Not So Simple Solution <Shai City, North Pole>

[desna]

The way he said it, her entire train of thought was ended and her aqua eyes flitted up to his face. Her breath stopped for a moment and for a split second her heart skipped a beat. Only slightly were her lips parted as she took in the taller boy. 'we'll have to make sure...' it sounded so... like they were a couple, like the kitten was a baby. That struck her in the gut making her entire body tense and her instincts tell her to bolt. Slowly she worked on talking herself out of that fight or flight instinct.

He meant it in other terms, him and his family. Swallowing hard she placed another smile onto her face and watched mother and son speak inadvertently moving herself away from Aden and the kitten. It was a little interesting to see the exchange, how Aden seemed a little protective of the kitten, at least it gave Desna some time to cool down, she wouldn't want to bolt like a frightened animal. Perhaps it was time for her to leave, let the new pet owner get some alone time with the kitten.

" You meant that you don't want little Tuli to hurt anyone." Desna teased sending playful a look Aden's way, she embraced his mother when she gave her a hug and waved at the woman left. Now, she was alone... a little odd to think about. Her lips pursed and she turned toward Aden attempting a nervous laugh.

" I should go... but I will want that re-match eventually."

[aden]

Aden shifted his weight idly from one foot to the other. Without his mother to keep Desna's attention with her conversational prowess, a decidedly awkward air settled around them. He turned his attention toward Tuli for a moment and blew a short breath of air at the kitten's ear for no real reason than to get its attention. The kitten hunched its shoulders and ducked its head briefly before turning around rapidly and mewing at the person holding him. But as surprised as Tuli was by the sudden draft, he seemed to lose interest quickly enough and began looking around the room.

When Desna mentioned her readiness to leave, the young warrior glanced her way and nodded. Her reinstatement of the challenge from a few days before brought a slight smirk to his face as he considered the fact that his bending had returned.

"Oh, I don't think you'll be so lucky next time," Aden said with a knowing grin.

[desna]

Desna nodded a bit, a little disappointed Aden seemed so willing to let her leave, it seemed there was a thin line there between being pleased with his acceptance of her departure and something else. None the less she smirked and rolled her shoulders back pleased that it seemed a date for the future was set, she needed some new friends since her old ones were moving on with their lives. Leaving her behind.

" I don't come into Shai over the weekends so maybe sometime next week." It was mostly musings to herself but information he may need to know either way. She carefully closed the space between herself and Aden gently scratching the kittens ear.

"you better pray to the spirits for better aim, you'll need it." It was funny how much the son took after the mother, that grin, the look in their eyes that said that they knew something secret, it was so similar it was eerie.

[aden]

"I think you'll be surprised," Aden remarked as he watched Desna scratch Tuli's ears. The kitten seemed a little restless after being held for so long and he began squirming a little in Aden's grip to try and get free. However, he held the kitten in place, deciding he could stay there until the end of the conversation. "I've been practicing..." he added cryptically, not bothering to say in what exactly he had been practicing.

Aden let that comment han for a moment before continuing on, "So, some time next week then. Whenever we happen to cross paths again, I suppose? Depending on the assignment, I could be done by mid-afternoon or working past sundown."

In his mind, Aden couldn't help but realize how unusual this really was for him. He couldn't even remember a time when he was setting playdates with friends to go have fun in the snow. For a moment he almost wanted to cancel the arrangement then and there; to return to what had become familiar and predictable. But even as that reclusive habit of thinking sprang back up, he was already beating it back down.

If nothing his else, his recent bending troubles had made him realize that his old mindset would lead him to nothing but lonliness and misery. Like his father had said, 'Change is the only way we grow.'

[desna]

She shook her head lightly with a smile that was clearly holding back a laugh, all the same she was sort of happy he warmed up to her. leaning down gently she placed a kiss on top of the kittens head before scratching behind it's ear one last time before she left, then again. She looked at Aden and the struggling cat in his arms and sighed in her mind, well, why not, wasn't like she was gonna have him burst into flames.

Desna quickly threw her arms around Aden squeezing him lightly as to not harm the kitten before she let go. It was tempting to throw him for a loop and sneak yet another kiss on the cheek but deciding against it she simply twirled from his personal space on her long, thin legs.

If nothing else it appeared to be hard to keep the girls soaring spirits down. She walked to the door flap and winked at Aden playfully if only out of habit with her other male friends. " It's a date" she quipped before raising her voice a couple decibels so that his mother in the kitchen might hear her. " Thank you for watching Tuli!" Then she left through the door heading down to see Pikatti. The dog stood, a little hesitant but once he saw her without the kitten his bear tail wagged back and forth pleasantly.

She left with Pikatti then, at least she knew Tuli would have a very good home.

[aden]

Aden was a bit surprised when Desna suddenly loomed forward to embrace him. Luckily though, the difference in height between them allowed him to simply lean back and keep his head up to avoid any attempt at a stolen kiss like she had done before. Aden took the hug in good enough spirits though, and despite a slightly worried expression during the embrace, he managed a slight smile when she let go.

"Sure," he said after the girl spun away and referred to their 'date,' "See you later."

"Good-bye!" Aden's mother called from the other room after hearing Desna's parting words. A few moments later, Jula walked back into the living area while Aden set Tuli down and took a seat on the fur-covered floor. "So..." she mused out loud, drifting across the room and glancing at the door flap, "She's pretty."

"Hadn't noticed," Aden replied quickly, falling back into a laying position with his hands tucked under his head.

"Mhm... Well, let me know how your date goes."

"We're not dating!" Aden shot back, perhaps a bit more emphatically than he'd intended. He looked over at his mother just in time to see her smiling as she went back to the kitchen.

"Okay, okay... Now go stop Tuli from chewing up your spare shoes."

Aden sat up quickly and caught site of of the sabertooth kitten gnawing on a pair of leather mocasins. "Hey!"

[desna]

Her attention was else where as she walked down the streets of Shai, her eyes were boring holes into the sky as she just walked and thought, thought and walked, it was a little odd. She wanted to see Aden again...honestly she was looking forward to their next meeting, already pondering how to hunt him down for a snowball fight. It made her stomach churn to think like that, it was painful to say the least, her subconscious knew what she didn't yet, it was attempting to protect her, keep her away, stick with the mundane and let it go.

With an abrupt shake of her head she perished all thoughts from her head, he was a friend and was somewhat fun to hang around, that was why she wanted to see him again, no point in over complicating things. Pikatti looked up at his master a little confused but accepting, he was more than used to her sporadic moods, but something up ahead stole his attention and brought his lips back into a snarl.

Desna's eyes followed Pikatti's and her stomach dropped, the worst part were that the aqua eyes matched her own gaze. For a split second her feet couldn't move but then she shot down a side alley with Pikatti close at her side. " Desna!" The man shouted after her quickly gaining up behind them. A couple quick turns later Desna and Pikatti were on the lift. " Up, up up up!" She urged the attendants, they complied as the man, panting, came into view, now there was anger in his eyes. He was shouting but as the small frame became smaller with the height Desna let out a sigh. She defiantly wouldn't be coming into Shai this weekend.

[desna has left the building thread]