Empress of Mars: Undisputed @zebratron2084@awoo.space

@001zlnv Yeah. Shadow is just a douchebag. She even pledged a fraternity in college.

*edges towards the door*

Mu Mu Mu.

*BOLTS*

Starting work three hours late, didn't have time to grab lunch, am switching back to the HARD part of my job unexpectedly, got a rotten last night's sleep because I had to play Catttris with Shadow sharing our bed, acid reflux is too bad for a caffeine binge...

Only one thing can save me.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUcslf67k-LQkGwcVpB4lt5fj5qkFinEb

Sugarfoot is mystified by why she can't come in, Mom can't come out, and for that matter, why Mom has that bizarre alien artifact around her neck. You can practically hear "Space Oddity*" playing in the background of this image.

*NO CAT PUNS PLZ. You know damn well you were gonna post "Space Meowddity" or something.

=(>).(<)=

"Oh it must be terrible for you living in a red state, how do you deal with all the rampant homophobia?"

(This is our regular barista. He's... he's so gay, there's no other way to put it.)

@001zlnv Yeah, pretty much. And it's better now--when he was down here, it was in the middle of a yellow fever epidemic. :p

@anthracite rar my shift is almost over come save me from this adorable cat plz

"It is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes than to own the whole state of Ohio." -- Lafcadio Hearn, on New Orleans

@Austin_Dern Now, conversely, I do suspect I've got some kind of all-time record for false positives, because my friends on Taps were _constantly_ giggling about getting mistaken for me every time they stepped outside with any remotely weird latexy, synthetic, or futuristic alt. I used to have such a strong brand identity. :D

@Austin_Dern Oh god, I had so many tells on TapestriesMUCK that I wish I didn't have. >___< There was one member of the FurryMUCK wizcore I used to be really close to back in the day, and DAMNED if they couldn't spot me from any given sentence...

incidentally: waaaaaaaaaaaugh :)

I've been dreaming obsessively of dispensaries AGAIN. Last night it was a half-abandoned mall. I'm not even sure what state it was supposed to be in, but it was like the utterly cored-out dead mall in my hometown... except that instead of a shitty culty megachurch being the only remaining sign of life there, the only thriving businesses were a bunch of weed shops that had just moved in.

They were all ultra-sketchy and had lines 20-minutes long, but had THOUSANDS of strains in neat little dot-matrix printed catalogs, and nothing was above $70.

I'm gonna fuckin cry. I hate Louisiana (even if I am kinda grudgingly coming to love New Orleans), I hate Republicans, and I want our piece of shit DINO gateway-drug-believin' boomer fucknard governor to die of something curable with cannabinoids. >____<

@Thaminga Yeah, honestly, all Team Cat and Team Raccoon jokes aside, I love dogs too. Dogs are sweet and helpful and wonderful friends, and I am always super-kind to them but I would never want to "own" one. As Peg and I keep putting it to each other, having a dog is like raising a child, but having a cat is like having a roommate.

I really _like_ that Shadow, Sugarfoot, and Shemp's lives don't revolve around us. I _like_ that they've got their own agendas and their own secrets and sometimes they deign to involve us in them. I _like_ that they totally ignore us when we call for them. They remind me of me. :D

Did I ever tell y'all the story of my first time in a cat cafe? It was like a minor religious awakening, the moment I realized, "Yeah. I picked the right furry team. THESE ARE MY PEOPLE."

Peg and I were there to just study and chill. Everyone else seemed to be there hoping for a CAT EXPERIENCE. They were very disappointed when getting right up in the residents' faces with feathers and toys got _zero_ reaction from them. And every time I saw it happen, I made a point of whispering to that cat: "I... I love you. You are perfect. Never, ever change for us."

I learned a very important lesson that day about not giving a shit what other people demand from me unless they meet me on my terms. I have been so grateful to the cats of Meowtropolitan ever since.

also i can now join the chorus of catlovers saying everyone in human history who has ever said cats only think of themselves and don't really love their human friends is full of shit and can go soak their heads in a bucket of kitten drool

she just says it in cat is all, a language i of course am a natural at from living with a grouchy tigress, and 200 noseboops later i am one of the faithful

Having Shadow around has even been good for Noelle, who for those of you who haven't met her, is my sweet-as-southern-tea unicorn aspect, a proto-MLP who's been with me since I was like 14.

Noelle took some serious damage in the explosion of Transliminal Station and my exile from Seattle, and had effectively been comatose for the most part.

But having someone to care for (aside from Peggy who is largely self-maintaining and has SO MANY MORE HIT DICE AND ARMOR LEVELS than me) has awakened what is basically my Inner Fluttershy and she's been coming to the forefront for the first time in several years.

Please, please Shadow, don't break our hearts. Heal fast and have a wonderful long life.

shadow is kneading me while i try to play video games and i just love her so much ;____;

nbbbbbbbbbbbb jhnc rttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttdfcxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(oh bast that last part was her <3 <3 <3 <3 <3)

But all kidding aside, given how much of a worrywart i am, there's something godawful and raw about having another vulnerable living being to care about.

It was a fucking nightmare-blessing, for instance, when my aunt and stepsister had their kids. MONTHS of sitting up fretting over babies I hardly ever even saw in person.

And now I have this stupid lovable cat. And her two stupid lovable kids. And an overwhelming awareness of how little I know about how to take care of them, and how limited our resources could get.

And the idea that we could fuck something up and let them get hurt or worse is gnawing on me constantly. Just a little gnaw in the background, often overshadowed by the joy of having the little purrballs around.

But I didn't ask for this, and I tell Shadow almost every day: you chose US. We're gonna do the best we can for you. But you're gonna break our hearts someday, aren't ya, little charmer.

am taking over kittysitting duties from peg

shadow has been very patient but also subdued and dare i say it a little morose

this will probably be easier than catsitting her when the cone was off, except that the poignance might just break my heart

i have opened up the front inner door so she can at least look outside and the sense of betrayal from not having opened the outer door is palpable

@LexYeen@snouts.online Pitchez le cochon!</French_knight>

dont worry doomed humans we promise when youre gone we will take care of your cats and several of your dogs ​

grr hiss froth bite hate

die off and let raccoons have our day

we couldn't possibly do any worse

@anthracite Do any of the local universities have a decent nanomaterials lab? I need them to make me a violin... >8-D