Peace offering?

Who: Kaysen and Charlotte.
When: Evening.
Where: Kaysen's house.

The sun was going to set soon, so Charlotte realized she had to suck it up and get it over with. She wasn't at all sure how this was going to go, but she was trying. Trying was good, right? Making sure her hoodie was zipped up, she headed out and crossed the street, nervously knocking on the St. James' door.

Kaysen happened to answer the door, since she was still home alone at that point. She'd been trying to read, though that hadn't worked out for her at all. Mostly, she'd been staring at the same page in her book for like, hours. She'd keep reading the same paragraphs and none of it was sinking in. The equipment Thom had given her sat over on the coffee table like she expected them to spontaneously combust. Whatever was going on, she couldn't figure it out, all she knew was she didn't like it. She just couldn't see where the trap was yet. When the door was knocked at, she paused, frowning suspiciously. Setting her book aside, she walked to the door and opened it, blinking at Charlotte. "Hi, Charlie." she said a little nervously. "Isaac's not home."

Like I'd ever have the nerve to knock on someone's door and ask for a boy. Charlotte shook her head, fidgeting a little to make up for the fact that she could feel something squirming. "I came to talk to you. I looked, but I couldn't find Edison." she explained, a bit nervous as to how that would go over. "But, um..." Okay, now it was trying to claw it's way out of her hoodie like something in a horror movie. The poor little guy had woken up from his nap and was very confused with the warm dark space. Charlotte unzipped her hoodie and pulled out the small red and chocolate tortoiseshell kitten, whose big blue eyes blinked rapidly at the light. Holding him in both of her hands, Charlotte offered him to Kaysen like a peace offering. "This little guy needs a mommy?"

Kasyen was left blinking at Charlotte. "I...you're...that's a kitten!" she said, wondering if that possibly could be how it sounded. Because it sounded suspiciously like Charlie here was givingher a kitty. "You...you want me to babysit it?" she asked. That had to be it.

Charlotte shook her head. "If I took another cat in my step-dad would kill me." she said. Bad enough she'd been hiding it under her clothes and in her room for the past few hours while she wondered if she was really going to do this. "But I won't take an animal to a shelter, they're..." Charlotte looked a little sick just thinking about going to an animal shelter. Driving past one was enough to make her feel sick, but actually stepping foot inside of one? Meant she'd be flooded with everything bad. Fear and confusion, and all those innocent animals that didn't understand... "I hate shelters. But I can't keep him, and I know you lost Edison, so I thought maybe..." Looking up at Kaysen, the kitten squeaked.

Kaysen tentatively reached out to take the kitten from Charlotte. She eyed him, the tiny squeaking baby thing, and he scratched at his head. She smiled as it licked out at nothing. "Oh my god such a cute little tongue!" she squeaked. Everything about it was cute, really. Then she looked up again. "You really mean it?" she asked. "You just wanna give him to me?"

Putting her hands in her front pocket and watching with a hopeful smile, Charlotte nodded. "I thought you needed a kitten." she offered. "If you want him." She didn't really think she had to say that part, what with the cuteness of little kitty tongues and paws and cute, fuzzy little faces. But it was nice to add anyway.

"I--" Kaysen started, wondering where the downside was. Next week after she was all attached, was Charlotte going to come to take him away? She didn't know, but she also couldn't resist cute squeaky kitty. "Thank you." she said, since she realized that she hadn't said it, and she probably should have a while back. Like, when she'd first been handed the furball.

Charlotte smiled warmly and nodded. "You're welcome." she said. "And thanks for taking him. If you need food or any kitty stuff, we have plenty."

"Um...I have a few things, but I don't think I have little bitty kitten food. Is it different from big kitty food?" she asked. She thought it was. Like there was special stuff that was just for kittens. She sort of half noticed that she hadn't asked charlotte in, and so she stepped back to invite her by gesture rather than asking her.

Charlotte hadn't expected to be invited in. That was good, right? She stepped inside and smiled again, hoping she didn't look too surprised. "Kittens need more vitamins and stuff, and they tend to eat more." she explained. She'd been sort of prepared for the food question though, so she opened her messenger bag and pulled out a box of kitten food. They bought it in bulk, her mom would never miss it.

Kaysen blinked. "Woah, really? I can have that too?" Wow. She didn't know what to say. Like, at all. Her mind kept spinning 'round on the idea that in a few days, Charlie would change her mind, and come to take him away. Then she'd be crushed. But onthe other hand, she so far didn't seem like she knew the stories about her, and had seemed nice. Gah, what the hell.

"Of course." Charlotte answered, as if the question surprised her. "If you're taking him in then I should make sure that you can take care of him. You're kind of doing me a favor, after all." It seemed like good logic, at least. Or logic Kaysen might feel better about.

That actually did work for Kaysen-brain. Her eyes cleared of a bit of the worry she'd had going in them. "I understand." she said. Yes, that made it slightly better. Favors were a different obligation than random gifts. "Then...okay. That'd be good. What kind of toys should I get for him?" she asked. "Are there special ones for kittens?"

"I think anything can be a potential toy for a kitten." Charlotte answered, thoughtfully. "He'll want to climb and claw a lot though. So you may just want to buy bandaids in bulk or something."

Kaysen laughed a little. "I have them." she said, indicating the scrape on her chin, then the various other injuries on her person, the most prominent being the huge skinned area on her forearm. "I beat myself up enough in general so a few more won't matter."

Charlotte had noticed injuries the first time she met Kaysen, but she hadn't had the guts to talk about it with her. "How do you get all those?" she asked, curiously. "Is it all from... sports and stuff?" She'd been looking through pads and a helmet, she probably skateboarded or something.

Kaysen walked inside, and headed into the living room, waiting for Charlotte to come with her. "Skateboarding." she answered. "I do it all the time. I'm really good, but when you're going fast over stuff on a board with wheels on it, you're gonna fall sometimes."

"That sounds fun. But painful." Charlotte replied, following Kaysen. She managed to not be nervous. This was going over much better than she thought it would. "Did you ever figure out where the pads came from?"

Kaysen frowned at that, suddenly all of her attention on the kitten who she was snuggling as she sat onthe couch. "Yeah. It was Thom. Um...lives next door." She thought she'd mentioned him before, but she wasn't sure. She also wasn't sure if Charlotte had said anything about having met him. Her memory wasn't always the keenest thing in the world.

Charlotte shook her head. "I haven't met him yet." she said. But Kaysen didn't look like she really wanted to talk about that, so she didn't push it. "I met a girl named Lullaby yesterday?" she asked, wondering if Kaysen knew her. "She kind of talked me into going to that party your brother's playing at. I've never been to a high school party or anything."

"Lullaby Draven." Kaysen said with a shrug. "She's like, deaf or something. I know her kinda. We're in the same grade." Then she blinked. "Isaac's playing at a party?" she asked.

Uh oh. Charlotte wondered if Kaysen wasn't supposed to know, or if Kaysen and Isaac didn't get along or something. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Too late now. "I guess so." she answered. "I don't know whose party it is or anything, but she said his band is gonna play. I offered to drive so I don't have to show up alone. I was going to ask if you were going..."

"Oh. Um. I dunno." Kaysen said, mind scrambling a little. "I might show up." Occasionally, the world seemed to behave to her like she was supposed to be tapped into the collective unconscious, and just know everything without people actually telling her shit. Like nowish. "I'll have to think about it." And sneak out of the house. And not let anyone know she was going to be there, like her brother.

Charlotte nodded, picking up on the uncomfortable vibe. "Okay. If you end up going and want a ride, let me know." she offered. She didn't think Lullaby would mind, she seemed too nice to mind... oh, just about anything. She'd been really sweet. "So what do you think you'll name him?" Thus her casual subject change.

Casual subject change was good for Kaysen. Very good. Happy, in fact. "I'm not sure. Maybe I could call him Edison since the other one I only had for like, a couple hours then he was gone." she said. She wasn't sure how pet-naming went or the like, or if it was bad to do that.

"He kind of looks like an Edison." Charlotte gave, after leaning over to look at the kitten's fuzzy little face again. He was so cute. And he seemed like he was going to like it here. Charlotte hadn't gotten any panic vibes, which was always a good start.

"You think so?" Kaysen asked hesitantly, unsure, herself. Her other cat had only lasted a couple hours, she didn't know if she was going to be the best mommy for the kitten. She would try her best, though. She definitely had to do that.

Charlotte shrugged a bit. "Think about it a few days if you're not sure." she suggested. "My mom says names that aren't thought out end up being Fluffy and Snuggles." she said, attempting to joke. "He seems like he'll be happy here."

"I hope so." Kaysen said, looking down at him and petting him some more. That worked out well for her. "Thank you." she said, not looking up at Charlotte as she said it. It was tentative but sounded very sincere.

Charlotte smiled again, definitely happy that this had gone over so well. Much better than she had even hoped for. "You're welcome." she said. She really hoped they were happy together. If she didn't hear from Kaysen, maybe Isaac could give her some sort of hint on Sunday. Assuming she didn't hide or something, of course. "I should probably get home... but let me know how things go. And let me know if you need anything for him."

"Thanks, I will." Kaysen said. And she might. Charlotte seemed like she knew millions of things about animals that she didn't. But then, Kaysen didn't know like, anything, so just having basic knowledge already put people ahead of her. "Um...have a good day?" she suggested lamely, not sure how to end a conversation. She didn't have many of those.

If it was weird, Charlotte didn't let on. She just kept smiling and stood up, nodding a bit as she did. "You too. Bye, Kaysen! And As-Yet Unnamed Kitten. The offer's still open if you change your mind about Sunday." And thinking that she better quit while she was ahead, she gave a small wave, and headed for the door. That had gone over much better than she'd ever hoped. It was encouraging.

"Bye..." Kaysen called back, half waving herself as she watched after Charlotte. A troubled, wary expression crossed her features once the girl was gone, her own confusion over everything clouding back in and she looked down at the kitten. At least he was good. Even if he might be leaving in a few days or something. She picked him up then headed upstairs to play with him and let him get used to her room.