Open [The Great Bazaar] First Encounters

[Valien]

91st Day of Spring, 514 AV Valien stood against one of the stone walls of the Great Bazaar, flipping a copper miza into the air and thinking on how this was the first day of relative peace he and Serah had had in over a season. Since their hurried flight from Ravok last winter, their days had mostly consisted of trying to survive, always looking over their shoulder even in the company of their traveling companions. Even now, safe within the walls of Syliras, Valien couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was being watched. Not that he'd ever tell Serah that. He flipped the coin again, watching as the light from the torches reflected against the copper surface. His eyes flicked towards Serah in the moment that the coin was in the air, but she was still there, timidly examining the wares of a stall that sold children's toys. He eyed the prices as he caught the coin again, wondering if they could afford that. After getting everything sorted with the Housing Authority yesterday and acquiring an apartment in the Bittern District, they didn't have much money leftover for supplies. But after everything she'd been through, he wouldn't begrudge Serah a toy if she asked for one. He was considering getting one for her even if she didn't. He flipped the coin again, watching her. Serah had gotten thinner since their time in Ravok, and her brown curls were a little unruly, pulled back in a ponytail. It had always been Avenna who had done her hair; Valien realized this morning that he didn't know how to do more than brush it. The simple dress he had bought for her was loose on her frame, but it was his hope that she would eventually grow back into it. He couldn't tell whether or not she was happy. She studied the toys with a solemn expression that made her look like a little scholar, moving from one to the next as if wondering whether or not she was still allowed to play with things like this. Not for the first time, he wondered whether or not he had made the right choice. The coin sailed into the air again, flipping end over end and reflecting light. He considered what he still had to do. Getting a job was a must--they had less than a hundred gold mizas left, and that wouldn't see them through the season. But what could he do. He was fairly certain that most of his...skills wouldn't be tolerated in Syliras, and he'd already promised himself that he wasn't going to relegate Serah to a life on the run. Still, he didn't have too many 'honest' skills. Fighting, sneaking, murdering, those were the things he knew. The coin went into the air again. He supposed he'd have to find a job somewhere, even if it didn't pay very well. And then what? Teach Serah the lay of the city, maybe find her some friends to play with? They still needed supplies for the house. He didn't know how to cook--Avenna had always handled that. He realized with a start that he had no idea at all how to be a homemaker, or how to raise a civilized little girl. Out in the wilds, it hadn't really mattered, but here? Serah would need friends, and food, and a clean place to live, clean clothes, and hair that did not look like a rats' nest. And she was going to need him to give her all of that while he also managed to find a job so that they both didn't starve. And everything he did had to be legal. Valien didn't know the first thing about how to do that. He guessed he'd have to learn, and quickly. The coin sailed into the air again.

[Myra River]

The Kelvic drew in a deep breath. She was up early today; you had to be when you were on your way to the Great Bazaar. Everyone knew the best deals and more interesting finds are to be found when you get your furry butt out of bed at a decent hour. It was time to buy Milo a collar and leash set, she had neglected to when she first got him and quite frankly was sick and tired of carrying a cage around with her when she wanted to take him somewhere. Myra still wasn’t sure how well the little guy would take to training of any kind, but she was more than willing to find out. After the leash training they would move on to bigger and brighter things, such as foraging or hunting maybe. Those sharp little teeth and claws must be good for catching mice at least. She assumed because she was somewhat of an animal perhaps she could just lead by example and he would figure it out. Or it would just end up in a frustrating mess like most things did with the ferret.

The Great Bazaar never ceased to amaze her. All types of people, too many trinkets and bobbles to count, noises, smells, everything seemed to be happening here. What was most interesting to her was the fact that it was all indoors. She was a frugal person. Not many coins left, she thought as she shook her coin purse. Hopefully the shopkeep wouldn’t drive up a hard bargain.

For now though she wanted to window shop, if you could call it that. She wandered around aimlessly, weaving in and out of stalls to look at the different wares. One stall held stones of all shapes and sizes, she stopped to look as her eye was caught by a large turquoise one on a leather string. Her hand shot out to pick it up but within the same instant she drew her hand back, not wanting to be taken as a thief. The man who owned the shop was gangly in appearance, his hair wispy, and dark stubble graced his face. He nodded to her as an okay to handle his wares.

A pretty necklace, yes? The shopkeep asked, eyeing her hungrily.

Mmm yes. Indeed it is. She quickly set the necklace down, not liking the way he looked at her. Myra backed away from the stall, much to the man’s dislike, and continued on her way.

Collar. Collar. There seemed to be no one in the market place today selling any pet supplies. Jewelry, weapons, silverware, clothing, shoes, hell even toys. She found herself gazing at children’s toys wondering if Milo would like a stuffed doll or even a wooden ball to play with. The lioness really considered that stupid, elongated, crazy fluff ball like a baby. A pride member even. The ridiculousness didn’t escape her as she glanced to her left at a man and his, what she assumed, daughter standing also checking out the items. Here was someone actually buying toys for a real child while she stood here like an ass, somewhere she shouldn’t even be, COLLARS, thinking about buying toys for her pseudo child. She began to think about when she would have children, actual children, to buy things for and a familiar loneliness crept into her heart. She was at that age now where she could bear children and yet she didn't even have a prospective love interest. Looking down at the dolly in her hand she sighed and placed it back where it came from.

I don’t have the money for this… Though perhaps this shop keeper could point me in the right direction of the animal stall?

Excuse me? You wouldn’t happen to know where the animals are kept.

This earned her a laugh from the owner of the stall on the other side. Well, Kelvic, surely you have to know where at least one is.

Myra never did like being laughed at. I asked you a simple question, can I at least get an answer before you start laughing at me? I didn’t ask for a terrible joke.

Well with an attitude like that you better take your ‘simple questions’ somewhere else. What do I look like to you? A map? Get on out of here. With brandishing arm movements she was shooed away.

Grumbling to herself about incompetent people and their stupid jokes she turned away from the shopkeeper and found herself facing the man and the little girl. Maybe he would have seen the pets shop, children love animals.

Sir? She raised her pointer finger away from her face as she spoke in common to get his attention, You wouldn’t have happened to see a stall selling dogs or cats would you? I’ve been searching for ages and just can’t find it.

Myra hoped this man would be more friendly than the last person she talked to, she cast an annoyed glance at the shopkeeper then turned her attention back to the man. If not she would just continue window shopping until she found the pets. After all that is how she found Milo in the first place.

[Valien]

The coin disappeared as a woman approached the stall, slipping through Valien's fingers and back into his pocket. In an instant, he was alert, although he masked it by hooking his thumbs through the belt loops of his pants and leaning back against the wall as though he was simply relaxing. In reality, his eyes were on Serah, who was standing too close to the newcomer for his liking, and while his posture was relaxed, his left hand was dangerously close one of the hiding places for his knives. Just in case. The little girl continued to examine the toys, paying the visitor no heed, and Valien decided that it wasn't worth calling her back just yet. He raised his eyes to the woman as she spoke, taking in her appearance, posture, and bright golden eyes. Kelvic, he thought, looking into those eyes that appeared just like a cats' eyes. Being Ravokian, his next instinct was to look for the collar. While Kelvic were a common sight in Ravok, a free Kelvic was almost impossible to find. He remembered at the last minute that slavery was outlawed in Syliras, and turned his attention back to the Kelvic woman's eyes, hoping that she didn't notice the brief glance at her neck. The urge to call Serah back intensified, but Valien resisted it. The Kelvic wasn't doing anything threatening, and he supposed he wouldn't go very far if he treated everyone in Syliras like an enemy. "Dogs and cats?" he repeated, frowning at her. Her question was a little strange; he couldn't imagine what a Kelvic would want with a pet shop. Well, he could, but none of those were very pleasant. He tried to recall if he had seen a pet shop since coming to the Great Bazaar, but couldn't say that he had. This place was immense, and he and Serah had only managed to explore a small portion of it. "I don't think so," he said. An idea struck him, and he glanced at the little girl. "Maybe my daughter has, though. Serah, would you come over here for a minute?" Serah looked up at the sound of her name, the young girl quickly scurrying back to his side. Valien placed a hand on her head as he smiled at the Kelvic woman, inwardly congratulating himself on calling Serah back without looking like the paranoid bastard he was. Serah's eyes widened, and she grabbed onto his hand as she noticed the Kelvic, suddenly shy. Shyness was a new trait for her, but given everything that had happened, he supposed it was understandable. "Serah," he said. "When we were walking through the Bazaar, did you see a pet store?" To his great surprise, the child actually nodded. Trust small children to know where cute animals were, he supposed. "Yes, Papa," she said. "Could you show this lady where it is?" he asked the girl. Serah's eyes grew round, and she hesitated. Valien gave her hand a squeeze to show that it was alright, and she took a breath, pointing off down the path the two of them had come through. She spoke to Myra's shoes instead of to her face. "It's right over here," she said. "She's shy," said Valien, giving Myra an apologetic smile. He didn't add that being born in Ravok as he was, Serah's only previous interactions with Kelvics had also been as other peoples' pets and slaves. Somehow, he had the feeling that bringing that up wasn't conducive to actual conversation. "Why don't we walk you there?" he offered, since he certainly wasn't going to let Serah lead the woman over there herself.

[Myra River]

OOC; The irony of her buying a collar doesn’t escape me. Lol. Also short post, sorry.

IC;

As his eyes slid down her body and back up to her face again she couldn’t help but feel a little sick as intrusive memories of her father flooded her mind. That’s why I have no love interest. Men are pigs. Men are cruel. She was transported back to that dingy house. For an instant she felt small and suppressed the urge to flinch away from him. The loneliness made its place in her chest yet again. Myra barely heard what he was saying to her until he asked the girl if she had seen a pet shop. She had. Pushing the negative thoughts from her mind she focused her attention on the young girl.

The girl didn’t look her in the eyes as she spoke.

What an unfriendly little child.

The man explained though that she was just shy and offered her a smile which she returned in full, completely understanding now. Little did he know she was feeling the same way. He suggested they walk together and though the thought struck her to tell him ‘No thank you’, she decided she was letting her mind and past get the best of her.

That would be kind of you two. I could use a bit of company.

Without waiting for them she set off in the direction the little girl had pointed. Silently she hoped it wasn't far, she was getting tired and thought a nap was rather overdue.

I’m actually here to buy a collar and leash for my pet ferret. Do you know what a ferret is? She added a flourish with her hand to accent the question. I hadn’t until I bought the little guy. Crazy little buggers they are. I would have been better off getting a cat to keep me company. Less mess, less stress. Cute as hell though, he looks like a kitten. Milo's his name.

And a cat probably would have made better conversation. She quipped in her mind causing a smile to grace her thick lips. At the same time she realised she had introduced her ferret before introducing herself.

The name’s Myra Karaugh by the way. It’s pleasant to meet both of you. With that she stuck her hand out, still walking, to the man in an effort to shake his hand.

[Valien]

Valien let Serah lead the way to the pet shop, the girl keeping her hand in his. While she didn't say anything, Valien could tell that Myra made her nervous. Ever since her mother's death, and the spring season Valien had put her through, Serah had become wary around strangers, with good reason. Not for the first time, he missed the outgoing, cheerful child she had been. She did look back at Myra though as the woman mentioned having a ferret, her eyes growing wide with sudden surprise and wonder. Valien was surprised as well. He had never heard anything before about Kelvics keeping pets, but then again, he supposed that he hadn't really heard much about Kelvics doing things for themselves anyway. "You have a ferret?" asked Serah suddenly, blurting the words out like young children tended to do. Her face flushed when she realized she had spoken, and she clamped her mouth shut, quickly tugging at Valien's arm and leading her through the streets with the hurried vigor of an embarrassed child. Valien gave Myra another smile, inclining his head towards Serah as if apologizing for her while being amused by her at the same time. "I saw a ferret once," Valien said, as they walked through the streets. One of the traveling merchants that had come to Ravok had brought it as some sort of exotic pet. "Interesting little thing. Do they make good pets?" Avenna had wanted a pet for the house in the later years of their marriage. Valien had refused, but there had been a time when he had been about to give in. If he knew was coming, maybe he would have. Then again, if he knew what was coming, Avenna would be with them now. He came to a stop as the woman introduced herself as Myra, reaching out and taking her hand. "I"m Valien," he said. "Valien Altare. This is my daughter Seraven. We--I call her Serah for short." We. After having over a season to come to terms with his wife's death, he still unconsciously used that word. He wondered if Myra would notice the slip-up. Not the time to dwell on it, though. He tugged on Serah's hand, bringing the child to a stop as well. The girl was still blushing, and took a step back so that she was half-hiding behind him. "Serah, this is Myra," he said. "Why don't you say hi?" She looked up at him for direction, as if trying to see whether or not he was serious, before turning back towards Myra. "Hi," she said shyly. "I'm Serah."

[Myra River]

The little girl led them through the walkways seemingly with ease. Slowly Myra's original negative feelings began to fade away and she could feel herself becoming more comfortable with the situation. As long as the little girl wasn't secretly a dwarf, leading her to some dark alleyway where Myra would be mugged and slaughtered. But her imagination had a way with running away from itself.

The Great Bazaar never ceased to fill Myra with wonder, always new sights and smells when you came here. Serah’s exclamation startled her for a second; it was the first thing she really heard the girl say. As her father gave her another apologetic smile her surprise quickly turned into laughter. She knew next to nothing of the customs of Ravok so her incredulity was interpreted as merely childlike amazement of the furry animal. The child was actually kind of cute. Much to Myra’s avail they sped up in their walking.

Yes I do! She replied to Serah. He came from this very market place, perhaps they’ll have another one when we get over there.

It was her hope that would mitigate some of the tension, the little girl sure was skittish. In actuality she doubted there would be a ferret there, but she wished so. Maybe she could get some training tips from who ever was running the shop.

Oh lord he asked that. He asked ‘Do they make good pets’. Inside she was bursting with amused vexation at just the mere thought of the creature. Myra was in a great mood today. These people didn’t seem so bad at all. A little reserved but so was Myra, really. It had just been so long since she had a decent conversation. They passed a stall carrying many herbs and to Myra they smelled amazing. Like tea. The smell had a calming effect on the lioness, her angry thoughts about the weasel put on hold for a moment.

I don’t like the idea of keeping pets, though I suppose that’s the clinical term for what he is to me. Really he’s more of a roommate, a friend, or simply a companion in this stone city. In fact buying him a collar and leash seems almost inhumane to me, but it has to be done to keep him safe. Can’t have him running off. She didn’t give too much away with that; she wanted to go on about how she had very little friends in this god awful city but that didn’t seem wise. To answer your question though: No, he makes a terrible pet. He destroys my things, gets into places he shouldn’t be and sometimes couldn't possibly be, can be rather obnoxious at times... But I love him; he’s a great friend to me despite having to clean up after him constantly.

Myra was glad when they stopped to shake hands and he introduced himself and his daughter. The fast pace was tuckering her out. An odd thing happened, he said ‘we’ at first, when introducing his daughter, before he corrected himself in saying I. It was clear to her now this man held some kind of attraction for her, men usually did, and he was trying to hide his marital status. That’s just awful. Why else would Valien have gazed at her body like that and have such a blatant faux pas? She couldn't imagine. Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned at him slightly, giving him a questioning look.

Not interested buddy.

Valien had Serah introduce herself to Myra and she did so from behind his legs, her face a shade of scarlet. It was obvious to Myra that the little girl was severely timid and her father was trying to coax some kind of social interaction of from her. Kids could be so adorable. She got down on her haunches to be face to face with Serah.

Hi there Serah. It’s very nice to meet you.

Not that many years ago she was actually the same size as Serah. Myra guessed Serah was probably older than she was actually. A small part of her was afraid again for a second, what if Valien put to Serah the same atrocities Myra's father had done? With a barely visible shake of her head, the biggest give away were curls bouncing in every direction, she got those thoughts out of her mind. Obviously these two were a team. She almost envied that. Pushing her self up from the ground with her hands she stood up again and looked Valien in the eyes.

Might I ask what you two are doing at this lovely Bazaar? Other than escorting me of course.

She chuckled. Hopefully she wasn't taking up too much of their time, with that being said though Myra doubted they would be walking around with her if they had anything too important to do.

[Valien]

OOCMyra's conclusion regarding Valien made me laugh, then I read her past and felt bad. Yay for misunderstandings. XD Valien glanced with alarm at Serah when Myra mentioned that the stall might have ferrets. The last thing he needed was to have to explain to the little girl that, no, they lived in a one-room apartment in a new city and could not have a ferret. Thankfully, Serah seemed more interested in getting there than contemplating getting one for herself, so he supposed he had to thank...whoever...for small miracles. "I've had roommates like that," said Valien at Myra's assessment of her pet ferret, giving her a playful grin. "Of course, they tended to be human." His early days in Ravok's underground had led to some pretty interesting living situations. And then there was the time Serah had brought friends over. He thought he'd seen destruction, but that was before he saw what five excited seven-year-old girls could do to a room. He was caught up enough in his memories of those days that he didn't notice Myra's questioning look. Probably for the best. He wondered if Serah would make friends like that here, not that he was particularly looking forward to having their small apartment trashed. He glanced down at the girl as the Kelvic crouched to her level. Serah tensed at first, and Valien felt her grab onto his leg. But when it became clear that Myra was only introducing herself, Serah gave the Kelvic woman a shy smile, revealing that one of her baby teeth was missing. "Your hair's pretty," she said, before ducking behind Valien again. Valien smiled, relieved that some of the old Serah was starting to show through, before turning back to Myra. "Serah and I actually just arrived in Syliras yesterday," he explained. "We were looking for things for our apartment, and exploring the city. I think she likes the Bazaar." Honestly, it was hard to tell. Ever since Avenna's death, there were days when Serah felt like a stranger.

[Myra River]

Myra snorted with laughter at his remark of past roommates. Valien had a kind smile, the lioness noted. She sincerely doubted any of his former roommates could be as insufferable as Milo was at times. At that her thoughts began to drift to the little bugger, had she remembered to shut him in his cage before she left? She hoped so else she’d have one hell of a mess to clean up when she got home. There were times she rued the day she bought him, but on most days she was thankful for his company. He did know how to get her spirits up.
As a reflex she grabbed a handful of her wild locks and gave Serah a wide grin. So wide in fact it almost looked more like a baring of her teeth with only the least bit of a smile showing through.

Why thank you! She raised her eyebrows at the hiding girl. I take very good care of it.

The last bit was a lie. In truth she did nothing with it at all though the underneath had a few rather nappy spots where it was beginning to dread together and it was the times she would pick those spots apart with her fingers she was referring to. Other than that she spent very little effort on her hair. That being said her hair was her vanity and she was thankfully blessed with a lot of it. It was her mane of sorts and she treasured it like a crown. The compliment made her glow and she began to like the little girl a lot more than she had a few moments ago.

Her interest was piqued at that bit of information. They actually had just gotten to Syliras.

New arrivals eh? I’ve been here for a couple years actually. It’s not bad. The Knights keep things pretty peaceful. She itched her nose. The Bazaar can be enthralling; I can see why she’d like it. I come down here often just to have a look around and see if anything interesting turns up, which it usually does. What do you think of our humble city so far?

She contemplated offering to show him around the city but really she knew little about Syliras, preferring to wander the Bronze Wood outside the walls than the city itself. Even then it was after dark and most humans were asleep by the time she liked to get out. Maybe he was a hunter like herself? She toyed with the thought of recommending the Bronze Wood to him, depending on what way the conversation turned.

Silently she hoped they would be on their way to the animal's stall soon. Her mind was growing tired from all the simulation and as time went on more and more people were beginning to show up to the Baazar making her a touch nervous. She tried to focus on the two people in front of her in an effort to shut out the hustle and bustle.

[Valien]

Valien felt Serah tense at Myra's grin and glanced down at her to make sure she wasn't frightened, but she didn't look more timid than was usual for her now, only a little embarrassed by the attention. It wouldn't have surprised him if she was a little scared, though. Myra's grin had not exactly been a human expression. It made him wonder what kind of Kelvic she was. Some kind of predator, certainly, perhaps one of the cats. There was something feline about her, although he couldn't quite place it. He squeezed her hand to put Serah at ease, the girl looking up at him. "See, Serah?" he said, giving her a teasing smile. "She takes care of her hair." Serah pouted at him in response, shoving at his leg as she tugged at her own hair defensively. He laughed, shaking his head as Serah folded her arms, apparently deciding that she was going to sulk at him. He turned back towards Myra as she asked about the city. "It's certainly...peaceful," he said. "Much better than traveling, I can tell you that. I suppose I'm still learning my way around though. I haven't had too much time to make an opinion one way or the other." He paused, looking down at Serah as she tugged at his hand insistently, apparently impatient to keep going. "Come on, Papa!" she said. "The kitties are over here!" Valien sighed, giving Myra another apologetic smile as he inclined his head towards Serah. "It looks like Her Highness wants to keep moving," he said. "Do you mind walking and talking? I don't think it's very far. We've just about reached where Serah and I entered the bazaar." Sure enough, within a few moments of walking, they would find the stall that Serah had seen, the excited little girl leading them over to it. It wasn't much, but it did sell supplies for pets, with a few crates of puppies and kittens up front. He released Serah's hand as she tugged at it, watching as she ran over to the kitten cage, crouching down in front of the bars. He really hoped she didn't get any ideas while she was here. They were not getting a cat.

[Myra River]

OOC; 20th post! Woohoo!

IC;
They were cute. So that’s what it was like to have a normal childhood. As she vainly twisted a few curls around her finger once again Myra found herself yearning for a family of her own and realizing she really was getting old, already 5 years for goodness sake. Someday she would meet somebody, she was sure of it. People were shuffling by them in large droves now. Things were really getting into swing, she reckoned. His statement about traveling was something Myra could totally agree with and she nodded her head as he spoke. She remembered making her way here from Sunberth, it was no menial task. It was dangerous to be outside the city wall that was for certain. If Myra remembered correctly the reason the people were traveling to Syliras was because they considered it the most adequately guarded city and she agreed. On the plus side nothing could burn down here either.

In all honesty I haven’t really made my rounds about the city yet either, so we’re probably more or less on the same page. Yeah, we can walk and talk that’d be fine. I’d like to get a move on anyway… Naptime is calling my name.

A yawn escaped her mouth as if to show the truth in her words. It occurred to her she had been living here for some time now and it was a shame she knew so little about her city. She would have to change that. At the mention of “kitties” her interest was piqued. Although she was a lion her skills in the housecat language were rudimentary and it was enough to get by and have a half decent conversation at times. Occasionally the simple little beings would have an interesting story to tell. They approached the stand and while Serah and her father inspected the cats Myra checked out the collars and leashes. Although the golden collars and silver collars were beautiful, they looked like bracelets they were so small, Myra went the cheaper route and selected a simple leather collar. It was kind of stiff as she tried to bend the product in her hands but she doubted it would take long for Milo to break it in, or so she hoped. The collar costed her 5 Mizas, a little pricey for such a small piece of leather but worth it to her in the long run. She inspected the leashes and found one that was about 4 feet long, medium in size as compared to the others; I mean really what was that tiny one for? Bondage or something? I guess this is just the pet stand in more way than one, and that was going to cost her a single gold Miza. This brought her total to 6 gold Mizas which she handed over to the stall owner and promptly stuffed the things into the pouch on her belt. The leash stuck out a bit but after she pulled the drawstring it seemed secure enough to not fall out.

Serah was crouched in front of a cage with a kitten inside it, her father not far behind her. The kitten paced and mewled frantically at the little girl, rubbing its face all over the bars and flicking its tail in rapid succession.

…Out… Hold... No bite… Friends…!

That was all Myra could understand of the kittens meowing.

Please… Nice…

The blonde crouched beside Serah and stuck her fingers through the bars, giving the stall owner a glance to make sure it was okay but he didn’t seem to mind. She mewed back at the kitten in an attempt soothe it. Her words came out in a garbled, and rather throaty, "miarow".

You’re gonna be okay sweetheart. Someone will come and adopt you little one.

Cat! …Please! Help… Go…

It wasn't really clear to her how much of her statement housecats understood, even in human form, it never really was but obviously they could understand at least some of it. Though she supposed he was just commenting to the fact that she meowed at him and her eyes were that of a feline. The kitten was a boy, a black and grey tabby with brown undertones and large green eyes, eyes that had barely begun to see the world. The ‘M’ shape on his forehead reminded her of her own name. And Milo’s. This caused her to wonder what his name was but she didn’t bother to ask. His eyes held something mischievous in them behind the pleading that she liked. Reminded her of herself. The kitten began rubbing his cheek and neck on her fingers and purring, she purred back. He was so tiny and cute.

What do you think of him Serah? Think he’d make a good friend?

She winked at Valien. This place jogged her memory of how she bought Milo, not the same stand but almost. There was a severe lack of ferrets at this shop. When she bought Milo she thought he was just soooo cute and soooo sweet and before she knew it she was fishing out the Mizas to buy the little petcher. To her chagrin same feeling was welling up inside her now and she did her damnedest to keep her fingers from her pocket. She already had one animal she felt like murdering half the time there was no need for this impulse buy. Not today little kitty.

…Home… Please…!

I’m sorry friend.

She said this in Common as she removed her fingers from the cage and stood beside Valien.

That was a close one. I'm a lion Kelvic, so I can sort of understand him. He is adorable though; why not buy him for Serah? She grinned impishly. From what I gathered he’s crazy about your daughter. His purring got louder and he wrapped his arms around the bars, large green eyes frantically begging. Poor guy. Cats make great pets for little girls you know, they pretty much take care of themselves other than food and litter box.

There was no way she was going to be able to leave this place with a clear head if someone didn’t buy that kitten. Considering how cute he was she was sure SOMEONE would, but why not try and talk Valien into it? And if Serah chimed in she was sure he would consider it, “Her Highness” and all.

A furry pal in a strange city helped me adjust quite a lot.