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Catboy!AU: Cuddles are the Best Medicine, Part 3
[ooc: continued from here.]
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Joe doesn't like him. For a start Sid greets him by saying, "Marvelous," and if that's his name, well. Joe just stares blankly.
Secondly he has to keep at the forefront of his mind that there could be the possiblity of abuse here, so he can't be swayed by that look of relief on this Marvelous's face when they appear at his front door. And there's also the way he can't seem to resist giving Sid a quick once over despite the situation, unthinking like a reflex. Joe can't really like anyone who looks at Sid the way he looks at Sid; with want. A prickle runs down his spine, and he's thankful nobody can see the way his hair stands up on end beneath his shirt. It isn't entirely fair of him to get all territorial about this, not when things between him and Sid are... complicated. And especially not right now when he has a job to do! So Joe reminds himself calmly that yes, maybe Marvelous is exuding that faint but persistent human sex musk under his cloying aftershave (okay, it isn't really that cloying - living with a catperson there's no way he could lay it on too thickly without them likely having respiratory issues in response), but Sid not only isn't himself, he hasn't even seemed to notice Marvelous eyeing him up.
It's not important right now. Joe nods shortly as Sid introduces him and lets Sid handle all the talking. Of course it will be better to hear from this catperson - Don - himself his version of events, but Sid likes to scope out the situation as much as possible so that he's prepared. Especially since he won't be approaching Don straight away.
Sid then explains again to Marvelous the purpose of Joe's presence here, and Joe can feel the prickle of his fur rising up again as he waits for Marvelous's response. He hasn't been able to completely discard the natural instinct just because he's met a few nice humans at the clinic. Marvelous looks over at him, but Joe can't actually read his expression. It isn't outright disapproving, but perhaps he's just good at hiding that.
"Have you got a problem with it?" Joe asks, trying to sound blank instead of confrontational - that wouldn't help at all.
"No, I just don't know if he'll like it," Marvelous says. He does actually look quite concerned. Which just goes to show how little he actually knows about catpeople. Joe feels sorry for him, briefly, but it passes.
"I'll be careful," Joe promises. He shares a silent nod with Sid before entering the main room of the house properly on his own.
There's a golden-haired purebred sitting on the sofa with his foot propped up in front him, staring at him wide-eyed. Joe stuffs down all the potential ways he could judge Marvelous for having a purebred for further examination later on. Joe has grown up hearing plenty about purebreds, but he's never met one, and he's fairly sure none of the catpeople he was brought up with had either, so everything he's ever learnt about them could all be the stuff of rumours. And it could just as easily be true.
He hangs right back at first, leaving plenty of distance between himself and Don so as not to seem to be flagrantly invading his territory. Don's scent is all over the house - not that Joe is able to pinpoint it in every room, but the fact that his scent isn't restricted at all means he isn't either. Some catpeople in his experience have been confined to certain areas of the house, though that isn't always a sign of abuse, sometimes it's just a standing arrangement that works for everyone involved.
A minute or two is more than long enough for Don to catch his scent - he doesn't even need a full minute for that in reality. Joe moves towards him with a steady pace, not rushing. He thinks he can see Don trembling as he approaches, but if he is in fear of what might happen then Joe hesitating over this will only put it off longer. He knows his ears and tail are visibly held in non-threatening positions, too, which should help.
Joe glances briefly at Don's ankle, then takes a seat at one end of the sofa, leaving plenty of space between himself and Don. Between humans who don't know one another (or between humans and catpeople), initiating physical contact this quickly is an action limited to and only acceptable in very particular social situations. Between catpeople it's a different story. Joe has no concerns about bridging the gap between himself and Don by laying his tail across Don's thigh and letting it move back and forth lightly at the end.
Joe doesn't say things like, you can trust me, because if anyone is to believe that they don't need to be told it outright. He doesn't even introduce himself, or say anything yet. He just looks at Don openly as he gives Don a chance to decide what he'll make of this. It's fairly instinctive for catpeople to reach out for the comfort of another, but some really are too suspicious and have suffered too much mistreatment for that, and Joe doesn't like to make assumptions.
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Joe doesn't like him. For a start Sid greets him by saying, "Marvelous," and if that's his name, well. Joe just stares blankly.
Secondly he has to keep at the forefront of his mind that there could be the possiblity of abuse here, so he can't be swayed by that look of relief on this Marvelous's face when they appear at his front door. And there's also the way he can't seem to resist giving Sid a quick once over despite the situation, unthinking like a reflex. Joe can't really like anyone who looks at Sid the way he looks at Sid; with want. A prickle runs down his spine, and he's thankful nobody can see the way his hair stands up on end beneath his shirt. It isn't entirely fair of him to get all territorial about this, not when things between him and Sid are... complicated. And especially not right now when he has a job to do! So Joe reminds himself calmly that yes, maybe Marvelous is exuding that faint but persistent human sex musk under his cloying aftershave (okay, it isn't really that cloying - living with a catperson there's no way he could lay it on too thickly without them likely having respiratory issues in response), but Sid not only isn't himself, he hasn't even seemed to notice Marvelous eyeing him up.
It's not important right now. Joe nods shortly as Sid introduces him and lets Sid handle all the talking. Of course it will be better to hear from this catperson - Don - himself his version of events, but Sid likes to scope out the situation as much as possible so that he's prepared. Especially since he won't be approaching Don straight away.
Sid then explains again to Marvelous the purpose of Joe's presence here, and Joe can feel the prickle of his fur rising up again as he waits for Marvelous's response. He hasn't been able to completely discard the natural instinct just because he's met a few nice humans at the clinic. Marvelous looks over at him, but Joe can't actually read his expression. It isn't outright disapproving, but perhaps he's just good at hiding that.
"Have you got a problem with it?" Joe asks, trying to sound blank instead of confrontational - that wouldn't help at all.
"No, I just don't know if he'll like it," Marvelous says. He does actually look quite concerned. Which just goes to show how little he actually knows about catpeople. Joe feels sorry for him, briefly, but it passes.
"I'll be careful," Joe promises. He shares a silent nod with Sid before entering the main room of the house properly on his own.
There's a golden-haired purebred sitting on the sofa with his foot propped up in front him, staring at him wide-eyed. Joe stuffs down all the potential ways he could judge Marvelous for having a purebred for further examination later on. Joe has grown up hearing plenty about purebreds, but he's never met one, and he's fairly sure none of the catpeople he was brought up with had either, so everything he's ever learnt about them could all be the stuff of rumours. And it could just as easily be true.
He hangs right back at first, leaving plenty of distance between himself and Don so as not to seem to be flagrantly invading his territory. Don's scent is all over the house - not that Joe is able to pinpoint it in every room, but the fact that his scent isn't restricted at all means he isn't either. Some catpeople in his experience have been confined to certain areas of the house, though that isn't always a sign of abuse, sometimes it's just a standing arrangement that works for everyone involved.
A minute or two is more than long enough for Don to catch his scent - he doesn't even need a full minute for that in reality. Joe moves towards him with a steady pace, not rushing. He thinks he can see Don trembling as he approaches, but if he is in fear of what might happen then Joe hesitating over this will only put it off longer. He knows his ears and tail are visibly held in non-threatening positions, too, which should help.
Joe glances briefly at Don's ankle, then takes a seat at one end of the sofa, leaving plenty of space between himself and Don. Between humans who don't know one another (or between humans and catpeople), initiating physical contact this quickly is an action limited to and only acceptable in very particular social situations. Between catpeople it's a different story. Joe has no concerns about bridging the gap between himself and Don by laying his tail across Don's thigh and letting it move back and forth lightly at the end.
Joe doesn't say things like, you can trust me, because if anyone is to believe that they don't need to be told it outright. He doesn't even introduce himself, or say anything yet. He just looks at Don openly as he gives Don a chance to decide what he'll make of this. It's fairly instinctive for catpeople to reach out for the comfort of another, but some really are too suspicious and have suffered too much mistreatment for that, and Joe doesn't like to make assumptions.