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[recollecters]

Greetings, Users. Our system may be experiencing some residual glitches from a recent network malfunction. Our technical team is working on getting these issues under control. Please direct any concerns in the meantime to the HR department at humanresources@retrospec.com. Our staff has furthermore noticed a significant increase in tags and trends for #aprilfools and #pranks. Keep on your toes and be certain to tag your best tricks for Retrospec™! Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. Any emails sent to the HR department will be returned with a failure to send notification, and will furthermore automatically be posted to the Retrospec network. Oops? Characters who have been in game for one month will find they can now change their profile pictures. Glitches will be in effect until the 15th and may include: -Usernames changing to a cat, dog, or bird pun. -The Retrospec application being changed into a neon color + animal theme of some variety. -Notifications going off at random and being unable to be turned off. -Various "special effects" crossing the screens when people comment. -Users having to beat a level of pac-man to access the application, and then being made to beat a new level every hour to keep using the application. -Thomas the Tank Engine memes being sent to users every hour for some reason. -Profile pictures being replaced by pictures of rabbits and easter eggs. -New creepy pasta stories appearing upon log-in, to be forwarded to someone before the app can continue to be used -Parental lock and auto-correct on cursing (i.e. fuck -> duck) -A parade of pixel Chocobos or dancing fruit scrolling across the screen after each comment posted

Comments

[appraiser]

Crowji Mochickuki i will pet every single head at the shelter to start my atonement!!!
Crowji Mochickuki maybe i can help with lunch time?
Crowji Mochickuki my pockets are going to smell like cat treats forever

[samuraisoul]

Mewbei Nyankōbō I am certain they would welcome you helping to feed them. They do like their lunch promptly.
Mewbei Nyankōbō But you must be careful not to miss a single cat's food! Who knows what they might do if they're forgotten?

[appraiser]

Crowji Mochickuki ━Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)━
Crowji Mochickuki i'm not even going to think about it
Crowji Mochickuki because it's not going to happen!!!
Crowji Mochickuki ...
Crowji Mochickuki to be on the safe side though, you'll help, won't you? please?

[samuraisoul]

Mewbei Nyankōbō Of course.
Mewbei Nyankōbō I'd never turn down someone in need.
Mewbei Nyankōbō And this is a very important matter, no?

[appraiser]

Crowji Mochickuki of course it is!
Crowji Mochickuki can i come by today?
Crowji Mochickuki have they had lunch yet today?

[ vaguely... handwaves it to be the afternoon i guess... ]

[samuraisoul]

Mewbei Nyankōbō They haven't!
Mewbei Nyankōbō You are welcome to come and pay tribute to our hungry felines.

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[appraiser]

Crowji Mochickuki i'll be there in 30!


[ -ish minutes, but he's there at the front desk looking around to see if Jubei or another shelter worker can take him to see the cats. ]

Mew~ bei~! It's Ryoji.

[samuraisoul]

['Mewbei' emerges from the back; there's a considerable amount of cat hair coating his work top but he's still smiling. Another day of work, and this is far from the worst kind of work to have, despite the occasionl sad days it brings.]

Hello, Ryoji. Are you here to pay homage to catkind?

[And of course he has to laugh quietly at that, shaking his head a fraction before turning back around.]

You're right on time. Come on through.

[appraiser]

That's why I'm here!

[ He pumps a dab of hand sanitizer from the bottle on the front desk and rubs the cool gel between the palms of his hands as he steps towards the back to follow Jubei. The smell of alcohol, however faint, always makes his nose wrinkle. ]

Oh- before I forget, I wanted to ask if you know much about taking care of young kittens?

[samuraisoul]

[Jūbei leads them through to the cat area, humming softly to himself until Ryoji asks the question. Nodding, he begins to pull out today's supplies as he says:]

Yes, of course. We have frequent litters come in too young... usually fosters will take them home in order to feed them as regularly as they need. [Some of the cats in their enclosures ovciously recognise the food Jūbei is pulling out; some are starting to pace.] After vet check-ups, of course. Very young kittens can be heartbreaking, sometimes, but we do what we can.

[He tilts his head, observing Ryoji quietly for a moment.]

Should I assume you or someone you know has found themselves with some?

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji's almost distracted by all the cats to pay attention to Jubei's words, but he forces his attention back while he takes some of the load from Jubei's arms. Different bags of cat food and measuring cups depending on how much food each cat needs, special diets and even pills for those cats who need them. ]

A friend, but he's taking care of the kittens until they're old enough to be separated from their mother. A shelter is a different environment... the mother isn't always in the picture to feed and nurture the very young.

[ Kittens are often brought to shelters on the verge of death, sick or weak, but they always do what they can. ]

I've never owned a cat, and I know that a kitten isn't the best idea for new owners, but at the very least I want to know about their needs.

[samuraisoul]

That's very responsible.

[He smiles, approving, before turning to some of the more sickly cats. Those with the special requirements have notes attached, making it easy enough to work out who needs what; Jūbei opens one to greet an old fellow with a croaky meow, whose ears he scratches briefly before sorting his food.]

Them having their mother makes all the difference, as you seem to already know... ah, easy there, old guy... what does your friend have in place already?

[appraiser]

I think he's taken care of kittens before, actually. But he's trying to find homes for them, and won't let them go to others until both sides are fully prepared.

[ The most responsible friend.

Ryoji also works off the notes to see what food each cat should get, measuring out the proper around and letting Jubei double check that it's correct before filling bowls and setting them down for the cats. Old cats especially, he really likes them. The way they don't mind having their fur smoothed down while they ate, unlike the younger cats who take his approaching hands for play things to pounce on. ]

I'm sure I'll be able to do a good job taking care of a cat, but there's also a matter of being home for them. I'd never want to leave my apartment, for wanting to always be there for them.

[samuraisoul]

It sounds like things are going very well already.

[That makes Jubei laugh quietly; not out of humour, but because he's endeared... and because he can hear himself in those words, in some ways.]

You don't need to worry; were you taking in a dog the amount of time you are at home would be a much bigger deal, but cats are very independent. You should of course make sure you spend time with your kitten, though I don't need to tell you that, hmm?

[He thinks he knows what to say to help here, too. Fussing over each of his charges in turn, Jubei sounds quite content in his work as he goes through the Kitten Problem. This is a good career, isn't it? Helping out souls in need, both pets and owners... his old job seems so far away in this moment.]

But they are quite happy to be alone for periods of time. Need their alone time, in fact. Even a young and overly energetic cat will have moments when they just want to be left to sleep, so leaving your apartment sometimes would in fact be good for them.

[appraiser]

That's good to hear. Cats nap much of the day, so alone time...

[ Alone time is something he's always been unsure of, with "alone" for him meaning uneasiness, a huge reason why he thought of getting an animal companion now that he's settled down in Recollé with no further plans to move away or travel. All he can hope is that the kitten would like him, and grow up comfortable enough to sleep in his room as its own little personal space in close proximity. ]

I do love dogs though, how they're always happy to be by your side. Sometimes I walk the neighbors' dogs, especially when it was cold out these last few months and not everybody wanted to be outside. How do you choose who to take home...?

[ Look at these cats, clambering over for their meals (he can pretend they're tripping over themselves because they're happy to see him). He's so fond already. ]

[samuraisoul]

[That earns another laugh, though afterwards Jubei shakes his head a little; ah, yes. This is an age old problem for him.]

With great difficulty... except for those rare, lovely moments when a pet and owner just click upon first meeting.

[Reaching one of his favourites now, a shy, older girl he has previously dubbed Shiori, Jubei sighs a little (though his smile does not shift). There is little room in the tiny place he lives in, and besides that his landlord has forbidden pets; on his current wage a bigger place with more options is simply impossible. There's nothing to be done, though. He's not giving up this job for anything.]

I only wish I could rehome several of the darlings here.

[appraiser]

[ Like love at first sight, a magical moment Ryoji's only ever seen in books or movies, but he wants to believe it can happen to him too. He loves easily and quickly, soft smiles for all the animals here even if they nip at him or crowd around to put their backs between him and their food, loving them just as much as he does the sweetest cats here, with nonstop purring motors. ]

I have... this silly dream, actually. That won't be able to happen for many years, so I haven't told anybody yet. But someday, I'd like to run something like Old Dog Haven, or the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary.

[samuraisoul]

That's not silly; I consider it a very kind dream.

[Perhaps it's the kind of thing Jubei should have thought of himself from the very beginning. Before getting involved in business, before making himself believe he could really make a difference on that scale; when he'd not known how naive he was.]

[Moving between the cats, latching onto a certain train of thought, Jubei turns his head briefly to look at his helper.]

You have a good heart, Ryoji.

[appraiser]

[ A good heart, a kind heart, Ryoji loves hearing that. Being told that his thoughts are in the right place. And so he beams, up at Jubei, and then down at the cage in front of him, extra tender as he coaxes a thin cat closer with flakes of fish. ]

...Thank you. I want to make it a reality, however silly my dreams are, because one may never come to be if everybody thinks that way.

[ The cat, enticed by the special treat of fish, starts eating, and Ryoji runs two fingers down the length of its back, thin enough to feel its spine, so that he stays here to make sure it finishes all of its food. ]

By the time I can make it happen, I'll be able to help make your dream a reality too and adopt all the older animals who might not otherwise find a home.