| Moment of Awesome - Meggan Szardos/Gloriana: Following the sudden flooding of District X, Meggan and Spectrum work together to find a missing family member in a bodega.
It was so quiet that Meggan had almost missed it, but yes. There it was again. It was a bit louder the second time, and a bit more identifiable as a rather worried meow. “I think that’s the missing cat,” she realized. She set aside the bag of debris as she tried to zero in on the exact spot the sound emanated from.
“Right about...here,” she noted as she heard another noise. She flew upward, and carefully shifted the foam tile, thankfully one over from the actual location, so no animal came tumbling down on their heads. “Hello, there,” she softly whispered to its occupant. She didn’t want to just grab the poor dear and scare her into scratching. “Sorry your home filled with all the water.”
Luckily, the cat treats were on a higher shelf, and in plastic bags - Nica grabbed a pouch and floated up to perch on the top of the shelves, near the section of ceiling Meggan was dismantling. "Try these," she suggested, laying the packet within reach. "And I'll do my best impersonation of a nice, warm sunbeam."
“Good idea,” Meggan praised. What cat in its right mind could turn down flopping around in some sunshine? She hoped this one wasn’t too frightened to be tempted into a luxurious beam. She shook a few treats into her palm, and then placed two of them down near the cat. It had briefly backed away, but then appeared torn.
There was some understandably wariness there, some curiosity, a dainty sniff; and then, yes, eating quickly. “Oh, you’re definitely hungry, and I wish we knew your name,” Meggan noted. At this angle, she couldn't read a collar. She would briefly start calling her Miss Calico Doe in her head until she found out the actual moniker for her. “Just a little closer, please,” she encouraged softly.
Nica sat still and quiet, letting Meggan do her thing and just focussing on warmth and light. C'mon kitty kitty, it's all safe here...
Meggan was able to scratch behind the ears as she got a bit closer. The cat gradually began to take an interest in the moving light and the warmth, even as she stole more treats from Meggan. The cat sniffed Meggan’s hand delicately, and then studied the area further below. Meggan moved back slightly, as she spotted the cat was preparing to make a leap from there to a nearby shelf.
Restraining herself from a gleeful squeal as the cat jumped down onto the shelf near her, Nica reached out slowly to let the cat sniff at her glowing hand. "There's a good kitty-cat," she murmured softly, as the cat decided she was safe and began rubbing its head against her hand, purring.
Meggan returned to the ground, grateful the poor thing hadn’t decided to continue on to another hiding place. She poured the remaining treats into her palm. “Would you like more?” She asked, when the cat looked her way expectantly once it heard the crinkle of the package. The treats were quickly accepted, and the purring increased in volume.
Nica took advantage of the treat scarfing to check the cat's collar for a name tag. "Bonita," she read aloud, and the cat looked up and chirped as if agreeing. "Well then, Bonita, let's get you out of here and back home, yes?" The bodega owners, Valentina and Tomas, lived in an apartment not too far away. "We don't have a carrier, but maybe we can find a box that isn't all soggy?" she continued, looking at Meggan as the cat climbed into her lap and curled up, making the most of the warmth being projected.
Meggan went to check. The first one was a bit too shallow to be of any use, but the next one looked like it might be helpful. The boxes beneath it had been ruined, but this one was just high enough that it was okay. “A former box of varieties of soups could work?” As she spoke, she was taking out the cans, and checking the depth.
"Perfect," Nica agreed from on top of the shelving. "Put my coat in the bottom to make it comfy? I don't really need it, it's just for show." She nodded towards the woolen duffle coat tossed carelessly over the counter. "And some treats so she doesn't jump out as soon as we put her in?"
Meggan smoothed out the coat, and then put a small trail of snacks to the box. As Bonita ate, she could only shrug. “That’s the best lure there could be!” She also put five more in the corner of the box, so the cat could have a good allotment of treats to occupy her while she was brought to her home. “Good girl, Bonita,” she praised when it looked like she was wasn’t going to be obstinate about getting in. She was just kneading the wool at the front, though.
Nica meanwhile had floated back down to the floor when Bonita had left her lap in favour of treats. "C'mon, kitty-kitty, she crooned, crouching next to the box and putting her warmly glowing hand inside to encourage the cat to climb all the way in. "There's a girl. Don't you want to go home?"
With a loud purr, Bonita followed the light the rest of the way inside the box, and got to work on the next treat she found. “Good girl,” Meggan cooed.
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