Magic Box, Thursday, 8/16

[life_inshadow]

So this was Tara's last shift in the Magic Box ever. She'd planned to spend it cleaning and reminiscing, but the Pine Sol-and-memories routine came to an abrupt halt when she read an email she'd gotten from housing at UC-Sunnydale that said the dorms' no-pets policy would not make an exception, even for what Tara assured them, with only a tiny bit

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[whenshewasnice]

There were a lot of last shifts going on. That was why Natalie was dropping by here, too. She wasn't thrilled with goodbyes, so this was more like checking in.

"Hey," she said, as she came in. Because she was talkative like that.

[life_inshadow]

"Hi," Tara said, with a vague little smile. "It's so weird this is my last day."

Which was apropos of nothing, of course, but Tara would have said it to anyone who walked in the door today.

Moxy meandered over to Natalie and rubbed against her legs for hello.

[whenshewasnice]

"That's going around right now," Natalie replied, mildly, as she reached down to give Moxy some scritches. It was practically mandatory. "Summer's almost over."

[life_inshadow]

"Yeah," Tara nodded. "Warren and Karla are back, so we're probably leaving, like ... Monday."

Wow, that was scary to say.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie raised her eyebrows at that, just a little bit, as she straightened up again.

"Not clinging to Fandom life as long as you can?" she asked. "Guess that makes sense."

[life_inshadow]

Tara shook her head, laughed a bit. "It feels like the last three months was the clinging," she said. "Anyhow, I have to stop at my dad's house to get some stuff before I go to Sunnydale, and ... I just don't see the point in dragging the goodbye part out. Just makes you feel worse."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, that's true." Natalie's voice may have hit a slightly more subdued tone, there, though it was gone as quickly as it came. She glanced down at Moxy again. "Have you packed already?"

[life_inshadow]

Tara nodded. "All except the stuff I'm going to need the next couple days," she said, then reached down to pat Moxy's head. "Well, and him, but that's ... kind of an issue."

[whenshewasnice]

That caught Natalie's interest. "Oh?"

She could actually guess what the issue may have been, yes. "New school not cat-friendly?"

[life_inshadow]

Tara shook her head. "I was ... kind of hoping he could be an exception? Like, a mascot cat? But they said no."

She bit at a thumbnail. "Probably it's too late not to live in the dorms."

[whenshewasnice]

"Probably," Natalie agreed with a vague little nod. "Cheap accomodation tends to fill up pretty quickly when students start moving into town, I think."

She glanced at Moxy again, then looked up. "So have you come up with a plan yet?"

[life_inshadow]

"No...." Tara admitted wistfully. "He, um ... likes you?"

Which was to say, she was coming up with a plan, but it was kind of a big favor to ask for.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, I guess he does."

... Wait.

She raised a mild eyebrow at Tara. Was she saying what Natalie thought she was saying?

[life_inshadow]

Tara fidgeted for a moment, but spat it out.

"Do you want a pet cat?" she asked, then corrected herself. "This pet cat. Not, like ... go to Everything But the Monkey and get a whole new cat."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie did not immediately say anything, though this should probably not surprise Tara. Natalie did not blurt things out all willy-nilly.

One more glance at the cat in question. "You think he'd be cool with that?"

[life_inshadow]

Tara shrugged. "You could ask him," she said, and stepped back to let Natalie do that.

(Moxy was a cat. All humans kind of looked alike to him, and he was reasonably fine with anyone who gave him food.)