Spirits of the Earth

The night was young, the sun having set only an hour ago, but the cat had no guestimation of time, nor did anything matter once the shadows came out to play. Something in her feline body came alive when the great, glowing moon showed its shining face amid the stars overhead, made her blood run faster and her body feel more lithe.

Tonight was a good night to hunt. The air blew fresh through her fur, along her nose, bringing with it smells of all kinds. She could hear everything that moved, every rustling leaf in a tree, every scratching claw on the earth beneath her paws. What she focused on the most, however, was the mouse scurrying some inches away near the wall she crouched on. She could not see it, but its scent was more powerful and more telling than anything her eyes would ever give her. She could hear its heartbeat humming on the air.

It had no chance for living. It did not even have time to give a final squeak before she pounced on it, grabbing its neck in her fastening jaws and breaking it in one clean bite. A rush of warmth flooded her mouth, a glorious taste of blood spilling over her tongue and down her throat.

Pride filled her as quickly as the blood had come, as it did with every kill she made. She was a great hunter, she knew. No other cat could claim to have killed a mouse in so little time, with such efficiency.

But here on the wall of the city was no place for the queen of cats to eat her night's meal. She lifted her head, eyes gleaming like moons. Her prize dangled from her mouth.

With a flick of her tail, she leapt from the wall, front paws cushioning her landing, no noise made whatsoever, another thing she that pleased her.

Another sound, out of place, caught her attention. Her head turned in the direction, ears forward. A person. Not Monnayage, but still someone. This was her lucky day. Surely this person would praise her for her good catch. She deserved it. Monnayage never liked seeing her bring him dead animals. He praised her and acted the way she wanted him to, but she knew how he really felt. He was squeamish.

This person wouldn't be. This person would want to see the mouse she had caught. It was big and wonderful.

Giving a muffled meow, she padded over toward where she knew the person to be, and found a young human female. Maneki eyed her cautiously before approaching, mewing again through her mouthful, trying to get the girl's attention as she dug around in the earth for an unseen reason.

Nimble fingers plunged into warm, soft earth. Ladybird hardly noticed the setting sun as she worked to replant one of her newest flora additions. 'This will look so lovely come winter. Cold weather flowers are always the most wonderful things on those bitter days.'

"Oh," she exclaimed softly in surprise to the soft meow. A warm smile lit up her face and eyes as she noticed the small feline. "Hello beautiful," the woman greeted, inclining her head. "What brings you to my humble garden?" She giggled softly seeing the caught mouse. "Oh I see, did you catch one of my other visitors? That is quite the prize catch. You must be the best mouser I have ever seen. Thank you for your help!"

Ladybird sat back on her heels to continue speaking to the tawny cat. She kept her tone soft and far from condescending. Every word spoken was truly meant, as if the cat would respond back in kind. "Do you have a pet human, little hunter? Best be careful with those, foolish things always like to wander off. We need smart beings such as yourself to keep us in line. Although, maybe you are better off without one. Humans are so much work to care for as pets.

Within her mind, Fern's thoughts began to stir. ~You have no idea,~ his voice interjected. 'Go back to sleep, Fern. I'll wake you up when we get back inside.' The small snake sent her the impression of a warm fire before settling back down. Ladybird briefly brushed the fingers of her left hand across the thick dark blue band wrapped around her right wrist. What appeared to be an intricate bracelet was actually her dearest friend and companion, Fern. The male loved to curl himself about her wrist and fall asleep, his head curled close to the palm of her hand and hidden from view.

"Your fur looks so soft. May I pet you, little hunter?" she asked holding her left hand out in an inviting manner. Her fingers were loosely cupped with her palm facing up in a sign of openness. Experience had taught her to let animals come to her, rather than her go to them. While she welcomed all, she would not force her own wishes on any of them.

It'd started as a usual night: Maneki wandering off the moment the sun had set to hunt, him ambling through the dark streets of his hometown with no purpose but to move. Not a hunter himself, he still got the nocturnal urging to be active at night. Tonight was no exception.

The evening air blew tepid across his face and through his hair. Autumn had arrived, but it had not brought its brisk chill with it yet. Even the moon, normally just a pale glow in the sky, seemed to give off warmth this night, its glow so bright in its fullness that Kabe felt he might as well be walking out on a cloudy day--the sun merely hidden. Of course, it helped that he had excellent night vision, courtesy of Maneki.

Most of his neighbors were in their homes, lantern lights shining out through their opened windows. They paid no heed to the sound of someone walking past their dwelling space, their spirited laughter with their families covering any sounds his lithe feet might have made on the cobblestones.

It felt good to be back home. Featherfall wasn't near as big or rich as Arca, yet it felt more of a home to him than any other. The people were friendly, the streets barren of crime. He could blend in, no one ever having to know he was a noble, never having to know how rich he was. It was a nice change.

Monnayage stopped under a young aspen, inhaling the earth-rich air with a smile. Everything felt so incredible, so nice, so . . . lively. The hand running up and down his spine and sometimes through the fur on his head, the compliments toward his great hunt, made this moment absolutely divine--

Wait. What?

He opened his eyes. The streets were quiet, only the sound of the wind through the leaves his companion.

Maneki. Someone was petting Maneki, praising her, feeding the pride that was already too big for the cat's body.

So. His cat had made a friend.

Smiling, he followed the invisible string that forever attached him to his familiar, a thread of light in his mind.

And there she was. Being petted by a young woman--a beautiful young woman. The moon's glow enhanced her beauty, sending shadows across her face and bodice, making her skin bloom under its light.

He folded his arms, one brow lifting in amusement as Maneki went on completely oblivious to his presence. He cleared his throat. "I see you've found my cat, lovely lady," he said as he stepped forward out of the shadows.

For the second time that night, Ladybird was surprised by another presence in her garden. She arched her brow at him, slightly inclining her head in greeting. "So this is your pet, little hunter," she whispered to the cat, scratching it behind its dark ears.

She moved fluidly to her feet, brushing her hands off on her skirts. "Your cat? Hardly. You belong to the cat, not the other way around." Ladybird offered him a small smile, eying him coolly. "Can I help you, sir? Or is it only the fine little hunter you are looking for?" Her hands folded in front of her, right over left.

In the palm of her right hand she could feel Fern getting grumpy as he nuzzled his head against her. 'Be still Fern. Most people don't like you.' She could practically hear the huffing in her head. ~All the more reason to move. I don't like him skulking around the garden like that. What if he wants to hurt the flowers?~

Ladybird's lips twitched at her familiar's words. 'Glad to know you have your priorities straight, Fern. The flowers? Really? Shouldn't you be more concerned about me?' The snake wisely kept silent.

Charmed by her cool attitude, and slightly taken up in pleasure by her continued petting of Maneki, all he could do was keep his position, brow still arched. "I guess it depends on how you look at the situation," he said casually. He shrugged casually, throwing the topic onto something else. "And I had come looking for m--ah--the, what did you call her? Fine little hunter? But my quest brought me to a pleasant surprise and I find myself caught up in it."

When he'd stepped a little closer, he bowed, low and elegant. "The name's Monnayage Mint, young miss. And you might be?" Considering he'd lived here for some time, it came as a surprise to him that he did not recognize this beautiful moonbeam.

Maneki, no longer receiving the praise she'd been enjoying, had moved on to eating her catch one dainty bite at a time. Monnayage tried to ignore the ghastly sight in the corner of his vision.

<Must you do that when I'm talking to someone?> he asked.

<No better time,> the cat responded without much interest.

"Quite the little charmer, isn't he? Does he fancy himself a snake?" Ladybird had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at Fern's commentary. 'Hush you, he's cute.'

"How cute can you be with a name like Mint? Is he edible?"

'Fern!' Unable to hold her laughter in, she was forced to cough to cover her giggles. "Mint?" she finally asked, calming down. "Ask him. Ask him!"

'I'm not asking that. Now hush!' She surreptitiously ran her hand along the snake's smooth blue scales before continuing. "How fortuitous that I have a mint settle himself in my garden. If you're not careful, you may just suddenly sprout and take root." Smiling, Ladybird brushed her hands off on her skirt, wishing her hands weren't covered in so much dirt. "You may call me Petal, everyone else does."

The quirk of her lips and sudden coughing made him, once again, lift a brow. He knew a hidden laugh when he saw one. Despite people thinking that a random cough over nothing could cover something as obvious as laughter, they failed to realize how silly it was.

Was there something funny about his name? Or was it that he had bowed to her?

Either way, the sound of her little coughs enchanted him. From where he stood he could smell this woman's earthy scent amid the other smells of her various plants.

"Ah, Petal." He straightened. "Not a befitting name for one as beautiful as yourself. You are more than a mere petal, you are an entire rose. But if everyone calls you Petal, then so shall I." Glancing around at the plants and avoiding looking at his cat as she ate her disgusting night's meal, he asked, "Why are you gardening in the middle of the night? Wouldn't it make more sense to do this during the day?"

"If you must know, Petal is not my real name. But, it is my preferred one." Ladybird was not pleased at having her name belittled in her own garden by some flirty stranger. Lips pursed and arms crossed she continued to address him. "Tell me Mr. Mint do you often enter private gardens and needlessly harass their occupants? Or am I just an exception? If that is the case, you are free to leave. I do not need you here."

Dismissing him, she turned and dropped back to her knees where she was digging. Smiling, Ladybird stroked behind the cat's ears, praising the "fine little hunter." Still ignoring the man in her vicinity, she dug her fingers back into the earth, creating a small hole for the plant she was repotting. Around her wrist, Fern began to move and hiss irritably. "Cans I bites him now? He mades you mad." Feeling it necessary to defend his "pet," the little snake quickly unfurled himself from around her wrist.

'No you may not bite him. Hey! Fern, get b-Fern!' Trying to catch her little guardian was proving harder than expected. His small size and dark back scales made it hard for Ladybird's weak human eyes to see him against the dark soil. "Fern!" she hissed out quietly, but desperately. 'Get back here you little worm! You are going to get me in trouble!'

Choosing to drop his formal demeanor, Monnayage smiled. She had snap to her, a little bird whose feathers fluffed at the slightest provocation. But he hadn't meant to offend her, only compliment. This type required a different kind of courting.

"My apologies," he said. "I didn't mean to intrude on your gardening. As I said, I came looking for Maneki, my familiar. She often gets herself into trouble, and I had to make sure she wasn't doing it again." At this insult, the cat glared up at him, eyes likes little moons and tongue cleaning her lips of blood.

In the darkness Monnayage saw the shadowed shape on Petal's wrist move and then slither along on the ground. He saw the girl fumble for it, missing.

Cat-like instincts made him want to pounce, to play with this strange moving thing, but he reigned in and simply stared, eyes not leaving it. Maneki, on the other hand, had no such control, and had lost all interest in her half-eaten meal, eyes following the animal with such intensity that he wouldn't be surprised if it burst into flame. From the corner of his eye, he saw her muscles tense, tail curling behind her as it did when ready to attack.

<Maneki,> he warned, pushing his own control onto her. <I don't think your new friend would appreciate it if you did that.>

"Friend of yours?" he asked aloud, focus still on the dark figure moving toward him on the soil.

"Wha-" Catching Monnayage's gaze, Ladybird followed it to her slithering familiar. "Fern!" she yelled snatching him up behind the jaw muscles. Turning the wee snake to face her she glared at him. "You stupid little worm! Are you trying to die? You could have been stepped on!"

"I was just protecting you. No need to get your skin in a twist. Now let me go. I'm going to bites him."

"Not on your life. You may not bite him or her, Fern! Are you listening to me?"

"No," he hissed back. Relaxing in Ladybird's grip, he recoiled around her wrist the moment she let him go. Still glaring down at the snake, she made sure to have a firm grip on him before looking up again.

"I apologize for that. It seems we do have something in common afterall. My familiar, Fern seems to have been trying to get himself into his own spot of trouble. Although, I do not know what you are complaining about, Maneki? Maneki is a very well behaved feline. I would gladly trade for her any day." Fern gave an angry hiss but, quieted as Ladybird gently pet his smooth scales. "At least yours is beautiful and useful. Mine is just a lazy slug."

He couldn't say that he didn't question the girl's sanity when she plucked up the what he now realised was a snake and proceeded to scold it like a mother would a disobedient child. His gaze traveled from serpent to angry girl, back and forth, as a one-sided argument went on between them, the came to rest permanently on Petal.

Whatever had happened, it'd worked in some way or another, because the snake--Fern, as Petal called it--relaxed and curled up around her wrist once more.

Then the word "familiar" was mentioned and it dawned on him so quickly he felt the urge to smack himself in the forehead for not having realized it right away. Of course! One couldn't blame him, though, as he'd not met many people with familiars besides distant relatives, which is where he'd got the idea in the first place.

He was lucky, he became aware, that he'd stopped Maneki from killing the thing.

Monnayage almost choked as Petal continued speaking. "Well-behaved?" he repeated, incredulous. "Hardly. She's a cat. And I wouldn't go as far to say she's useful, unless you enjoy having dead animals brought to you on a nightly basis." Teasing, of course, but he beamed under the hard glare the cat gave him as she lowered her ears in offense. "Can't say I'd be too interested in a trade, anyway. Not fond of snakes, really. No offense."

Ladybird stared at Monnayage as if trying to see straight through him. "I don't know what you see in him," she directed to the cat. Petting and stroking the cat's head, she continued speaking. "She's a hunter, Mr. Mint. We eat; she eats; that's life. If you don't like that, you should not have chosen a cat as your familiar. But, no offense taken. Fern doesn't like you either."

"I didn't says that!"
'You tried to bite him. You didn't have to say anything.'
"I tries to bites everyone. Finish your plantings. I's cold!"

Rolling her eyes and absent-mindedly petting her own familiar, the young botanist hurried to finish her task. Standing up again, she addressed the other human in her garden. "I am probably going to regret this later but, would the two of you like to come inside? Fern informs me that it is too cold for him to be out right now. Although, little hunter you are going to have to leave my other guests alone. The birds are off limits but, the mice are free game." Her eyes danced in silent laughter as she inclined her head to the door and began to make her way over to it.

In owl form, the city of Featherfall stretched out beneath Kabeyage in a blur of colors and shapes. His silent wings beat at the night air, scaling him over the little roofs, tall walls, and many trees. No one stalked around the streets, only small animals like mice and cats--the latter being what he kept his eye out for. Tabbies, a calico or two, a few strays of mixed breeds from the "intermingling" of the pure breeds. But he had yet to see the breed he looked for.

He'd passed over Monnayage's house a few times, amused by the small but noticeable touches of home his younger brother had added. The little nobleman couldn't go without a few eccentricities, even in a quaint little city like this. Unnoticeable to the untrained eye were richer paints used on the door, trinkets of Arca hung in the window, most of them bird carvings. Another thing Kabe would never understand; why did he like birds so much?

There was little chance of finding his brother in his abode this time of night. Monnayage was a night owl--Kabe would have smiled at the irony had he a mouth to smile with. And, true to his character, Monnayage was not there. Not a single lantern lit.

It took another half an hour before he heard a familiar voice drifting up from below, and he veered toward it, wing tucking in to his side. He alighted on a wall overlooking a small garden, and, more importantly, overlooking his brother, who was attempting to put his "charm" on a young woman. A young woman of pure beauty. Monnayage had no chance.

In spite of his quiet landing--no bird was more silent than an owl--his brother still heard him somehow. Of course he would. The blonde looked up at him in the darkness, his eyes glowing like that of a cat's, at the same time that his Siamese did. There was no seeing through Kabe's perfect owl form; however, with his brother's queer cat-like abilities, Monnayage probably smelled him.

Kabeyage gave a low hoot and fluffed his feathers, to which Monnayage said, "What are you doing here?"

The soft hoot behind her gave Ladybird pause. Turning slowly she was delighted to see an owl in her garden. "Don't even thinks about it!" Fern's voice practically squealed into her mind. 'Be still Fern. He's beautiful.' The snake's coils tightened around her wrist in warning. "What's it with yous and your insistanceses on beings a bleeding heart." Ladybird tapped the tiny reptile on the top of his blue head. 'If I wasn't such a "bleeding heart" as you put then I would never have found and rescued you. Now hush!'

Ladybird quietly made her back over to stand by Monnayage. 'He talks as if he knows the owl personally.' Raising her brow she looked over to the stranger from the corner of her eye. "My garden is always filled with an array of beautiful visitors. Although, I think this is the first time in a long while that it has been graced with an owl's presence."

She stood in silence just watching the owl staring back. Inclining her head in greeting to the night hunter, Ladybird turned to face Monnayage fully. "Would you like to come inside? Or," she smirked continuing, "do you have business with the owl?" Her left arm came up in offering to be linked with his own. "What's you doings? Hurry ups and gets insides!" Fern's voice and the sensations of cold and fear pressed heavily on her mind. 'For the love Kia, Fern! Just be patient for a moment!'

Maneki had smelled him first, but Monnayage hadn't been far off. The musky scent of owl was difficult to miss, and even harder to miss was his smell. A smell that brought with it memories of childhood, of taunting and humiliation, of home.

Kabeyage.

It made no sense for him to be here, yet here he was, in the form of an owl, fluttering down onto the wall above. Surprise, confusion, and disgruntlement filled Monnayage all at once. His brother never showed up unless to humiliate him, steal his glory, or otherwise just treat him like a child.

Baffled, all he could say to the owl, accusatory, was, "What are you doing here?" And, true to his nature, Kabe just sat there and stared at him, laughter dancing in his bright, owl eyes.

His consternation increased as Petal spoke to him as though he were an idiot, and even more so when Kabe preened under her mention of his owl form being beautiful. She didn't know. Couldn't smell how this owl was no ordinary owl. Normally he would laugh and correct her, but not with his brother sitting there watching. For some reason Kabe always made him feel so small. All he could do was blush a little and glare at her, then at the owl.

<Want me to eat him?> Maneki jested. He mentally shook his head at her.

"Some visitors are less welcome than others," he said to Petal, though the words were directed at his brother, and he turned as if to follow her to her house. Upon doing so, however, his brother took off from the wall and came to land on his head, to which he gave a shout of dismay and grabbed at him with his hands.

No one touched his hair.

"Get off, Kabe!" he shouted, flailing.

Ladybird watched the exchange, quietly seething from Monnayage's glaring and terse behavior. "The only unwelcome guest in my garden is you," she hissed out. Her face displayed total disgust as she pulled away from him. 'Less welcome indeed! Can you believe him Fern? He just waltzes in here like it's his garden and then throws a hissy fit over who else shares MY garden.'

"Are you coming inside Maneki?" she quietly asked the cat, choosing to ignore the attacking owl. "Or would you rather help your rude, uncouth human pet?" Huffing and refusing to look back, the young woman made her way over to her back door, angrily trying to rip it open. The problem however was that the door handle was broken and tended to be very finicky about how it was opened.

Growling, Ladybird kicked at the door, muttering under her breath. 'I should have listened to you Fern. If the owl doesn't offput him I might just let you bite him!' The snake seemed to perk up at that idea, moving to uncoil himself and slither up to her higher forearm. "Reallys? I cans bites him? I's go now!" he exclaimed gleefully. "Ons seconds thoughts," here he paused to look over his human's shoulder, "the pin cushion seems to bes doing a good job. I's won't be needed!" Ladybird rolled her eyes grumbling under her breath as she leaned against the door, "coward."

Same as always, dear Monnayage. Vain as a noblewoman. One touch to his hair and he flipped. And, like always, it was vastly entertaining to Kabe.

The guy's hair proved soft, and through Kabe's owl senses he caught a faint trace of oak extract, something used only in the most expensive of hair care products. Each strand passed through his sharp talons with ease. With each flap of his feathered wings, Kabe sent locks of hair flying every which way, and Monnayage's cries of distress and frustration fueled him.

The cat, Maneki, hissed at him from the ground, her back arched and fur bristled. Cats were funny things.

At the sight of the girl turning to leave, Kabe threw off the disguise he wore. The weight of his human body on Monnayage's shoulders threw the younger one to the ground with a low oomph!, providing Kabe with a comfortable seat. "Long time no see, little brother!" he said, ruffling Monnayage's already messed hair. Soft as a cat's. Monnayage groaned. "And you're as pleasing to the eyes as ever, Maneki."

The cat only glared at him, no longer growling. Too full of herself to continue hissing at one that complimented her, he saw.

Kabe sprang to his feet with grace, brushing non-existent dirt from his loose pants and then pushing his own hair from his face. "I'd like to apologize for my brother's rudeness, miss," he added to the young woman whose garden he stood in. It was harder to see her without his owl eyes, but even in the moon's glow she was beautiful.

Her eyes widened in shock at what she was seeing. 'I don't believe! I just don't believe it!' Anger regained its hold on her as wonder quickly faded away. "Oh so he's your brother? Well then, the two of you can march yourselves out of my garden. I will not have your kind of riff-raff disturbing my peace. Now go on, get!"

Furious not only with herself, but the men as well, Ladybird violently threw open the door and marched inside. Feeling this was not enough she then harshly slammed it shut, wincing as she heard it rattle in its frame.

'Stupid men and their stupid animals and stupid shape-shifting abilities, making me think they are all cute! The nerve! Oh, they better not damage any plants! I swear to Kia herself I will tear them limb from limb after I have made them collect and every one of those they have marred'

Unsure and curious as to what the men would do, the botanist blew out her lone candle in the room and made her way over to the shuttered window. Inch by careful inch she eased the rusty hinges of the warped shutter to open but a smidge. A ray of moonlight falling her way allowed her to see out into her garden and observe the odd trio.

Hm. That didn't go exactly as planned, Kabe thought with a grin when the girl stormed off into her home. Must not be a fan of shape-shifters. That usually gets 'em. Ah, well. He shrugged to himself, then turned to watch as his younger brother pulled himself up into a sitting position, the guy rubbing at his forehead where he had smacked it into the ground on his fall. Monnayage's other hand rubbed at his back as he groaned.

Kabe wanted to laugh. If dear little Monny didn't like his hair being messed, he certainly wouldn't want to know what it looked like now--frayed and sticking out at every angle as if he'd been electrocuted, bits of dirt hanging in the locks.

From the corner of his eyes, Kabe caught sight of movement in the window of the beautiful girl's house, and his lips pulled at the corners, his attempt to not laugh out loud at her audacity. "Now look what you've gone and done, little brother," he teased as he gestured at the slammed door. "Your rudeness scared that beautiful girl away."

There came the sound of something like a strangled yelp from his younger brother as the guy looked around, mixed with more groans of pain. Oh, come now. I'm not that heavy, Kabe mused. "Me?" Monnayage protested. "You're the one that--ngh!--that got her more angry, and you--are you going to tell me why you're here?"

Feeling the need to show off because he knew that he and his brother had an audience, Kabe made a show of brushing his long hair out of his face and grinning one of his winning smiles. "Truth be told, little Monny, I came looking for you. There's no harm in an older brother coming to check up on his sibling every once in a while, is there?"

"Yes, there is. Especially when that sibling doesn't need checking up on. Besides, you only show up when you need something: like money." Another cry of dismay from the younger as it was revealed in his rising from the ground that his clothes were covered in garden soil. As if mirroring his brother's sentiments, his cat let out a small and piteous mewling sound, though Kabe could have sworn he saw a twinkle of amusement in the cat's reflected eyes. According to Monnayage, Maneki liked to tease him as well--one thing for which he could account for liking the furry beast.

This time Kabe really did laugh, going to his brother's side and patting him on the back--maybe a little too hard, by the sounds of it, for he heard the air knocked from his brother's lungs in a dramatic oomph! "Ah, to think so low of me, your oldest--why, I practically raised you! But," and here he sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "I can see there's no getting past you. I may be a little short on income and thought to come ask for a kind donation--for all that I've done for you, it's hardly unfair for me to ask."

Monnayage let out a snort of disgust. "I've given you money before, and have yet to see a scratch of it returned. What'd you do with the sum I gave you a few months ago? That was no small change."

"I might've . . . lost a bit of it," Kabe admitted without guilt.

"More like gambled it away."

"Silly Monnayage!" Kabe grabbed his brother by the neck, chock-holding him, and proceeded to ruffle at his hair again, to which both his brother and the cat hissed at. "What does it matter what happened to it? All that matters is that it's now gone, and I need more. I'm a hungry, handsome man that needs sums for nourishment."

"No!" Monnayage pushed him away. "I've given you enough already. If you really need some, good ask mom and dad. They'd be more than willing."

The mention of their parents soured Kabe. "No, little brother. No. I will not go to them. You know how they are." He waved the suggestion away in distaste. "No. I would rather eat from the garbage."

"You can eat from the sewers for all I care, you bas--"

"Now! Is that any way to speak in front of a lady?" Kabe pulled his brother around and with his eyes looked in the direction of their peeping mistress. "I'd watch my language if I were you, else you'll ruin your charming prince routine."

The blush on his brother's cheeks was noticeable even in this darkness. "I--it's not a routine. I came to get Maneki, then ran into her. Now, shove off." The short one made as if to leave, an unspoken signal to the cat making her follow at his heels.

'Brothers? That explains a lot,' she mused, taking in their similar appearances and attitudes towards each other. But the boys squabbling was making her lose quick interest in them. Ladybird wanted nothing more than to throw them out of her garden and be done with them. However, that would require her going back out there, so instead she impatiently watched from the sidelines.

Pity pulled at her heartstrings for a moment at hearing that the newest brother had no funds for food. Her compassionate nature begged her to help while her stubborn pride quarreled that it was his own fault for his misfortune and stubbornness. She was just about to turn away as they looked her way when a familiar plinking sound echoed from the front of the house.

Drip. Drop. Drip-drop. Drip-drip-drip-drip. Quickly the sound of the rain moved from the front to the back of the house. It was not long at all before the precipitation she had been listening to could be observed with her very own eyes.

Throwing the shutters open, she glared at the brothers. Her gaze softened though as it fell on the cat. "Come inside Little Hunter. You at least are welcome here." Another glare was sent in the men's direction. "If the two of you can be civil and stop acting like little children you are also welcome. Until then you can stay out here and get soaked for all I care!" Ladybird crossed her arms of her chest and resisted the urge to testily tap her foot as she scolded them.

Damn Kabe. He always showed up at the worst time.

Well, any time Kabe showed up was a "worst" time. The bastard had a tendency to make everything--no matter what it was--worse.

And now his back and neck ached. Who in the their right mind would put all of their weight onto someone's shoulders?

Oh, that's right. Kabe wasn't in his right mind. As eccentric as Monnayage was, Kabe outranked him in that regard.

<The woman didn't like you, anyway,> Maneki said to him, not helping him feel better at all. She seemed unfazed by his brother now that Kabe had gone and complimented her--one of the cat's weaknesses. Fickle and prideful; hating on someone one moment, loving them the next.

Something wet and cold landed on his face, followed shortly by another. Before he knew it, the entire sky made an attempt to drown him in a torrent of water.

What? But it had been a clear night! The moon had been out, and the stars! He looked to the heavens, face bombarded by raindrops. Where had the clouds come from?

Maneki released a long series of frantic hisses, her displeasure seeping into his own feelings and making him uncomfortable.

"Huh. Imagine that. Rain!" he heard Kabe saying, and turned to see his brother with his arms open wide to the sky as if in greeting. The other laughed.

In the grip of Maneki's desperation, Monnayage's mind raced in a panic not his own; she sat huddled on the ground, as close to it as she could be, hissing at the rain as if to scare it away. He heard shutters open, heard someone say something, but he was already moving, as was Maneki. The both of them sprang for the welcome sight, him shoving Petal out of the way to get inside--though he had enough of a hold on his mind to do it gently enough to not harm her.

From outside, he could hear Kabe laughing even harder. The sound, grating and bringing back memories of childhood teasings, brought Monnayage back to his senses, and he became aware of what he'd just done.

Horrified, he turned to Petal, aware of his dripping clothes and the puddle already forming at his feet. Maneki, as unconcerned as ever simply because she'd gotten her way, was busy licking at her wet fur with a sort of feverish fervor.

"Ah! I'm so--I don't--" he scrambled around in his mind for words that might help him, but none came.

More laughter, and Kabe climbed professionally in through the open window. His hair, Monnayage saw with some jealousy, looked just as good wet as it did dry. "I'm sure what my little brother means to say is that he's terribly thankful for your hospitality, especially considering how much you seem to despise us."

The frantic cat, Ladybird had been expecting but the man's sudden need to clamber through her window and knock her out of the way infuriated her. "Oh for the love of Kia, it's only a bit of rain," she growled, throwing a towel in his face to silence his sputtering in time for the other brother to appear.

This brother's nonchalant attitude to his entrance and to the rain itself amused her slightly and helped to settle her grumpiness. "You do know there is such a things as a door," she returned, handing the man casually standing in front of her window a towel as well, albeit a bit gentler than she had his younger brother.

"I do not despise you. I just do not like your attitude. Barging into private gardens and scaring its occupants isn't considered acceptable behavior in the rest of society. Now," she sighed eying the pair. "Can I trust the two of you to behave or do I need to throw you both back outside?"

Kabe took the towel in his hands, noting the girl's less forceful approach on his behalf when handing it to him, as opposed to her tossing of one toward Monnayage. Had it been a hard object like a chair and not a soft towel, it would have proved a painful attack on his brother's face.

Such a strange young woman, to harbor resentment so easily. He imagined she didn't make many friends. But he liked it: feisty, like a stubborn cat. All the more fun to try and tame. Some girls proved just too easy; not that he minded easy girls, of course.

"Doors are too expected," he said to her after wiping his face dry with the towel and then rubbing it over his hair until he felt the strands frayed out around his face. "Boring, really. Everyone goes through doors. And, not to be rude, but," he swung the towel haphazardly over his shoulder, holding to it like the rim to a bag, "I didn't barge into your garden. Nor did I frighten you. In fact, you liked my owl form, if I remember correctly."

Suppressing a laugh as he saw from the corner of his eyes Monnayage visibly scowling at him, he added, "And I promise to keep my brother on a tight leash while we're here. You've seen how uncouth he can be--'barging into private gardens' and shoving beautiful young women aside like common furniture--"

"I didn't mean--!"

"Wouldn't want the littlest Mint soiling my good family name, after all." He grinned wide.

"I see," she replied, nodding her head. "But, you did intrude as did your brother. While I may have at first enjoyed your entrance some others did not." Lifting her wrist, she showed him her living, hissing "bracelet" wrapped firmly around it. "There are many who enjoy the safety and solitude of my garden. While the mice I don't mind you scaring off, the others I do. I take great pride in my work and my home. It disheartens me when people like you and your brother do not respect that."

Ladybird sighed and turned away. "Just don't go terrorizing anything else and there won't be anymore problems between us." As if called on cue, a scruffy tomcat sauntered down the stairs and eyed the dripping wet Maneki. Had the botanist seen it she would have warned Monnayage of it but, as such was a bit more preoccupied with getting Fern to unwind from her wrist so she could make tea. Yet every time she got half of him off she would recurl himself back as she continued.

'Fern you annoying leach, let go!'
The snake hissed angrily and lifted the upper half of his body to stare not-so-fearsomely into his ward's eyes. "I's iss nots a leach! Big copper sscreaming things iss warm. I's wants it."
'The last time I let you near the tea kettle you nearly broiled yourself. Unless you want to be dinner, let go!'

Growling slightly, she scowled at the repitle but otherwise left him alone. Ladybird continued to work at making tea and kept her back to her guests. "Feel free to sit down, just watch out for the hedgehog. He has a tendency to sit on soft chairs when you're not paying attention." She giggled softly at the idea of one of the men sitting and then jumping up squealing because of one of her little visitors.

Why did he always feel like such a child when Kabe stood near? Normally this whole situation would have come off as funny to him, even attractive in some ways--but not now. Not with Kabe standing there all smug as if he owned the world and Petal falling for it. At least he, Monnayage, was sincere in his appeal. Kabe just wanted some ass, as usual.

And she had the nerve to say that he'd intruded. No more than Maneki had 'intruded,' but the cat wasn't getting hounded for it. Maybe if he'd the ability to sprout a tail and some ears, she'd be nicer to him.

Oh, Kia. A tail and ears. The thought made him shudder. What a hideous idea.

Not that he looked any better right now with his wet hair and dirty clothes. Freaking out was usually his reaction to being such a mess, but it would only lead to more teasing from his brother, so he restrained himself.

"I've no desire to go terrorizing anyone nor anything," he heard Kabe say, though Monnayage's attention had moved to a tomcat coming down the stairs. The sight brought him comfort--here was some company he could feel comfortable around. If the girl liked cats enough to have one of her own, she couldn't be too bad.

Maneki had noticed the other cat as well, though her reaction was less welcome as she glared at it in daring, paw still half-raised from her licking.

While Ladybird busied herself setting her worktable for tea and clearing off the flower order she had been working on, the tomcat decided to accept the unspoken challenge and causally sauntered his way up to Maneki, tail raised high with pride.

The kettle whistled startling both human and cat alike. However, whereas the lady's response was to retrieve and start pouring the water, Tips, the cat's reaction was to puff up to twice his size and jump a foot into the air. Abashed, the ginger-colored sat on his rump and causally licked his tail back into submission as if nothing had happened.

'You say that now, but I too have siblings. I worry more about your brother than my visitors.' Adding sugar to her own cup, Ladybird moved to sit down when a deep hiss sounded from her seat. "Oh Randy! How did you even get down the stairs?" Sighing exasperatedly, she put her cup down and removed the tortoise from her chair and instead placed him in her lap. "Just one thing after another here. So," she finally sighed, sitting properly. "Is there any particular reason you decided to come harass your brother Mister Mint? Or do you just make a habit of squashing him?"

Everything about this whole situation struck Kabe as extremely amusing. Here he was, in a woman's house in the middle of the night--and he wasn't in her bed. Instead, he stood in her living room, soaking wet while watching two prideful cats jump at the sound of a teakettle.

This woman had a menagerie of critters in her house. Even had a turtle, of all things. Or a tortoise. He'd never stopped to find out the difference.

After a quick glance around to see if he might find a bird stuffed in the crevices of the walls, or a squirrel living on the ceiling, he made his way over toward the young woman and stared down at the animal in her lap. A soft hiss crept to his ears as his brother's cat showed her obvious dislike toward the other furry intruder.

"No reason whatsoever," he said. "Except, as you said, for my habit of squishing him. I find brother-squishing an enjoyable pastime."

The woman giggled despite herself, politely hiding it behind her napkin as she looked at the younger brother. " Your poor brother. As a middle sister I can understand the feeling of sibling-squishing on both ends." She tilted her head as she looked at the dripping wet and distracted man. "Would you like some tea Monnayage? I'm sure it'll warm you up a bit. I'm sorry I can't do more for you though," she apologized, pushing a cup across the table towards him.

"For heaven's sake, please sit down! You're making me feel like a poor hostess.Don't worry about the furniture or getting things wet. Kia knows how much water I've spilled on things as it is. Excuse the mess and the animals though. Business does not leave much time for tidying up my workroom."

Ladybird blushed and dipped her head to sip her tea, scolding her tongue in the process. 'Well I deserved that.' Fern, who would normally have jumped on the opportunity to squawk at her for that remained lethargic and content around her resist, enjoying the warmth of teacup close by.

Meanwhile, Tips had decided he was ready to re-approach the new feline in the house. Tail once more raised high in the air, the tomact resumed his saunter up to Maneki and meowed. If he could have winked and smirked he would have but, he did not since he was just a cat.

What, was this woman bipolar? One minute hating on him and the next trying to pity him for being a younger brother? Monnayage didn't know how to react, so he just stared at her and shrugged. When the cup made its way to him, he looked to it hesitantly, then picked it up and sniffed it tentatively. He'd never been a big fan of tea, but he didn't want to be rude.

What always baffled him was how his charm seemed to leak out of him when Kabe stood near. He wanted nothing more than to leave.

There were tinges of a territorial dislike that he had a hard time distinguishing between his own and Maneki's. Both his and her feelings were blending into one, which explained her hatred of this other cat and his unhappiness at being near his brother.

In a great force of will, he managed not to drop the cup when Maneki's anger turned to fury; his mind blared with red as she let out a horrible hiss and lashed out at the male cat with her claws extended. His grip on the cup tightened and he quickly turned around.

He had no hard feelings toward this other cat, but caught up in Maneki's anger, all he could do was glare at it. <Why not just move away from him?> he asked irritably. All he needed was for Maneki to hurt Petal's animals and make her hate him more.

<I was here first.>

<He lives here.>

"Hm." It was Kabe. "Hard to tell who dislikes that cat more; the way both she and Monna are glaring at it."

Ladybird smiled somewhat apologetically at Monnayage as he took the cup. She knew she had not been very fair or kind to him. Of all people, she knew better than most how infuriating siblings could be and how they could make one not behave as normal. She highly suspected that without this other Mint brother, Monnayage would have been the interesting man she had met in her garden.

She was just about to speak when a cat's hiss sounded from behind him. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of her cat's flicking, bushy tail. Jumping to her feet, Ladybird thrust the Randy into the other brother's arms and raced over to the fighting felines.

"Tips you idiot! Quit being such a male and realize she isn't interested!" Angrily, she bent and snatched up the yowling cat before moving to get out of Maneki's way. Raising the cat to eye level, she glared and winced as she was clawed in turn. "You are a pest, you know that don't you. You're lucky I don't cast you back out in the rain."

The woman shook her head exasperatedly before turing to Monnayage. She bowed slightly while still clutching the cat close. "I am so sorry Mister Mint. I didn't know he would come down. He usually doesn't like it when there are strangers are in the house. I really am quite sorry. This should never have happened."

Ladybird bit her lip in nervousness and averted her eyes, too embarrassed to look at either brother. 'Today is really not going the way it should be, is it? I make such a mess of things. It's no wonder I can never find a man to marry. Look how I treat strangers!'

Monnayage's curious stare at Petal's interference with the tom quickly turned to a glare. The woman was a glowing hypocrite in all regards; getting mad at him for being sarcastic toward Maneki when she too got frustrated with her own feline.

And not just one feline. He could sense others slinking around the house. Could smell their cat musk permeating the air. It proved a homey smell, if not a bit overwhelming. Exactly how many cats did she have?

But, being a Mint, it wasn't in his nature to stay upset for very long. It drained him more than anything. He gave an inward sigh and shrugged his shoulders at her apology, his lips twitching into a slight smile at the irony of the scene. To own a cat made it only natural to know how prissy they could be.

"You can't blame the tom," he said. "Maneki is a most beautiful cat. He'd be crazy not to want her."

His familiar had gone back to licking herself the moment the tom had been lifted away, her tongue raking along her flank to smooth the fur and remove the wet. <I've no interest in a plain tom,> she said mostly to herself, her tone less irritated under the praise he'd given her. She always seemed to love praise from him more than anyone else, which made him smile more.

Feeling better, either from Maneki's new calmness or from his being too drained to continue with his sour mood, he placed the cup back on the table and stretched, his arms reaching over his head in a tight arc. "You wouldn't happen to have any dry clothes, would you?" he asked when done, gesturing at his shirt and pants, which were cold and clung to his body in a most uncomfortable way. He'd never liked clothes.

A hairbrush would be nice, too, he thought forlornly to himself, more out of pride than discomfort. No doubt it looked terrible, and he hated when his hair looked terrible.

"Psh. Since when do you want clothes when you can go without?" Kabe suddenly asked. The man had been inspecting the turtle in his hands, turning it this way and that, upside-down and right-side up, but now had it tucked into his pants--head-up--so as to remove his sodden shirt and swing it over his shoulder. Monnayage noticed the older one made a show of taking it off in as fancy a manner as he could. "Don't you usually like to go naked, anyway?"

And here Monnayage felt his face grow hot, Maneki following this up with a low, involuntary growl as she continued her cleaning, unaware she had even made the noise.

[[Edit;; Because it was just too funny a mental image to pass up, I used my amazing tablet-less Paint skills to draw Kabe with his new best friend in his pants. //http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v384/MortalBakuluver/?action=view&current=Kabe.jpg]]

"Aye she is," the woman agreed, smiling down at the cat. "It's just she doesn't deserve to be harassed by him. I really am sorry about that." Ladybird was distracted though by Monnayage's change of topics. "Clothes? Oh! Um," her eyes widened as she turned to listen to the other brother and caught sight of her turtle in his pants.

A few unintelligible sounds escaped her for several moments as she just stared and tried to think again. "Um, well," she sighed heavily and tried again. "I suppose since it doesn't look the weather isn't going to lighten up anytime soon you could spend the night here. I'm afraid I don't have any men's clothes. Here come upstairs and you can at least take your clothes off and dry off in privacy. I'm afraid you'll have to share a room though. My space here is very limited between the animals and the shop," the botanist shrugged and headed for the stairs.

"Mister Mint I would appreciate it if you would uh handle taking Randy upstairs." Ladybird kept nervously eying turtle but otherwise did not comment further. You are more than welcome to stay but you'll have to excuse the other occupants. Some of my visitors are not as shy as others." Still holding the squirming Tips, she motioned for the pair to follow her upstairs to her sole guestroom.

Kabe hadn't had much experience with turtles before, but he found that he rather liked them. Well, this one at least. The little guy had such a melancholy face, tolerating his inspections with surprising patience. And, not to mention, he could have sworn it'd smiled at him. A charming smile that no sane person could dislike. Why, the creature was cute. A shelled bachelor who no doubt had no trouble with the ladies. He felt a kinship with the turtle almost right away.

When he looked up from the animal's head, which was poking slowly but curiously out of the top of his pants, and saw the girl looking at him, his reaction was to beam at her, flashing his brilliant white teeth in her direction, as if it were a perfectly commonplace thing for him to have a reptile sticking up out of his pants where his privates were.

"Why, I would love to share a room with you, madam," he said, half-jesting. "What a kind and generous offer. I imagine Monnayage would have no problem sleeping on the floor while we attend to . . . other duties." He winked. "He's like a cat when it comes to sleeping habits--can sleep any and everywhere."

He followed the young girl to the base of the stairs, making sure the turtle remained safely in his pants. Randy, was it? That didn't seem a very befitting name for a handsome little guy such as this one. He mentally renamed him The Stag.

The woman blushed before turning and coming up with a reply. "And would those duties include sharing the bed with the two and half dozen other animals I have in my room Mister Mint? I'm afraid if you want into my sheets you are going to have to get in line. Keep that up though and your brother may be the one making you sleep on the floor like the dog you are."

At the top of the stairs she opened up a door to the left and went it. "I'm afraid this is the only guestroom I have. I hope it will do," she stated as she started to put a fire in the hearth. "Is there anything I can get you? Do for you? I know it's not much; I just never have any guests as a rule."

As Ladybird fidgeted, unsure whether to leave or stay a blue-eyed completely white-furred kitten dropped down from the tall armoire and landed on her head. It mewled softly as it slid down and flopped onto her right shoulder. She placed a small kiss to its little head to avoid meeting anyone's gaze.

The sound of Kabe's low chuckles could be heard as Monnayage followed his brother up the stairs. No doubt the idea of sharing a bed with a woman and several animals only came off as kinky to the other, which made Monnayage grimace. Where had his brother picked up his strange courtship mannerisms?

For a guestroom, it was rather small and poorly lit. She hadn't been kidding when she said she didn't get too many guests. Unless she counted the various animals wandering around her house.

Following his brother's example, he lifted his shirt up and off, a bit more tentatively than the other had. The dry air of the room felt good on his skin, like it could suddenly breathe after hours of not being able to. He took his stripped shirt and placed it over the hearth so that the fire could dry it off. "You've already offered two strangers a stay in your house," he said, his voice drowned by a loud boom of thunder that made Maneki curl up at his feet and growl. "We don't need anything mo--"

A kitten fell out of nowhere and landed on Petal's head, making him stare long and hard in disbelief. What the hell? Did animals just fall from the ceiling in here?

"Looks like you've got a leak," Kabe commented from the corner of the room. "I mean, it is raining cats and dogs outside." Then he looked around in curiosity. "Think a doberman might fall down next? I prefer dogs."

Ladybird paled at the sound of thunder, burying her face in the kitten's side. "A leak indeed," she giggled weakly, shuffling to head out the door. "Although I doubt you'll have any dogs bothering you Mister Mint. I'm not as partial to them as cats. I currently do not have any that were in need of tending. If you'll excuse me," she bolted from the room as another crack of thunder sounded and lightning lit up the sky.

She did not even bother to shut her door as she dashed into her room and dropped Tips to the bed. The little kitten was removed from her shoulder and cuddled close to her. Every rumble of the night sky made her flinch. Not caring about her clothes, Ladybird curled up against the headboard of her bed, praying that the storm would pass quickly.

The older Mint only managed to get out a small, "Shame," before the girl disappeared from the room. What was wrong with dogs? They were lovable, playful, loyal. Everything a cat wasn't.

To each their own, he guessed.

Not hearing another door close after a few minutes, his lecherous grin returned. She hadn't closed her door. Did that mean she wanted him to go in after her? Poor little thing, afraid of thunder. She needed someone there to comfort her, the warmth of a man's body to chase away her fears.

"Don't even think about it," came Monnayage's voice, stopping Kabehim in his tracks. He hadn't even been aware of his heading out the door.

His younger brother walked over to the door to their room and closed it, giving a purposeful glare in his direction before returning to the fireside and proceeding to remove his pants to place them up by his shirt. Kabe had just tossed his shirt haphazardly to the floor.

"Not bothering with your undergarments?" he asked, smirking. Always the modest one, Monnayage. As if to prove his point of immodesty, Kabe stripped his pants and underpants off completely--making sure to take The Stag out and put him down on the bed--and dropped them to the floor before stretching in as obscene a way he could.

But now that the girl had left, Monnayage didn't seem to be as reserved as before. He ignored Kabe, his back to him. "Aw, come on. No hard feelings, little Monny." He sat on the bed next to his turtle companion and watched as his brother sat on the floor with his cat in his lap, whom he was petting absentmindedly while staring into the flames.

Before too much time had passed, both brothers fell asleep--Monnayage curled up on the floor with Maneki tucked up beside him, and Kabe in the bed, The Stag on the pillow beside his head.

No matter what she did, Ladybird was not able to make herself ignore and forget the storm raging outside. She eventually gave up and crawled out of bed long enough to change her clothes and check on the animals resting in her room.

The kitten had fallen asleep on her pillow, a pair of mated birds perched on her bookshelf, and she could hear the bunnies settling in for the night under her bed. It brought a smile to know that all was safe and well and that her "family" was happy.

Curling up into a tiny ball under the covers she fell asleep to the sound of gentle purring and Fern's soft hissing. The snake knowing how much his charge hated storms stayed close to her instead of wandering or resting in his own special "bed." He spent most of the night staring down at her from a top one of the rungs of her bedpost.

Monnayage didn't know what it was that woke him. He became aware of something and it made him come back to a groggy consciousness. Maneki's soft fur warmed his side where she slept nestled against him. Her tail twitched in her sleep. The rain had stopped, and in the new silence he could hear her quiet breathing. The only not-so-quiet sound was that of Kabe's muffled snoring from over on the bed.

That couldn't have been what had wakened him, though, could it? It wasn't that loud.

Shifting a little, Monnayage turned his head and opened his eyes--and nearly yelled in fright. What seemed like hundreds of gleaming, yellow eyes were staring at him.

They were eyes. Cats' eyes.

<They came in through the door,> Maneki said, apparently not asleep. He could see that now, her tail twitching not from a dream but from her agitation caused by their visitors. And, sure enough, when he glanced over at the door he saw that it was now open, more cats creeping in through it.

What in all the damned hells of religions he didn't believe in was going on? How many cats did this woman need? He counted at least sixteen of them, and more were coming. And why were they surrounding him and staring at him like this?

<What do they want?> he asked, bemused. <You're not in heat are you?>

But, no. He would know if Maneki was in heat. And besides, some of the cats here were female.

Before Maneki could answer, however, another noise cut through the silence; a noise so soft he thought he might have imagined it. No ordinary human ears would have been able to pick up on it. All of the cats' heads turned toward the door, some going as far as to get up and go near it to peek out.

It sounded like someone was downstairs. But who? Had Petal gotten up to get a glass of water?

Maneki, obviously more interested in keeping the other cats away from him than she was by this noise, said, <They say there's a stranger in the house.>

That got Monnayage up. <What? A stranger?>

<A robber, by the sounds of it. They say he crept in through the window.>

<Maneki!> He was getting to his feet now. <Why didn't you tell me sooner?>

<It's not our house. What do we care if something is stolen?>

"Kabe!" he hissed in the quiet, trying to be loud enough to wake the other, but not loud enough to alert the person downstairs that he was there. "Kabe, wake up!"

"Mm?" His brother didn't open his eyes, still half-asleep.

"Kabe. There's someone in the house."

More indiscernible grumblings, then, "It's a house full of animals, little brother. That's all you're hearing."

"What? No! The cats--"

A bright light suddenly lit the room, so bright after lying in darkness so long that Monnayage had to shield his eyes with his arm.

"Kabeyage, you bastard. This is where you've been hiding? Should've known." A man stood in the doorway, hand outstretched and producing the strange light that permeated Monnayage's sensitive eyes. A tall man with long, lank black hair and eyes more like dark pools. The stranger glanced about the room in mild curiosity before settling on Kabe's figure in the bed. "It's been a while. And wha--why the hell are you naked?"

Kabe had risen from the bed, stretching and yawning as if this were a usual wake-up call for him. "Dimetri!" he said through his yawn. "Caught up with me already? That didn't take long."

Kabe knew this man?

The man snorted. "Cut the crap. And put some clothes on, for hell's sake."

The cats of the room were now ambling about the room, hissing at the stranger in warning. Kabe looked to them with an amused smile, one brow quirked in curiosity, but said nothing.

Monnayage knew why they were hissing, though. This Dimetri had a strange smell to him that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He smelled of wild poisons and smoke.

What was going on?

The botanist slept soundly, never hearing the intruder nor knowing that her human guests were awake. It was not until she felt a heavy weight land on her chest that she startled into awareness. Glowing mismatched eyes stared down at her in the dark. She inhaled sharply but settled as Fern reminded her it was only one of the cats.

"Pessky things been pawing yous for a whiles now," he hissed grumpily. Ladybird sat up, forcing the cat to jump at the side as she lit a candle. Ink-black fur and one blue and one copper eye met the human's own questioning pair. "Akira? What are you doing on the bed? Did the rain scare you?"

The feline rarely came near humans and even when she did it was not for long. The fact that she was not only walking all over Ladybird and grumbling and staring led the human to believe something was wrong. The woman reached out to pet the cat only to get a set of claws embedded into the flesh of her palm.

Retracting her hand, Ladybird watched as Akira jumped down and paced back and forth in front of the door restlessly before returning to the bed. Thrice more she did this odd routine, seeming more and more agitated as time passed.

Ladybird got up from the bed and wrapped a robe over her nightgown, not bothering to tie it in her concern. "I better just go check on things. Better safe than sorry. Come on Fern," she commanded, scooping up the grumpy reptile.

"I's didn't hears anythings. Yous are jumpin' at sshadowss." The botanist rolled her eyes at the familiar's words ringing in her head. 'Of course you didn't hear anything. You don't have ears to hear with.' Sighing, she made her way out into the hall and down towards the guestroom.

She was nearly there when she saw the strange light beaming out from the door and the shape of a large man on the opposite wall. Akira dashed in front of the human as Ladybird rushed to extinguish the flame of her candle. Unsure whether this man was friend or foe, she pressed herself up against the wall and inched her way closer, listening to the voices inside.

There was no fear, no surprise. Dimetri had caught up to him, but he'd expected that. After all, a man with as much pride as this guy didn't take theft lightly--even if Kabe wouldn't technically call it thievery. He'd won the man's jewel thing not-so-fair-and-square in a game of wits. Could he help it that he'd outsmarted the man, using rules of his own making? The clever Kabeyage played by his own rules.

The only thing that did surprise him, and surprise was as close to describing what he felt as he could get, was the gathering of cats crowding around his feet and throughout the room in general.  Where had they all come from? It looked like the girl--whom he realized he still hadn't gotten the name of--housed every cat in the city.

Kabe scratched at his chest while looking around, eying the strange company that surrounded him. Monnayage looked on the verge of attack, bared shoulders taut. The fire in the hearth had burned down to cinders some time ago, providing no warmth for the room. By the looks of it, he'd only be asleep for about three hours.

"Well, what might I do for you, good sir?" he finally asked, smiling. "I apologize for my lack of formal dress, but you did come in at an inconvenient time. I was sleeping. Had you warned me of your coming visit, I might have been able to slip into something more . . . appropriate."

"You know what I'm here for," the dark man said, "and you'd best hand it over."

"I'm sure, but," and here Kabe laughed lightly, "I'm afraid I've no idea what you're talking about."

It was hard to remember this guy's deal. He'd met him the one time some few days ago in a bar. Kabe was just happy he could remember the man's name. Something about poison? Was that his ability? Or was the woman he'd slept with that'd had breath so foul it could count as poison?

Ah, well.

Kabe's suspicions were confirmed when, in his frustration, the man spat on the floor. A disgusting habit, really. What made it more foul was the way it started to burn through the floor, smoking and emitting a slight odor of decaying meat. "Hand over the jewel, Kabeyage."

It did not take her long to determine that whoever this man was, he was not someone she wanted in her home. To make the shy and protective Akria react such should have been a sign enough for the human to realize something was up but exhaustion had made her a bit slower.

Sliding further along the wall, Ladybird came right up behind the man just as he demanded for a jewel from whom she assumed was the other mint brother. "He tastes like deaths! Leave 'ems Petal! Leaves!" fern screamed in her head. But, instead of giving her reason to flee it spurred her into action.

Angrily and recklessly she shoved the man from behind into the room and then squeezed past him to stand in front of the Mint brothers. Her eyes briefly caught sight of the eldest brother's lack of apparel before her head whipped to the side as she looked away and glared at the intruder.

"You have intruded on private property. Get out of my house; you are not welcome here! If you have a quarrel with him then take it somewhere else. I won't have you destroying that which is mine! Now leave before something truly unfortunate happens to you!"

At first Kabe thought the man had charged at random, closing in for an attack, and he made as if to simply side-step the bold move, but then he noticed how the lunge appeared to be more awkward and unbalanced than threatening.

He watched as Dimetri cursed in his descent, scrabbling for balance, and smiled when he did a perfect sort of pirouette to face the one who attacked him.

Couldn't say it had been very smart of the girl to go and do something like that. True, this was her house and Dimetri an intruder, but when unable to size up a threat, one didn't go and push them like that.

"Damn wretch," Dimetri spat, the light in his hand sputtering. "Do that again and I'll show you something 'truly unfortunate.'"

Dearest, noble Monnayage had already instinctively moved himself between Dimetri and the girl the moment she had come into the room. Seeing that the situation grew tense with each second, Kabe decided to lighten it up a little--really, how tense could something really be when someone stood naked a few inches away.

"Dimetri!" he said happily, throwing his arm around the other's shoulder now that he stood close enough. "There's no need to get violent, or go destroying floors that aren't yours. I have your pretty gem--safe and sound! But, I'm afraid I can't give it to you. I won it, you see. It's mine. Fair and square."

The other spun out of his hold as if he'd been burned, making sounds of disgust. "Not yours! You cheated! And do as I said earlier and cover up, else I'll burn your damned privates off."

But, being too lazy too go and grab his wet clothes off the floor, Kabe settled for The Stag, whom he held in front of his jewels as a sort of cover. The turtle took it kindly enough, having not even bothered coming out of its shell. Had The Stag even woken up?

Ladybird's hand instinctively latched onto Monnayage's without her even thinking about it as he stepped in front of her. Moving to the side to stand beside him, she would have responded to the other man's threats if the still unnamed Mint brother had not already intervened.

Suppressed frustration and a small amount of fear bubbled beneath the surface and she had to bite her tongue several times just so she would not do something foolish. Her eyes widened in shock though and a soft squawking noise escaped her as she watched the naked brother pick up Randy and use him as a covering.

Despite her outrage she took a step forward and smirked at the pair. "The both of you may now leave. I asked you before now I'm telling you. Your business does not concern me; I will not have it ruining my peace and quiet. Get out. Now!" Akira hissed and spat from her place at her mistress' feet, looking very much like a huge furry ball.

"Oh," Ladybird chuckled as if just remembering something. "You sir, if you came in by way of the window I would hurry along to the apothecary's just down the street. Those plants while beautiful are deadly. The fastest way to kill yourself with them is to remove them magically, then by burning, then by hand. But, then again a man like you probably already knew that." Her eyebrow cocked in challenge as she continued to smile sweetly.

Enchanted and mildly confused by the girl's sudden asking for him to leave--he hadn't done anything except get rudely awoken by her intruder--he quirked a brow at her and folded his arms, body tipped back slightly in a comfortable, almost condescending, manner. In his hand he held The Stag, who hadn't provided enough cover for his delicate parts, anyway, them being just a bit too large for the little tortoise.

Cute, how she thought she could turn him away like that. How she seemed to think she had everything under control when she really had no idea who this man was she had so foolishly pushed.

But, then again, this was her house, and it wasn't his place to tell her otherwise, nor object to her kicking him out, however random and uncalled for it was. He'd half-hoped he'd find a way to get into her bed before he left, but that idea was clearly out of the question now.

The man to his left chuckled under his breath. "Bit stupid, aren't you?" he said. "Your plants won't bother me--I know all about them. They might bother the cat I shoved them down, though. Thing wouldn't leave me alone, like a damned guard dog."

"Sir," Monnayage interjected, visibly upset upon seeing the girl insulted thus, "The lady asked you to leave. I suggest you do so." Kabe noticed had pale his brother was, though he couldn't imagine why he was.

It was time to cut in. "Mind telling me why this gem is so important to you that you'd follow me all the way here, Dimetri?" It hadn't looked all that special, and had it been so important, surely the guy wouldn't have tried pawning it off in a gambling game.

The woman frowned at the man's blatant disregard for conduct as far his state of apparel or lack thereof in front of others. Her eyes paused on Randy in order to prevent herself from dipping lower to forbidden territory. 'I better watch that he doesn't walk off with him. Poor turtle, he must be so afraid. Hasn't even left his shell.'

The foul man's words though quickly drew her attention away. The insults meant nothing to her but the possibility of truth in his harming one of her "little visitors" infuriated her. Like a mother protecting her young, she flew at the man without thinking. "What have you done?" she screeched, moving to strike out at him.

The girl's next step of action made Kabe sigh in disappointment. He'd hoped she had more sense than this.

With the speed of one practiced in moving like a snake--hell, he could become a snake when he needed to--he moved forward and grabbed her forcibly by the arm before she could land on Dimetri, who stood clearly ready for the assault, eyes twinkling with the promise of using his abilities. In having a good grip, Kabeyage pulled her to him, up against his bare body. He wished he weren't doing this out of protection and instead for more sexual reasons, but one couldn't be picky.

There was no time to enjoy his new company, though. Dimetri had prepared for the girl to come at him and had released a stream of black vapor at the same time Kabe had grabbed her. The vapor missed her, instead hitting up against Kabe's grabbing arm, and he winced at the burning pain that followed.

"I'd advise not doing anything like that again," he said, still smiling and hiding the pain he was in, the advice meant for both Dimetri and the girl. "Let's do as the girl said and take this outside, hm?"

She let loose a frustration scream as she was jerked backwards and held in place. The restrainment angered her beyond belief but also allowed her to take a calming breath and realize how reckless she had been. With the calmness also came an understanding what was causing the warmth at her back through the think material of her nightgown and robe. There was a naked man pressed up against her back.

Embarrassed, she instinctively threw back an elbow and reached up for her reptilian guest. "You can leave him on your way out and for Kia's sake put some clothes on before you blind someone with your diminutiveness!" Pulling away she moved back towards the bed and glared at all the male occupants of the room.

Kabe might have been able to hide the pain he felt in his arm as whatever the man had hit it with made it turn a dark shade of red, but even he couldn't hide the pain that came with an elbow to one's privates. Monnayage winced as he watched his brother curl in on himself with a loud grunt of pain. He had to admire the older one's ability to keep his hold on the tortoise and not drop it, lost in pain.

"Ha," his brother said through clenched teeth, managing a few chuckles. "You're quite . . . the ungrateful one . . . aren't you?"

It had been a bit harsh, in Monnayage's opinion. His brother had, after all, just saved her. He didn't like the smell coming from the wound on Kabe's arm, either. Rancid, burning.

But what could he do? There was a woman in danger, his brother was . . . down . . . as it was, but this stranger took no remorse in killing cats, and he couldn't risk Maneki's health, which would also be risking his own.

<I don't like him,> he heard Maneki say, a growl rising up in her throat that thinned into a low hiss, something he involuntarily started to do as well, to which the man looked to him with mild bemusement.

"Are you growling at me?" the man asked. Then his frown spread into a grin. "You hang out with some strange people, Kabeyage." His eyes wandered the room and finally came to rest on Kabe's pants lying on the floor. "Is it there?" He started to walk toward it.

Faster than the man, Maneki shot over to the bundle of clothes on the ground and promptly sat on them, ears pulled back threateningly.

Well, he couldn't let his cat put herself in danger's way like that. Without thinking he moved to stand between her and this Dimetri.

A grunt from over by the bed as Kabe managed to stand up straight once more. "Oh, for hell's sake," the older one said, dropping the turtle onto the bed. "Do you not understand the meaning of outside, Dimetri? The gem isn't in my clothes, so back off before you hurt yourself."

It was a rare occurrence to hear his brother sound even remotely serious, and it made Monnayage blink in surprise.

Kabeyage strode over to them, a slight frown on his face, and gave a gentle but impatient kick to Maneki, making her hiss but move from his clothes. He bent and scooped them up, beginning to get himself dressed. "If you want your precious gem, you'll know where to find me." And, once his clothes were on, disheveled as they were, Kabe walked from the room without another word. All Monnayage could do was stare after him.

Ladybird gasped in shock as she realized just what exactly her elbow had come in contact with. Instead of the strong muscle of his solar plexus, she had injured something far more delicate. Clutching Randy the tortoise close to her chest, the young woman felt tears well in her eyes from a mixture of horror and embarrassment.

She was in a daze and did not come to her senses soon enough to stop the brother from leaving as she now wished she could have. Her hand was outstretched towards in him, hanging in the empty air, useless. Slowly she let it drop as she turned mournful eyes to Monnayage. Ladybird opened her mouth, forming soundless words as tears fell from her eyes.

The botanist felt horrid for what she had accidentally done and for sending away the brother while he was hurt. She wished she had had the chance to tell him to return when things settled, that she could help his wounded arm, that she was sorry. 'Please be alright. Please be safe. Please come back. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. I should not have been cruel. I was just scared. Now I am more so. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!'

"Damned man," Monnayage heard Dimetri curse under his breath. "Still moving even with . . . " but his voice trailed off to something indistinguishable as he left the room, foot steps dull thuds on the wooden floor.

Even with what? Those unfinished words caused Monnayage's heart to drop down into his stomach where it felt like it would stay forever. Sure, his brother was a pain in the ass, but he was his brother first. Had Kabe gotten himself into more trouble than he could handle, or did he really know what he was doing as he seemed to?

He turned to Petal to see if she was all right and--

Saw that she was crying, face crumpled in misery.

What?

Uncomfortable given the situation, Monnayage avoided sending a pleading look at Maneki and instead kept his gaze steadily on Petal's. What was he supposed to say? He felt terrible having invaded in this girl's life like this, only to have such a thing happen. Talk about unfair. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better.

But, still he found himself saying, "It'll be all right, Petal. Come on." And he turned toward the door. After a few steps, he stopped and without turning around added, in a low voice, "I'm sorry," then continued on.

---

The house was bustling with animals, most of them cats. Kabe thought he might have caught sight of a bat or two up in the rafters, their leathery wings rustling in the blackness. Eyes likes moon shone at him from corners and under furniture as he descended the stairs.

It had been one thing for him to face Dimetri, as brash and confident as he was, but it had been another to see his brother do it. He had no doubt in his mind that Monnayage was capable of taking the man on, but the thought of there being any slight possibility of his brother being harmed had set his temper flaring.

Guess I am like a dog, he mused to himself, smiling slightly as he looked down at his injured arm. The pain had not ebbed at all, if anything growing steadily worse, and he hoped he hadn't made a grave error allowing it to touch him. But, knowing his luck, he probably had. Just another difficult situation to get himself out of.

Another noise emerged as he neared the door leading out of the house. He looked around in the gloom and saw a small something writhing on the floor, letting off strangled mewling sounds.

It was a cat. And he knew just what cat.

In a few moments he had the cat scooped up in his arms, the animal too weak to protest with its claws, which was fine by him. "Hang in there, sport," he said to it, not knowing if it could even understand him. Maneki understood him to an extent due to her human-like understanding from his brother, but regular cats were a bit different.

The animal, the orange cat he now recognized from earlier, shivered in his arms, convulsing every few seconds. He ran his fingers through its soft fur, trying to calm it. He wasn't a big fan of cats, but he didn't have anything against them, either, and he couldn't help but feel the tom's suffering was his fault. Dimetri had come looking for him, after all.

There were still clouds scattered here and there in the sky, but the rain had stopped. The only thing left to remind anyone of the previous storm were the said clouds and the puddles on the ground that appeared as bottomless pits in the darkness. The air smelled wet, a usually pleasant smell.

"All right. We're outside," came a voice from behind, and he turned to see Dimetri watching him from the doorway. "Now hand it over."

She watched in silence as Monnayage left the room apologizing. "So am I," she whispered once she thought he was gone. At her feet Akira hissed and paced, winding in and out of the human's legs until Ladybird nudged her aside. "Oh go bother Tips!" Suddenly the woman froze. A cold feeling in her gut made her look about wide-eyed at all the cats in the room. None of them were Tips.

Her fear grew as she raced out the door and down the stairs, now remembering that one of her own was in danger of dying thanks to that vile intruder. From outside she could hear and see the two men but it was the ball of orange in the Mint brother's arms. "Tips?" A feeble mewl met her inquiry and sent her back into motion.

Ladybird threw her robe off her shoulders, not caring that she was in only her nightgown as she flew to her workroom. Ripping doors open on cabinets and frantically searching for something to stop the poison in its tracks. Her movements were somewhat jerky as she tried to remember all of the properties of her various plants, those that were both harmful and helpful. 'What a time to absolutely despise the apothecary. If only-forget it Petal. He'd just kill Tips anyway. At least with you the fuzzball has a chance.'

Leaves and petals were pulled off plants to be added into a mortar where the botanist worked hard to mix the correct cure, praying that it would work. Her fear was turned into a constructive effort to do good. She paid no attention to what was going on around her other than what she was doing. In fact, she was so focused she never once stopped to consider how she was going to get Tips back from the squabbling men long enough to give him the possible remedy.