14349/Hooked on a Feline

Hooked on a Feline
Date of Scene:	29 April 2022
Location:	Skye's Brownstone, Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Skye's cat has an important message to deliver.
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Barton), Quake

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Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Even agents from SHIELD require some time off. Ideally, for these two - namely Skye Johnson and Clint Barton - it would mean staying away from any computer/laptop and bow and arrows. Will they do that? NEVER.

Instead, their time off is spent browsing the dark net or crafting new arrowheads.

This is done at Skye's house, which is shared with the two house cats, Grant and Ward. Now, if you asked Clint which one is which, he'd probably just shrug and pretend not to know. Heck, he's not even sure if Skye - their official owner - even knows.

"They are reckless today," the archer notices as the cats start fighting over on the other couch. At least they are not fighting over the couch where he's trying to do some work on his drawing of new arrows. "When was the last time you cleaned their box?"

Quake has posed:
"Sometime.." Now, Skye was an okay pet owner. Partly because if she were, the cats have ways to protest. Smelly ways of protesting. Ahem. But she'd been so wrapped up in this Sarah Conner stuff she couldn't remember /when/ she had last cleaned out the boxes. "Isn't it your turn anyways?"

Then again, Clint had been unavailable these past few days on a secret mission.

She might have agreed to take his time while he was gone. Probably asked when she was up to her eyeballs in the dark web. Oooops?

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint stops what he's doing, sniffing. Then he shakes his head, nope, it doesn't smell bad. "Pretty certain I did it, hrm, two days ago." So the problem with the cats must be something else. And what can excite cats?

"And I sure didn't give them any catnip. Damn, I hope you didn't either. Last time, Grant, or was it Ward, peed on the couch."

As he speaks, the two cats jump from their couch over to the one where the archer is sitting, running along the back of the couch, chasing each other, using the coffee table as a jump board to return to their couch, all the way hissing.

"Damnit! Don't tell me they're possessed, again!"

Possessed cats are not that common, but for some reason, everytime the cats act crazy, Clint suggests they are inhabited by an evil spirit. Of course, he doesn't believe in that kind of crap, but it humours him.

Quake has posed:
Skye chuckles. "It was Grant. And he was pissed off at you, I believe. Wasn't it you who provided the cat nip as an apology?" Grant had peed only on Clint's side of the couch, where he played XBox. He liked Skye.

Looking up from her laptop she watched them.

"They're really going at it today. Must be spring."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint glances at Skye for a moment, frowning. Did he really give them cat nip? Ah well, maybe. "Well then, the apology wasn't accepted." Bloody cats.

Try as he may, the archer isn't even sure why Skye has the cats. One was a stowaway from a mission, but where did the other one come from? They aren't much trouble, so the cats remained. No matter that they hated him, Clint did not wish harm to the animals. As long as they did not pee on his side of the couch, or claim his side of the bed!

Just as he was about to resume working on his new arrowhead drawing, Grant jumps from the couch to the coffee table. As the cat visibly prepares to jump again on Clint's couch, the archer catches it mid-jump, holding it carefully - clawed, possibly possessed cats, can leave bloody marks!

"Damn it, Ward, or Grant. Whatever, get lost!" Clint's voice isn't raised, there's no need to shout, but eye contact is made. As the archer releases the cat on the floor, a small piece of paper drops on the carpet.

"Now what," Clint reaches for the piece of folded paper, unfolding it to reveal a message.

//Chuju - It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice. But the Black Cat catches bigger rats at night.//

"Chuju, that's for you," Clint says, as he hands Skye the message.

Quake has posed:
"I'm sure he already knew that. Face it, he likes me. And you are a rival for my attention. Simple as that." Skye gets up, and goes out into the kitchen to get the bag of treats. "I keep on telling you, since you don't live here anymore, and just visit, you've got to have give a peace offering. Especially to Grant."

*shake shake*

Great Skye. Shake the bag. The easiest way to get the treats is over the back of the couch.

"Probably nothing. Sometimes they like to play fetch." Well, Grant does. "Put it down, or toss it." But as she sits down he's reading the paper. "Huh? How the fuck does she keep getting into here?"

A teleporter, that's who. One who is sneakier than Wade.

Taking the note, she rereads it. "..Black Cats catches bigger rats at night? Is she telling us a clue, or an actual person called Black Cat."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
For now, the cats are all focused on their treats, living the agents in peace. This might last or turn into more mayhem. Hopefully, the cats will get high on their treats and then go have a cat nap!

"I have no clue how she did it," Clint says, sighing. The archer isn't too stressed about it, no more than Skye is, to notice that her Mother has - in some ways - gained access to the cats. Ergo, to the apartment. "Maybe they caught him when he was in the backyard," Clint suggests, although he's not certain of it. "I'd still suggest that the Trisk is more secure." But Skye had decided to remain in her apartment, and that is it. Besides, her Mother can access almost everywhere she wishes, so there's no real stopping her.

As for the message, it is quite mysterious. As many much Chinese riddles and proverbs can be. "A person, hrm. I think it would be a bit of an under achievement on from her part." Because, along with being able to access the most secure locations, her Mother is known for being brilliant, on the verge of the genius category. "I agree on the clue part. What about you search for "black cat" in New York? Maybe it's a rendez-vous point?"

Quake has posed:
"I keep telling you, the security here is as good as there." Ever since Clint was taken away from their bedroom, Fury upped it. Between the secure web access - which never touches SHIELD, the one way glass, and the boost of security (mostly because of Skye and her knowledge of secure upper level files). "If I'm not safe here, I'm not safe there. The Trisk isn't proof against teleporters."

That has to be how she was getting in.

"Grant doesn't have anything in or in him. But she must have a rapport.. well, whoever has a rapport with him." *click* "It's not her who is breaking in. Someone else who she trusts to leave her notes. And, damn, that person is good to avoid security once in here."

"Do you think.." Skye didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she was using 'black cat' as a search parameter in New York. "Could be."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint nods, agreeing with Skye. She's right, this place is secure and safe, at least against /normal/ threats. Her Mom definitely falls in a higher category all in herself.

"Yeah, maybe," he says, still not liking the idea of being vulnerable to intruders. Especially of the Mother-in-Law kind, or the closest to it anyway. "But you're right. Seriously, if she wanted to do something mean, she'd have done it already. To me, it means that she wants to /see/ you, meet and, well, and what remains to be seen."

On that, Clint frowns, now that worry creeps in. How could he stop her Mother from doing any harm to Skye? Glancing over to his girlfriend, a smile slowly appears on his face. Damn, she can hold her own, even against her mother. Nonetheless, he silently vows to be by her side and defend her if needed.

"Found anything on black cats? Legends, proverbs, but maybe a place with a big cat. Yeah, I think she means a location, with a black cat for us to play the mice."

Quake has posed:
"Probably. Either that or she is playing with words. I mean *playing* with words." Like fairy tales, or some such. However, Skye is going to try the easiest first. This is not the same as the first time when Skye looked for her; this time she wanted to be found.

"I've got a few that could be possible?"

Until the Crobsy Streeet Hotel.

It *reeked* of espionage and big money.

And it was fronted by a big black cat.

"Bingo. Did she say a day or time?" That would have been too easy. Still she showed Clint.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Curious, Clint leans over to look at the laptop's screen. A low whistle escapes his lips as he checks the website.

"Holy shit," he states, "This is a biiiiiig black cat! Woah, minimum rate for a night, one grand. Most expensive, 6 grand a night." He chuckles at that, "I'm with you, it reeks of espionage and big cashoula. I so can see your Mom there," he pauses, "And Stark."

He then reaches for the note, reading it again, then shakes his head.

"She only mentions /night/, as the best time for black cats to catch rats." And yeah, if they go there, they'll sure feel like rats. But what are the other options? "D'you think we should have a look at it? I mean, we could stay here and wait. But knowing your Mom, she won't like to wait. What do you think?"

Quake has posed:
And Elektra. And Emma Frost. But not Danny Rand. He might be of money, but you'd never know it!

"Maybe this is a treasure hunt?" Skye wouldn't have put it past her mom. "Whatever the next clue is, it will be at night." With luck it will be her mother.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Yeah, with luck - really? - it would be Skye's mom at the end of this charade. No matter what, with the intrusion of Skye's apartment, it's definitely something that must be taken care of. One way or another, it has to stop.

"Treasure hunt?" Clint repeats, a grin appearing on his face as he leans forward to place a neck kiss on her soft skin. "Hrm," he whispers, "Think I already found my treasure, here. Yeah, night sounds good." Pause. "But not tonight, cuz I have other plans for now."