yesterdaystomorrow | Walter Girl B's Room of Scientific Discovery and Kitty-Cat Cuteness

She moved to hold out the purring feline towards her companion, closing the distance between them even further- "And feel how furry he is! I don't think I've ever held a kitten this soft before." When he was gently moved closer to the automaton, the bright-eyed cat's pink nose gave a sniffing wiggle before his interest in the metal man seemed to ignite. A tiny, jellybean-padded paw was wiggling out of Brianna's grip to swipe playfully at the robot, to get ahold of the man with such a strange smell.

There was a deep, amused chuckle from behind the pair at that.

The shop keeper had been watching, more out of curiosity of the couple than fear for his animal, and even after a few moments together, he could see how difficult it would be pry the small woman away from her newfound furry love. Which was precisely why an unusual offer was placed upon the Walter Girl and her automaton - "Why not take him home then? For free. It's the very least I can offer after havin' heard the beautiful music that you-" A polite nod to The Spine at that. "-make. My wife and I haven't danced that way in years. Please, take him. He needs a good home and I can tell you'll be very good parents to him."

B's expression fell. "Oh, we couldn't possibly," more than just a tinge of disappointment in the woman's tone, clutch on the kitten only growing a little tighter despite her words. "There-...There isn't enough room back home. We don't have the space..."

Which was true. Rabbit already brought home more pets than they could manage. B could never overstep the boundaries there. The Walters were already so very sweet to give her both a job and a place to live.

Why did cats have this weird liking of him?

Of course the kitten was offered a finger to swipe and paw at, very carefully, so that it could better investigate his scent. He couldn't really feel fur, but he could tell if something was soft or not in some small way, and that little paw certainly felt soft-

The offer was really unexpected, causing him to freeze up for a moment after he'd lifted his head to look the man's way with somewhat brightened optics. A fan who'd caught them playing in the park? A fan from the park that enjoyed their music and was offering to just give the kitten...- "The critter's small enough that it wouldn't do any harm," he heard that tone, caught how her expression had fallen, "Enough room for such a little addition.

"Can manage just fine and the little thing is already attached to you, Brianna." What was he doing.

After his inspection of The Spine, the striped kitten was right back to curling and nuzzling sweetly up at B, demanding her sweet attention and not liking the way her gaze was currently zoned in on the robot instead of him. Little did he know, it was that robot himself who was vouching for the cat to come home with them.

"Really?" Even if he'd just given her the go ahead on bringing the kitten home, the woman did have to pause and make certain. It was just too much in her nature to not double check.

"You really don't think Colonel Walter would mind?" The last thing she'd ever want to do would be to upset the automaton's father and lose the respect that had been growing there. "I don't want to step on any toes. Your family means so much to me."

"Really, and he won't mind at all," or notice untill the kitten ran across him, "You're helpful 'round the house, something he appreciates, and it wouldn't hurt to have the kitten around at all." They somehow managed, and it wasn't like they were spending money on feeding that 'dog' of Rabbit and Alyss'.

Feeding the cat wouldn't be all that much trouble. It was small, and couldn't eat all that much. Right?

"Can pick out a collar for him," the owner given a glance since he'd be paying for that, along with picking up one of those small bags of food for it while Brianna was off doing that.

Before the automaton would have the chance to react, Brianna was stepping forward with the kitten in her careful grasp, stretching up to the very tippy top of her dainty feet, before a soft kiss was being pressed there. While she had meant to aim for her lips to leave their mark chastely against his silver cheek, the woman's aim was slightly off, leaving that kiss to land at the corner of his black-lipped mouth instead.

Retreating immediately, the woman far too excited with the cuddly ball of fur in her arms to be embarrassed for once, gave the automaton and the shop keeper a sweetly enthusiastic 'Thank you!' before she was skipping off to look at the small selection of collars that would fit a kitten of this small size.

Well, it appeared as if this day was turning out in both of their favors.

If that kiss didn't put a stupid sort of smile on The Spine's face, nothing ever would.

It had, a bit of steam escaping after as he took a moment to simply stare after Brianna before making a sound of clearing his throat. He turned to the shop owner then and went back to the counter with him to get the small bag of catfood to start off with -it was a young cat after all, it ould take much and it would have to be wettened anyway. it'd last- and pay for whatever collar the Walter Girl picked out. Of course he insisted on paying for that much, free kitten or no.

He'd wipe off the mark of lipstick in a moment or so, couldn't go back out with it on much as he likely would.

When B returned at her automaton's side - kitten now curled up and somehow managing to nap against her, tiny head rested against the woman's chest - the Walter Girl was adding a very familiar looking pale pink collar to the catfood for the shop owner to ring up. Considering just how snug the tiny cat was in her hand, the Walter Girl was able to free one of her palms, so that it could slip back down and, once again, intertwine with an affectionate squeeze with that silver hand.

"Thank you so much again, Spine." What had started out as a sweet trip out into the city was definitely turning into something better.

By then The Spine had tugged a bit of cloth from an inner pocket to subtly wipe away the mark on metal away, and tucked it back again, offering Brianna something of a bashful smile, "Ain't gotta thank me, but you are welcome all the same Brianna." It was the kindness of the shop owner after all, and knowing the Colonel probably wouldn't mind a little kitten added to the list of animals.

Once the food and collar was paid for he took the small bag offered to carry the items in, parting with a tip of his hat and B's hand in his as he guided her and the little kitten out.

Somehow, with The Spine's strong hand in hers and a lovable, darling kitten purring at her chest, the warm sunshine of the day only seemed brighter than the few minutes earlier when they'd initially stepped into the shop. The city itself appeared more charming and agreeable to Brianna as the pair moved onwards from the cute pet shop, The Spine looking even more handsome than usual when he smiled so contentedly at her like that. Yes, the Walter Girl couldn't help but think as the woman and her automaton moved back on track to the scheduled stop at the candy shoppe, a soft, truly beaming smile stuck up on those blue, full lips -

Maybe there was more to this one-sided affection than she'd ever been so willing to admit to herself.

That kitten was given a kiss to it's head, right beween the ears. "Well, I do want to thank you and I will." A gift. She'd have to pick up something extra wonderful for him later on, while the man in question wasn't there at her side, watching every move she made. Adding the surprise only made gifts that much more fun, after all.

The Spine wasn't so worried about how other shops were suddenly closed as they were passed by, or the stares that were less than friendly after that stop. The young woman's smile was something else, and there was just something more to it simply because he had managed to be the reason she had such a beautiful smile at that moment.

He had it bad, so very bad.

"Gonna have to figure out a name for the little critter." Or he'll just call it Cat. That was alright, right.

That darling smile was aimed straight up at the much taller figure, the slightest hint of sweet playfulness in Brianna's gaze. "Do you have any suggestions? The shop owner did say that both of us would be good parents to him, after all." Another gentle squeeze against his hand.

"He's yours too. What should we name him?" Not Kitten 1.

Suddenly he was a cat parent? Suddenly he was a cat parent. Why was he a cat parent?

The Spine wasn't all that great about naming animals, and just knew the basics of caring for one. Now anyway, no one talks about Fish because that never happened, "Cat?" He was sort of kidding there, peering down at the little kitten as they walked, still holding that small hand carefully within his own.

"Sure has some bold stripes, even for such a little thing."

Blame that sweet, old man, The Spine, for putting terrible ideas in Brianna's head. And for supplying the kitten in the first place.

Of course she giggled at the first suggestion, a light, airy sort of darling laugh that fit her adorable looks and nature perfectly. But at the same time, B was well aware it wasn't completely a joke when it came from this particular automaton. The Spine, for all of his stoic nature and seriousness at times, still possessed those too cute quirks that made him so enchanting to her. Because really, as silly as it sounded, just the idea of someone naming an animal after it's species was ridiculous enough to get her laughing.

"Stripes?" A curious tilt of her chin down to the snoozing feline, admiring the distinct markings across the creature's soft fur. "You're right, he does. Maybe Stripes. Or Sir Stripey."

It was his own fault too, for encouraging her to actually take the offer.

"Stripes wouldn't be too bad of a name," not that he would know. He honestly would just name the kitten Cat if it were up to him. Would it even know the difference? He wasn't all that sure, animals were just weird things to him and most of the time didn't act like they were all that smart. Eating, sleeping, making messes- yeah. Animals were more trouble than they were worth.

But this one had b happy, so it wasn't so bad; there was also that laughter of her's and that still present smile.

"Stripes, hm," repeating the name with a critical noise, adjusting the way the kitten was so curled up in her arms so B could get a better look down at the newest member to the Walter family. Sure, it was good as far as pet names came and went, but it wasn't quite as meaningful or spectacular as the Walter Girl wanted her very first cat with The Spine to be.

Naming of pets was a very serious business. That was one of the very few things that Rabbit and Brianna would ever be able to agree upon together.

That pink kitten nose twitched when adjusted but the sweet creature just curled up wherever he was placed and gently positioned and returned to his nap, B watching all the while as The Spine guided her by the hand to the next destination, before a spark of inspiration was finally struck.

"I've got it! How about The Stripe? You know, so everyone knows he takes after his dad." Meaning The Spine, of course. Oh, the many implications that could be wadded through with that statement.

Takes after his dad. The Spine was a cat parent, and the cat was going to be named The Stripe. With anyone else there'd likely be a bit of protest, but there wasn't any that accompanied that slightly stunned and very very momentary dumb sorta expression he made. Just a slightly startled burst of steam.

"The Stripe," there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth that could likely be taken for amusement, glancing down at the kitten again as he was soon directing B into the candy shoppe for another side-stop on this walk, "I like it. Has a nice ring to it and seems kinda fittin'," and Rabbit was going to tease him endlessly about the entire thing, wasn't he? As soon as the copper 'bot found out about the kitten and its name- Funny, at the moment he really didn't care.

"After you."

To be honest, Rabbit was going to endlessly tease The Spine over anything regarding dear Walter Girl B, so it only made sense to just dive right in and take the full brunt of it at once instead of spreading the playful provocation torturously over weeks and weeks.

The amusement in that handsome expression seemed to please B enough, only setting that name for the kitten in stone now, because as long as The Spine wasn't going to disapprove, she most certainly wasn't going to walk away from that adorable opportunity. The Stripe.

Really, how adorable.

Drawing the kitten closer and finally releasing his hand from her grip - for easier maneuvering inside only - B stepped into the candy shoppe and was immediately met with the tantalizing smell of a freshly-made treats. Unlike the pet shop, this establishment was bustling with activity, children and parents and bug-eyed babies. There were a few ill-mannered stares from the customers who had caught glance of the Walter Girl and The Spine as they entered together, but any rude commentary was kept either shoved down or mutely muttered to the person beside them.

The one nice thing about this time period was that people kept their insults to each other, public confrontations so very rare and looked down upon.

There was one haughty-looking woman who rolled her eyes in an offended manner and quickly ushered her children out of the shop, but then the rest just turned to ignoring them, which really was fine with B. If people were going to judge them, they may as well just keep it to themselves because she didn't give a damn about their opinion.

So instead of drawing The Spine's attention to their fellow customers, B was gesturing for him to follow her towards the wall of sweet treats, green eyes wide at the sight, the wiggling kitten given a scratch behind the ear to keep him quiet while they shopped. "I can't believe I never knew this place existed. No wonder Alice keeps coming back."

It was likely a very, very good thing that The Spine's attention was more focused on the Walter Girl than those within the sweet shoppe; he wouldn't have missed the looks and whispers at all, instead the whispering was more or less disregarded as unimportant background noise. That's what it was anyway, wasn't it? Unimportant because he was in the company of a lovely woman that could so very easily steal his full attention with just a smile or a look his way.

He kept close to B as she walked, keeping out of the way of other people milling about, "At least what's here would be healthier than the stuff back home, sweets wise."

Which the woman couldn't help but shoot her companion another smile at, a brush of her delicate fingers along his arm before she was reaching up to pick up a cutely wrapped bag of a random assortment of sweets, all neatly tied together with a beautiful ribbon. "Barely, but I suppose you're right." Turning the bag so she could inspect what was within. "It's all at least a little better."

Not that it mattered much considering The Jons would no doubt consume most of it considering their adorable excitement for all types of food, but brightly-colored and packaged candy especially.

"What do you think Colonel Walter would like?" Because B had every intention of picking up a small something small for everyone in the home, so that no one felt left out. The robots were easy and so were Paige and Bunny, but the long since dead creator of the automatons? Not so much.

"No artificial things to use," that was already somewhat better w3hen it came to something to be ingested to you asked The Spine.

The Spine went quiet at the question, but that little smile of his might've grown without his notice. Brianna was a very thoughtful woman, and it wasn't difficult to guess what she was going to do. "If I re-call correctly," it had been a while, and the Colonel never ate sweets all that often infront of the 'bots, "He does have a fondness for butterscotch. Always kept a few pieces in his study." The shoppe probably had some of those hard candies of it.

Plucking up a colorful bag with an assortment of oddly colorful licorice candies, scanning over the different shapes and colors. It had been a long time since he'd seen most of these sweets.

The Spine, how did you even know when you didn't even need to eat- Oh, nevermind.

"Butterscotch," Brianna repeated with a truly sweet smile, keeping that one bag of sweets in her hand before the fuzzy bundle of cat she was carrying was suddenly being pressed gently against The Spine's chest. "Would you hold him for me?" Those green eyes were meeting his own equally green gaze there.

"Just for a quick moment. I'm just going to pick up a few things."

Knowing everything helps. Yep.

A hand automatically went under the small kitten against his chest, the other setting the bag of candies he'd been looking at back down at the same time. It was given a quick glance, the kitten fitting easily enough against his palm with its small size anf the largeness of his hand. Huh. "Sure," it was just one small kitten. Couldn't be that hard to hold right? It was content enough to sleep while Brianna had been holding it.

"I'll keep hold of the little guy."

"Thanks, I'll be quick!"

Which only meant that after that brief cat nap, the fuzzy kitten was suddenly waking up in the strange hand that was so very unfamiliar to him. Enjoy that sudden wiggling curiosity while B turned away to pick up a few items here and there, eventually moving towards the glass counter so she could address the shop owner for some assistance.

Good luck, Spine daddy, for your first brief moment alone with your kitten son.

Wiggly kitten son. Of course he adjusted to better hold the wiggling furball so it wouldn't start squirming if he held it tighter, just trying to make sure it didn't find its way out of his hand. Weren't kittens supposed to sleep more? He was going to end up with fur all over his vest wasn't he.

So there The Spine was, standing in a candy shop with The Stripe, the corner of his mouth twitching in some weird amusement when prickly kitten claws caught in his shirt and fest. Already a bit of a climber by the looks of it-

"Careful little guy," talking to a cat. Dear robot lord.

The kitten was most certainly reaching to dig those tiny, tiny claws of his into the automaton's fancy vest, if only so he could climb up and further investigate that too curious face of The Spine's. What with the odd way he smelled and how his titanium faceplaces gleamed from the sun shining in through the large window, it was only natural the fearless feline would want to get even closer for a proper inspection.

But as The Spine was doing his very best to keep the kitten from escaping his grip and clawing his prickly way all over him, The Stripe gave a pathetically small mewl for attention as his long tail lashed from side-to-side, those green eyes of his widening up to shoot his daddy a heartbreaking sort of look that every cat instinctually knew from birth.

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