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Post by aden on Aug 20, 2008 8:27:21 GMT -5
"Good-bye," Aden said to Desna, offering a slight bow of his head as the girl retreated. His father did likewise, and the two began walking bak toward their house. Kojaq had brought the kitten in closer to his chest and was re-wrapping it in its blanket to keep it from freezing. After a few moments of getting the little creature secured, he handed it back over to Aden, who reluctantly accepted the living cargo.
"You love pushing me out of my comfort zone..." the young warrior said dryly, casting a slightly annoyed look at his father.
"That's the only way we grow," Kojaq replied with a smile. "Besides, you love animals... And I bet that girl will be ery grateful if you help her out."
"And why would I necessarily want that?" Aden asked as he stepped up to his front door and reached for the heavy leather hide that served as the door.
"Any son of mine shouldn't have to ask."
Aden paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder at his father. The young warrior was not so naive as to miss the implications, but he certainly wasn't comfortable speaking about it with his parents. Instead, he simply decided to play the fool and responded, "I guess I could use a snowball fight teammate... She had a decent arm for a girl."
Kojaq chuckled and shoved him lightly on the back to push him into the house.
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Post by desna on Aug 20, 2008 9:05:01 GMT -5
Desna ran her fingers through Pikatti's fur, her gloves had been hastily shoved in the pocket of her poncho, with her polar bear dog finally talking to her she didn't want the impersonality of the separating fabric. Pikatti was rather pleased with the attention after that furred disturbance had been taken care of. Still the girl couldn't help but let out a small sigh, she was worried about the kitten, surely Aden's father would never do anything to hurt the poor thing.
Another groan from her stomach made her wince, looked like she was going to have to eat something to get the unpleasant feeling to go away. Luckily the next friend she checked had a mother who often pushed food onto their guests.
With so many pets already the answer for a wild kitten was no... But Pikatti left with a mouthful of homemade jerky and Desna trailed with a biscuit she was nibbling on. Every home after that had the same response.
There was no hesitation in shooting her down through, it seemed that not having the mewing thing with her made it a harder thing to peddle.
Didn't help one little girl was starring at her like she was a witch.
When the sun began to make it's decent towards the horizon Desna had to give up and begin to make her way towards home, unless she wanted to walk in the darkness. Her hand patted her thigh gently and Pikatti plodded along at her side as they both moved toward the wall to begin the extensive journey back to her home on the shelf. She'd be thinking about more people to ask all night, the distraction was more than welcome, it drove thoughts of other less pleasant things from her mind.
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Post by aden on Aug 20, 2008 16:38:30 GMT -5
After surprising his mother with their new houseguest, Aden managed to procure her assistance in trying to find the kitten a new home. He and his father went back out shortly thereafter to help refurbish a few homes that had been making due with hasty repairs since the end of the last siege.
In the meantime, Aden's mother had managed to visit one of her life-long friends whom she thought was was a possible candidate for pet ownership. However, even though her friend had a few young kids that dearly wanted the adorable kitten, the other woman didn't think it would be wise to allow it. After all, the creature was a wild animal and her youngest child was five years old. Despite the potential to tame it, she just didn't want to take the risk that the kitten would remain feral and endanger her kids.
Aden's mother didn't press the matter and accepted her decision, despite the protesting groans from the woman's younger children. She brought the young kitten back home with her and began preparing some food for dinner. She had one or two other acquaintences she thought might be interested in the pet, but she figured they could be seen some other time. For now she was content to just hold onto the adorable little fuzzball and feed it bits of meat trimmings while she filleted a piece of whale tail.
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Aden and his father returned later that day while the sun was still on the decline. The young warrior was a little disappointed to see that his mother hadn't been able to locate a home, but he simply told himself that by tomorrow Desna will have someone else lined up to take the kitten off their hands.
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Post by desna on Aug 20, 2008 19:49:48 GMT -5
The morning was a little chaotic for Desna, she was juggling so many things in her mind she nearly forgot the bundle of herbs she wanted to give to Aden's family, but thankfully by the time she'd reached Shai as the sun was peaking up she was calmed down. Pikatti was his usual self, gruff but lovable. Today peddling her herbs was a little odd, apperantly word of a fire bender was hot gossip, pun intended. She didn't really pay it any attention, almost every customer that came to her small tarp was quizzed on their ability to care for a saber tooth kitten but no one seemed to keen on the idea.
After nearly scaring off an older woman she kept her lips shut. Deliveries were the same, she would ask if anyone could take the cat but it was the same answers she received yesterday, both at resteraunts and the healing huts. It seemed like everyone hated cats, perhaps they'd just been talking to Pikatti. The dog seemed blissfully oblivious to her distress, just glad to be rid of the small fur ball. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. Too bad Aden didn't warm up to the kitty, they might get along well, with him being antisocial and cats being pinned as antisocial by nature.
It was a little difficult to retrace her path the other day but it wasn't that difficult to find Aden's house. After all it wasn't too far out of the way. She smirked a bit wondering if he would be all too pleased to know that she had located his house. With a snicker she imagined him pleading with his parents to move so that she wouldn't be able to find him.
Easily she pranced up to the door and knocked on the frame, suddenly her appearance dawned on her, she brushed some strands of hair away from her face and attempted to seem a little tamer than her usual self. The bundle of herbs rested in her free arm and she took a deep breath. Too bad she wasn't holding flowers, it would make for a more ironic situation.
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Post by aden on Aug 20, 2008 20:16:56 GMT -5
Aden only barely heard the knock on the thick ice wall that comprised the door frame of his house, and if it weren't for the slight shadow cast against the heavy leather flap he might not have even bothered to answer. The young bender tossed the rib bone in his hand across the floor and watched briefly as the little sabertooth kitten bounded after it.
He had gotten done the bulk of his work earlier that day, and there was no need for all of the utility benders to stay to finish the particular assignment so he had come home. For the last hour or so, he had been keeping the little furball busy to allow his mother some free time to make dinner.
Aden approached the door while saying, "Yes?" in acknowledgement of the visitor's presence. He reached out with a hand and pulled aside the door flap, squinting just briefly against the light of day until he recognized Desna's silhouette. "Oh, hello..." He stood there quietly for a moment, and allowed the girl a chance to speak.
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Post by desna on Aug 20, 2008 20:24:16 GMT -5
Desna waited for a few moments, allowing the occupants of the house time to answer. She glanced to the side humming to herself and rolling back and forth from her heels to the balls of her feet. It didn't take very long before She heard someone get up and come to the door. Like a snow field mouse she perked up, curious as to who would answer, she was pleased to see it was Aden.
" Afternoon" She smiled awkwardly and tilted her head to the side gently. She didn't exactly know what to say, ' i need more time I couldn't find anyone' ' sorry but you need to keep the cat' ' i couldn't keep the end of the bargain. Instead she cleared her throat and looked down at the herbs finally remembering they were there.
Quickly she held it out to him with a slightly brighter smile. " Here, this is for your parents... I don't know if they'd like them but..." She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, her eyes peeked around him and inside his house where she thought she saw the kitten playing in her line of vision. " How is he?"
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Post by aden on Aug 20, 2008 22:12:33 GMT -5
Aden casually took the bundle and brought it close to his nose for a moment. From the various smells in the mixture of herbs, he could only really pick out a hint of mint. The rest were uncommon enough to his senses that he couldn't name them. "Thanks," he said after she mentioned who they were for. Aden then took a step back and pulled the flap aside for her to enter.
"He's fine," he told Desna, allowing her time to step through the door before walking across the room himself. "I made a little pen for him to sleep in last night, but he keeps trying to eat my boots.... Mom," he called the last word out to his mother in the kitchen, "We have a delivery."
After a few moments, Aden's mother stepped out from the side room, wiping her hands with a cloth. "Oh, hello there," she said kindly, offering a warm smile to their guest. "You must be Desna. My name is Jula... Lovely to meet you." Aden's mother flitted across the room and quickly embraced Desna in a friendly hug.
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Post by desna on Aug 20, 2008 22:21:22 GMT -5
Desna stepped in hesitantly, she didn't want to intrude and trod over the thin line of friendship she and Aden had formed. She smiled at him and then looked down at the kitten happily, he seemed utterly enthralled with the bone. It wasn't very hard to keep small animals amused, the poor thing, it had no home and that saddened her somewhat, she wasn't about to give up though.
There were more people in the water tribe, she'd have to find SOMEONE who would take in the kitten. Her eyes flitted about Aden's home, it was nice. Very homey, it somewhat reminded her of her own and yet it was much neater than hers. It was to be expected. " Seems like he's grown on you a bit* she offered hopefully. He didn't seem too happy.
On the other hand the pretty woman coming through the door seemed happy enough, Desna had no clue who the woman was but everyone loved hugs. " You must be Aden's mom!" She beamed and hugged the woman back lightly even though she was confused as to why the woman was so pleased to see her. " Glad to finally meet you."
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Post by aden on Aug 20, 2008 22:53:12 GMT -5
"Oh, does my son speak well of me?" Aden's mother asked jokingly as she tossed a smile toward him. Aden rolled his eyes slightly to the side in mild amusement as he listened to the two go on. The way they spoke it seemed liked they were best of friends, and yet Aden had never spoken a word about either of them to either of them. Perhaps it was just a female thing...
"I sing your praises every day, mother," Aden said dryly, and after tapping her arm momentarily he handed her the bundle that Desna had given him. She turned away from Desna for a moment and unwrapped the first fold of the cloth.
"For us?" she asked as she looked over the herbs, "Oh that's too kind... You really didn't need to. Little Tuli was no trouble at all." Aden huffed a slight laugh at that.
The young bender still found it strange that his mother had already picked out a name for the kitten, and a little ironic considering how much it clung to them for attention.
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Post by desna on Aug 20, 2008 23:11:19 GMT -5
The gangly teen couldn't help but giggle at the mother and son duo, it hurt a bit to think that she and her nana were like that but she pushed it aside in her usual manner. Not much could be done about the constant reminders that pierced her on a daily basis.
" Nothing but compliments, but he didn't say you were this pretty." She agreed and added a bit of her own humor to it, but honestly she was pretty, it made sense that his dad chose her. They seemed like good people, inside and out.
The girl was about to brush off the present as no big deal when she noticed the name that they'd given the kitten." Aw!" Desna exclaimed looking a the kitten and then at Aden with a bright smile on her lips. If they named it that meant that they had formed some sort of attachment with the small fuzz ball. She was more than pleased to have heard this. Especially since she was as of yet unable to find a suitable home for the little kitten. She'd checked around her house for prints but it didn't seem like it's parents were looking for it
Her perky attitude dropped a bit as she looked down figetting a bit. " oh, I couldn't find anyone to take the kitten, I wouldn't want to trouble you so I can take him home with me, I understand if it's too much work to have a cat around."
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Post by aden on Aug 21, 2008 7:52:23 GMT -5
Almost on que, the kitten hence dubbed 'Tuli' trotted into the main room and began hacking on a strip of meat that it had stolen from the kitchen. Apparently the piece was too big to swallow, and too tough for the kitten to bite into smaller pieces. Aden swiftly walked over and scooped up the animal under its chest and carefully pulled the meat from its mouth before it choked. Tuli hacked once more and shook its head vigorously to try and reorient himself, but after just a few seconds of staring around quizically, he tried to reach out with his paw and grab at the half-digested bit of food in Aden's hand.
"It's no trouble at all, really," Aden's mother said quickly thereafter, drawing Dsna's attention away from the spectacle. "We're glad to help. And I have another friend or two who might be interested, so it won't be long before we find Tuli a nice home to stay in."
Aden remained quiet, though he looked at him mother with a feeling of forboding. She really was a nice woman, but she almost seemed too accomodating for Desna, whom she had never even heard of until yesterday. The young bender almost suspected some alterior motive for the overly warm treatment aside from just caring for the kitten.
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Post by desna on Aug 21, 2008 8:18:47 GMT -5
It was unnerving to see the small kitten nearly hurt it's self but Aden seemed to have everything under control, perhaps he was a secret animal lover, then again who would want to let a cat choke and die in their household, she smiled a bit finding amusement in the pair.
Desna was honestly a little surprised, was Aden's family really that nice or was something going on here. Her bright smile stayed plastered on her face, she hardly let it slip at all, she'd had a lot of practice in that. She didn't like to think that the man with the good sense of humor or the polite warm woman had anything up their sleeves. It wasn't like she'd scoff at their assistance with Tuli, whether they decided to keep it or not they'd been all but accommodating so far. It was just that she was never treated quite this nicely before. Especially not by any of her friends parents, it was, odd. Her eyes flickered over to Aden attempting to read his expression but as usual it was a bit difficult, if a few meetings could even set a standard...
" I'd take the kitten but Pikatti, my polar bear dog, doesn't seem to like him much." She was suddenly reminded of Pikatti waiting outside, she hadn't been gone too long, he'd be alright. Her weight shifted the other leg moving her stance only a bit, not as though much change could be seen through her thick poncho and the body clad in baggy clothing underneath. " It's a shame, he's really adorable."
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Post by aden on Aug 21, 2008 22:52:11 GMT -5
Aden had disappeared from view for a moment as he went into the kitchen area to dispose of the gnawed bit of meat as well as wash his hands. From there, he could hear Desna explaining her inability to care for the kitten because of Pikatti. "That dog needs to learn to share," Aden commented from the other room, smirking slightly as he considered how possesive the animal was of his master.
"I'm sure he just loves you too much," Jula said, smiling assuringly at Desna. "But no worries. I'm certain things will work out for the best." Aden's mother then leaned toward Desna and raised a hand to her mouth to keep her voice from traveling to the kitchen. "I think Aden's growing attached to Tuli..." she whispered, offering a knowing smile and wink to the girl.
From the other room Aden couldn't hear the little exchange and so he walked back in olivious to what was said. He had the sabertooth kitten resting up on his udder chest and shoulder. Tuli was currently trying to nibble one of his side-briads, which Aden quickly tugged away from his mouth and tapped the kitten hard on the nose to discourage the frequent gnawing.
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Post by desna on Aug 22, 2008 8:31:24 GMT -5
Desna glanced towards the doorway with a small pout and a roll of her eyes, honestly if she didn't think Pikatti would eat the kitten she wouldn't have this problem. She'd known Pikatti to warm up to the people around her, but the kitten was an unknown she'd rather not risk with the fear of a lot of blood inside her humble little home. It wasn't like she was a bender, it would take a lot for her to scoop out and pack new snow in. The repairs on the home were all she could take.
Her attention returned to Aden's mother and she nodded and smiled, Pikatti was possessive but she wouldn't trade his companionship for anything in the world, ever. Her head perked up and her eyes opened slightly when the woman leaned towards her, a bright grin formed on her face but she didn't say anything for fear of Aden over hearing. Her gloved hands went to her mouth to suppress a couple giggles. That would most defiantly tip him off.
It seemed the problem in the kitchen was resolved when Aden veered his head into the main room once more. With a few strides she made her way over to Aden and Tuli wiggling her fingers near the kittens face to occupy him from gnawing on Aden's hair. The kitten took the bait and began attacking her fingers, if he had claws or large teeth it might have been a problem. " Tuli is a cutie...." She mused smiling gently at the little cat, a choice strand of hair falling across her face and tickling her nose.
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Post by aden on Aug 23, 2008 14:54:02 GMT -5
Desna's distraction allowed Aden a moment to shift his grip supporting the kitten and use his free hand to tuck his side-braid over his ear to put it out of harm's way. The young warrior then watched Tuli as he swatted and nipped at Desna's fingers. "We'll have to make sure that doesn't become a habit," he said after a few quiet moments. "When he's bigger, those teeth could do some damage."
At that, Aden's mother gave a knowing smile and said, "Well, you make sure to tell that to whoever it is can take Tuli." Aden looked over at her suddenly, and after a moment of replaying his own words in his head he shifted the kitten in his arms to a slightly more impersonal distance. "Because I thought you weren't much of a cat person," Jula went on.
"I never said I didn't like cats," Aden retorted, sounding a little defensive, "But you know what I meant...."
"Of course," she replied. Jula then glanced over at the door flap and remembered that she still needed to finish cooking. "Well, I'm going to go prepare some fillets. It was lovely meeting you, Desna, and keep us posted with your search. Until then we'll be glad to keep Tuli safe and sound." Aden's mother glided across the room and hugged Desna once more, flashing another telltale wink before disappearing into the kitchen.
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