Empress of Mars: Undisputed @zebratron2084@awoo.space

@Balina i confess i faved this purely on the basis of the cw before even opening the toot but i feel it didn't really affect the outcome much

@anthracite It really wasn't your fault, babe, sorry I stressed out at you. I knew she couldn't have gotten *too* far and I should've figured it wouldn't take much to bribe her!

I figure the fact we also accidentally left the back door wide open during the whole thing is pretty good evidence we shouldn't feel guilty about the evictions, either -- they had every chance to come back in and there were no takers!

@001zlnv peg's little pair of costume bat wings already learned 12 the hard way, thanks a LOT arthur XD

@chimerror yeah well

you're just lucky i moved to new orleans, sister

*powernaps under a papaya tree* 🐯​

@JulieSqveakaroo We can. We're in NO HURRY. At least give us a few weeks to frantically google "how the hell do i care for these freaking cats" XD

@001zlnv @JulieSqveakaroo Luckily they are in my studio, which is really minimal in terms of furniture. Not much to clean up and not many places they can get in trouble, though thank you for reminding me that the gap under the closet door is another place @anthracite and I need to kitten-proof!

things have been quiet today, out of spoons and only started my "day" job an hour ago

kittens are doing fine, the enormity of the fact they'll probably be in my room until like March or April is still slowly hitting me

sugarfoot you better know what the fuck you're doing because i sure don't. the urge to helicopter-parent and strain at every possible thing i could be doing to endanger them is already hitting me.

just breathe, large cat, it'll be okay.

@Oneironott cripes i miss the wind-up mousedoll princess i used to play on puzzlebox...

(Ah. Her Majesty says "Don't worry, the cats on My side of the veil can talk, and can therefore be easily bribed. There are lasting treaties and recurring festivities." What a relief.)

Sugarfoot and the two micropanthers are doing fine. They're peeping a little now and then but they don't seem distressed and they're already pretty rambunctious. Despite all my biggest anxieties things look like they're going great for all so far, Bast permit.

Oh dear speaking of goddesses i wonder how Antler Mom feels about being surrounded by Cat Vibes all day? I should do something nice for her, kinda smooth things over.

okay now we have EIGHT cats

nope, sugarfoot seems to be done dropping kittens

peebles showed back up after three days missing in action

i'm so happy but fuck that is a lot of cats

if y'all are not averse i think we will DEFINITELY be considering a donation drive for spayings, kitten supplies, and maybe some help setting things up so at least some of these cats can Live Here for real

the one part of being a good cat mom friend i am totally not getting is the "let them have their privacy" part. can't help peeking in and fretting over 'em.

@spacewastrel@yiff.life Yup. *hug*

@kistaro There's a TNR program but we were really holding out for a vet, 'cause these guys... aren't our cats, but they're not not our cats, and we weren't sure if a TNR program would handle them with the kid gloves we'd prefer, or by relied upon not to release them elsewhere or something, I was just getting the focus together to resume doing the research today... and then bang, mew. :)

hahaha omg i just realized

after a few weeks of being in my studio room, nursing her kids

there is absolutely no fucking way sugarfoot will ever be persuaded that she does not live here

sigh dammit peggy call the realty company and say we need to add someone to the lease

@balinares Oh! Since you were kind enough to ask in the first place, I should give you an encouraging update -- the reasons I did not pursue a therapist before were mostly related to health insurance nonsense. (America, I know, right?)

But my employer's open enrollment period starts in a couple of weeks, and there's at least a _chance_ I can make all these bureaucratic problems go away just by switching to a better, hopefully also cheaper, plan. No guarantee until they send us this year's plan documents, but there's a chance!

Thanks again for caring, hun. <3 I do owe you a good live chat in whatever medium, sometime soon.

it's weird and it says a lot about me... as i sit here stoned and reflective... that every time something beautiful and precious comes into my life, my thoughts turn first and foremost to HARROWING THOUGHTS OF DEATH AND LOSS.

Probably trauma from losing my dad so young. I dunno. I've been braced for another hammer blow out of nowhere since I was age 12.

So yeah, the kittens have me all reflective. Peg's playing with the other cats in the next room -- and holding goofy conversations -- and cruelly reminding me of all the reasons I'm so lucky and grateful to have her. And all I can think about is how much it's gonna suck to lose any part of it.

I am the worst worst worst Buddhist. (Luckily I am a tiger and thus all the Dharma _really_ expects out of me is to maul the occasional strawberry-thievin' Zen monk.)

Anyhow yeah in summary i really really really should have gotten more aerobic exercise in the last 45 years and i really hope i don't keel over and I should really get back on seeing a shrink about this stuff as soon as COVID and my insurance are straightened out... :p

i have been so focused on all the things that could go wrong that i never thought about what a blessing this could turn out to be

i mean

kittens

i have never had a kitten before. never really even had a cat. (i still keep telling myself this doesn't count...)

also yup i have been wondering for several minutes if that peeping sound i had been hearing was them or the birds outside, but i'm pretty sure the twins just got their first line of dialogue

you're still gettin' paid scale, kids 😼​

@mawr It's not an easy task for the soff. *hug* It makes your bravery in these matters that much more meaningful. Thank you for all you do. <3

(sugarfoot, not shadow, in the above post -- thankfully peg gave shadow a cursory belly exam and, well, if she's pregnant too she's not nearly as far along **sigh** )