milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The front door opens a tiny crack, like it wasn't properly latched and has come ajar. A moment later a tiny nose pokes through, followed soon by a fuzzy head.

A cat, black and white with wide yellow eyes, peeks into Milliways, meowing to announce this new discovery, then slipping through the crack into the bar.

"No, no, no, no-- "

The door swings wide, pushed open by a man in a black mask, a box of kitty kibble in his hand.

He's too late, the cat makes a break for freedom and adventure, and Matt is left standing in the doorway trying to track the feline as it threads its way through the chaos of the bar.

"Damn it."

There is absolutely no way Claire is ever going to let him live this down.

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"Vweeee-vwipwrp," says the robot. // Yes.

They're a little dizzy from trying to reestablish visual contact with the cat. There are downsides to being able to freely spin one's head around on one's shoulders.

That doesn't sound like understanding to Matt, and he sighs.

"Great."

Not sure what he's dealing with in the machine, Matt makes a gesture towards the cat.

"I'm going to take it, alright?"

This isn't alright with the cat, who climbs to the top of Bastion's head now and seems ready to stay there and perhaps even defend this new post.

It's fine with Bastion, who really wishes the cat would stay where they can see it instead of making an effort to occupy as many of their blind spots as possible. Cats are beautiful and affectionate creatures, but also one of the deadliest predators in that particular weight class of the animal kingdom, and this one seems to specialise in evasion.

The omnic makes a vaguely affirmative vvv-vrmm noise. They start reaching up to retrieve the cat for him, each joint making a mechanical hum as they move, but then realise partway through that this will probably just encourage the cat to play another round of keep-away and stop with their hand roughly parallel to their eyelight. They turn their head towards the masked human, hoping he'll assist them.

This cat is more marshmallow than deadly hunter, but it does seem to take pride in finding ways to be annoying. At least, that's Claire's opinion and is quickly becoming Matt's as well.

That sound from the machine is more recognizable, and Matt gives a nod.

When the machine starts to reach for the cat Matt tenses, about to command it to stop, thinking they'll scare the cat.

The cat crouches in anticipation, only to have the robot stop. As if disappointed to have the game stopped before it starts, the cat leans over the robot's head to look down into their face.

"Mrrrow?"

Matt takes that moment to reach for the cat, and the game is on! The cat leaps away, landing behind the robot's leg.

Ganymede would probably say that that's what it wants you to think. (He is not what one might call an impartial source.) He's keeping a watchful eye on the cat from up in the rafters, not that he really has any way of communicating its position to the robot or the human.

Bastion spins around at the waist, reaching towards the cat before they've even turned the rest of their body. Get back here!

That's not fair! Certainly no one the cat has played this game with before has been able to spin around at the waist like that. Still, the feline is quick and darts back between Bastion's legs, only to come up against Matt.

Matt makes a grab for the cat, and the cat evades, slipping through the man's legs as well.

Matt, unfortunately, can't swivel like a robot, but he's still quick to turn around. Even so, the cat is already running around circling Matt to race back around to the other side of Bastion.

Bastion spins around the rest of the way, and then another 180 degrees as the cat darts behind them again, feeling their gyroscopes beginning to object to this treatment. They can't keep this up forever.

The cat can't, either. It's not the most cunning of cats ever, and certainly hasn't had to practice or live by its wiles living in an apartment in New York City, so eventually it loses the game and slips up.

Matt isn't game to keep running around after the cat like a lunatic, so when it tries its trick of racing back through the robot's legs again, Matt is there. He misses with the grab, but being surprised by the man causes the cat to leap back up onto the robot, this time right into its arms.

It is arms plural, too; an automatic response kicks in and Bastion catches the cat with both their manipulator arm and their gun arm (the barrel pointing vaguely toward the upper shelves of drinks behind the bar). They glance toward the cat ensconced between their hand and the elbow of their other arm, not really sure how to hand it over without it escaping.

Matt doesn't hesitate, he steps right in to the robot's space in order to get a hand on the cat.

The cat doesn't agree to this unfair play at all, meowing in protest, but not able to scramble away.

It isn't easy, getting a reach in around the massive robot, but Matt feels like he has a handle on the cat.

"I got it, you can let go," he says.

Bastion lowers their arms, reassured that the cat has been properly secured. Ganymede chirps at the group from the rafters, possibly cheering them on, possibly taunting the cat.

The cat gives a low growl, annoyed at the situation, the bird, and the man and robot.

Matt doesn't really care what the cat things, he keeps a hold of it and steps back.

"Thanks," he says to the robot, then turns his head up and gives a nod to the bird. "I'm going to take it back home now."

But he appreciates the help. Damn cat.

Ganymede chirps a smug little tune at the cat. He chirps at Matt too. Possibly less smugly, but it's hard to tell, really.

Bastion gives the masked human a thumbs-up, accompanied by a cheery-sounding bwee bwoo.

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