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 Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:06 am
Covet had said her good byes to her beloved Matador and moved her things from Crescent City to Port Cephei. So far, the transition had gone rather smoothly. She continued to help Mecca with his shop, collecting things for him and helping him with the research and he gave her free reign of the house as long as she left his shop alone.
It was a crisp, clear fall day and Covet had gone to Laurete's bookshop to pick up an order for Mecca. She had spent some extra time with the elderly shu, rather enjoying his company on their brief meetings. After saying her good byes and collecting the order, she left the shop amongst the rich sounds of his windchimes. Stepping out into the alley, she smiled as the sunlight seemed to break through the grim and darkness of the alleyway and wash over her. With a little bounce in her step, she wound her way towards the seafront, humming softly to herself, though she kept her eyes and ears open to those around her.
As she rounded a corner, she heard an unusual panicked chirping sound. Glancing around, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Perking her ears up, she followed it to find two children torturing something she couldn't see.
"Hey!" she called out sharply, frowning at them as she stormed forward. They both looked up at her and dropped what it was they had been messing with to run off before she could catch them. Placing her hands on her hips, she watched them round a corner and looked down at the thing they dropped and her expression immediately softened.
Dropping down to her knees she reached out slowly for the small, trembling, round ball of fluff. The creature was perfectly round, its downy fur a pale green, almost white. It had two small catlike ears tipped in a darker green, large blue eyes, and a tiny pink nose with a few whiskers. Truly fascinated by the small thing, Covet began to croon soothing noises to it and managed to calm it enough so that she might scoop it up to check it for damage. A bright wet red matted the downy, pale green fur across its small stomach. Those kids were lucky they had gotten away before she had seen this, she thought darkly, stroking it carefully behind it's ears. It gave a soft chirping purr and she smiled as she rose to her feet.
Returning home as quickly as possibly, Covet slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her. Setting the books down, she started towards the kitchen.
"Me-chan, your books are by the door," she called out before disappearing behind the kitchen door.[*the picture is copyright Henson Productions, the creature unintentionally based off of Fizzgig from Dark Crystal]
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:15 am
Mecca had been inspecting a new crystal to see if it was worthy for his collection. At Covet's words he looked up, placing the crystal on the worktop and going to retrieve his books from the doorway.
Picking the bag up a noise caught his attention. It was a small whining noise. The unmistakable sound of a creature in pain.
Mecca smirked. He may have left his torture years far behind him but the sound was still music to his ears.
"Covet? Can you hear that noise?" He asked, walking out into the kitchen to investigate.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:19 am
Covet had been trying to keep the little creature quiet, but the cut was deep and no matter how gentle she was as she cleaned it, it continued to cry out with a piercing sound. With her ears flattened to try to mute it, she almost didn't hear Mecca's entrance into the kitchen. Quickly rising to her feet, she dropped a towel over the small thing and turned to face him with a small smile.
"Noise?" she asked, glancing around.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:22 am
Mecca smirked and looked down at the moving towel.
"Yes Covet, noise." He said as it came again, somewhat muffled. "It sounds like an animal, an animal in pain."
He watched her for a moment and walked over to make himself some tea.
"Though I suppose I could be hearing and seeing things." He said, gesturing to the moving towel.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:28 am
Covet smirked as he gestured to the towel and sank back down into her seat.
"Maybe you are," she smiled and pulled the creature closer to her before removing the towel. Running her hand over its soft fur she tried again to soothe it, then looked up at Mecca.
"Some kids in the alley were torturing it. They've hurt it pretty badly," she said, with a small concerned frown as she carefully lifted it into her arms to flip it onto its back so she could resume cleaning it.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:32 am
Mecca laughed and looked down at the ... thing.
"Ah I remember these." He said, the child within him coing out as he watched it yelp and writhe. "They make such a satisfying noise when hurt." Smirking he looked down at the thing again, eyeing the children's handiwork.
"A rather sloppy job though if you ask me. I would have started with the fur."
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:38 am
Covet looked up with a glare when he said he remembered creatures like these, then resumed cleaning, finally getting down to the wound. At his next words she looked up sharply at him and smacked him hard in the stomach.
"Jerk. How can you be so cruel to something so adorable?" she asked, glaring up him for a moment, then looking back down and attempting to calm the creature again. "Can you heal it?" she asked, stroking it gently behind its ears.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:37 am
Medea Mecca smirked at her as she smacked him in the stomach.
"Mmm, I love it when you get rough." He laughed walking over to take a closer look at the creature.
"Why would I want to heal it?" He said, looking at the thing that he regarded as one step up from a rat. "It would be a waste of energy. I could put it out of its misery if you would rather?” He smirked, knowing full well that he was winding her up greatly. Ceeda Covet rolled her eyes at his suggestive remark and looked up at his question as if he were crazy. That was just a stupid question. When he continued, her eyes widened and she immediately rose to her feet to take a couple of steps back away from him, holding the poor thing protectively against her.
“Nevermind. I’ll take care of it myself,” she frowned and started to leave the kitchen. Medea Mecca rolled his eyes and poured himself some tea. Just when he thought he had managed to understand her she went and did something else stupid. Taking his time with his tea he cupped it in his hand and went in search of her, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the empty hall.
"Covet!" He called up the stairs. "Where are you?" If it meant a quiet life he would heal the pathetic creature, on one condition... Ceeda Covet was in their bedroom sitting on the floor with the small creature lounging in her lap, her mandolin lying beside her. Healing just really wasn’t her forte. Sighing, she heard Mecca’s voice and glanced to the open door.
“In the bedroom,” she called back, then looked back down at the creature. She just didn’t understand him sometimes. Any normal shu, when seeing something injured, would rather try to help it. It wasn’t like it was a fatal injury… yet. Without his help, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to save the poor thing. Medea "I'll heal it." He said with a defeated sigh, leaning against the doorway. "On one condition. You release it. I do not want that thing in this house." Glaring at the pair he stepped towards them and crouched down behind Covet, trying to hide his distaste for the creature. Ceeda “Truly?” she smiled happily when he admitted defeat, but then frowned when he continued on with his condition. She looked back down at the tiny furry beast and ran her hand over its incredibly soft fur.
“Why should I have to release it? It hardly seems fair to fix it up and then send it back out to the wolves. The poor thing needs me Me-chan,” she said, looking at him over her shoulder, pleading with him with her eyes. Medea Mecca closed his eyes for a moment, summoning patience to deal with this argument.
"Covet. It belongs outside. It is an animal, which has survived this long."
Taking the thing from her he turned it on it's back and placed a hand over its wound.
"Once it is well." He began as he healed. "It will not need you. So do not be so ridiculous." Ceeda Covet held her tongue until he was finished with the healing. Taking the small thing back into her arms, she hugged it close and defiance slipped into her features.
“I’m not sending it back outside,” she said simply. “I can take better care of it than the streets can and it would break my heart to think that at any moment he could fall victim to cruel shu again,” she said, narrowing her eyes a little. Medea Mecca gave a cruel laugh and looked at it.
"I'd say it could just as easily fall prey to cruel Shu here."
Watching her hug the thing protectively he knew he was fighting a losing battle.
"I'm serious Covet, I cannot abide horrid little creatures. If you keep it I do not want it near me. Is that understood?" Ceeda A cool smirk slipped over her lips when she realized she had won. Loosening her hold on the creature a little, she kept her eyes on his.
“If you lay one hand on him out anger or cruelty, you’ll regret it severely,” she said smoothly. Physical pain may not do anything to him, but she was well aware that there were other ways that only she could use to hurt him.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:46 am
"As I said. Make sure it stays out of my way and no harm will come to it." He shifted so that he was sitting cross legged. "Why couldn't you come across something more interesting than this thing?" He asked, watching it with some amount of distaste.
"How can you care for it? I do not understand."
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:54 am
Eyeing him a moment longer, Covet's smile softened as she set the creature gently down in her lap. Petting it gently, it closed its eyes and began to sleep, making a soft humming sound like tiny snores. Resisting the urge to get overly girlie at the adorable sight and sound, she looked up at Mecca instead as she continued to pet it.
"How can you not? He has to be one of the most adorable things I've ever seen. I mean... seriously, how can you resist him?" she asked with a happy smile as she scratched him under his... chin. The creature gave a happy chirp and rolled over so she could keep doing what she was doing. "See? How could you not get a nice warm feeling from seeing its happiness?" she asked, looking back up at Mecca.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:58 am
Mecca watched her and raised an eyebrow.
"Easily." He answered as he watched the creature unmoved. "I cannot respect or admire it." He continued, leaning forward a little to take a closer look.
"Now a proper familiar like that sage's beast the other night. Something like that I could admire. This is just .... a rat with more fur."
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:07 am
Covet frowned a little when he insisted on being difficult and insulted her little friend.
"He is not a rat," she said, deeply insulted that he would suggest such a thing. "Meepo is adorable. Rats are disgusting. And it's not about respect or admiration, it's about love and companionship," she said, raising her chin a little. "Something I realize you know little to nothing of, but you're not even trying. Though you will respect him. He's now a part of our family," she said matter of factly.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:14 am
Mecca raised both eyebrows and smirked at her.
"Family?" He said crossing his arms across his chest. "Meepo?" God he was starting to feel sick, it was all just so disgusting.
"I will tolerate him." He said reaching out a tentative finger to poke it gently. "But I really do not think it will have my respect, that must be earned."
He turned his eyes back up to her and gave her a confused look.
"Why should I try? He is your pet, not mine."
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:24 am
Meepo cracked an eye at the poke, but continued napping happily in Covet's lap as she watched Mecca with a smirk.
"You don't have to, obviously. But there are just some things in this world that don't revolve around the physical attributes of things. True, Meepo may not be able to do much, but he already makes me smile even as he's sleeping. Don't you think that that ought to count for something?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:29 am
Mecca looked at it and looked at her, wondering if she would love it as much if it looked like a rat. He also wondered how she would feel should he summon some creature of the dead as his pet. Would she try to understand it? He assumed not.
"Not really." He said standing and looking down at the pair of them. "It stays out of the shop and the bedroom. Those are my demands. If you know what's good for it you will teach it to stay away from me as well."
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