[D7, MA] [D7, MA] Animal shelter on a chilly day (open)

[Bee Haw]

Bea had her shift at the animal shelter that afternoon.

Winter was a busy time. 17 to 19 degrees celsius! Humane officers were rescuing abandoned pets and other animals who were found outside during terrible wet weather conditions and placing them in shelters hoping they would be adopted.

She was currently wrapping a wet kitten in a towel to dry it off.

[Dapper Dog]

There are some shocked gasps and a commotion in the main lobby. A worker comes back to say in Amharic, “Hey Beatrice, can you come up front and speak with this American? I don’t feel confident with my English.”

“Think he’s American. He looks a little weird, and I think he’s an elite.”

[Bee Haw]

Bea hurried to the front and smiled brightly at the customer.

"Good afternoon. Are you here to adopt, or to sign up to foster? I can help you with the forms if you need."

[Dapper Dog]

Bea hurried to the front and smiled brightly at the customer.

"Good afternoon. Are you here to adopt, or to sign up to foster? I can help you with the forms if you need."

“Snowbunny, cute.”

He said, “Good, you speak English, so you got pets for sale or something? I am not sure if I am in the market, just kind of lookin’. What ‘s your selection like? You got like an online catalogue?”

[Bee Haw]

"We have created a page with video features on many of the animals here. The ones who have already been adopted are marked. The only ones not on the page are the newest ones."

It was a series of video clips with Bea and other volunteers showing off the animals. In the clips that Bea did, she chatted with the animal and gave a sense of their personality.

"EARS - Ethiopian Animal Rescue & Sanctuary - takes care of dogs, cats, rabbits, donkeys, and horses."

"Are you looking for a particular kind of animal? A particular kind of personality?"

[Dapper Dog]

“It’s not for me,” he said putting a cigarette to his lips and preparing to light it with a match.

“Bitches love animals right, if a dude got you one you’d like that right?” he asked. His dark skin was ebon-blue black and pulled tight over his bones and musculature, too tight. He was like a talk walking gaunt skeleton with meager skin and a nice suit.

[Bee Haw]

"Oh." Oh dear.

"Taking care of an animal is a serious responsibility and commitment. A person shouldn't take that on if they don't really intend to care for the animal for its expected lifetime themselves."

"Fostering is an option that could allow you to 'try out' caring for a particular type of animal, and ... see if the animal brought love into your life ... and see it returned if not. But you'd still have to pledge to care for the animal well. And I can promise you women are *only* attracted to men who take good care of any pets they have."

"It's a way to judge a person's heart. Their thoughtfulness. Their kindness. Their responsibility. Their ability to nurture. To be a future father.
Those are all very attractive qualities."

[Dapper Dog]

He lit up and took a deep drag, "Well look at me, I'm a dream boat." He grinned exposing blackened teeth and said, "You got a man, Snowbunny?"

[Bee Haw]

She took an obvious step back from the tobacco. Another forbidden intoxicant. She didn't want to breathe it.

(Nor sentence an animal to exposure to it. Though, in fairness, people who smoke could love and care for pets. None of the animals were specifically Mormon.)

"I ... uh ... no ... but..." Cough. Cough.

"I am so sorry. Could I ask you to not smoke near the animals? Many of them are recovering from injuries or exposure, and have delicate constitutions."

[Dapper Dog]

“Ah shit, my bad,” he said and put the cigarette out in his palm with a slight sizzle. “So, like fostering is like a temporary thing? Like borrowing a book from the library kind of shit? Cool.”

“Thoughtfulness huh,” he said, putting the unlit cigarette to his mouth, more so out of habit. “Well I’m here, why not show me your favorites and let Papa Samedi get a good look at you.”

[Bee Haw]

She smiled when he put out the cigarette. That was kind and respectful of him.

"It's nice to meet you Baron Samedi. I'm Bea. Come this way. We have a 'meet & greet' room. There was a door that she brought him through, open to the lobby. Inside there was a chair and table for him to wait at. A pile of toys animals enjoy. Little soft things. Little things that roll. Little things that dangle. Little things that squeak.

"I have an idea for you! The animal that shelters struggle most to place, poor things, are black cats. Some people are superstitious. Think they are unlucky. But they aren't!! They're beautiful and sweet. You have a vibe, Baron Samedi, an aesthetic. Maybe a black cat would fit right in?"

"That's from New Orleans, right? Are you from there? I'm from Oklahoma. I know it's to do with voodoo kind of stuff. A way to describe the powers you found when you emerged?" Hopefully not actual blasphemous dark magics. Just a way to make sense of powers he got. No one picked their powers. It just happened. And you had to find a name that helped people make sense of it, that helped you make sense of it.

"Anyway, I have a black cat who has waited longest to find a forever home. Foster isn't that. But it's a chance maybe. That you'll love him. Or introduce him to someone who will."

"Of course, if you'd rather a kitten, I have a black kitten also I could introduce you too."

"Or a dog, if you are more a dog person. Or a rabbit. I assume you would have said if you had stable for a horse or donkey."

[Dapper Dog]

He chuckled, “Samedi, Samedi Jackson; ain’t no baron and yeah I got the name from my grandmother, she was deep into Vodou and all that. I ain’t no spirit, ain’t no magic, just a beautiful man with a beautiful face.”

To emphasize he gave a black toothed smile, his dark blue-black skin pulling tight over his skull like countenance.

“Black cats huh? Old one huh, blacker the berry sweeter the juice. Let’s meet up,” he said. “So is this your thing, because you a long way from Oklahoma, what’s your story?” he asked.

[Bee Haw]

She looked a little relieved when he confirmed the name was from his grandmother. It was always good when a person was close to family, cloe enough to keep a name they gave. And when he confirmed it was just a name. He wasn't into evil magics himself.

She returned with a large one-eyed black cat. An animal who had clearly had harm in its past, but now looked clean and well cared for.

The cat - who thought of himself as Shadow's Fury - at first took a position in the corner of the room, huddled against the wall. Feeling the safety of the two walls behind him.

She talked gently to the cat. Clearly a two-way conversation, though there were no audible words.

And the cat took a few steps towards Samedi. Curious. HIs one eye large and bright.

"This fierce gentleman calls himself Shadow's Fury. He has had a hard life. Mostly on the streets where he fought many battles. He likes rest now. He accepts pets if approached respectfully. I think he thinks himself a bit the Baron that I mistakenly called you. Lord of all he surveys." She grinned.

"Yeah, I'm here at the Elite Academy at UNJE. Far from home. But this is starting to feel like a home, too! The contest is almost over. So we'll see what becomes of me. Beatrice Hawkins is my full name. Sometimes also called Bee Haw. Cause of my powers stuff."

[Dapper Dog]

“He’s a good-looking old cat,” he said. “Shadow’s Fury huh? Well if that’s your name, that’s your name. What’s your story huh? Probably a hard one. I know that’s right. Shit life ain’t easy for the beautiful ones like ourselves.”

“Bee Haw huh, so what’s your preferred name? None of that UNJE shit, who is you, and who you want to be?” he asked.

[Bee Haw]

Shadow's Fury approached tentatively and rubbed his cheek and flank against Samedi's leg. He knew a compliment when he heard it. Or at least the tone of it.

Bea picked up a dangly toy. A little fishing rod style thing.

Fury leaped for it enthusiastically, batting at it, and then caught the fish at the end under one paw and began biting through the string to free his prize. Too smart for the toy to last.

"Fury came into the shelter about three months ago. Animal control. He had a broken leg at that point, and ... some of his fur and skin was uh ... the word is de-gloved. He got hit by a car. It's been a long road of healing, helped greatly by an Elite who comes through and helps with bad healing situations if the wound is within the last day. But Shadow's Fury in great form now, as you can see."

She nodded to Samedi. "My friends just call me Bea." A smile said he counted in that group. "I'm hoping to get picked to be part of a UNJE junior league team. So I can help people! Protect and rescue. Failing that, something that lets me help people and animals."

"

[Dapper Dog]

“Alright, well how I do pack this bad boy up? I’ll take the Fury; what do I need to take care of a cat?” he responded.

[Bee Haw]

Bea turned excitedly to Fury, kneeling down at his level. They spoke without words. The cat purred loud as a motor. Purr. Purr. Purr. He rubbed against Samedi's other leg, scent-marking him as his own.

"There's a whole kit to help you!" She produced a thick folder of documents. "Most of this is in Amharic - so you can take the checklist of supplies to a pet store, and you can see the picture, and the worker can read the item description in Amharic. The supply list has the required elements - food, food dish, litter, litter box, litter scoop, and the nice to have items - bed, toys, etc."

"But the contract - we have that in a number of languages. I have the English one on top here. You have to know what you are committing to and make sure."

It included statements like:

Pet is to reside in a private residence as a companion animal. Pet may not be used for any other purpose.
Foster parent agrees to provide sufficient quantities of nutritious food and fresh water each day.
Foster parent agrees to never strike or harm the pet.
Foster parent agrees that EARS staff may visit residence, with advanced notice, to verify that pet is being cared for in accordance with this contract, or to introduce pet to a prospective permanent owner.
Foster period is set for one month. Foster period may be extended at the close of each month, or pet shall be adopted permanently, or returned to EARS.

There was a section on spaying/neutering and vaccinations. She made notes as to what was needed for a pet of Fury's estimated age.

"You want to establish a relationship with a local vet. There is a list of vets and addresses in the packet."

She smiled. "What kind of work do you do, Samedi? Do you live alone? You want to think about whether there will be someone to provide daily care. If you travel, you need to arrange a pet sitter or boarding. There is a list of pet sitters and boarders in the packet."

[Dapper Dog]

"Independent contractor, and I currently live alone. Can't I just take Fury with me, when I travel?" he asked.

[Bee Haw]

"Oh, yes, you could make arrangements to take him with you if you travel to places where pets are permitted, and there is a safe space for him, his food and water and litter. Many hotels permit pets. Extended stay hotels are particularly pet friendly if needed."

"And a safe way for him to travel with you. Check airport regulations ahead of time. There is specific sizing for carriers to take on the plane with you. They must fit under the seat in front of you, so it's often a pretty tight squeeze for a big cat like Fury. But for all I know you can fly and could just carry him."

"Change in environment can be stressful for cats. It can help to bring clothes that smell like you. Blankets or other bedding that the cat has been sleeping on. The more things that smell like both you and the cat that you put in your second home or hotel room or RV, the faster the cat will adjust. But don't discount the helpfulness of the cozy space of the carrier. Folks often think cats hate being in carriers - and they don't love it to be sure - but when you bring them into a new space, they like to be inside the carrier - their own safe cave, walls on every side but one, and then to explore at their own pace."

[Dapper Dog]

"I don't fly commercial," he said with a chuckle. "So change will stress my boy out?"