MCA #2, technically- Saturday evening

[thatwaslucky]

Today was supposed to have been a double date night, and then Silver and Diego had to go and turn into animals. Rey and Annie decided they should still get together anyway, but it was going to be a lower key thing, because again, animal boyfriends.

Of course she'd left some things over at Silver's half of the floor, so she left him in her half with the door open while she got them. In retrospect she probably should have just told Annie to come over to this half, but either way it just meant crossing a hall.


[For the superhero bff]

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[defenderofdesmoines]

You know what was so, so cool to do? Take a cat into a restaurant to pick up takeout food. Everyone loved that, right?

At least Diego was semi-behaving when Annie made her way into the building, her bag from Ching Tai looped over an elbow as she carried Diego against her shoulder.

She'd let him walk for a little bit, but like, he kept going off to investigate interesting-smelling trash or to stare into corners where there was nothing, so like, it was either pick him up or take five hours to get over to Rey's place.

Which, like, speaking of, there was a little juggling involved, but she could knock! "I think Danny's right that you did this on purpose," she muttered to the cat slung against her shoulder. Because really. He'd gotten out of hanging curtains and a double-date.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey heard the knock, but from the wrong place. So she made her way over to the doorway to find them in the hall and said, "Sorry, I'm still over here."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Oh, sure. All the parrot stuff's over there?" Annie guessed, only half joking as she turned away from Rey's door and hefted Diego a little higher on her shoulder as he gave a little cat-noise of protest.

This was so weird.

[thatwaslucky]

"Most of it," Rey said lightly. "It might make more sense to use this side, actually. Do you need help?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yes, actually," Annie said, shifting her bag to pass it over to Rey. "Has John been behaving?"

She didn't know anything about parrots, but Diego was making her think she might be a dog person.

[thatwaslucky]

"He has, but I think maybe it's hard for a parrot to get into trouble?" Rey said, taking the bag to bring over to the kitchen. "How about Diego? Hello, Diego."

Had to acknowledge him and all.

[defenderofdesmoines]

And Diego did at least look at Rey at hearing his name, which made Annie feel pretty validated in how 'he responds to his name' being one of her main clues that this was, indeed, Diego. As a cat.

"Mostly he's been kind of sleepy." And cuddly, which Annie kind of liked, but she also wasn't surprised considering he was kind of a stealth cuddler in human form, too. "But he likes to wander. And apparently he gave Five some trouble while I was in Canada yesterday."

Which, like. Again, not exactly exclusive to being a cat.

[thatwaslucky]

"From what you've said that sounds about right," Rey admitted. "I have to get John from my side, is he okay with the doors open if he wanders?"

It wasn't like there was much in Rey's place to mess up or get into.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"He's fine, yeah." Annie might have to lure him out from under something, but she'd already discovered he was susceptible to the ever-fascinating lure of string, so it should be easy. "Is John prone to, like, flying?"

God, this would be so much harder if Diego could fly.

[thatwaslucky]

"Not much, unless he wants to really get somewhere specific," Rey told her. "He's pretty chill, as birds go."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, that tracks," Annie decided, letting Diego onto the ground to explore. "Both for John and, honestly, what I expected of parrots."

Also, like, that was a little on-the-nose, island.

[thatwaslucky]

"It's been very helpful," Rey admitted, because what if he'd been something that got into everything? "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home on the mermaid furniture."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I like it," Annie declared, going to take a seat on that mermaid couch. "I had heard of the mermaid furniture, but it's so much more shimmery than I imagined."

And hey, one of her apartments was decorated in white and gold, so who was she to judge a sparkly design theme?

[thatwaslucky]

"Thank you," Rey said, because she did still take credit for building it.

She returned a moment later with Silver the parrot on her shoulder, who she immediately let go so he could find where he wanted to perch.

"It's a strange weekend."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, as far as weird weekends go, it's relatively low-key, and that is not a complaint," Annie noted, because so far no one was singing or a child, "but it's definitely up there. Have you had it happen to you? The animal thing, I mean?"

It seemed to be kind of common?

[thatwaslucky]

"I have," Rey said, taking a seat on the sofa. "I was an actual ray. Luckily I was at the beach at the time."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That is lucky," Annie noted, eyes wide. "And also like...kind of adorably punny?"

Like, probably not actually that fun for Rey, but as with John, the island was all too happy to embrace a theme.

[thatwaslucky]

"The island has the worst sense of humor," Rey sighed. "Have you heard what happens when you change back?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"The nudity thing?" Annie checked. Halloween had been such a learning experience! "Yeah, we're not doing a lot of, like, public outings while he's a cat, just 'cause I figure it can happen at any time."

Annie privately thought it would have been absolutely hysterical had Diego changed back while Five was catsitting yesterday, but alas.

[thatwaslucky]

"Same. I brought him to training, but that's about it," Rey said. "I like to keep the public embarrassment minimal."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It's only fun if it's something he actually signed up for," Annie decided. "Like wearing something funny."

She might feel differently if she'd ever witnessed a gremlin bite.

[thatwaslucky]

"Like Halloween?"

Where she'd been the one in pink floof but whatever.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Or the Christmas party."

Where she'd been the one in the bow skirt.

(But she'd also done that to herself.)

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't know that that's embarrassing when everyone did the same thing," Rey pointed out.

Bow skirt aside.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That cat would argue with you," Annie replied. "But he thinks anything that isn't head to toe black is embarrassing."

Which just meant that Christmas 2021 was destined to be the Return of Christmas: Bigger, Harder, Merrier.