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[credere]

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[magician_king]

"She's a beautiful cat."

He says, obligingly attentive, turning to look at her and making a sharp sound when she turns into his fingers, starts purring loudly.

"God." Animals are so... unconditional when they like you. It almost hurts.

[credere]

"I think he's a he," Credence says. "He doesn't like many people."

It makes him feel like a good cat-parent, that he likes Quentin.

[magician_king]

"Hey, have you had him neutered yet?"

He checks, glancing over at him.

"Newt or Alec could."

[credere]

"Oh. Um - no, I haven't. He never leaves my room, do you think he needs...?"

Because while he'd feel terrible about filling the ship with unwanted kittens, he doesn't want to subject Goldstein to a procedure he doesn't need.

[magician_king]

"Hmm."

He says, musing, but;

"One day you will leave here. You may not be able to get so safe a surgery where you end up."

[credere]

"...you're right." And he doesn't want Goldstein to have to suffer unnecessarily. "I'll talk to Mister Scamander."

[magician_king]

"Sorry bud. It's going to suck."

This to Goldstein, as he keeps scratching him.

"But Credence will take good care of you."

[credere]

Goldstein regards Quentin with mismatched eyes, then goes to sprawl over Credence's lap in a blatant display of favouritism.

"I should make sure he's supposed to be this big, as well."

He's never seen a Maine Coon before finding himself in ownership of one.

[magician_king]

"Yeah, maybe he's some kind of, alternate universe cat."

Agrees Quentin, feeling this adjustment is only fair enough, since he just arranged to get him castrated.

[credere]

"I'm just glad he never talked to me."

That would have made this ongoing arrangement...strange. At least this way, Credence can imagine he's in possession of a never-talking cat.

[magician_king]

"If he were purely sentient he'd probably have bit me."

He reasons, watching them.

"I like how you are with him. You're gentle."

[credere]

Credence watches the passage of his long, thin fingers through the cat's thick fur.

"He didn't choose to be here. Or to stay. I just want to make sure that he's happy."

He has a lot of affection to give and very few outlets for it that feel...safe.

[magician_king]

"It's good. It suits you. He's going to be a very happy cat."

Says Quentin, and then draws in a breath,

"So- do you have a minute to talk something through?"

[credere]

"I..."

Still feel a bit post-traumatic and delicate, but really, when does he not? Anyway, he's not busy by any definition.

"Yes, of course."

[magician_king]

"It's stupid, but since you're interested in dating, I thought I should probably tell you."

He says, and then makes a face;

"I had someone who I was picking just the right Christmas present for, too."

[credere]

"Oh."

These mortal concerns feel extremely distant, right now - though he's still grappling with the fact that The Other Credence and The Other Shiro were still close.

"Um. Who - sorry. I shouldn't ask."

[magician_king]

"I would've told you- except it didn't work out. It turned out he was already seeing someone else, which is really embarrassing."

He says- and sure enough, he finds himself flushing.

"Sometimes dating works out shitty, even though both of you want it to be okay. You have a good mope, then you pick yourself up and carry on. That's life. You just keep trying until it goes right."

[credere]

Credence's mind snags on the pronoun for a moment, but he recovers quickly.

"...I'm sorry it didn't go like you wanted it to."

[magician_king]

"Thanks."

He says, gamely.

"That's life, I guess. On an incredibly small prison ship."

[credere]

"...I made candy, for Shiro," he volunteers eventually. "And I bought her some gloves at port. I think she liked them."

[magician_king]

"Shiro's a sweetheart."

He says, perking up when he hears who it is.

"Or- she was when we knew each other, a couple of breaches ago. That's great, Credence. I hope you have a really nice time with this, and her."

[credere]

He nods.

"We have...a lot in common. Some of it's - bad things. But it means we understand each other."

[magician_king]

"I think it's really nice that you found each other."

He says, firmly, and goes to pour him a little more cocoa.

"This is a shitty place. We all deserve someone to talk to."

[credere]

Credence nods, and doesn't attempt to refuse another half-mugful.

"...I think your friend is...I think you would be a good, um. I don't know what you call it," he admits, awkwardly. Do they use different words?

[magician_king]

"Sometimes boyfriend, sometimes partner. Boyfriend skews a little younger, partner a little more deeply committed."

He says, very able to deal with semantics, less so with the way that makes his heart constrict.

"Thanks. It's- going to be fine, really. It is. You also get better at picking your heart back up, as time goes on."