[Piramba's Pet Shop] While the Cat's Away... (Tao)

[Vendaril]

9th Spring, 511 AV The moon drooped over the large pet-shop as Vendaril strode in from the goat pens. He was working the late shift into the wee hours of the morning – mainly because he slept through the regular one – and the surly beasts had done little to cheer him up. As he stomped in through the back door, he tossed the sturdy comb he’d been using to rake mud out of their bristly hair into the wicker basket that housed Fai Piramba’s various grooming tools. He clapped the dust from his hands and grabbed the immense burlap sack of food pellets, his back protesting at the weight. The gargantuan sack was due to the lack of demand for this particular food, and it was cheaper to buy in bulk. “Sure you bought enough?” Vendaril had joked at the time, but had he realized how dearly he would pay for the remark – that he would be the one lugging the monstrosity from cage to cage. It was for the pikas – mountain-dwelling rodents, also known as the whistling hares. Vendaril had almost torn his own ears off that first day, the incessant squeaking of many mice driving him crazy. They had calmed down a little now, but they still went off whenever someone walked through the door. There were three large cages pressed against the shop window; they were called cages but Vendaril thought if these were cages then the Koten Temple was just a house. They were great wire complexes, with multiple levels & intricate walkways. Around these scampered the pikas, melting the hearts of anyone who walked by, there was one girl in particular who had shown up every day since they had arrived. Never came in though, simply stood outside and watched them. However, Vendaril distrusted the rodents, and he was very careful as he opened the top hatch to pour food down the central feeding chute. As he headed out to the goat pens an hour earlier, Fai had pulled him aside a moment and asked him to watch the shop when he was done. She said something about grabbing some groceries or the like whilst business was slow. It wasn’t often the Symenestra got to work the register alone – no doubt Miss Piramba was a little nervous about leaving her beloved animals with a blood-sucking fiend. This was an opportunity for him to prove his worth, and improve his image. Perhaps he’d drop a hint about how hard he’d been working when he clocked off… He snapped out of his reverie as the pikas scrambled for shelter, whistling like a room full of kettles. Seconds later, the door swung open and a familiar face stepped in.

[Tao]

OOCI... think I want a pika now. o.o It was a nice night, all things considered. The weather was cool, but the wind was not as biting and the ice on the ground beginning to thaw. The stars were out like always, shining vibrantly across the sky like an artistic splatter of paint, and the buildings all around were glowing to match their radiance. Tao slipped out the back door of the Fleeting Comet, pulling on his jacket as he went. The weighty heat of the kitchen seemed to be knitted into his clothes, imbued with the scents of cooking meats and spices. Comfortably snug, he made his way down to Surya Plaza, still surprisingly active, if one were not aware of Lhavit's night life. His shifts were mostly in the evenings, now, spreading across into the late night, when the city became buzzing and alive with activity more than any other day. It was not uncommon for stores and restaurants to be open even as dawn approached, when the last stragglers were crawling into bed. The idea had once boggled him, but in time, he had adjusted and become every bit as nocturnal as any resident. Now was the time when he could get things done; he could read a book, or shop for food, or maybe finally get around to cleaning up the mess that was his apartment. He had been neglecting it lately, having spent more time with Vendaril, but the Symenestra was busy tonight... Who would have thought we'd end up here? He thought, a small smile flitting to his lips unconsciously. Despite the... difficulties they had between them, he had been coming to really enjoy his time with the other man, talking about history and stories and everything inbetween. It was nice to simply have someone who wanted to listen to him, even if he didn't have anything amazing to say. It was almost a shame that Vendaril had been called in to do a late night shift at the pet store where he worked; he had wanted to show him something in return for letting him study his rare family diary. Another thought gave him pause; it was past midnight, and even if Lhavit itself was heavily nocturnal, the animals were probably not. The shop would probably not get many visitors so late, then, which meant that his friend would possibly have some spare time on his hands. Alternatively, I'll go and face the mess at home. … After a second of deliberation, he turned and changed his course, heading for the only pet shop that was in the area; thankfully, it was quite close by. The front windows of Piramba's Pet Shop were still lit, showing off the animals by the front windows. He paused to take a look at the strange little rodents, and they paused to take a look at him. A sign by one of the cages, filled with intricate tunnels, burrows, and walkways scattered all around for them to play on labelled them 'Pikas', and he had never seen anything quite like them before. They were set stout, like mice without tails, and hopped to and fro across the cages, squeaking at him in a high pitched tone. Beady, curious little eyes stared back at him as he approached the glass, crouching down to get a better look. His proximity made them all scatter, much to his disappointment. “Pikas...” He said aloud, and laughed a little as they all squawked at him reproachfully. I'll have to ask Vendaril about them. They're really adorable. He got up from his crouching position and made his way to the front door, pushing it open. It was soundless, but it hardly matter; the squeaking Pikas were much louder inside, making it impossible to even think about sneaking up on the store. Vendaril was sitting at the desk when he arrived, watching the door for the intruder that the little sentries had warned him about. He smiled shyly at the older man, hoping that he wasn't intruding. The Symenestra certainly didn't look busy, but he didn't want to get him in trouble. “Hello.” He said, deciding to stick to Common like they usually did. “I just finished working, and I thought I'd come say hello.” The redundancy of that statement struck him a moment later, making him blush a touch, flustered already. “I-I also had something I wanted to show you, if you're not busy...?” In the background, the tiny pikas continued to squawk. He glanced over at them; cute as they were, that whistling had to be murder on the ears in such a loud pack! Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with sympathy for poor Vendaril; if these were the animals at the front of the store, it could only get more annoying from there!

[Vendaril]

Vendaril had just managed to lug the heavy bag back to the counter and slip on a service standard smile in time as the door clicked shut. The smile became a little more natural as he saw Tao shuffling out of the half light, although he was a little bemused. Tao had never visited him at work before, and he was unsure what Fai would say if she returned to find him slacking off with a friend. He had to remember he was a good employee now. “Hello Tao!” He said, the uncertainty all too clear in his voice. “What brings you here?” He shook his head and heaved the food sack out of its hiding place at his feet. He had yet to fill the third cage and the pikas had noticed, scratching nervously at the wire walls and whistling for attention. ” I come, my fur-clad tormentors, I come…” He had taken to muttering in Lhavitian to himself – it had certainly helped with his pronunciation, though his vocabulary was a little austere. ”I live only to serve, my cruel tables.” He paused, frowning slightly – that couldn’t be right. A second later it clicked - ”Masters! My cruel masters…” The Symenestra sheepishly caught Tao’s eye and gave an unconvincing grin. He finished the trek from counter to cage and hefted the food up to pour it down the now open hatch, legs askew and knees buckling, not unlike a squashed spider. The fur-balls chirruped as they swarmed to the central column, fighting to collect the food for their individual stashes. He couldn’t wait to knock off, head home and grab some sleep. The nocturnal life was hard to grow accustomed to after years spent among the day-walking people beyond the mountains. He couldn’t even remember what it was like to wake up and feel well rested – perhaps if he took the night off tomorrow and – No, no more days off. He was going to work, and if his body protested then it could crawl back to Kalinor alone because this mind was going nowhere. The scattering off food pellets from the overflowing container brought life back to his glazed eyes. “Zlynge!” He exclaimed, jerking the bag up with all his might. The small brown chunks of dried grasses had fallen through the wiring and scattered over the thronging rodents, creating the effect of a free-for-all as pikas everywhere rejoiced at this miraculous rain of food. The occupants of the next cage over glumly looked on with a mixture of jealousy and embarrassment. Shrill cried bounced back and forth through the air. I have to stop drifting off like this! Deep inside him, a little voice was laughing at the silly creatures. Stay awake! Keep talking to Tao. The scolding overrode the urge to watch and smirk, so he turned to his friend, exhibiting a terrible display of exhaustion. “You have something to show me?” He enquired, ditching the sack of food in the corner. He’d be damned if he were dragging it all the way back to the food stores. It could wait till tomorrow evening. He hopped atop of the rattling cage, thanking Viratas for his light frame as the thin metal did little to protest his weight. He focused his attention firmly on his companion, locking his every aspect into memory to prevent sleep invading whilst he was inactive. He noted the wistful glances at the noisy animals that infrequently shot across his slight face. No… Tao wouldn’t want one of them! They’re far too… impractical. And feminine. And noisy. Besides – he couldn’t afford the upkeep, surely? A quick shudder wracked Vendaril’s slender body – induced by weariness, not chill – and he glanced over his shoulder through the window to see if he could make out Fai’s silhouette making its way through the glowing streets. No sign. Eye’s back to Tao. He realized he had just been talking, and Vendaril had completely failed to hear him. Mortified, he quickly asked him to repeat. “Oh, um, what was that? Sorry, I was miles away… You were talking about, um something about… You’d probably better start again.” What passed for a blush flirted across his pale cheeks.

[Tao]

Tao couldn't help but falter a moment, his heart sinking when he heard the confusion in Vendaril's voice. It seemed that he probably was intruding after all, judging by the enormous bag of food that he was lugging around, much to the delight of the pikas. (They continued to squawk incessantly, no doubt in impatience that their meal had not been delievered to them yet.) He sincerely hoped he wouldn't be causing trouble for his friend. If the sarcasm dripping from the words he spoke to the little rodents was any indication, he didn't appear to like them very much. That was understandable, given how loud and obxious they could be. He waited for the man to get the heavy bag in food in place for the whistlers before he got closer, crouching down beside one of the already fed cages. The pikas scrambled to and from the source of their food, some grazing, others dashing back and forth, collecting little stockpiles in their artificial burrows. The cages themselves were clearly made with the animals in mind; the way they hopped and clambered about fitted perfectly to the design, twisted back and forth like a mountainous range. “They're cute. Pikas, aren't they? Are they ta- woah!” He turned to ask Vendaril his question, but was startled by the man being quite distracted himself, overflowing the cage he was feeding the bag into. Snapping out of his reflections, he cursed and pulled the heavy bag back before any more food could be wasted. The little creatures took the sudden scattering of food across the cage as well as could be expected; squeaking viciously at each other, they competed for the larger pellets that had scattered, carrying them off to the safety of their hidey holes. He couldn't stop a smile from turning up the corners of his mouth at the ridiculous sight; it was hard to take the fighting seriously when they were so... cute. Tao turned back to Vendaril as he swung himself to sit on top of the cage (having banished the large bag to a corner). There were heavy bags under the Symenestra's eyes, and his shoulders were slumped like the weight of his arms was too much. He had never seen someone more exhausted before in his life. He wanted to ask if he was feeling okay, but didn't think it would be the best idea. Despite working out his fear of the man since that incident, there were still the occascional reminders that made him think back to those few terrifying moments... And he had no desire to have a repeat of the past. He noticed Vendaril looking between him and the pika, having no doubt noticed his interest in them. There was a bit of an incredulous look on his face – something that said 'Why would you want anything to do with those things'? Perhaps he noticed that Tao was waiting for his reply, and he sheepishly replied that he had lost track. “Oh!” He forced a smile on his face and a cheerful note into his voice, hoping that it would catch on and cheer up the tired Symenestra in turn. “Yes, I just thought you might be interested in looking at this book I own... I remembered that you weren't fluent in Lhavitian...” He pulled the book out of his bag, running a hand over the cover. It was becoming a little worn around the corners now, the sign of a well loved tome if ever was one. The simple title Common to Lhavitian was embossed on the front cover. “I know you can't look at it now, but I thought you might want to have a break or something.” He continued, shrugging a little. “It's pretty late even for Lhavit, and I thought it wouldn't be too busy.” Shaking his head, he sighed at his own lack of foresight. “I didn't even consider that all the animals would need to be fed.” He glanced back at the pikas, still making a racket and stuffing their tiny mouths with pellets. “Like these little guys. They're really cute – pikas, they're called?”

[Vendaril]

Vendaril perked up a little as Tao withdrew the plain volume from his bag. As tired as he was, he could always find time to check out a book. He propelled himself from the cage towards Tao, taking the book in his own hands. He ran one claw over the slight depression of the title, taking pleasure in the rough feel of the leather. It was nicely made, if a little austere, but Vendaril found himself even more intrigued by the pages within. Flicking at random through the book, he found it contained a collection of words and phrases in Common – accompanied by their Lhavitian counterparts. He had never heard of such a document. “Where did you get this?” He asked incredulously, turning pages back and forth. He could hardly imagine anyone sitting down and writing this in cursive script – no plot, no characters; just endless lists of words. It was almost too good to be real. He secretly wondered if it was some artifact of Eyris, and Tao secretly her devoted follower. He ran a critical eye over the odd young man. When Tao mentioned the animals, Vendaril rolled his eyes and dismissed the comment with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve dished out the nights food, there’s only the dogs to groom and that can wait for tomorrow.” With that said he made for the stool at the counter and settled there, the book splayed before him. Glancing up, he added, “Yes, those meat-bags are pikas. Ghastly creatures, I can’t wait until they’re all sold off. I wish they hadn’t adapted to nocturnality – they would be far preferable if all I heard from them were snoring” He riffled the clean white paper, searching to see if the author had included any choice swears he could use. He still kept an eye on the window, if Fai should show up now he would have to quickly hide the book, or face her wrath. Or perhaps, a familiar voice piped up in his thoughts, perhaps you could pass it off as studying, attempting to improve his chance of doing better work around the shop? No, replied another voice, How often is it that you are called upon to communicate in fluent Lhavitian whilst mucking out the goats? Best keep on the lookout and be ready to cram the tome under the countertop. The Symenestra’s brain caught up with his ears at this point, and he snorted at the “cute” remark. “I suppose they have a little visual appeal,” he conceded, nodding at the rodents. “However, they are unbearably obnoxious. You wouldn’t believe how awful it can get during peak time.” He went over Tao’s comment in his head. Had he heard a hint of longing in his voice? Or was it his imagination. He decided to test the water. “Tell you what, I’d be grateful if you’d be willing to take one of them off my hands – that’d be one less for me to deal with. I’ll cut you a special deal – the whistler, a cage and an obscene amount of food, all yours for the low, low price of 25 kina!” He was imitating the hawkers of the Great Bazaar in Syliras – not that he had ever been there, he had read books on the place and he did his best impression of what he thought they would sound like. He watched Tao’s face carefully as he said this, trying to spot what his first reaction would be to being offered one of the ratty creatures for his own. OOCSorry for the shorter post, I have writers block :/ I’ll set the mice loose soon though

[Tao]

OOCDon't worry about it, dude, we all suffer from the dreaded writer's block. My post is a bit shorter, too. If there was one thing that Vendaril and he shared in common, it was a love of books, stories, and tales. He could see the light in the man's eyes as he carefully took the book into his hands, opening up the cover to explore what was within. Surprise and disbelief crossed over his face as he looked at the contents, turning the pages rapidly as if he couldn't be sure what he was seeing. That critical eye he quickly placed upon Tao himself, questioning where he had gotten the tome. A wry smile ghosted his lips as he remembered the beginning of winter. “Well... at my workplace, they only speak Lhavitian. I think they got sick of translating for me, so...” He waved a hand at the book, letting the evidence speak for itself. Vendaril's attitude towards his work was much more blasé than he expected, waving a dismissing hand at any concern about the animals. He must be on top of things, to be here alone and not having to worry about any of the stock. The thought was reassuring, as he really didn't want to get him in trouble. Tao was unsurprised that the Symenestra had no love for the little pikas, with their loud and piercing cries, squabbling together in the large cages at the front of the store. He didn't seem to have much affection for animals at all, when he thought about it. “Obnoxious, huh...” He repeated, eyeing the man carefully in response. Whether Vendaril hated them or not, he knew more about them than Tao did, and he supposed he had to defer to that superior knowledge. “Ah, well. I'm sure they'll sell out quickly enough.” In response, Vendaril waved a hand and set about a salesman's speech, offering one of the little pikas to him to keep. The offer surprised him, his eyes widening as he considered the thought. Having a pet would certainly break the monotony that sometimes struck him at home... but he had never cared for an animal before, and he would probably not be very good at it. Not too mention that he wasn't really the best of companions for people; he'd drive an animal near mad. “... I... don't think I should.” He replied, attempting an apologetic smile. “I... well, I've never had a pet, and besides, I probably couldn't afford it.” Nice as it would be, it's for the best. He added to himself sternly, in an attempt to quash the part of his mind still clinging to the offer hopefully. Turning back to Vendaril, he decided to change the subject. “So, would you like to borrow that for a night or two? I need it back, but I don't mind if you'd like to take a look through it.”

[Vendaril]

Vendaril smiled inwardly as Tao declined the offer. The reluctance in his voice brought a nasty little part in his brain satisfaction. This was quickly shut off. “well, if you change your mind, you can always return. This offer is for a limited time only though.” A sly wink was slung at Tao – why was that? the Symenestra wondered. Just to see how he reacts replied a smirking subconscious facet. I thought I got rid of you grumbled the other voice, and they both drew silent. Vendaril returned his lax gaze to the phrase-book on the counter. “I can only hope they sell quickly.” He continued to chat in a friendly tone, though he was still eying Tao with keen interest. “These monsters are the worst things I’ve had to deal with here at Piramba’s – and that’s including my weekly duties clearing up after incontinent puppies.” A quick shudder ran down his spine as his nose recalled the stench. “You’re lucky they’re being so quiet,” he continued waving his arm in the direction of the cages, obscured as they were behind Tao’s close form. “Normally they’d be shrieking their ratty heads off at the presence of a stranger.” Something didn’t quite seem quite right about that Vendaril thought, and a thoughtful frown crossed his forehead. He pulled his stool out from under him as he stood to lean around Tao, and checked out what the pikas were so preoccupied with that they were ignoring the visitor. This is what he saw – one empty cage, the food hatch still hanging wide open. A low groan built up in Vendaril’s larynx, growing steadily utill it was a roar of frustration. ”Filthy azo!” He screamed in Symenestran at the remaining two cages of pika, innocently cocking their heads at him. ” Nooo! This can’t be happening!” He recalled with dread the speed and agility of the rodents when they tried to escaped when they tried to put them in their cages upon their arrival. He didn’t dare to imagine what Fai would do if she returned to find he had lost a third of the stock… A bead of sweat formed upon the Symenestra’s brow as he turned wild-eyed to the shocked Tao. “You have to help me find them!” His voice shook with desperation. Without waiting for any kind of response he leapt to the empty cage, hunting for any tiny escapees. He spotted one scuttling along a shelf of dog grooming kits and lunged for it, scattering boxes but ultimately coming away empty handed. “The doors and windows are all closed,” he called over his shoulder, franticly gathering the boxes in his arms. “So they can’t escape. The upstairs door is shut too, so they can only be either in here or in the back room.” Noticing movement in the food sack that still sat in the corner by the cage he peered inside, spying a trio of pikas gorging themselves. He managed to grab two of them as they tried to carry off bundles of the food – one in each hand – but the remaining rodent was wise enough to ditch its loot and burrowed under the surface. The two Vendaril managed to apprehend were dropped unceremoniously down the chute they had used to escape, and had the cage door slammed behind them as the gathered there wits after the (relatively) long fall. This is bad. This is really bad. Vendaril’s mind was aflame with the possibilities of what could happen if the animals were not all recollected. Being fired was one thing, but if he had to pay for the missing stock… Then he was truly up the creek. Who knows? His darker psyche chirped up, reveling in the carnage. This could be the perfect opportunity to grab us a little snack without anybody noticing. Just send Tao to search the back room, and nab one of them. We know how you have wondered what they taste like… Vendaril plunged one pale arm into the pellets that hid the third of the three that had raided the food. You mean you’ve thought about it, replied another intangible voice. We would never think such a thing. Begone, savage thoughts! A second handed burrowed down to help, and instantly felt a squirming shape. The pika shrieked as it was wrenched from its safe (or so it thought) little hidey-hole, clutched by dark talons. It too was slung with little grace into its prison. Vendaril barely managed to press the door into place before the other two tenants clambered up the chute, making another escape attempt. “There was only about thirty left in that cage,” he said, feeling a little more in control of himself now and keeping his voice steady. A quick look around the room revealed two more pika scrambling through their new surroundings. This would take forever he thought with a soft moan as he hurried after them.

[Tao]

Vendaril took his rejection in stride, continuing to talk about the tiny pikas without so much as a hitch. Tao couldn't help but wonder if the offer had been a joke on his part; Vendaril did have a particular taste in jokes. “They have quieted down.” He agreed, though he twitched a little at the mention of dogs; hopefully, the Symenestra would not deem it appropriate to bring any of them out. A second later, any concern he had for that vanished as Vendaril's face contorted into a snarl and he screamed out something in Symenestran. He flinched and scrambled back a few steps as the man yelled, only realising a second later that the cry wasn't directed had him, but rather at the pikas. Why is he yelling like that... oh no. He turned to look at the cages, only to see that one of them was wide open, and the occupants long since gone. Vendaril's reaction went from anger to pure panic as he realised that they were all scrambling around the shop, whirling around in the hopes of spotting where they were hiding. “I'll help!” Tao responded immediately to his plea of help, a bit of guilt twisting his conscience. If only he hadn't distracted the man at his workplace, he would have noticed them trying to escape. It was the very least he could do to help him get them back. Vendaril dashed away to the back room, shouting out something about windows and doors that Tao didn't quite catch. Putting his bag down on the counter, he around the front room for even a glimpse of the small rodents. The first place he checked was behind the counter, figuring that it was a small and quiet place for them to curl up away in. Sure enough, there was one in there, chewing on the corner of what looked like a book for tracking sales. As soon as it saw him move, it squealed in fright and leapt away, making him shout with surprise and scramble back so that it wouldn't leap onto him. When he looked back up, it had vanished. From his new, undesired position on the floor, he spotted another few, hiding underneath the other cages by the windows. They seemed to be distracted by some food pellets that had scattered on the ground, allowing him to crawl a little closer. Spotting a stray pellet on the ground, he grabbed it and placed it just out in the open. Sure enough, one took the bait, poking its body out from safety long enough to grab hold of the food. He struck quickly, grabbing it around the shoulder and yanking it out, causing it to squeal and squirm viciously. Clutching it tightly so it couldn't get free, he scrambled to his feet and shoved it in the cage as he had seen Vendaril do. “I got one!” He shouted back to his friend, delighted with the victory. That made four in total, leaving only... twenty six to go, according to the count. Tao crouched back down to where the group had been hiding before, and seven sets of beady little eyes stared back at him. It seemed that it wasn't going to be easy to lure them out this time. The small triumph quickly paled in the face of the task that was ahead of them. Oh gods.

[Vendaril]

Vendaril dashed about the shop like a mad thing, darting here and there as he saw a pika peeking out of its hidey hole, moving on when it darted back into its little nook or cranny. This is ridiculous he thought after a couple of minutes doing so without so much as laying a finger on the pesky escapees. We need to think about this tactically, lay out a plan. That way we will save our energy from all this frantic running and hopefully manage to catch these pets. Breathing deed as he regained his composure, he leaned against the wall, idly noticing Tao baiting a pika with a spilled nugget of feed. That’s a decent enough idea, but it will take all night to try and do that – we need something on a larger scale… Suddenly he recalled the burlap sacks kept behind the shop for manure storage, and slowly a plan pieced itself together in his head. “I’ll be right back,” he called to Tao as he swept through the back door, closing it carefully to ensure none of his furry friends escaped into the night. Vendaril located a suitable sack in good time, rather large and with no fraying or holes. Perfect for the task he had in mind for it. He raced back through the door, opening it rather sharply and sending an unaware pika flying. He grabbed the stunned rodent and carried it squealing to the cage. Now to the further development of his plot. He asked Tao to sweep all the scattered food pellets on the floor into a pile in the middle of the shop, and whilst he was at it he turned to the food bag in the corner, finding yet another pika that had decided it was worth the risk to plunge into the sea of food. Needl;ess to say it soon joined its glum comrades in the cage. The mouth of the empty sack was held agape as the Symenestra began to shovel fistfuls of lumpy pellets into it, enough to give the sack a bit of weight and a bulge at the bottom – enough to feed an army of pikas. Next he set the bag down next to the pile of food on the floor that Tao was collecting. He laid it on its side and after glancing about for a suitable object, propped it open with a couple of dog brushes. His final move was to grab some of Tao’s nice neat pile and sling the majority in the sack with the rest, scattering the rest of it about the nearby floor. He felt a little guilty as he did this, but then it needed to be done, so he focused on the job at hand. Finally he pulled Tao over to crouch behind the counter with him, and explained what his plan was. “Ok,” he began, “hopefully the pikas will be lured by the food on the floor towards the sack, and upon seeing the food within the sack, be drawn into there. As we wait here, more and more pikas should come due to the apparent lack of danger. Then, when they begin to show signs of having enough – ie; they start trying to take the food away with them, I sneak over, and hoist the sack up high, shutting the top and thus capturing the irritating creatures. Do you understand?”

[Tao]

As Vendaril crashed around the shop frantically, Tao remained mostly on his knees, watching the pikas he had cornered under the cages. He knew they would bolt as soon as the option was available to them, and he didn't want to risk letting them escape. He had attempted reaching in to grab one, and had been bitten for his troubles. Nursing his injured hand, he nodded his head wearily to Vendaril as he took off to the back room once more, either formulating some sort of plan or going to fetch a weapon to take out his frustrations on the little rats. Any appeal they had had for Tao was lost several minutes ago; the thought of having even one of the squeaking monsters in his apartment made him shudder! The Symenestra returned, carrying a sack and a stunned pika. He quickly instructed Tao to sweep up some of the loose food pellets. Deciding that it would be better to trust his friend, who did this sort of thing for a living, he got to his feet, located a broom, and got to work. It didn't take long before the floor was completely spotless and the scattered pellets were in a neat pile. Cleaning was something he could do. While waiting for Vendaril to get his plan together, Tao had a thought of his own. Taking the broom, he got back onto all fours, eyeing the pikas hiding under the cages. As he had suspected, most of them had darted away, leaving only two huddled and waiting for him. It was a narrow space, too tight for them to leap around, and he took advantage of the fact. Unceremoniously, he stuck the broom under the cages, rattling it violently to startle them out. Moments later, his two captives made their escape, straight into his waiting hands. He threw them in the cage before he could get bitten again, watching them tumble in, causing the rest of the little hellions to scatter. Pleased with the victory, he shook the broom at them as a sort of warning, before feeling silly and turning his attention back to Vendaril. His friend seemed to be setting up some sort of animal trap, using the pellets he had gathered as bait. He had just finished his preparations apparently, as he grabbed Tao with a thin, but firm hand and pulled him behind the counter, out of sight. The bite on his hand was still stinging, so he grabbed a nearby piece of cloth to wrap it up. He nodded quietly to show that he understood Vendaril's explanation. It was clever, if they had the time to wait for the pikas to act. How many would they catch, though? Surely there were some that realised that there were more important things than food and would remain in hiding. “How do we know when they're all in there?” He whispered. “We can't look out, they'll see us and run away.”