Kitty is an illogical moniker.

[science_blues]

Leonard Nimoy's established living quarters were sufficient. However, they did not possess a cat. A cat which he had specifically implied existed on the ship.

Normally, sneaking was quite an illogical venture in line with the retention of accurate information. However, when one seeks to find an organism that may or may not desire to be found, a stealthy approach is the most likely to succeed. It was, also, only logical that she begin this approach before the departure from Leonard Nimoy's established quarters, in the event that the cat was nearby.

She absolutely did not sneak out.

As Spock rounded the corner, and scanned the hallway, she realized a flaw in her plan. The cat was perfectly capable of avoiding her. A new approach was required. She would have to imply, via a distance based technique, that she bore nothing but good will for the creature. Good will and a desire to pet it.

Spock attempted verbal communication, as it was the only distance based technique she was capable of performing.

"Come here, tiny feline of a non-specified gender," Spock hazarded quietly. The cat did not come immediately. She moved down the hall and attempted verbal communication again.

Comments

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"I know I can talk to her, I just...don't get a reply!" De took a breath, realising his tone and volume was beginning to escalate. "Sorry," he said, bringing his voice back to its normal levels, "but let me just clarify here, to make sure I understand, alright. You can talk to the cat, and get an answer? And you're being quite, quite serious about that?"

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

She had upset Deforest Kelley inadvertently. Spock watched him and hesitated to answer.

"Yes," Spock confirmed simply. She was uncertain which addition had caused him the initial conundrum. Whether it was her interaction with the feline, or her misunderstanding of it. She would supply no further information without direct request.

She did not desire him to be upset.

[vulcans-purr.livejournal.com]

{why is warm-animal-safe upset?}

{have did you do?}

{nuuuuuuuuuuzzle his leg}

{am here, will make things better!}

{answer you lots!}

mrp!

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. He'd upset her somehow, it seemed, or confused her. He didn't mean to do that, didn't want to do that. "Sorry," he repeated, "I just...I didn't understand that you would be able to communicate with her, I didn't know that was possible, even." Then again, now he thought about it, a bit more....Vulcan. Mind melds. Was this something like that? God, it was all real, wasn't it?

He reached out to stroke Yontaya again, as she nuzzled his leg. "Sorry, kitty," he said, feeling a bit more self-conscious now that he knew the cat was apparently capable of understanding. "I...hope you're alright."

Turning back to address Spock he added, "Sorry," again, "It's also just...just something children I know would say, that they could understand animals, when they can't. For fun, y'know. But I believe you, that you really can. Is Yontaya alright? Happy?"

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Spock confirmed again, though she hardly needed to feel the feline's thoughts to discern this.

"You need not be overly concerned, Deforest Kelley," Spock replied, "Vulcan children do not state falsehoods for entertainment purposes."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"No, I expect you don't," De confirmed, exhaling audibly, putting the relative strangeness of the situation in the usual place in his head, with everything else (it was really getting rather full), before smiling down at Spock. "So, what else can we learn from Yontaya today? Do we have a hungry cat on our hands?" He scratched behind Yontaya's ears as he spoke.

[vulcans-purr.livejournal.com]

{food}

{milk? can I have milk?}

{or fish? smells good!}

{please?}

{will purr nicely for you}

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock stroked Yontaya and nodded shortly.

"Yes," Spock answered. "She would like milk...and fish."

Spock rested her hand on the cat's back and looked at the human beside her. "She has offered a trade of purring in order to obtain these items."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Milk and fish," De repeated. "Well, those sound like perfectly acceptable things for a cat, don't you think? And I think a trade of purring is a fair one. Shall we accept the offer?"

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I think that would be appropriate," Spock agreed quickly.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

De looked over to where the food was prepared, and looked back down at Spock. "I'd imagine, if we asked, the staff would give us some milk and fish? Do you want to go ask?" He'd go, if she didn't want to, but he would really rather stay here and focus on Yontaya.

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"I will go ask," Spock agreed and gave the feline a long pet before standing. The counter-top was high, but Spock was able to get the attention of the staff without overmuch issue. She requested milk and fish, filleted, and waited as they retrieved it.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

De watched, relieved, as she walked over to get some food for Yontaya. "Hey," he said, stroking the cat in one long movement from head to tail. "I didn't think you could actually understand me. Or respond to me, more accurately." Cats did always seem to know what was going on, after all. "Umm. Sorry. I'll pet you lots to make up for it, and Spock's gone to get some milk and fish for you now." He stroked her again, twirling her tail in his fingers.

[vulcans-purr.livejournal.com]

{like this!}

{tail flick!}

{can make up with much more pettings}

{mmm...}

{crouch}

{jump!}

{climb up cloth}

{climb up body}

{shoulder!}

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock turned, with a bowl of milk and a plate of fish, to find that the cat had changed location considerably. It had climbed atop of Deforest Kelley's shoulder. Spock watched it regain its balance as she approached. As it had just exerted the effort to move, it was only logical to hold the plate up to the cat rather than move the latter for the former.

As Deforest Kelley was still within range, Spock did so.

[vulcans-purr.livejournal.com]

{now this is proper service}

{lean forward}

{sniffsniff}

{TUNA!}

{grab piece}

{nomnom}

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

Well, aside from the tuna being held directly in front of his nose, this wasn't too bad. At least Yontaya was a tidy eater, it seemed. "Is that nice?" he asked her, rubbing his hand the wrong way up her back before smoothing the fur down again.

The cat seemed to like being on his shoulder, maybe it gave her a good vantage point, or made her feel important. Maybe it was just a day for people and animals being on his shoulders.

"Do you want some milk?" he continued, "Spock has got some of that as well. You might have to get down for that, though."

He smiled at Spock. "I think she likes the fish, don't you?"

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"She appears to enjoy it," Spock agreed and watched as the cat took and enthusiastically ate a piece of the food.

Its tongue was pink. For some unidentifiable reason, that factor was endearing. Spock watched with rapt attention but could not pet it, as she was still holding the bowl of milk.

A logistic miscalculation. Its detriment was momentarily tolerable.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Here," said De, holding out his hand for the bowl of milk. "Let me take that." He reached his other arm - the shoulder of which Yontaya was perched on - up as much as he could to pet Yontaya gently.

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock readily passed the bowl to Deforest Kelley. As her hand was freed, she maneuvered it to stroke the length of the cat.

"Is it comfortable having a cat on your shoulder?" Spock asked as she watched it eat.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Yes. As long as they don't put their claws out. You get the purring right in your ear, it's...nice. Relaxing," De replied. "Maggie never used to sit on my shoulder, but Yontaya seems happy to do so, quite regularly. Maybe it's because she's still young. Or she just likes shoulders." He stretched his free hand and managed to stroke her paw.

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Fascinating," Spock commented and leaned her head. The proximity of her ear to the side of the cat was decreased, thus simulating the experience of having it purr on her shoulder. It seemed agreeable.

"Snowball is too large to sit on my shoulder," Spock supplied, "or I am too small. Either way, it is inefficient."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"It's nice, isn't it? But I bet Snowball likes being petted and hugged by you, right?"

De looked down at the plate of tuna. Yontaya had nearly finished it all, by this point. "Would you like some milk, kitty?," he said, placing the bowl of milk on the floor beside him. "You'll have to get down, though," he added, giving her the option of jumping down of her own accord. If she'd rather stay put...well. That was her decision.

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Snowball enjoys both, but only tolerates the latter for a reasonable amount of time," Spock answered and pulled back to permit the cat room to jump down. She set the tuna, or what remained of it, down beside the bowl of milk.

"Do you have many felines, Deforest Kelley? Or just one?" Spock asked.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"I just had one, we just...sort of adopted her," said De, "but I had dogs, and a turtle...well, she was called a desert turtle, but some people say she's a tortoise, and we had a parakeet, once, that was back when we lived in New York. Do you just have Snowball?"