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Post by Bri on Apr 18, 2024 23:00:01 GMT -6
As soon as she had hung up the phone with a very incessant Cedrick Ari left the animal shelter where she had been been putting in some extra hours and headed to his arcade, choosing to walk since the shelter wasn't too far away in her opinion. She straightened the strings of her hoodie then tightened up her pony tail before letting herself into the arcade through the door Cedrick had told her to come in through. She looked around the arcade with a slight frown, "Cedrick?" She called out, slowly taking a few more steps into the open space, feeling a little creeped out from how empty it was but she could image the second it opened up it would be an amazing hub of life and activity.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 19, 2024 0:04:08 GMT -6
Cedrick had almost caught the cat, but he had a feeling the little bugger was smarter than he gave him credit. He’d been able to get in and out of the cage, eating the food and even setting it off, without him inside. He called Ari to check on her, make sure she didn’t possibly die from the concussion, and then he spotted some orange fur stuck to the cage and was glad that he finally had proof. He waited in his office for her to show up, writing an email to his dad with updates on Lillianna and the arcade itself. “In here.” He called out when he heard his name coming from somewhere in the building.
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Post by Bri on Apr 19, 2024 0:44:35 GMT -6
Ari looked towards his office, wondering if he had carried the trapped critter in there, having not fully understood the conversation they'd had but to her it sounded like the trap had worked. She walked up to his office, pausing for a moment in the door way, feeling like she had to ask for permission first but...he'd basically given it to her by telling her where to find him. "So...we got the cat?" She asked, taking a couple steps into the room.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 19, 2024 11:34:12 GMT -6
Cedrick typed quickly on his computer, not looking up immediately when Ari showed up in his doorway. He was almost done, just needing to sign off and send the email, but stopped when she asked, “Unfortunately no,” he admitted, knowing if he had caught the creature, he’d taken it to her shelter, “I did get a bit of fur though.” He said proudly, holding up the tuff of orange hair, feeling the surge of needing proof and finding it fill his chest.
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Post by Bri on Apr 20, 2024 0:12:43 GMT -6
Ari stopped in front of the desk, a frown crossing her lips when he said no then held up the fur, which reminded her a bit of fluffed up yarn. She slowly took it from his finger tips, pursing her lips slightly, "okay...where did you find this?" She asked, "in the trap?" She asked, not quite buying this whole story but seeing something flicker in his eyes made her pause.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 20, 2024 16:25:28 GMT -6
“Yea, stuck in the trap,” Cedrick was one hundred percent sure it belonged to the orange creature he had seen luring about. “It had gone off, though I don’t know if it was trapped and he somehow got out, or he got lucky, and it snapped after he got out.” He was a little annoyed by that, the trap going off without its prisoner seemed like he was being laughed at.
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Post by Bri on Apr 20, 2024 20:44:58 GMT -6
Ari nodded slowly, trying to figure out how a cat could trick a trap like that, "is this the only fur you've found?" She asked, wondering if there were spots where there was more fur, if that was the case she might be able to find better spots to set more traps to catch the cat in time.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 20, 2024 23:24:39 GMT -6
“No, just the biggest amount of fur in one place.” Normally Cedrick found smaller piles here and there, floating around. He knew the cat was fluffy, so it wasn’t a shock to him that it shed, it just meant he’d have to keep the place extra clean. “There is good news.” He added with a bit of a smile, thinking at least one good thing came out of this cat loose in his arcade. “Found a dead mouse next to the trap.” Which meant the cat was keeping the place pest free. “Don’t know if the mouse is an offering or a trade for canned food.
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Post by Bri on Apr 21, 2024 1:33:53 GMT -6
"We should set the trap in that spot then," she said as she started to think of different way she could try to trap this cat, if there really was one in the first place. Besides the fur and this apparent dead mouse she didn't see any evidence of a stray cat calling this place home. She tried not to point out to Cedrick that the mouse could have died from natural causes, not wanting to bring down his confidence. She smiled back a little, "alright...maybe I should go get some more traps to set..."
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 21, 2024 17:02:34 GMT -6
“I’m telling you, he’s everywhere. I don’t think it matters where the trap goes.” Cedrick thought he knew every nook and cranny of this building, but the cat was winning. “Honestly don’t think a trap is going to work, he’s too smart.” He tapped his hands against his chin as he thought, though there wasn’t anything he could think of other than setting out traps and hoping for the best.
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Post by Bri on Apr 21, 2024 19:13:06 GMT -6
Ari frowned, hand drifting up and tightening her pony tail a little as she tried to think of a solution. "Well if traps aren't working what are we going to do? I don't think it would be a very good look if I stalked through this place with a net." She partially joked, having to do that in the past, but usually that was with hard to catch dogs, not cats.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 23, 2024 12:10:39 GMT -6
Cedrick thought she might look liked Elmer Fudd walking around with a net instead of a gun, and couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from curling up at it. “I mean, we aren’t open yet, you are welcome to do so now.” They had another week before opening day, at which point, he was at a loss. “But if we can’t catch him, I think he’ll just live here. Forever. Especially if he pays his rent in dead mice.” or whatever else he was hiding in this building, it was an old warehouse before.
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Post by Bri on Apr 23, 2024 22:12:27 GMT -6
Ari pursed her lips, she'd have to try something to get this cat. "Well, I want to try everything to get it," she said, not wanting to add in the if in regards to whether a cat really was here or not, "at least that way if I get it I can make sure that its healthy, even if the cats a master at catching mice it can't live off of them forever." She said with a bit of worry entering her voice.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 24, 2024 10:52:23 GMT -6
Cedrick thought about what she said, that the cat wasn’t going to be able to live off mice forever. It had come to the canned food, though he wasn’t sure how quickly it had. “I’ll set food and water aside somewhere in the back, maybe catch him while eating.” He wasn’t hopeful, but maybe he’d be able to get a picture of the dang thing so people would believe him.
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Post by Bri on Apr 24, 2024 17:30:05 GMT -6
"That could work." Ari said with pursed lips, instantly thinking about those box traps on tv where a cardboard box was propped up with a stick connected to a rope that would be pulled to trap them. She had a feeling they weren't very affective. "I'll held back to the shelter and see what I can get to set up these traps." She told him, making a list in her head of what she would need, not realizing that her stomach growled.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 24, 2024 19:29:09 GMT -6
Cedrick finished what he was working on and stood up. “I’ll at least show you where the trap was, I didn’t move anything. Other than the tuft of hair.” he informed her, heading out of his office and towards the back storage area. “I don’t know how he’s able to move around without getting caught, but he clearly knows this place well.” He added with a small chuckle, coming to a stop where the trap was. The food was empty, the cage tripped, though it was missing the dead mouse that he had taken care of already.
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Post by Bri on Apr 24, 2024 22:57:55 GMT -6
Ari looked up at him, "okay," as she followed him through the arcade to where the trap was she searched the area with her eyes, looking for any sign of a cat. She tried not to show the disappointment on her face when she didn't see anything that could support there being any cat in the area. She crouched down in front of the trap, picking it up and looking at it from different angles but couldn't figure out what went wrong. With a shake of her head she stood up, "it must have jammed or something."
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 25, 2024 14:18:49 GMT -6
Cedrick shrugged, crossing his arms as he thought, “Or the cat is really smart, who knows.” He had a feeling if they left any traps around, they would end up just like this one. Food gone, and the trap set off, but no animal inside. He turned towards her and looked over her head once more through narrowed eyes. “How’s your head.” It didn’t sound like he was asking, but he could tell by the way she was acting, talking, walking, that nothing permanent had happened, but he also knew head injuries could be silent and still kill you.
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Post by Bri on Apr 25, 2024 20:53:42 GMT -6
"Well I want to find out." Ari said, more to herself than to him as she tried to think about how she could catch this critter, at first not hearing his question. "Hm?" She turned to look at him, hand drifting up to the spot to where she had hit her head, "it's fine, I had a little bit of a head ache the day after but so far I've been alright." Ari told him with a little smile.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 26, 2024 18:31:27 GMT -6
Cedrick watched her carefully, noting she had seemed not to hear him, and yet was able to answer anyways. "Glad to hear," he figured she was the type to not want to fussed over it, at least by someone she barely knew. "So, do you have a net or do we need to go get one?" He asked, hoping she had brought it with her, because he hoped to catch the cat before opening.
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Post by Bri on Apr 27, 2024 16:21:42 GMT -6
"Yeah, me too, I can't afford to be out of commission." She joked, having too much to handle just at home with the animals, then there was regular household chores, the girls, the shelter, she could only imagine the domino affect there would be if she couldn't work for even a day. She didn't think he seriously cared about her wellbeing, that he was just being polite, she wasn't used to other people caring about her in such a way, even when he parents were alive they rarely checked in on her, trusting that she was doing well away from home an d was being their 'perfect' daughter. "Uh," she grimaced a little, "I'll have to head back to the shelter and get it, I just walked over here as soon as I got your call." She was also impulsive, a trait that she couldn't seem to get control of no matter how hard she tried.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 27, 2024 17:30:06 GMT -6
Cedrick opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it, not sure what he was trying to say, but it didn't sound good in his head. "You walked here?" He asked, not realizing why it had taken her longer than he thought to show up, though it wasn't like he didn't walk almost everything back home in Vegas.
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Post by Bri on Apr 27, 2024 18:02:14 GMT -6
Ari frowned a little, catching how it seemed like he had wanted to speak then thought better of it. She wasn't going to push him on it, if it was important he would have said it. She tucked a stray hair that had worked itself free from her pony tail behind her ear. "I did, when you said that you found something I just wanted to get here and I figured fresh air would do me some good." She said with a slight smile though she realized it probably hadn't been her most professional idea but in a small town like this it was easy to get comfortable, hell she sometimes saw pizza being delivered by a walking delivery boy instead of driven, it just seemed normal but she realized to someone that wasn't from here it might not be the best look.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 27, 2024 20:19:21 GMT -6
Cedrick shrugged, guessing she didn't mind the cold, "Well, I don't know if you want to go back and grab whatever supplies to try and trap this cat." He figured she might want to grab traps or maybe some other kind of food that might really attract the orange phantom that haunted his arcade.
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Post by Bri on Apr 27, 2024 22:19:40 GMT -6
"I should go back and get some supplies," she told him, reminding herself of the limited time frame they had to find the possible cat. "I'll be quick but I might stop and get something to eat first," she frowned a little at the hunger pains that were starting to register...had she had breakfast? Probably not, she didn't remember eating anything, she just got out of bed and got ready for the day.
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 27, 2024 23:30:09 GMT -6
"No worries, I really don't think he's leaving." Cedrick would admit, even if he caught the cat, he'd just bring him back here, make him the Pit boss of the arcade. It would draw a crowd, people would want to come see him, "Have you had the bagel sandwiches from the Suriel Tea Café?" they should be open, and those sandwiches were so good, freshly made that morning.
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Post by Bri on Apr 28, 2024 18:01:57 GMT -6
"True, he hasn't left all this time so why would he now," she said thoughtfully, "though it leaves me to wonder if he has a secret way outside or uh...what he's using as a litter box." She grimaced a little, hoping the beast wasn't causing too much damage and though she wanted evidence of his existence she didn't really want to stumble upon a pile of poo or an area soaked in urine. "Oh, no I haven't," Ari shook her head, "I've thought about going there but I haven't gotten around to it."
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 28, 2024 18:22:10 GMT -6
"I hadn't thought about that, we haven't found anything that would suggest being his litterbox," But that didn't mean he had a spot even the construction workers hadn't found, but he was confident they had scoured this whole site completely. "Well, you should stop by there today then, for breakfast." he informed her, though not going into detail as to why, he didn't want to hype something up that ended up not working out for her.
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Post by Bri on Apr 28, 2024 19:03:07 GMT -6
Ari grimaced, she couldn't say if that was a good or bad thing because either it meant he had a really secret spot or there was some kind of hole in the building that could cause more issues than just letting a stray cat in and out. She considered stopping at the place he had recommended, she could probably grab something on the way. Ari looked up at Cedrick, not stopping herself from speaking, "did you eat today?"
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Post by Kiersten on Apr 28, 2024 20:14:30 GMT -6
"Well, guess I'll be purchasing a litterbox," Cedrick chuckled, even if he didn't catch the cat, to help prevent him from causing more damage by having a secret spot he went, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do if there was a hole to the outside, knowing other things could get in, like that mouse that he'd found dead next to the trap. "I had coffee and oatmeal." He knew it wasn't the biggest meal, he often wasn't able to eat anything when he first woke up.
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