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 Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:27 am
It'd been awhile since he'd had a commission, which left Yusri to have plenty of time to himself and to do what ever he so pleased. Today, he decided to leave his little home, and head out into Palisade to observe the common folk of the town, and of this country.. it was always an amusing activity to do. The world here was so different to his own, the way it functioned, and the looked... the rules that were set, and the abide by. So prim and proper...
He waltzed casually along the streets, hands pocketed into his baggy pants, large, wide hood over his head, giving him a clearly mysterious and if not dangerous look. It was very obvious how foreign he was to this world, standing out terribly like a goat in a herd of sheep. And to make him even more... odd, many in the streets would stop and stare at the little parade of cats that followed diligently behind him. They didn't keep a particular formation asides from just staying close to his heels, some even lacing through his feet with ease, without Yusri having to hitch a step at all. An all black kitten had found refuge on the assassins shoulder, curled under the fold of the hood, eyes barely open in a sleepy sort of expression. He was used to these stares, and only a few earned a wide grin from the tan man, a few wrinkling their nose in return, or quickly averting their gaze. How very entertaining~
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:10 pm
Paoma had stopped at one of her usually street corners and laid out her baskets of flowers for potential customers. Winter had truly descended and the standing outside was bitterly cold, but the girl did not believe in waste and was determined to sell this last batch of flowers before retiring for the season. Truth be told, it was rare that the plants lasted this long in the cold; it had to mean that her powers were growing stronger with each passing year.
Beside the girl sat the very reason her magic was strengthening. A pale, striped grimalkin was perched beside her, all fluff and warm fur to protect against the harsh winter, singing his "flower song" for all the world to hear. It was less a song than it was a loud and erratic series of yowls and meows that generally served no purpose other than to keep him entertained, but Little Brother was happy to provide all the same.
"Flowers, flowers! Last flowers of the season, come and get 'em!" The girl pulled her coat tight around her as a gust of wind chilled her to the bone and she glanced down at the baskets again. About half empty. Soon enough, no doubt, the last flowers would be gone. It was a bittersweet notion; going home would be a fine thing indeed, but it also meant that she would not get to see the sweet glow of those seasonal plants until spring came around again.
"Here, sir, how'sabout some begonias for your lovely wife?" She yelled at him before she saw the pack of cats trailing along behind him, or the odd attire he had on. When she finally took a longer look, she was quite intrigued by the oddness of the picture. "Or... some catnip for your friends?" That wasn't really a sale item but Little Brother liked catnip as much as any regular cat, and Paoma was rarely without some in her pocket.
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:24 pm
One of his hands had lifted to stroke the precious kitten that was nestled against the crook of his neck, feeling that light little warmth even through his thick clothing. The kitten purred so sweetly, making the man wear a rather feline-esque grin himself. Yes, yes, stare all you'd like, Sunderland folk~ it would probably be a rarity for you to see someone so unique and exotic. None of the cats that followed after him showed much interest in anyone, only a few pausing to sniff at some produce, or a scent they'd caught, or maybe try and sneak a morsel from a stall... but they kept right with the gliding assassin...
Whose attention was now veered when he was called out to. Now at first, he did not respond at all, the words so foreign and ill-fitting for him, that he didn't think twice. However it was the yowling and familiar meowing that did draw his dangerous gaze to slip over, and spot that magnificent feline.. one that was not his own. He stopped, and stared at the grimalkin, his feline friends literally mimicking him. They stared too, some craning their heads, the tiny kitten peeling its little eyes open groggily to blink at the stranger. But a moment later, Yusri noticed the young girl that was beside such a magnificent creature. And then her words registered.
His grin spread more, and he sauntered on closer, his cats following loyally, his hand that'd been stroking the fine black fur, now gently cupping the little kitten to keep it stable, as he bent at his waist to get a look at the little girl, and her flowers, "Well... I have no lovely wife, nor ever shall. I much more prefer the flesh of men~" he cooed, as if it were perfectly normal, in his thick accent that was of his fellow desert ancestors. Perhaps it was inappropriate to say but.. Yusri wasn't one for caring on those sorts of things.
"However... this little friend of yours is quite intriguing... who might he be?" all the cats around his feet were staring at Little Brother, though the tiny kitten looked to Paoma with a sweet little innocent face, yawning lightly and licking its lips tiredly.
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:47 pm
Well. That she hadn't expected. It was not simply the not having a wife, but also the idea of the flesh of men that struck her, words evocative of such vivid imagery that Paoma wasn't quite sure what to do except gawk for several moments. As if the army of cats and the distinctive foreign accent hadn't been enough.
The girl found herself lower the basket she had picked up and placing it gingerly back onto the ground as she fumbled for words. This shouldn't have happened; she met all sorts on her routes through the city, and this man shouldn't have managed to so effectively render her speechless in so short a time.
"Well, I... Thank you?" She managed to choke out some sort of response as her gaze swept from cat to cat and finally to the grimalkin all of those cats seemed to be staring at. Her grimalkin. Little Brother was at least twice the size of many of Yusri's cats, and was so pleased by all the attention that he had drawn himself up to his full height and was sitting still as a statue in the most regal pose he could manage. "His name is Little Brother," Paoma added. It wasn't much of a name, if she thought about it, but it was the one that had stuck and he was as close to a brother as she had.
"He's... uhm, a grimalkin," she said, looking back at the man. Paoma wouldn't have been surprised to discover that the man knew exactly what Little Brother was, but it would do in place of a more constructive comment. When she saw the little kitten huddled on his shoulder watching her with bright little eyes, she had to smile.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:58 am
Well wasn't he a proud little feline? Sitting all puffed up and big. It made Yusri chuckle in a deep tone, rumbling in his chest with clear amusement. "It is nice to meet you, Little Brother~" he cooed, as his own cats stepped closer to sniff right up in the grimalkin's grill, as well as a few rubbed against him, or walked around to check out his tail. That sharp gaze slid to the little girl, the assassins own feline like grin peeling wider, "I've seen a few of these lovely creatures, and hope to gain one for myself, to add to my little... family~" he proceeded to let his eyes roam his own group of cats in gesture, before paying his attention back to Little Brother.
"would you mind if I pet him, young miss?" he asked ever so politely, and in a gentle tone, slowly easing to kneel before her and her partner, the kitten on his shoulder pushing through the thick fabric of the overhanging hood to get a better look. The precious little darling mewed so tenderly, peeking at Little Brother as well, earning a gently scritch to a tiny black ear. A purr, stuttered and soft, rumbled from the kitten, pushing up its small head into the adoring hand. Ah, but Yusri wasn't giving the young girl the proper manners she deserved. His eyes slipped up to her once more, head canting very faintly, in inquiry, "And what might your name be?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 3:55 pm
Paoma nodded, watching the grimalkin carefully. He was sitting quite still now, but sooner or later he would grow bored of that, and past experience suggested that he would burst into some sort of explosion motion, potentially bowling through all of the cats surrounding him. She wouldn't want Little Brother to accidentally hurt anyone.
"I'm sure you'll find one, sir." Paoma could hardly call herself an expert on grimalkins and she had no idea how to attract one, but judging by the army of cats following Yusri, he would have little trouble doing so.
She nodded again. "He loves attention. He doesn't get much from other people... they've all learned he's a bit of a devil." When Yusri knelt, she saw Little Brother crane his head toward the tiny kitten on the man's shoulder, scrunching up his nose to sniff the cat and then the man with curiosity.
"Oh, Paoma, sir. Paoma Laurelai," she answered, and she, too knelt to greet some of the cats milling about her.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 6:12 pm
Oh yes he was sure he'd find one too. It'd just take some time, which he had plenty of. He was a patient man, after all.
The cats gave inspection to the girl as she joined the lower level that they ewre at, some sniffing at her flowers, others sniffing at her knee' or leg, even a few rubbing against her. But Yusri remained engaged with the gent who was the star of the show at the moment. A brow crooked, and he peeked at Paoma curiously, "is that so?" he asked with interest piqued, a wry grin spreading on his lips. He extended a hand to Little Brother for inspection, "Are you a trouble maker then, hm Little Brother?" he cooed, the tiny kitten blinking at the grimalkin as they made eye contact. Carefully, Yusri pulled the kitten down to rest into the palm of his hand, extending towards Little Brother so the two could meet, the kitten twitching its own tiny nose, a delicate paw lifted to lean closer.
"Paoma. Do you always sell your flowers here?" he asked, making idle small talk, "and do you pick them yourself? perhaps even grow them?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 5:16 pm
She was giving one of the cats a hearty scritch behind the ear when she glanced over at the man and Little Brother again. The grimalkin's eyes were two spots of dancing mischief, gleaming with devilish delight at the idea of causing trouble. Oh, he was nothing if not a trouble maker!
But even Little Brother seemed to respect the fragility of young life. When presented with the tiny kitten, the grimalkin breathed in its scent carefully, then nosed the little creature gently, albeit unceremoniously.
"I come every few weeks," the girl answered with a nod. "I always follow the same path. So repeat customers can find me, y'know?" A smile came across her face as she ruffled the hair on one cat's head. Paoma had always loved animals, and interacting with them never failed to bring her good cheer.
"I have a garden at home," she explained. "I grow flowers and vegetables, with his help, of course." As if he recognized that Paoma was talking about him, Little Brother craned his head toward her, a picture of wide-eyed innocence and cuteness. Oh, but don't I know you're up to no good!
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:39 am
A pleased, and loud rumbling purr started up from the feline that earned the girls affections, pushing its head up to nuzzle into the palm for further rubbings and scritches. Other members of the feline troupe began to rub against the young girl, purring loudly, some trying to climb into her lap to gain the majority of her attention, others sprawling out on their tummy's comfortably. The kitten of the pack gave a soft mewl from the nudging, pressing back with its naturally weak strength, that stuttered purr rising up again as it tried to nuzzle against Little Brother.
Amused, Yusri leaned a little further to place the black ball of fluff between the grimalkin's paws, to where the tiny creature moved in further to snuggle up against the older feline's warmth, curling up into a ball. Resting his forearms onto his bent knee's, the assassin watched for awhile, before glancing over to Paoma. "You're certainly a hard working little girl." again he took a peek into the basket of flowers, letting a hand slip in to pluck out a few for inspection, twirling a stem between his thumb and forefinger, "They certainly are lovely~" he cooed, in praise, while pondering just how many to buy.
His brows raised slightly when Little Brother was regarded again, "Is that so? well aren't you quite the little gentleman~" he chuckled, reaching out to stroke a few cats that pressed past him, "well. How much would all of these flowers cost?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:59 pm
Paoma had to giggle. They all felt like a family somehow, like loud siblings clamoring for attention. She reached to pat as many as she could manage and cuddle the ones that managed to climb into her lap. Little Brother seemed to have taken a shine to the tiny kitten and was nosing at it with continued interest while apparently ignoring every other cat around him. Paoma knew that was anything but the case, though. Most likely, the grimalkin was acutely aware of every single feline milling about them.
"Oh, thank you, sir," the girl replied, delighted that he liked them. Any potential customers who enjoyed her flowers could become regular customers, and more was always merrier to a young flower girl like herself. Not to mention that she had, indeed, worked hard to grow them. "These are the last ones of the season. If you'd caught them even a week ago, they would have been even sweeter."
As if to prove her point, Little Brother stretched his neck forward and rubbed his whiskers against one of the flower in Yusri's hand. "Yes, and brighter even," Paoma said, right on cue, and the flower's colors seemed to grow more radiant for a moment, until Little Brother withdrew his nose and went back to snuffling at the little kitten between his paws.
"Oh, all of them?" Paoma echoed, almost dropping the cat she was cuddling in surprise. "Well... A shilling, sir," she managed to say as she counted the flowers left in the basket.
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Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:00 am
Hopefully the poor girl could handle the mass amount of vibrations that were coming from the many cats that pined for her attention. Their purrs were loud, rumbling almost like some sort larger feline from the jungle's or other foreign lands! They all showed great gratitude and heavy affection for the new company, many curling up beside the young girl, while giving Little Brother time with the tiny kitten. Said kitten lifted its little head to press against the grimlakin, weak purr stuttering in its starts, but snuggling closer for the warmth and attention it was earning. Burying its face against Little Brother's warm tummy, it recurled itself, into a ball as tight as possible to stay tucked as close as possible.
Staring at the flowers and the magic that tickled them to give a sort of glow, Yusri couldn't help but wear a knowing grin, looking to the clever Little Brother with a sort of praise, "Well now, they're lovely enough, little miss~" he replied smoothly, letting his fingers tenderly brush a few petals. This hand also reached back into the deep pockets of his baggy pants, pulling out a small pouch that was heavily filled. Opening it, he reached in just three fingers to pull out some coins... offering her literally a handful that was definitely far more than was needed, "Hmm.. well how about this instead?" his hand extended to turn the money over, "I believe you deserve far more than that for all your hard work." and he spared a glance to Little Brother to include him in his statement as well.
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Paoma was beginning to lose track of which cats had been pet and which had not, but she supposed they were the least of her worries. There were always graver things to concern herself with than the company of too many cats. Her hands reached to caress the heads of all the different animals while attempting to organize the two flower baskets.
"Oh, I... that's really quite a lot, sir," she said, eyes widening at the sight of the handful of coins. Very few people thought to pay for the work that went into the flowers. The plants themselves were the more visible ones, after all. But should she? It didn't seem quite right, accepting so much money for flowers that were worth a fraction of it.
"I couldn't possibly--" She began to protest, but stopped when she heard Little Brother let out a grumble. He thought they should take it; the man had offered after all, and there was the winter to think about. And it wasn't as though they had misled him into paying extra. They were both honest citizens, just trying to make a living.
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:08 pm
The young girls reaction made his already broad smile grow even further. Chuckling deeply, he gave a cant of his head as he watched her fluster, a very feline-like expression on his own face; similar to watching prey squirm. Yes, it was a lot, but he could always get more. He had plenty... and besides, the poor little thing had been working so hard for one so young. She deserved praise!
And so, Yusri reached out and gently took one of her hands, turning it to cup upwards, and dropped the coins into the make-shift container, "There. I am certain my friend shall enjoy them to their fullest. I'll be sure to give him recommendation to you as well~" giving a playful little wink, he dug both arms into the baskets to take the lovely bushels, and arrange them in the crook of an arm. The felines all started to sniff eagerly at the lovely bouquet, even some stuffing their faces into it! Admiring them himself, Yusri stroked the sturdy stalks, and slowly began to rise. "Well then. Perhaps you should take a break for the rest of the day, hm? treat yourself to something nice. Or perhaps do something fun." he suggested, one of the cats standing before Little Brother, prepared to pluck up the tiny kitten by its scruff, should Yusri start to go on the move again.
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 7:21 am
She was about to turn and scold the grimalkin when Yusri took her hand and placed the coins into her upturned palm. This was... She felt herself gaping. Too much! But there also seemed to be a certain rudeness in stuffing the coins back into his hands and refusing to accept so much.
"I can't say thank you enough, sir," she said as he lifted up the flowers. "I hope your friend likes them."
Paoma reached to give the surrounding cats some last pats, trying to reach the ones she hadn't yet given attention to. It was such a cute little family that she had to wonder if it would be possible to have something similar in her cozy little cottage. But too many mouths to feed would not do either.
"Oh, I will, maybe," she agreed with a shy smile, looking up from patting Yusri's cats. "I think maybe I'll take Little Brother down to the market. He likes to play pranks on one of the bakers there." That the baker turned red as a tomato whenever provoked seemed to be the reason, which Paoma secretly enjoyed almost as much as the grimalkin. And at least Little Brother did not play harmful jokes.
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