"Milk." Hopeless nodded as if it was every day that he spoke to a cat, and picked up the milk. Again, he hadn't caught thought--but it seemed there was thought there. "Meow when."

He looked up at Valdis with a gentle smile, the sort in his eyes. "Yes. I'm Hopeless. And you're Valdis. Ghastly mentioned you." In a ... roundabout way. "Thank you--for taking care of Anton."