Closed What Are Kittens For? (Poison)

[Sayani]

2nd of Winter, 513 AV
Sayani sighed, as she crawled on the silk cord towards the house of Rovas Briar, her sister comfortable perched on her back. Nissa was small and light, and there was very little effort involved in carrying the girl. Which didn't mean it was something Sayani liked to do, but she didn't mind. It was her dear sister, and she would do almost anything for her.

Which was why she was now going to the Briar Web.

"They are so cute, Yani." her sister exclaimed, holding loosely, as if Sayani would never let her fall. It was true, but the Symenestra doubted she would be able to catch her sister if she fell indeed. "You are going to love them!"

The Symenestra hold a sigh, adjusting Nissa, before keep moving towards the house. It wasn't long before she reached the top, lowering herself inside after announcing her presence. Sayani was there only because Nissa had heard from someone that Rovas Briar's cats had given birth, and he was giving them away. After Nissa saw one of the kittens, an animal she had never seen before, the mixed blood had felt in love and insisted so much for one that Sayani ended up giving in. The feline wouldn't be a bother, and as long as Nissa took care of the pet, the Symenestra didn't mind taking one home.

The problem would be convincing both Sorana and Vardan not to kill the kitten. Her brother would be easy to convince, but her mother... Well, Sayani had a plan that might work, but if it didn't, then she would hid the kitten from Sorana. It would be defeat to let the small animal die, and Sayani wasn't defeated so easily.

"We're here for the kittens!" Nissa clapped her hands, a huge smile adorning her face. Sayani almost sighed again, holding her sister so she wouldn't run inside the house.

"I'm Sayani, of the Wisteria Web, and this is my sister." the Symenestra introduced herself to the man. "I'm sorry for her manners. What she meant is: we heard that there were kittens for adoption, and we came to see if we can adopt one." she wasn't really sorry for her sister behavior. It had been the mixed blood words, not hers, but they were supposed to be polite, and so she would be if her sister couldn't.

[Poison]

Rovas Briar sighed as he looked at the cats that were playing on the floor of his house. His two feline companions, Traulin and Missifi, had had a litter of kittens in fall. He had initially welcomed the new additions to his family – since he didn’t have a wife or children, the reimancer had come to consider his pets his family – but caring for so many cats had eventually become too much. Space in the small home was limited, and it would be too dangerous to let the cats go outside. They could fall off the web and die, and if they didn’t fall off the web, one of those Zith that had recently moved to Kalinor might eat them.

He shuddered as he thought of the creature called Scorn that had come to his house in fall. She’d wanted to buy one of his beloved kittens and use it as a snack! In his opinion the ruling couple should ban all Zith from settling down in Kalinor! A loud, high pitched meow pulled him out of his thoughts and let him know that there were more important things to do than to hate Zith. A small black kitten had approached him and was looking up at him from out of golden eyes. It wanted to be entertained!

The reimancer grabbed a stick that had feathers and a bell attached to it and started waving it in front of the kitten. The little one meowed again, and then it started to jump around and tried to catch the ‚prey‘. Traulin and Missifi, his older cats, had in the meantime taken up residence on the table and were watching their offpsring closely. A second black kitten that had green eyes was currently chasing a ball of yarn around the house.

As he heard a voice at the entrance, the reimancer put the cat toy away. Who could be visiting him? He went to the door to greet his visitors. One of the two young woman seemed to be of mixed blood. That was unusual. There weren’t a lot of mixed bloods in the city. As Nissa gave him a huge smile, the reimancer automatically smiled back. They were here for the kittens! Thank you, Viratas! he thought. Although he loved his little cat family, he knew that they would be better off elsewhere. With so many cats around the house, some would always be a little neglected, besides, feeding them cost a lot of money. They needed a loving home where they would be treated like a king or a queen.

“Welcome, Sayani and …“ He looked at her sister, waiting for her to introduce herself. “I’m Rovas Briar. These two are still waiting for adoption.“ He pointed at the two black kittens. “They are both male. Truth to be told, I’m surprised that they are left. The problem kittens have all found a new family, but these two gentle, well behaved kittens are still here.“

[Sayani]

When Rovas trailed off, some ticks passed with no one saying anything, as the Symenestra waited for another name. Nissa seemed to be oblivious of it, as she watched the kittens with a huge smile. Finally, Sayani gave her sister's shoulder a small squeeze, making the mixed blood raise her head quickly, finally noticing that Rovas was waiting for something.

"Oh! I'm Nissa!" she introduced herself in a very happy voice. "The kittens are really cute!" Sayani then released her grip, and the younger girl ran towards the two black kittens, using her fingers to entertain them. Sayani hoped the man wouldn't mind this almost intrusion in his home.

"Sometimes, people look for trouble to make their lives more exciting." Sayani answered, keeping an eye on Nissa. The Symenestra made a small gesture to indicate the young girl on the floor. "She certainly is one of them. I'm actually grateful that the only ones she can choose from are the well behaved ones." she had no doubt that Nissa would take care of the young cat, but she also knew that any trouble, it would be the Symenestra who would have to deal with it. It was better if the kitten behaved. This way, it would be easier to convince the rest of their Web that the new pet wouldn't be a bother, too.

"Yani!" her sister exclaimed, turning to her sister. Sayani noticed that there was a small scratch on her hand, but the girl didn't seem to notice. "They are both so nice! Can I take them both?"

"No, you can't." the Symenestra didn't even have to think before answering, and Nissa pouted at her. "There might be others who will want a kitten too. What if we take both? We will make someone very sad." of course this wasn't the real reason, but it was a reason that would convince her sister. Sayani knew it would be hard enough for a single kitten to be accepted. Besides, with two cats, the chance problems happened were much greater.

"Oh..." Nissa seemed to be sad for a moment, rubbing one of the kittens on top of the small head. They stayed quiet for a while, and Sayani didn't break the silence. She knew her sister was probably hoping for her to change her mind, and she didn't want to give any hopes. Finally, Nissa sighed, seeming defeated. "Alright... Just let me play with them a little more?" the girl asked, hopefully. "Then I will know which one I want."

Sayani nodded, and as soon as Nissa began to play again, she seemed to forget her sadness and smiled again. The Symenestra turned to Rovas. "If there is any problem, I can make her hurry up. Nissa just wants to play with both of them a little longer, she probably has already decided which one she wants." the Symenestra turned once again to the girl and the kittens, watching. She had to admit they indeed were cute. Maybe having a pet wouldn't be so bad, after all.

[Poison]

The two kittens watched Nissa with a certain amount of suspicion as she tried to entertain them with her fingers. And then the golden eyed kitten came closer and jumped at her hand. The other one followed a few moments later, and the young halfblood suddenly had two black little furballs purring and gnawing at her hand with their tiny, but nevertheless sharp teeth. Rovas saw this, smirked and remarked, „They seem to like you. These are love bites!“

„Yes, they do“, Rovas agreed as Sayani remarked that sometimes people looked for trouble to make their lives more exciting. „But your sister seems like a nice girl.“ He cast a glance at Nissa. The reimancer couldn’t help but wonder how Sayani had ended up with a halfblood sister. Had her mother cheated on her husband? Or had she simply decided that she didn’t want to risk her life anymore?

„Two kittens actually aren’t much more work than one“, Rovas interrupted Sayani. „If you only have one cat, you will have to play with it and entertain it. Two kittens will often play with each other. But it is of course your decision.“ He watched Nissa as she played with the kittens again. „Maybe I can help you pick one of them by telling you a bit more about them.“

The kitten with the golden eyes will nibble your hands if you pet him for too long, and he absolutely loves sleeping on somebody’s chest. His brother doesn’t nibble hands, but he is a morning person … cat, I mean. He’ll often wake up early and beg for food.“

„He also loves rubbing against people’s legs.“

[Sayani]

"She is." Sayani agreed. There were very few people she felt proud of, and her sister was one of them. The Symenestra could see the curiosity in the man's eyes, and she couldn't blame him, although it was a little annoying. After all, half-bloods were indeed rare in Kalinor. But if he didn't ask, she wouldn't say anything. There was no reason to. Nissa was part of the family all the same in her eyes.

As soon as Rovas said two kittens weren't much more work, Sayani saw Nissa's eyes lighten up, and she braced herself for the words she knew would come. "Yani, let me have them both, please!" her sister begged her. "They liked me, and I know you liked them too!" Sayani sighed. Less trouble with two kittens? Maybe it would be, maybe it would not. She wasn't really sure if it would be a wise decision, but Rovas knew what he was talking about, didn't he? Sayani pressed her lips, thinking, while Nissa leaved the kittens to come closer to her. "Please, sis!"

The green eyed kitten came after her, purring and, just like his owner said, rubbing against her legs. Sayani bent down, picking the small animal out of the ground and adjusting it on her arms. Distracted, the Symenestra caressed his head, and Nissa smiled, as if she had already won. Maybe she had. Sayani sighed again.

"Would it really be alright to take both of them?" she asked Rovas. The fact that the man had said it would require less attention from them if the kitten had someone to play with had picked her interest. Nissa wouldn't give attention to them all the time, despite what she said, and Sayani wasn't sure she would actually enjoy playing with kittens for too long. The green eyed kitten purred again, and Sayani couldn't hide the small smile that played on her lips. The Symenestra knew a lot of things about herself, but she never suspected she would like to have a pet.

[Poison]

Rovas smirked as Nissa started begging. „They are wonderful kittens“, he assured Sayani to make the decision a little easier for her. He knew that Sayani’s and Nissa’s home would be perfect for them. The two were already older and thus less likely to touch the kittens the wrong way or make a different mistake. And Nissa just seemed to be so enthusiastic! „If you take both of them, each of you will have a kitten to cuddle and play with. You won’t have to argue about who gets to spend time with it! You wouldn’t want the kitten that stays behind to be sad and lonely, would you?“

He had said that on purpose. Rovas was convinced that nobody, not even an older sister that tried to be reasonable, could resist a fluffy sad and lonely kitten! As Sayani picked the green eyed kitten up, he smiled knowingly. She tried to be reasonable, but apparently she had already made the decision subconsciously. „Yes, of course!“ he told her as she asked if it would really be alright to take both of them.

„I’ll even give you some toys and a basket you can carry them home with. And if there’s anything you want to know about cats, feel free to ask me.“ He watched how Sayani smiled at the kitten in her arms. „I think he has a new best friend“, he told her.

[Sayani]

Sayani sighed. How long it had been since someone managed to change her mind so easily? She was decided to take only one kitten, and now, Nissa and even Rovas were trying to convince her to take both. True, the Symenestra was strong willed, if she wanted, she would simply say no. But the curious thing was that she didn't want to say no. She sighed, watching as Nissa's eyes widened in anticipation for her answer as Rovas said it would be fine to take both kittens.

"Alright." Sayani finally answered, still not sure if this was the best idea. Well, they would manage. And, to say the truth, the Symenestra didn't want to put down the cat she was holding. It was ironic that such small creature could change her mind so easily. "Fine, we will take them both, then."

"Thank you!" Nissa almost jumped with joy, running towards her sister and clumsily hugging her, taking care not to hurt the kitten in her arms. She then turned back to the golden eyed kitten in the ground and picked him up, a huge smile on her face.

"Do you want something? I have some money to pay you for." Nissa had said that the man was giving his kittens for free, but it didn't seem fair to take everything without paying. That, and Sayani was feeling generous. The comment about the kitten in her arms had filled her with pride and even joy, something she wasn't sure she liked. The Symenestra looked at the kitten, who was purring happily, and she sighed again. Really, this small creatures sure had some kind of hidden power.

[Poison]

„Wonderful!“ Rovas exlaimed as Sayani agreed to taking both kittens. The reimancer seemed to be practically overjoyed and was smiling brightly at the two young women. „You won’t regret it. Life is so much better with cats!“ He cast a glance at Traulin and Missifi who had noticed that something was up. The two older cats jumped off the table and walked over to Sayani and Nissa, wagging their tails slowly as they did so, a sign that they were nervous. What were those strangers doing with their children?

„It’s alright“, Rovas murmurred and stroke them. He was suddenly feeling a little melancholic. „These two girls are going to give your children a good home. They’ll love them and feed them and make sure that they are going to grow up and become big, strong cats. Maybe you’ll see them again sometimes.“ Neither cat said anything, but they watched their children closely, as if they had somehow understood that they were going to leave.

„No, I don’t want any money“, Rovas assured Nissa. He was smiling again now. „I just want you to love the kittens. That will be payment enough. And maybe you’ll let me visit sometimes so that I can see how they are doing. I think Traulin and Missifi would be interested as well, right?“ He scratched Traulin behind the ears.

[Sayani]

The man seemed to go from incredible happy to sad in just a few seconds, and Sayani watched, interested, as he talked with the bigger cats, the parents, probably. People were sure very interesting, with all that humor swings. But Sayani was even more interested in the bigger cats' reactions. They seemed to know exactly what was going on, their whole body posture saying much, although they couldn't put anything into words. Cats were way more interesting than she had thought.

"I'll love them! And Yani will too, I know it!" Nissa was beaming with happiness again, and the Symenestra turned to look at her. Her sister sure seemed happy with so little. It was a nice change from her mother and brother. "And you can visit whenever you like! The kittens will be so happy to see you!" Nissa then frowned, turning to her older sister. "He can visit, right?"

"Of course." Sayani answered, nodding towards the man. It was true she cared little for feelings, but she wouldn't keep the other from seeing the cats for no reason. Besides, she doubted Rovas would be a bother even for her mother, so he was truly welcome to come whenever he wanted. "Feel free to drop by if you want to see the kittens. They will like it a lot too, I suppose."

Sayani petted the small cat a while, before putting him on the ground again. The Symenestra turned back to her younger sister. "You have to give them a name."

"This one will be Aloe, because he nibbles on your hand, so he seems like a mean cat, but he sleeps on your chest. I think this means he is very affectionate, and is almost like he is protecting you." she pointed to the golden eyed kitten, before looking at the green eyed one and back to Sayani. "And the other one will be Ivy, because he is your new friend, Yani!"

Sayani nodded. She knew that her sister would obviously use plant names for the kittens, but sometimes it still impressed her that Nissa could so easily relate everything with plants.

[Poison]

As Sayani said that he could come and visit the kittens, Rovas smiled. „I hope they’ll recognize me when I visit“, he remarked and looked at the two little black kittens. „You won’t forget your parents and me, will you? Be good to these two girls. They are going to take care of you from now on.“ The kittens did of course not answer, but just stared at the reimancer from out of their big, round eyes and looked cute.

„I like these names“, he remarked as Nissa named the kittens even though neither girl had asked him for his comment. „Now then, I said that I would give you a few things for your new pets, and I’m going to keep that promise.“ With that he disappeared behind a silken curtain into another area of the house and returned a few moments later with three straw baskets. Two of them had a lid, and the third basket was filled with cat toys, little mouses made of cloth, balls of yarn and sticks that had feathers and bells on them.

„You have to carry the kittens home“, he informed the girls and handed both Nissa and Sayani a basket. „Don’t let them walk across the web. They are still clumsy and might fall off. You shouldn’t let them outside too much when they are fully grown either, but keep them indoors where they are safe.“

„They love to eat fish, but you can also give them chicken. There should also always be a bowl of water somewhere in the house.“ He looked at the kittens and then at Nissa and Sayani. „I think that’s it. Do you have any questions?“