabe for a moment. "Maybe if we take you to that place where that team lives someone'll know you," he suggests to Gabe. "Does that mean you see the past of your clothes?" he asks, curious.
"Maybe, but eef I am a super hero, wouldn't think I'd be getting you in trouble." Gabe asks before the team is brought up. "Freedom Force? Maybe." He offers before returning his gaze on the boots.
"Yeah, I can see the past of my clothes when I first put them on." Jeremy says with a sigh though he hasn't changed his shirt in weeks, maybe months. He's quite about the Freedom Force stuff and he doesn't say anything in response to Gabriel. "Why do you keep looking at those boots, even if they do look warm." Definately better than the holey sneakers he's wearing.
Tim nods. "Well, how about we head over," he offers to Gabe. There's a pause and he looks to Jeremy. "Hey, where are you staying? We could hang out sometime, maybe head out for lunch or something sometime too."
Gabe urns his head around, looking to Tim. "Hokay." He backs off before looking up at Jeremy. "I jhave no clue… someting about dem, makes me want dem." The cat says with a nod before moving closer to Tim's feet.
Jeremy stays where he his and pulls the blanket back around him before shrugging. "I don't know where I'll be." HE never does, he just wanders around. "Good lucky findig Freedom Force." He says as the two go to head off and he offers a small smile before trying to stay warm.
Tim nods, nudging the bag he brought from the mart closer to Jeremy. There's another two bags of chesse puffs within. "Well…I guess I'll just have to keep an eye out for ya," he says to Jeremy before looking down at Gabe. "Alright, let's get going, Gabriel," he says, starting to walk. "I'd offer to carry ya but I don't think ya wanna get all slimey…"
"Sure." GabeCat pipes up before looking to Jeremy and bidding him good tidings. "Stay safe." He offers to Jeremy before accompanying Tim to wherever. "Dere's worse things than getting slimey, but I can walk."