Greenwich, New York City

May 1927

Skilled, ebony hands were carefully giving a block of cedar wood the beginnings of a shape and figure. Though a small window, bright sunlight streamed into the room, giving it a cheerful air as it warmed the craftsman's back. The gentle, soothing scent of wood filled the air, clinging protectively to everything in the small workspace.

A man quietly hummed a catchy, jazzy tune, the drawn out scraping of his carving knife against the wood the only other sound to be heard in the room; besides the occasional absentminded tap of his foot to the jazz in his head. Wood shavings fell steadily to the floor in long, twisted curls, adding to the small pile that had begun to form on the already messy floor.

Mille wouldn't be happy about that, the man thought absentmindly.

A polka-doted handkerchief came up to wipe the sweat from the black man's brow. He leaned back in his chair, carefully placing the carving knife on his work table, and examined what he had accomplished so far. He gave a quite smile, pleased with what he saw.

A face had started to reveal itself from the wood and something had prompted him to start on a pair of pointed cat ears. Maybe it had been the partially carved eyes… Though they were not done yet, what was there seemed to watch him with a lazy intensity. The rest of the figurine was just a rough outline still, but he had a feeling that this carving was going to be one of those rare few that told him what to do.

The man smiled, rubbing one of the figurine's ears contemplatively and delighting in the rough-smooth feel of the unfinished wood beneath his hands. He had always loved the start of a project best, loved the quiet sense of potential that hung in the air, just waiting to be shaped into something amazing. And he could tell that this one was going to be something special.

"Just you an' me, eh? Yous gonna be a gent, I can tell." He placed it gently on the table as he searched for the correct blade for the next part of the process. "Well, don't you worry yeself. Old Josiah will see to it that you get you need."

He quickly found what he was looking for and set back to work, not noticing the freshly carved lips had somehow curved into a distinctly feline smile.

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Josiah carefully molded the light amber velveteen to the catlike figurine, tugging it a little here, smoothing it a little there. It was a race to get it just right before it settled permanently into place. But Josiah was good at races.

The actual carving had been finished for days, and currently, Josiah was working on the small details that would make it so that statuette was special and unique. Though, personally, he doubted that it needed much help. The was just something about it that made it feel as if it were alive. It was something about the eyes, really… They seemed as if they were watching him, to make he got everything right.

He had given it green-tinted glass eyes the day before, which suited the figurine very well. Though, during the process of setting the glass, he had accidentally scratched it; creating a small flaw that made the figurine's eyes flash a brilliant gold-green whenever they caught the light. It made for a very striking look.

An'… there!" Josiah grinned triumphantly as the last of the velveteen was worked into place. He looked the figurine over appreciatively and gave a low whistle, " After we get you into that fancy suit of yours, you gonna be a lady-killer, you is." Gently, Josiah placed the figurine on the table, mindful of the still not quite dry velveteen.

Bracing himself against the table, Josiah pulled himself to his feet with a grunt, stiff from sitting for too long in one spot. He winced as his bum leg gave a sharp, searing throb, nearly collapsing beneath the weight he was asking it to hold. Once he was sure that he wasn't going to fall on his face, Josiah let go of the worktable, and limped the short distance to the messy desk and cupboards where he kept the tools of his trade.

He started to pull open drawers and rummage through them, searching for where he had put the half-cat's outfit. Absently, he made a note to himself to organize them later. Millie had messed them up again. With a soft, "aha!", Josiah pulled out a brown paper package tied up with twine; across which was written, 'For Humbert.', in a messy scrawl. Josiah shook his head bemusedly as he removed a fine gray suit and top hat from the paper. For some reason, Millie was convinced that the figurine should be named Humbert, which he thought to be a rather silly name. Still, if it made her happy…

Smiling, he limped back to his chair, sinking into it with a sigh of relief. As he began to carefully dress the figurine, Josiah remarked conversationally, "Ma daughter, Mille, made these, ya know." He gave a gentle, proud smile at the thought, as he worked the figurine's stiff tail into its formal gray trousers. "I'm blessed ta have her. Could never do anything near so fine as this suit of yours, elsewise. I never been any good with a needle and thread."

He gave a rueful chuckle as he slipped the statuette's shirt on, "Ma wife was a wonder at it, though. Everyone alway wanted her dresses, alway swore they was the prettiest things they ever seen…" Shirt in place, Josiah then gently eased on the figurine's suit coat. He gave it a sad smile, "They still does, sometimes."

He fussed with a few final touches and then placed the top hat jauntily between the cat gentleman's ears. Josiah sat back to admire his handiwork and then frowned. Something wasn't quite right, it was missing something. And it was important, too…

His eyes flickered about the room, looking for inspiration until they landed on his cane, leaning against the table. "That's it! You needs a cane!" He grabbed a piece of leftover wood and quickly shaped it into the needed item; which he then placed gently into one of the cat doll's hands. Josiah gave a contented sigh and leaned back in his chair, admiring the result of all his hard work. It sure was a fine piece, why it near looked like it could come to life…

"You got to be the best work I've ever done." He smiled proudly, then frowned a little, stroking his beard, "Means I've gotta name you something good… How 'bout Baron?" The figurine's eyes seemed to brighten.

Josiah nodded to himself, smiling, "Yeah… Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. It fits, somehow."

Imperceptibly, the newly christened Baron nodded his agreement.