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 Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:34 pm
First came anger.
The city of Xuan was alive and bustling within its marketplace. People milling to and fro through the streets, creating a literal maze of people and structures. It was all rather confusing indeed. However, a certain voice rose above the general chatter and noise. The voice coming from the breeder herself, and directed at an unfortunate delivery boy. He had been bringing in the exotic eggs she'd ordered from a far off island. She'd been waiting months for her eggs to come, and they were finally here.. only for disaster to strike.
"Do you have any idea how much I paid for these eggs?! How long I had to wait?" Making wild gestures in her anger was she, face reddened with rage. "I should skin you alive right here and now! These eggs are worth more than your scrawny hide!" Grabbing him by the collar, she snarled in his face. "Does the word 'fragile' not bear any meaning to you?!"
For there was a small crate.. toppled and broken within the boy's horse drawn cart, a busted griffin egg within it. It was what first caught her eye, and immediately Nikki snapped. Those eggs are not only expensive.. they were priceless! Rare, exotic griffins... and living creatures no less! "How dare you break even one of my eggs!" The others better be intact.. or so help her.. she would skin him.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:51 pm
Starry was within earshot of someone giving out a verbal beating. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. She craned her head to the origin point of where the voice came from. Starry saw a tall blond screaming at a young man by a horse drawn cart. She listened carefully, as did her Gryffins to the arguement. " Hmm..So much anger she's got..." Starry shrugged, some of her long silver hair falling off of her shoulder. " She's even drawing a crowd. She walked closer to the sight of verbal beating, " Hey! Don't be so rough! I'm sure it was nothing more than and accident..." Zef was somewhat scared. He didn't like the blonde ladys' harsh tone, but he tried to be brave.
Nanaki ruffled his feathers. He understood hatred alittle too much. His ears swiveled back, and he huffed.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:38 pm
Her sleep had been interupted by the noise the cart had made when it'd made it's more than ungraceful appearance. Her initial feeling had been anger. What, in the name of Xuan, had dared wake her up this early in... the afternoon?
She'd spent the entire night hunting for food. Waking up with an empty stomach was never something to treasure.
Mauve regarded the goings on with intrigued violet eyes. She hovered in the shadows of a nearby building, impatiently waiting and watching for her chance to sneak in and take what she wanted.
Then, the griffin came into view and she faultered. He looked menacing. Perhaps, it wouldn't be such a good idea to try and steal from the blonde woman today.
The old woman coughed and limped closer, seeking shelter amongst the shadows.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:59 pm
A glare was shot towards the voice of objection, Starry. There was fire in her eyes, that paint peeling look. "This is none of your business.. back off" she mutters, before releasing the boy. Whom stumbled backward a few paces, his eyes wide in fear.
But oh.. she was not done with him yet. The woman loomed menacingly... the boy was just lucky her griffin wasn't with her. "If any of the other eggs are broken or don't hatch... not only will you lose your job. Which you might anyway.. but I'll make sure you pay for each of them out of your own pocket!" Oh yes.. his boss was certainly going to hear about this!
With that, she sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead wearily... her gaze then shifting to the broken crate. Reaching into it, she took out the lifeless embryo who was only half formed. It was still so small, it easily fit in the palm of her hand. Another murderous glare was sent at the boy. She hoped this dead griffin weighed on his conscience for awhile. It would figure that she got the clumsy oaf delivery boy to deliver her precious eggs.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:13 pm
" I don't care if it's my business or not. Don't displace much anger upon the young man. Which I'm sure you've prolbably made him piss his pants at this point. He's young and will most CERTAINLY learn from his mistakes. " Starry peered into crate in the back of the cart. She made a face. That was disgusting sight to see, and when Zef reared up to try and figure out what the angry women was holding; Starry lightly smacked him up the head. She quietly said no to Zef. Starry refocused her attention to the rest of the eggs. "...If these are exotic, which I'm willing to bet they are; I'll be willing to pay for the one that has broke. "
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:23 pm
The site of the griffin emryo, barely matured, caused Mauve to stop in her tracks. She stared at the crate filled cart, suddenly understadning why the blonde woman had been so upset with her delivery boy. Griffin eggs were rare and precious.
A sly smile found it's way onto the old woman's distorted face and she took a minute to readjust her eyepatch before hobbling around to the back of the cart, where her hunchbacked form wouldn't be as noticeable.
She'd have to move quickly and quietly. Curse her gnarled hands and bent body. It disabled her from being able to accomplish everything that was necessary for her survival.
Those eggs were valuable. Mauve intended to snag a bunch, sell a few and keep one for herself. After all, a griffin would make an exceptional bodygaurd.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:11 pm
Looking at the dead embryo in her hand, Nikki's demeanor seemed to change. The woman quietly calming, before she shook her head at Starry's offer. "No... its no use." Was that a bit of moisture in her eyes? Heaven forbid that Nikki show any weakness infront of anyone. Thus she blinked any potential tears back. "It would be far more meaningful to spend your money on one that was still alive." She didn't want Starry's money.. not for a dead chick anyway. Sure.. the loss of money was upsetting. But it wasn't nearly as so as the loss of the griffin itself. She wasn't in this business for the money, although it was a nice perk.
She was paying little attention to the going ons around the cart, the blonde woman simply distraught over the shattered egg. What a waste.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:29 pm
((Muar. New name for my RP char. Mewkitty ain't a thief... usually))
Talitha peered from her cloak at the commotion by the cart, edging through the crowd as if she needed to get somewhere, and making the path to that somewhere happen to coincidentally take her right next to the back of the cart. The blonde woman was too distraught over the breaking of her egg to be taking much notice, and the crowd was staring at the woman and the broken egg, not the cart's contents. Just one of these eggs, sold to the right person, had the potential to give her enough money to support herself easily for several months. It was an irresistible temptation to any thief.
She shouldn't have been surprised, then, when she made a beeline towards a half-opened crate in the back, only to find that someone else had beaten her there. She approached the bent-over form cautiously, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention from passerby.
"Mind if I share?" she whispered as she sidled up next to the old woman, pretending to busy herself by shifting a dislodged crate back into place--but at the same time, tensing to leap away if this fellow thief happened to be hostile.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:05 pm
Starry observed the change in the blonde womans' demeanor. She sighed to herself quietly. " I really AM sorry about your egg though. It's sad when one has to see such a thing..." Starry said with a sympathetic tone in her voice. She looked into the cart once more. " Hm...They do appear exotic..."Zef looked up at his Mistress from where he was standing. He chirped in slight frustration. His black fluffed tail curled.
Nanaki huffed. He'd taken a look at the other womans' hand, and he didn't like what he saw. His ears swivelled back.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:57 pm
Mauve hadn't expected any company. In fact, after she'd managed to reach the cart without much trouble or anybody jumping on her back, she'd been convinced that her job was as good as completed. The old woman gasped in surprise and, with her heart pounding so loudly she was sure the entire city could hear it, turned her wide eyes- one violet and the other covered by a black eyepatch- on the woman that had snuck up on her.
"Did your mother never tell you what might happen to a fragile old woman if you scared the dickens out of her?" Mauve snapped and pointed a dirty fingernail at the woman accusingly.
Then, she sighed and nodded her head. There were numerous eggs; far more than she could carry alone. She didn't see any reason why the stranger couldn't steal some, as well.
"We have to hurry." It was a rushed tone; full of desperation and a little bit of excitement. With surprising gentleness for such a rough-looking woman, Mauve started safely tucking griffin eggs into the pockets of her overcoat.
She prayed that they wouldn't be caught.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:17 pm
Nanaki saw that his Mistriss was preoccupied with the other woman. He heaved a ' sigh ', ruffling his neck feathers. Nanaki looked down to see the spotted youngling being obediant. He cocked his head. Nanaki twitched his ears, he wantd to hear more of the bustling place. His flame engulfed tail
waving slightly. Nanaki thought he hear a shuffling sound behind him. His head shot around, his hackles raised. He let out a low hiss to the intruder.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:06 am
((Starry, did Nanaki hear Talitha and Mauve? I'm assuming so))
Without further words, Talitha began hurriedly picking up the large, smooth eggs and pocketing them, giving a grateful nod to the gnarled old women. The eggs were so brightly colored! They had to be very rare and exotic. She only had room for one egg in her food pouch before it was full (she'd been quite busy earlier in the day--now she cursed herself for the lack of space) and she quickly switched to the side pockets in her cloak. She worked feverishly alongside the old woman, silent save for the swish of cloth and the soft clinking of eggs against one another.
Suddenly a sharp hissing sound emanated from nearby. Talitha froze, one hand reaching for the open crate. She quickly pulled it back. The noise had come from a griffin standing near the front of the cart--she could see its huge reddish legs and sharp claws from under the cart, tense and ready to pounce. If that griffin discovered them, they wouldn't have a chance. Even if it didn't right away, its owner and the onlookers would probably start getting suspicious.
"Miss," Talitha whispered, very quietly, "I think it's time to pack up."
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:37 pm
At first, Mauve had been concerned about the other woman's abilities. Would she move quick enough? Was she a skilled thief? Did she know how to move without making a single sound?
Then, when Talitha proved herself quite worthy, Mauve tossed most (for it was never wise to get rid of them all) of her worries out the window.
She gasped in surprise when the strinking reddish griffin hissed at her and glanced at her new companion. They were caught. Oh, what a disaster! She hadn't even had time to fill her coat.
"I think you're right," Mauve murmured softly, spun on the heel of her left leg (the good one) and headed towards a shadowy alley as swiftly as she could without breaking any of the griffin eggs contained within her pockets.
She motioned for the younger girl to follow her. If the griffin didn't alert the others to their mischief, there was a fairly good chance the pair of them could go seperate ways. However, if he did give them away, she knew of a place they could go.
They would be safe there, for awhile.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:13 pm
Hearing the hiss from the nearby griffin, a sound that was all too familiar to her, Nikki suddenly looked up. The hurried shuffle of the two woman immediately caught her eye, like a hawk spotting its prey.
It only took her a moment to realize that she'd been robbed!
"HEY! Those are my eggs, dammit! STOP! Thieves!" she shouted, hoping to get the attention of any nearby authorities. However, she wasn't going to stand idly by either, the blonde woman taking off after them. And let me assure you, she can move rather quickly... even if having to push and shove past people.
Taking what appears to be a dog whistle out of her pocket, Nikki blew on it. The sound not audible to human ears... but any dog, cat or griffin will probably be turning their heads.
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