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

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"My mother had a sehlat," Spock answered. "It disliked my father to a degree that simple training could not subvert. A Terran animal, therefore, was selected as a replacement companion.

"We only have one. It is Snowball." Spock looked at him. "You keep very many animals. Are they for scientific observation?"

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

The mention of a sehlat confused De, for a moment, before something clicked, some line from long ago, heard over and over again..."A teddy bear?!". ...That thought was probably best not vocalised. Anyway. A sehlat might be something completely different here. "What's a sehlat?" he asked. "And no, my animals were just for...well, just for having them. We, Carolyn and I, we liked to have them around. Animals make a house a home, y'see. Gave us someone else around the house as well, other than just the two of us, rattling around in there."

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"The presence of alternate creatures does increase the general receptiveness of an area," Spock agreed.

"A sehlat is a creature roughly one hundred and fifty percent my height, two hundred percent my weight, with lengthy non-retractable claws and six inch incisors," Spock listed. "They are generally trained to be harmless, and are often given to children for a multitude of purposes. They live approximately sixty Vulcan years."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Definitely not a teddy bear," De mumbled, under his breath at her description. "They sound scary," he said, out loud.

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Terran bears are not so very different from the sehlat," Spock confirmed. She had not associated his mumbling with secrecy of any variety. "Though their main form of locomotion is more similar to Terran ant-eaters, due to the length of their claws."

Spock stroked the cat.

"They are large, but traditionally respond well to training," Spock explained. "My mother's sehlat likely viewed my father as a threat, due to his gender as well as stature. It could not adapt to the proximity my father wished to keep with my mother, so I have been told."

Spock looked back at Deforest Kelley.

"It has been frightened of me, on the occasions when I have interacted with it."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Teddy bears," De corrected quietly, seeing as how she'd clearly heard his comment anyway, "not just bears from earth, teddy bears. Don't you know what a teddy bear is? And they still sound pretty scary to me. I'd say you were brave, for interacting with one."

De's knees were beginning to ache, and as Yontaya was showing no signs of movement, he reached round and deftly lifted her off his shoulders, placing her beside the milk, before standing and stretching.

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock watched him stretch. He was still very tall.

"Teddy...is not a species of bear?" Spock prompted. In truth she had only ever seen holocaptures of them, she was by no means an expert on bears.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

De shook his head and laughed. "No, a teddy bear is...well, it's a small stuffed animal toy, shaped like a bear, that children have."

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock had not expected this answer. Her expression was briefly horrified before she could reign it in. Once she had, she blinked once, twice, and again before she formulated a response.

"Terran children...stuff small animals and shape them like bears?" Spock paused. "And use them...for their own amusement?"

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

De couldn't help but laugh again. "Oh, God, no!" Noticing the expression on Spock's face, he put his hand over his mouth, and stopped himself. "No, no, they're toys. Not real animals, but toys made from material."

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock let out a long breath.

"That is much less unfortunate," Spock replied. These humans appeared to find her quite humorous, this was approximately the fifth time she'd been inadvertantly laughed at. "Do teddy bears serve a purpose?"

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Much less unfortunate," De agreed, with a nod. He felt a bit bad for having laughed at her, but the comment had taken him rather by surprise. "And yes, well, I suppose they're used for comfort, and for companionship. To play with, as well. Children like hugging them, and talking to them."

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Fascinating," Spock commented truthfully. "I suspect their merit lies in the lack of concurrent care?"

Otherwise, why have a teddy bear when one could have a cat? Or similar, companionable creature.

"Do you have a teddy bear as well?" Spock added.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Probably," De nodded, "and you can have lots of them, as well. I had one, when I was smaller, about your age," he mused, looked at Spock, "or maybe a bit younger. I think he was called Eddie, which wasn't very imaginative, really."

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"Why was Eddie not sufficiently imaginative?" Spock prompted.

Spock enjoyed cats, though, the local cat did not appear to appreciate hugs. If she were to be here for a reasonably long period of time, it would behoove her to acquire a surrogate for the purpose of hugging. Perhaps a teddy bear would be an appropriate object to fill this purpose.

"Was it not in keeping with teddy bear naming conventions?" Spock continued.

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Well, because you can name teddy bears anything you want. And Eddie is a rather...normal name."

De thought for a moment. "Like, you could name the bear, oh, I don't know, Tigger, or Ecco, or Oz...or anything that comes to mind really. But he was a rather tradtional bear, if I remember correctly, and I looked at him, and immediately declared him to be an 'Eddie.'"

He looked curiously at Spock. "Do you really not have anything like teddy bears on Vulcan?"

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

"No," Spock answered. "There is no one Vulcan object that serves the multiple functions you have discribed."

Spock paused and her brow furrowed as she pondered it. "Not one which I am aware of."

She looked back up. "It is a logical conglomeration, I will have to request one upon return home."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"I think that would be a nice idea," said De. "Although we might be able to get one here, somehow, if you wanted one? I think the replicators could probably make one."

He looked back down at Yontaya, who seemed happy enough with her milk and tuna. "Do you want to do anything else?" De asked, turned his attention back to Spock. "Or shall we head back?"

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock silently considered his question and bent down to stroke Yontaya again before standing. "I am sufficiently pleased with this outing, my goal was accomplished."

Spock straightened out her dress, though it hadn't really become disheveled, and inclined her head. "If you desire to return, I shall accompany you."

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Why thank you," said De sincerely. "I'd probably get lost if I tried to head back by myself."

[science-blues.livejournal.com]

Spock blinked. "Then it was unwise of you to leave the quarters in search of me," Spock answered. "But no harm came of it."

She would have to accompany Deforest Kelley if he left the quarters. She did not want him to become lost. It could be very distressing.

"Shall we return?"

[de-forest.livejournal.com]

"Let's."

He refrained from offering his hand out to her this time, instead letting her lead the way as they walked back to their quarters.