This kitten won't go to space

[Matt_Bradock]

She was a fragile little thing for sure, but that's what actually made her more adorable, and also made him want to take care of her and protect her.
So, when she raised her arms after getting dressed, there was no question Matt would pick her up and cradle her in his arms, in fact he barely wanted to put her down after. The only reason was to see her reaction to her new outfit.
Which, by the way, appeared mixed. He was happy when she smiled at the strawberry print and relieved that she actually likes it. He was already thinking about what to play with his new pet kitten, when suddenly Eris' expression changed and tried to take her romper off, looking up at him with tearful eyes asking for a skirt. Which, didn't immediately grant her a change of clothes, but did immediately cause her owner to go "aww" and pick her up into a hug.
- What's wrong, Eris? - he asked, caressing the little girl.
- Why do you want a skirt? - followed a second question, hoping she'd explain what bothered her about her current outfit, well other than the fact she couldn't get out of it.

[JustJoe]

"This is baby clothes." Eris frowned. This time pulling at the collar of her romper and trying to pull it over her head like a t-shirt but of course she was sitting on the tail of material which was wrapped around her padded bottom as she sat cross leggeded on her Daddy's lap, therefore all that her efforts achieved was for her head to partially duck beneath the the collar of the romper. Two pointed cat eyes and a mop of messy lond hair still protruded from the top.

"I wanna skirt cos then I'll look like a big girl. Not a baby in baby clothes. I'm not a baby." Eris's head had resurfaced. She had given up trying to escape from her outfit, instead she would try to plead.

"Please? “

[Matt_Bradock]

- Aww, but it looks so cute on you - he smiled, patiently watching to try get out of her adorable outfit, to no avail.
- Are you sure you're not a baby? You do need diapers - he pointed out, unknowingly using the very same retort Eris used back then, except he used it in a playful tone.
- And why do you want to be a big girl anyway? - he asked, hoping to confuse Eris to weaken her resistance a little before the delivering his request.
- Would you please wear it for me? I really love how adorable you look in it. You can ask me something else in return. - the final attempt to convince her was obviously, the trade. He was pretty much out of the peaceful options if she still refused after this.

[JustJoe]

Eris paused for thought. This was a literal pause as she had been incesently wriggling in her romper since it had been secured. She thought about what Matt had suggested. Babies did need diapers, that was true. She and her sisters had never been out of them. Did that mean she was just a baby after all?

"I wanna be a big girl cus, um.." Eris figited with her fingers, looking away from Matt while she thought about it. "Big girls get to look after animals and help out with chores." The keeping of pets was something she had inferred older children were allowed responsibility for from picture books. She thought it looked immensely fun. She didn't realise the irony that she was a pet. 'helping out with chores' was also a wild guess, the closest Eris had ever come to doing chores was simulating what she thought normal domestic life was like when playing dollies with her sisters.

"Okay. I'll wear it. What do I get to ask a out?“

[Matt_Bradock]

Matt couldn't help but chuckle at that adorably naive and clueless answer.
- Well, sweetie, we don't have any animals here, this isn't a farm. And do you know what helping with the chores means? It means helping with cleaning the rooms, dusting off the furniture, washing the dishes and the laundry, taking out the smelly trash, all the jobs that smell bad and get you and your adorable clothes dirty, and still must be done time to time. - he explained smiling, all while still embracing and caressing the little kitten.
- Are you sure you want to do that? - he then asked, but only after a kiss on her forehead.
- Let's see if you can keep your own room tidy first. If you don't leave your toys scattered about, and manage to keep yourself clean, then we'll see about the big girl skirts and dresses. - Matt offered, even though Eris already agreed she'll wear her current outfit.

- What do you get to ask? Well, other than your clothes, any questions you'd like answered, or one thing you'd like to do or have. It doesn't matter how silly you might think it is. - he replied, being absolutely sure Eris has a lot of questions about her new home and new owner, or a lot of things she wanted but couldn't have at the facility.

[JustJoe]

"I don't want to do any smelly jobs." the little kitty girl admitted from within the cradle of Matt's arms. She thought about the plastic bin next the changing table at the facility where all the girls dirty nappies were deposited. She had pushed back the flap lid once to peer inside and never had the stomach to do so again.

"I'll keep my room tidy and then I get to wear big girl clothes." Eris agreed to the challenge with an affirmative nod.

Eris thought for a moment about how to frame her question. Impulsively sucking on the tip of one of her fingers.
"Are there any other little girls here? Ones like me?“
Everyone Eris had seen so far today was human. All the adults at the facility where she had lived were human. Humans didn't have cat ears ; or even tails! How did they keep their balence?

[Matt_Bradock]

- I thought so. - Matt snickered, before offering the challenge, which Eris took without hesitation as expected. Although Matt already regretted it a bit, because this romper looked so adorable on her.

- Yep, that's the deal. - and a deal's a deal, if business taught him anything, was either to stick to the deal or not make it in the first place.
The question, however, kind of came as a surprise, but also made a lot of sense.

- You're the only kitten here. - he replied with honesty, although he was kind of worried how Eris would react to being so lonely. he wasn't even sure she'd understand the concept of money or that she's property.
- The adults at the facility didn't let me take more than one of you. - he explained, and technically, he wasn't lying.
- Were you locked up a lot before? When I first saw you, you were tied to a wheelchair like you did something naughty. - he asked, partially to distract her.

[JustJoe]

Eris looked down at her lap and her pointed ears flattened.
"I wanted to explore more of the facility but we're not supposed to leave our ward." Eris explained, partially with a tone of guilt as she knew she'd broken a rule but also she was defiant.
"One of the nurses said there are other children. Older children. In the other wards. I wanted to meet them because it's just me and my sisters. I love them but we play together all day everyday and it gets boring. I wanted to make new friends to play with, so I escaped."

Eris looked up, her eyes now wide and bright, her tone conspiratorial as she recounted her various escape attempts.

"If you're good at climbing - I am. I'm really good at climbing - there are places in the nursery where you can reach up and push through the squares of the ceiling. I did that and climbed up inside. There was like a whole room up there full of pipes and ducts and wires but no people or toys or anything." Eris was describing the time she had found her way into the ceiling void. It had been dark but that had been no issue for her cat vision." I got lost and started crying. They found were I was and got he down again. I got a really long spanking and had to stay in my room for a whole long time. I has to promise not to go up there again but I didn't want too anyway because it was dusty and scary."
" The next time I tried to escape I, um, borrowed one of the caretakers magic card things that open the doors. It made a beep when I swiped it and beeped and a green light came on but the door wouldn't open. There was also numbered buttons next to the door. I pressed them in the right order. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. But that didn't open the door either. At least I didn't get caught that time. I put the card back before a yone noticed I'd borrowed it." Eris gave a cheeky grin, sharp little fans flashing, she was evidently pleased with herself. In actual fact she had been caught on that occasion. Her naive incorrect input into the keypad had triggered a system alert and security where able to retrospectively catch her in the act upon reviewing cctv footage. The facility scientists had been pleased with her initiative, taking a file note and letting the incident slide. Except in the case of the caretaker who had had their access card taken. They were heavily reprimanded.

"I did finely escape the ward. It was easy. Everyday someone comes with a trolly. All our dirty others and bedding goes in it a d clean stuff comes back. I hide in it and got taken out of the ward along with the laundry. Thankfully I got the chance to sneak out again before being thrown in the big spinning machine the clothes go into. I did a bit of exploring and saw there were other wards like mine but I couldn't get the doors open to see if there were more children like me. Then I found some tuna in tins to eat but i got chased and caught by grown ups. I had to stay in my room again and I wasn't sure when I could go back to the play room with my sisters but now I'm here with you and it's different. Better I think. Maybe. Not sure yet. I think you are nice, even though I have to wear baby clothes but I'll show you I can be a big girl."

[Matt_Bradock]

- So you're a curious little kitten. - Matt smiled, still petting her regardless, to make sure she doesn't think he dislikes that.
Then, as she recounted her mischievous adventures, Matt couldn't help but laugh wholeheartedly.
- Well, not just curious, but also mischievous! - he tickled her sides and snickered, but soon he calmed down and thought over the possible problems that meant in the future for both him and Eris.
- I'm glad you think I'm nice - he smiled, kissing her on the forehead.
- And I'll be nice as long as you're also nice to me and the other people here. But, you have to promise me one thing, Eris - he looked her in the eye to make sure she paid attention.
- If you want to see something, or know something, call for me, and ask me first to show you. If we don't know where you are, and you get hurt or get in trouble, we won't be able to help you and you'll be stuck on your own. So this is something I cannot allow, so there will be zero tolerance on this rule. If you ever try to leave the room you've been placed in, without permission, I will not only lock you in your room, but also restrain you. Do you know what that means, Eris? - he asked, not sure she even heard the word before or knew what it meant, since her escape attempts didn't seem to earn her any of it.

[JustJoe]

Eris laughed and squirmed as she was tickled. Her bladder muscles contracted and she spurted wee wee into her nappy. She barely registered this. She was accustomed to dribbling urine into her nappies all day and all night long.

Eris shook her head, blind hair whiling either side of her ears.
"No. I don't know that word. What does reh-ster-aints mean? Is in boringike being locked in my room? “