1 x 1 with Tigermeow

[Boomer]

Alessa nodded a little as she sat back down. The girl slowly laid down to rest. "Okay..." she said slowly, not minding the idea of chicken for dinner. It wasn't like she would object either way. Alessa shut her eyes and drifted into a light sleep; she needed some time for the drug to wear off more. Alessa was curled into a ball with Scarlett in her arms.

[Tigme]

Catherine went to the kitchen, glancing back as Alessa fell back to sleep. They took the chicken out from the fridge, as well as the other needed ingredients to begin cooking. They weren't an amazing chef, but they still tried hard to make the food at least edible. About half an hour, Catherine was just about finished with the chicken, flipping it over in the pan to brown the other side.

[Boomer]

Alessa woke up to the scent of the chicken. Now much more awake, Alessa sat up and got off the couch with ease. She slowly wandered into the kitchen and stood by the table. The scent enticed her as Alessa's stomach growled once more. The pup sat in her chair and patiently waited. Alessa was starting to feel more comfortable around Catherine.

[Tigme]

Catherine looked over as Alessa entered the kitchen. She must've smelled the chicken, "Just a few more minutes left," They informed her. They hadn't planned out well how long everything would take, so the side was already on the plates as they waited for the chicken to finish cooking. Luckily for them, the pup did seem patient, a virtue they were sure would become useful in the future.

[Boomer]

"I understand..." she said softly, giving a nod to them. Alessa might've had to wait days for scraps of food; she could certainly wait a few minutes for a full meal. The pup looked out the window as she waited. She didn't realize how dark it was getting outside. "How... long was I sleeping?" she asked, glancing over to Catherine with a slightly tilted head.

[Tigme]

The chicken was just about done when Alessa asked the question, "Just a few hours," They stated, taking the fine pieces out of the pan. Putting them on the plates, they turned around for the table, "I'd say just three or four hours, but I wasn't keeping track." While Alessa slept, they were busy working on things around the house. The plants in the kitchen had already reached the floor, but at least now that Catherine was calmer, they weren't growing as quickly.

[Boomer]

"That sounds about right..." she said, nodding some. She would sleep for about 3-4 hours at a time with the Valium. Alessa placed her napkin on her lap as she waited for the "okay" to start eating. Scarlett was laying at Alessa's feet, as Alessa thought it wasn't polite to put her toy on the table while she ate.

[Tigme]

Catherine saw as Alessa once more waited for their permission to eat as they placed the plates down. They sat in their own seat, and spoke, "Like I said before, you don't need to wait for me to say it's fine for you to eat, you can go ahead." On the few cases of abuse like this, they'd usually eat whatever they could get their hands on, not wait until they had permission. But then again, everything else had already pointed to the fact that the case they now had wasn't a normal one. Catherine was surprised they hadn't grown suspicious when the agent was so adamant on giving this specific pup to them.

[Boomer]

Alessa waited a few moments for Catherine to eat before she picked up a fork. Years of being trained to wait and even then having to confirm it was okay to eat, even after a verbal cue, was hardwired into her mind. Alessa took a bite of the chicken first, then a bite of the green beans. Alessa's speed slightly increased as she ate; it was all delicious, mostly because it was a hot meal. After a few minutes, she had finished her dinner. Alessa wiped her muzzle with the napkin, then rose to put her dishes in the sink.

[Tigme]

Once more, Alessa was finished much before Catherine was anywhere close to done. Although it was doubtful, they had hoped she would have eaten more slowly, at least for the to have a conversation. But children in cases like this, they ate as quickly as they could since they never knew when the next meal would be. It was a difficult habit to break, but something they knew they could work on. "I'll get the dishes when I'm through," they stated, "You can go back upstairs if you want, but would you mind if we talked for a while?" They wanted to know more about her, so they could make a plan, "If you're well enough to, that is."