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[petrifiedshadow]

Is anyone here good at hunting? There is some sort of infestation of small cats in the garden, and we should really stop them before they cause problems. Plus I think we can all agree some fresh meat would be a nice change.

I've been trying to catch some but they keep hiding in places I can't reach. Some assistance would be appreciated.

Comments

[peridork]

Not my area of expertise. However, if it involves violence, you should consult Jasper. I can't say if she'll want to help if it involves things like "food", but this is kind of her specialty.

[petrifiedshadow]

I think she would have a similar problem. These cats are very good at getting into small spaces.

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[forwardmomentum]

[ miles looks VERY ALARMED ]

God, no! Starflight, they're not an infestation, they're -- cats are pets, not pests!

[petrifiedshadow]

I really don't see the difference. They're just going to be another drain on resources, plus who knows what damage they could do if they get loose on the ship.

I've read about humans keeping livestock as pets but at least that makes sense. Ensuring a dependable food source is available, and all that.

[forwardmomentum]

No, Starflight, you can't --

[ miles stops himself and draws in a sharp, steadying breath, pressing two fingers to his forehead. god, he can't believe he's having this conversation. if starflight kills all those kittens, ivan is going to be devastated. ]

Look -- I think there's some...cultural nuance you're missing here. You can't just kill cats. It's considered animal cruelty among most civilized societies. I don't think a drain on resources is going to be a problem with some tiny cats, and besides, there are already people with pets on board, so it's a moot point. Believe me, if you start killing all those little kittens, a lot of people on this ship are going to be upset. Have a little cultural sensitivity, for god's sake, Starflight.

[petrifiedshadow]

[ Starflight opens and closes his mouth in dumbfounded outrage.]

It's not like it's murder! They're not sentient! Cats are carnivores, which means if people are going to be feeding them from our supply of food, it's going to impact the other carnivores as well. Like ME. And the more pets people have on board, the bigger a problem this becomes. There are a lot of these cats, and I bet they're going to get bigger and need more food.

You want to argue about cultural sensitivity? On Pyrrhia, survival takes priority over everything else. The fact that there's a even a precedence for having animals on board is ridiculous. It's not like the rain forest where there's no shortage of resources.

[voice]

[hirotohero]

Infes- No, no, no! Don't eat them, they're pets!

[ Oh god he needs to find a box. Aunt Cass would kill him if he let a bunch of cats get eats. ]

[petrifiedshadow]

Animals aren't pets by default, and these cats don't have to be pets. It's not practical.

[hirotohero]

Just don't eat them! Just because people haven't adopted them doesn't mean they deserve to be eaten!

[ Do you hear that crashing sound? Hiro just dumped a bunch of stuff on the floor so he could use the box they were in. ]

Plus you're probably scaring them.

[petrifiedshadow]

I'm not saying they deserve to be eaten, it's just how nature works.

And it's not my fault they're scared. I'm a dragon, what do you expect?

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[seeingscarlet]

[why is she having to explain this what has her life become]

They're pets, not food! And they will help us keep warm.

[petrifiedshadow]

They're not big enough to generate any significant body heat or produce a significant amount of furs.
[ Chasing the kittens around the garden had helped him warm up but that was besides the point.]

It's not like anyone had claimed them. I don't see what makes these 'pets' by default as opposed to any other animal.

[seeingscarlet]

Where many of us are from, they have been pets for thousands of years. It is understood for us.

But if they are causing trouble, I can help you move them somewhere else. [She hasn't visited the garden much, but she's got a mental image of a bunch of pots in precarious places for cats to knock over.]

[video]

[lets_see_what_happens]

[Gregor's face flickers onto the feed, his tone level and extremely mild.]

Excuse me. I think they, er. Hatched off a tree in the garden, and I'd like to collect at least one or two of them as gifts but... I don't think hunting them down to eat them is going to be terribly popular among the rest of the crew. It's a cultural thing.

I'd be happy to come and help you gather them up, though, if they're causing damage or if they're underfoot. Just... let's put them into a carrier of some sort for now and figure out what to do with them later, how does that sound?

[petrifiedshadow]

[ Starflight is looking very sullen by the time he gets Gregor's message, tail lashing across the floor, but he's a little surprised at how calm Gregor is. Especially after all the grief he's gotten so far. ]

So I've gathered. Fine. If you all want to keep these kittens, be my guest, but I expect you to get all of them. I can help you track them down if need be.

[ He turns behind him where there is a gap between a shelf and the wall, black tongue flicking out as he sniffed the air meaningfully. ]

--> action?

[lets_see_what_happens]

[Gregor smiles, his voice warming a little, soothing.]

I'm sorry about that. I think everyone's a little on edge from the cold, and taking care of some kittens will give everybody who wants one a nice distraction, which we need right about now. I'll be right down.

[It doesn't take him long to get to the garden and he stops a respectful distance away when he realizes just how large Starflight is.]

Excuse me. [His voice is just as steady as ever, though.] I don't believe I got your name, before. I'm Greg.

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[whatdidisay]

don't touch them!! and don't eat them, why the hell would you do that?

[petrifiedshadow]

Why not? I'm a dragon, why wouldn't I hunt down perfectly good prey?

[whatdidisay]

because they're not prey they're pets. or they probably are, they came off of a tree. anyway, they don't-- you don't eat them. and i'm sort of responsible for them. probably. the tree was addressed to me.

( wait hang on )

you're a what

( please let him have read that wrong, please let him have read that wrong )

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[keelahselai]

[...Tali's just been nosily reading all of the reactions here.]

you know, when I first saw this, I didn't realise people were going to get so outraged...

Re: text;

[petrifiedshadow]

Me neither. Obviously, or I wouldn't have mentioned it.

You'd think people would be more concerned about small creatures suddenly appearing on the ship.

on my phone so no HTML sorry!

[keelahselai]

I knew there was that weird tree in the gardens, but this? ...don't trees bloom more than once?

[vengeance_driven]

I think you should just stop upsetting people and not eat the cats, ah? Cats aren't made for eating. [Except in certain places but that's beside the point.] They hunt too, kill tiny pests, and then sit in people's laps and make happy noises.

I know they are just prey for you. But it is not for them.

If anything, go find some sentient assholes and hunt them. Better chance they would have done something shitty to deserve it. Be sure they are terrible person first.

[petrifiedshadow]

Three Moons! I get it! I'm not going to eat the cats, even though they seem to fit the description of 'tiny pests' pretty well if you ask me.

And I'm NOT going to hunt down people just for being horrible. I'm not a murderer!

[vengeance_driven]

You have not met some of the horrible people I have. [He considers himself to be awful, but the truth is he's known much, much worse.] But I was more making a joke. It is okay to say every once in a while, "I am sorry I did not know this means so much to you, I did not mean offense." Is the way bad fights and bad feelings start sometimes.