"Oh shit. More goodies!" For how skeptical Domino has been about the intentions of this Verai guy, she sure won't turn down free stuff. Plus, he seems like a decent enough dude! And are all the snacks she ate affecting her opinion? Maybe just a little.

"Alright, Bart. Get yourself a collar. Your choice!" She smirks at her Mew, watching as Bart tilts his head and floats towards the box with the endless curiosity of... well, a cat. Psychic Pokémon as he is, telekinesis is used to pull out a few options: pink, green, purple, and black. "Oh, those are all pretty different, huh? Which one do you think suits you best?"

Amused, Domino leaves the choice entirely up to her Pokémon, and lo and behold, he picks the scary black collar with a triangle tag — complete with over a dozen spikes. Bart holds it up, triumphant, letting the other three collars fall back into the box.

<'Mew!'>

"Damn, that's a pretty badass one, huh? You sure that's what you want?"

<'MEW!'>

"Ha! Alright, alright. I guess it does match your burning bandana. Give it here so I can put it on you."

Regardless of how much of a badass the Mew may think himself to be, it's gently that he places the collar in Domino's hands. She smiles at him, and with all the care in the world, she puts the collar around the Mew's neck — right over the bandana he wears. Thankfully, the spikes don't seem to actually be sharp and be more of a decoration than anything, like the kind that go on leather jackets.

"Look at you! Such a badass. You know... spiky collar, burning bandana... people might start thinking you're in a biker gang, Bartholomew." Domino smirks at this thought, laughing with her Pokémon.

Verai held the box of collars out to Yggy, listening as she explained the problem. "Hmm... The thing with cats- with anyone- is that you cannot force affection. And not everyone has the same tolerance. Rose might be okay with you hugging her suddenly, but I don't think I'd be as comfortable." Verai explained, voice patient. "With cats, though, what you need to do is get yourself associated with things that are good- be the one to bring him food, when he gets fed, and sit at a short distance when he's eating- and to also... not force yourself on him." He looked at Yggy, and Kitkat- who seemed plenty fine with the young woman. "Make yourself available, and don't push him away when he shows you affection. He might never be a lapcat- But at the very least, he should like sitting in the same room as you, if you give him a chance."

That said, he offered the box of collars again. "Take as many as you need." His eyes drifted to the meowth, and he gave a short laugh. "You can check the collar by sliding two fingers under it- it should be snug like that. If it's too loose even with your fingers, your cat can easily slip it. If you can't get both fingers underneath, it's too tight." He looked Kitkat over, and gave a nod. "She's just being dramatic- Which is all cats' way, I think."

Verai moved back to the front, and looked over his ragtag students. "There's one final thing- A lot of cat misbehavior can be solved by simply playing with them. For our pokemon, battling is a good way- if they like it- but additionally, and for real cats, they need to have something to do. Some cats prefer independent play, while others want to interact. Find what works best for you, and your cat, and nothing can stop you."

He gestured at the side of the once-antiques store, where several soft blankets had been laid out, a myriad of cat toys sprinkled over the cloth. The lecturing was over- The rest of the class was allocated to free study.

Instructions

• Find a toy for your cat
• Let your cat play with the other cats

Buzzster Hooperham Rose Garden Yggy Br00ks Domino

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• Once everyone has posted, I'll turn in the thread for prizes!
• There is no posting order.

Clarifications

• What kind of cat toy?
♦ Anything a cat could play with! Fuzzy mice, catnip bananas, jingly balls, string, bottle caps, dried leaves, fossilized snack, another cat's tail, a bug, etc!

Verai had turned his attention to the little play area, with Kitten and Sprigatito having launched themselves there and engaged in Violence. He watched them a moment, certain that no one was actually going to get hurt. He watched Sneee, laughing a bit at how the pokemon also seemed to beeline for what he wanted.

Verai heard Zac approach, and turned- ears flicking a bit preemptively. And while he was called on it- Buzzster seemed anything but offended. He seemed... truly grateful. Berai felt himself relax a bit. This had been the whole point, hadn't it? To help people get closer to the cats- or pokemon- they filled their life with? "... of course, Buzzster," He started, formal as ever-

Until Zac presented flowers, honest to goodness real flowers. Verai blinked, clearly taken aback by their sudden appearance. Buzzster had not been holding them before. "I-" He took them, feeling how real and alive they were- the soft brush of petals, the delicate smell.

When had someone given him flowers before?

"... thank you, Buzzster." He said, fave almost a bit flushed.