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 Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:56 pm
"So what do you think of this guy?"
Beatz held out a CD to Kibarango, who stared googly eyed at it before blowing a raspberry. The Thieves' Guild cook gave a soft chuckle at this, and put the CD back on the rack. "I read you loud and clear, darling." Beatz was on her monthly music store trip, on the look-out for new and interesting tracks to play in her kitchen while she worked. The woman from the badger clan was famous for always having something playing while she prepared food, and it would be horrible to break her standing record.
Kiba was enjoying the outing as well. He lay giggling in his little baby carrier, eagerly awaiting the next thing that Beatz would show him. The rat baby really couldn't tell what musical artist was good and what was bad, but he had learned that making certain noises at Beatz got her talking to him, and that was what he wanted. He gave a curious chirrup when they started moving again, ears twitching as he looked about. What was next?
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:02 pm
"No, Ziggydog, I don't think that CD looks appropriate for Shammi." A lizard looking girl said. There was a growl from one of the pockets on her jacket. "No, Ziggydog. I do agree that the heavy metal is fun to listen to. However, it hurts Shammi's ears sometimes. Perhaps we should get a girly CD."
The pocket howled.
"Don't behave like that, Ziggydog... You make Shammi feel like a bad ZiggydogMommy."
The howling continued.
"Fine, Ziggydog. Screechy Screechy loud bangy metal bands for us. Happy?"
The howling stopped.
"Silly Ziggydog."
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:23 pm
Beatz, with her headphones over one ear and her mind on music, didn't even notice the howling of the Ziggydog. She just continued on down the aisle, and stopped when she noticed something she liked. The cook was used to having noise all around her, and so the howls didn't bother her in the slightest.
Kibarango, however, noticed instantly. His large pink ears perked, hair standing on end at the sound. Where was it coming from? Why couldn't he see the dog? It was an instinctual fear, and it made the rat baby hiss softly. He pacified the moment it stopped, but his ears swiveled around curiously. He squeaked loudly, as though baiting the dog to start barking again. Where was it?
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:29 pm
Shammi had her horrible screechy metal CD in one clawed hand and started around the corner, seeing the strange little hissing thing.
"... Hello, Ratbaby." Shammi greeted, waving. Awww, what a cute little thing. Was it like her? Perhaps! She clicked her claws together in what she thought was a perfectly acceptable greeting.
A teeny dog head poked out of her pocket, sniffing. What. What. The hell. Was this? There was something in the direct line of his Little One! Ziggy glared at this furry intruder and the human it was with, barking again.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:36 pm
Kiba blinked up at the very strange person that had come into his view, the dog momentarily forgotten. Oooh, now this person was very nifty. He had never seen anyone quite like her before. The rat baby flailed both his arms at her in some semblance of a wave, giving a happy peep for a greeting. Hullo!
At the sight of the dog, however, the rat baby's ears pressed back against his head. He didn't like those. They were scary-scary things. Kibarango clicked his teeth together nervously as it barked again, not entirely sure what to do. All he knew was that he didn't like it.
Luckily for him, however, Beatz had noticed the approach of another person as well as his distress. The woman reached into the carrier and gave him a gentle pat on the head, and turned to address the newcomer. "Hello there!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:45 pm
Shammi blinked, one eye moving to look at the new person while the other watched the baby. The baby watching eye swivvled down to Ziggydog, who was still watching the ratbaby. She poked his head back down into her pocket with one claw.
"Silence, Ziggydog. You are scaring Ratbaby." She scolded. Ziggy grumbled. Both eyes moved to look at the lady. "Hello. Shammi is sorry that Ziggydog scared the Ratbaby."
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:48 pm
Oooh, the eyes moved in two different directions! Kiba blinked owlishly at Shammi, watching her eyes move as though mesmerized. How come he couldn't do that? The rat baby made a pleased noise when she put the dog away, glad that he only needed to focus on this newcomer. She was very funny to look at, but nifty all the same. What did her skin feel like? He reached up a curious hand towards her, churring softly.
"Oh don't worry about it. He's fine now that the uh... Ziggydog is back in his pocket," Beatz assured, knowing that Kibarango would forget about the dog the moment it was out of his sight. "So you're Shammi? Nice to meet you. I'm Beatz and this here is Kibarango. Or Fluffy. Whatever works best."
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:53 pm
Shammi curled her claws inward and held out her fist to the baby, not wanting himself to get hurt.
"Yes, Shammi." One eye moved to look at the baby. "Kibaringo. Fluffy is shorter. Like Shammi is short for Shamilade. It is nice to meet you, Beatz and Fluffy Ratbaby!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:00 pm
Ooh hand! Kiba reached out eagerly to touch the fist that was offered to him, babbling away in his own little language of churrs and squeaks. This felt so cool! Why didn't he have skin like that? He giggled as he felt the hand, enjoying the strange texture underneath his little pink fingers.
Beatz smiled at the child, watching as Kiba investigated Shammi's hand. "Is your guardian here, or did you come out all by yourself?" She was young, but not too young that she needed to constantly be watched. It was still nice to know if she should expect a guardian to come running up to them, having not realized their child had wandered off.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:03 pm
"Oh, Eri trusts me to be off on my own." Shammi smiled. "She says that I am responsible, in a brain dead kind of way. She only has herself to blame." Shammi smiled and wiggled the fist. "Shammi is big and old, and has sharp claws if people try to grab her."
Ever so carefully, she unfurled one finger and beeped Kiba's nose, then curled it back up. No, hurting people wasn't what she liked to do.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:14 pm
Beatz blinked at the child's explanation, before giving a wry chuckle. Responsible in a brain dead kind of way? The woman wasn't sure that was the best way to explain things to a kid, but at least Shammi's guardian was honest. Bantu would like her at least for that. "That you do. Sharp claws would definitely stop people from grabbing you." This much was true. Personally, Beatz didn't believe anyone would grab a child that looked like Shammi. Not because she wasn't pretty, but she was definitely a little odd. Not to mention she looked rather dangerous.
The rat baby held still as the finger was uncurled, watching it quietly. What was she doing? And then, he was beeped on the nose, causing him to go cross-eyed for a minute. Then he laughed, flailing his arms around happily. Again again!
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:19 pm
"Well, it would not stop them. But it would make them let go, and not do it again. Shammi is not a baby to be stolen." Shammi said, again watching Bantu with one eye. She uncurled the finger again, beeping.
"Fuzzy Rat-baby reminds Shammi of pictures she saw of herself as a baby."
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:22 pm
"I wouldn't want to take on a kid with claws," Beatz replied with a sage nod. "Claws are dangerous things, even if they're small. They can do worlds of damage if you get mauled by them." And she would know. Bantu had claws like razors, not to mention those from her own clan had rather nice sets of claws when they were in there badger forms. Beatz had never understood why races who didn't fight had claws, but then again, who was she to be judging?
Kiba gave a pleased squeal as he was beeped, waving his arms around again. This was fun!
"He reminds you of you as a baby?" Beatz asked, tilting her head. She certainly didn't see the resemblance.
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:25 pm
"Mmhm. Shammi got stolen when she was little. But her claws weren't big enough, and Eri had to come save her. But now she is big enough to protect herself." Awww, Shammi wanted to hold Fuzzy Rat-Baby, but didn't think it would be smart with an unhappy ZiggyDog.
"And, yes. Shammi is like a Chameleon who is pretending to be a person. Fuzzy is like a Rat pretending to be a person. We look like mixes!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:32 pm
"You got stolen as a child?" Beatz repeated, an incredulous look on her face. Shammi had been taken? And the child's guardian had told her about it? Huh. Maybe that was a bit too honest, at least to the cook's taste. There was honesty and then there were things you should never tell your children. "Why ever would someone do that?"
"Ooh, I see. I think Fuzzy is actually a rat-human though. No pretending in there. We'll have to see what he looks like when he gets older." Beatz gave a small nod. "And so you're a chameleon then? What sort of things can you do?" This was her first time meeting one, so she was naturally a bit curious.
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