Fire, Fire, Burning Bright...

[Anonymous]

She scratched her nose and then she folded her arms beneath her head, crossing her legs at the ankles, settling into as comfortable a position as the ground would allow, easily forgetting about the rocks that grated against her bones, digging into soft flesh and pricking her head. Undoubtedly, she'd wake up bug infested. Her mind wandered off for a moment, vaguely following the thought of a lake, river, or something with water for a bath before returning sharply to Baile.

"Tough," she concluded after Baile's insightful talk of his previous home-life. He was expected to live up to, what sounded to her, like impossible expectations. She wondered if the majority of his people were really tall. He wondered how war-like they were, if as a child he was expected to be in one - didn't they mean they expected alot of wars? Yahto sincerely thought about such things for a short while, ignoring the trail of chills that raised bumps along her arms and back, the hair on the back of her neck. The mere thought of those expectations made her think of a cage, and there was probably nothing more that she detested than cages.

In any case, she allowed him to suddenly stop talking about his village. She had only a passing fancy in it, as it didn't concern her. And it tended to be that things that didn't really concern her, really didn't interest her - unless they were interesting in their own right. And society's cage, to her, was not interesting at all.

"I think I'll follow you guys. I have nothing better to do. Might be amusing," she remarked bemusedly.

"Ah. But that's quite a job. Exploring all the different things, eh? Enjoy yourself. And prepare yourself," she added the last half with a grin - she was no expert on world affairs, and only knew the small chit-chat that went on through towns and in taverns. But she knew very well that it took all kinds, and there were all kinds, and that what you least expect would always happen, sooner or later, and what you might not want to find, would be found.

[Anonymous]

He arched a brow and smiled at the two. Why not let them come along? They would be fun to have around on quiet days. It'd be much better than listening to the merchant's daughter constantly scream out: "Put dat damn fire out!" in her cute island accent. Yes, if he weren't so chicken about his customs he would...

"Bailey! Bailey!" A large grey object dropped from a nearby treetop and onto his stomach, pounding the wind out of him. He fell back with a thud, feeling the purring body of a large cat. It crept up his stomach and tilted its cute head, wrinkling its cute, pink, button nose and shaking its whiskers around. "I told you to put it out, Bailey."

Baile tried sitting up, but the cat was too heavy."Get off me!" The cat steadily formed itself into a young woman with grey cat ears and a swinging cat tail. She wore a short green skirt and an even shorter brown top. Her eyes were a bright, cyan blue and her hair was black and curly.

"Not until you put out dat fire."

"I'm not 'putting out dat fire!'" She leaned in close to his face, making him blush a deep red again. "Why are you so close to me?"

She didn't answer. Her characteristics were exactly like a cat's--she did and said as she pleased possibly with no particular reason. She looked over at the two new visitors and flicked her tail, purring in curiosity. "Who are dey?"

"That's Milo and Yahto. Now get off me."

"Nice to meet you, two," she said with a respectful nod of the head. She had no intention of moving from her new perch.

[Anonymous]

Milo eyed the newcomer with interest - specifically because, naturally, birds and cats do no get along. He had never met a humanoid with feline characteristics, and so was unsure how he should behave - with caution, or welcome.

However, despite his uncertainty toward her, Milo noticed her eyes were blue; he blushed deeply when the feathers on the sides of his head spread in a showy manner.

Thank goodness they knew nothing about his species, or he would find himself completely, utterly humiliated.

Bad enough he was attracted to a cat. What would his brothers think?

"It's nice to meet you, too" Milo parroted, mentally slapping himself in the forehead. Better to salvage something here... "Your name?"

There's suave for you, he thought sarcastically to himself. Best get over it, old boy. She's just as much cat as she is...whatever else.

[Anonymous]

She had momentarily tensed as the cat had dropped out of the tree, and her eyes fixating on the source and watched it turn from cat to girl. She gave an amused smile, watching this exchange with mild, wavering interest. They seemed to be friendly, didn't they? At least the girl was to him - she wasn't very sure what Baile thought, but she didn't really want to know, either. She was quite comfortable where she was, both mentally and physically.

"Yup. Same," she didn't bother to say 'nice to meet you', mostly because she didn't feel like it, not for any real reason. And she figured 'yup. same' said the same thing, just with less talking. And Milo already asked the question she wanted to know. Nothing else for her to really say or ask, was there?

Then she noticed something. Milo had feathers sticking out of the sides of his head. She blinked, stared rudely for a few moments and then gave an awkward lift of her shoulders, deciding it didn't really bother her. It, however, was decently enough strange. So. Birdman and Catwoman? Her lips quirked into a smirk. Maybe this would be more amusing than she had originally thought?

Eagerly, her eyes sought them out again from her position on the ground, however, not before her eyes swept over the fire. The girl had told Baile to put it out. Hell no! She was glad Baile didn't agree, but she wondered why the girl wanted the fire out. Wasn't it spectaculary beautiful - mesmerizing even? She couldn't possibly be the only one who thought this, right?

[Anonymous]

"Dayda," she said simply. Baile shoved her off of him and sat up. She and Baile had noticed Milo's feathers and had tilted their heads. Dayda ventured over to him and gently took his face in her hands. "What an odd man you are. Milo, was it? Why does your head have feadahs?"

Baile put it all together: Milo's legs bent backwards because he was part bird. And part bird around a cat probably wouldn't be the best thing."Dayda! No touchy." He stood and neared her with a haste in his step, only to be fended off by a very low, menacing hiss.

"I'm no slave; I do as I please." She looked over Yahto as she spoke and harrumphed softly. She easily took the spotlight away from her. Dayda was quite a selfish girl, not to mention an attention-deprived girl. She stood slowly with grace and flicked her gray tail in Milo's face as she spoke to Baile. "Who are dey?"

"Friends." Baile didn't want to say more; she would never leave.

"Ah. Well, I was just passing by when I noticed your damn fire in the forest. So, Baile, put it out."

"No friggin' way. You know how proud I am of that?" He used a grand hand gesture towards the bonfire (which was now consuming four elm trees).

"I don't care. Put it out, Bailey boy." Baile rolled his eyes and she leaned forward, fluttering her lashes at him. "I only have a few trees to sleep in."

"A few? There's a whole forest right here. Right...here!"

Dayda shook her head. "You don't understand kitties, do ya, Bailey?" With a cursty to Milo and a nod of the head to Yahto, she bounded off into the night without any explaination. After a moment of silence, Baile shivered off his feelings and sunk to the ground, sitting in front of Milo and Yahto.

"Sorry about her. She's...she's Dayda." There was no other way to put it.

Cats.

((XD;; What a horrible post! I'm sorry, you guys.))

[Anonymous]

Milo found himself being accosted in a most absurd manner; before he even had a chance to make a response about his feathers ( in the form of "Why do you have a tail?" or something equally as obvious), the cat girl was on to another subject and then, just as suddenly, was gone.

"Dayda," he said softly to himself. He had known a girl, the daughter of his father's hunting mate, when he was young; her name had been very similar. She had married one of Milo's brothers. He kept silent on this subject, however; it didn't seem important at the moment.

He produced a canvas flask from a fold in his robes and took a small drink of the water it contained, then offerred it to his companions.

"You do keep interesting company," he commented to Baile. Glancing in the direction Dayda had taken, he added, a mite wistfully, "She did have lovely eyes, didn't she?"

[Anonymous]

Yahto had watched with the amused dettachment of an outsider - a mere spectator. She had no desire to be the center of attention - she was completely fine with taking this more quiet and observer's approach, and found it all the more amusing. Whatever the catgirl thought of Yahto, she didn't care. Whatever the other two thought of her, she didn't care about that either. She was here for nothing but her own purpose and gains, and she was quite honest with that.

It seemed the girl changed subjects quickly, bouncing from one topic to the next with rapid interest. Yahto smirked, watching from her position on the earth. Her eyes flickered over to the expanding fire - she wondered how far it'd spread. For a brief moment, she wondered what animals and life it'd kill before it'd cease it's turbulent journey. If it'd cease at all.

In a matter of moments, it seemed, the girl had left, leaving behind a riddle of sorts. How annoying, cats seemed. Whatever shape or form they took, it seemed all they left were puzzles. But she supposed that's what made them loved, hated, and so damn mysterious. Whatever the reason, Yahto raised just an eyebrow, showing curiousity and wonderment. She wondered, briefly, why she had left. Then Milo was speaking.

"They were just blue, weren't they?" She asked lazily, taking note of the small detail with her astute gray eyes, and then glancing at the birdguy. He liked blue eyes, it seemed. Yahto, herself, was taken to more busty females - or the kind that got themselves worked up over the smallest things and then got embarrassed; they were so adorable. Those that could make her laugh always held a special place in her heart, no matter the gender. However, probably her favorite colored eyes with either black [or something dark] or a light green. She liked it especially when the hair or skin was a sharp contrast to their eyes.

"They were nice, I suppose. I like dark eyes or light green. But I guess that doesn't really matter, depending on other aspects," she remarked casually - sex and people, regardless of gender, were all the same to her.

[Anonymous]

Baile arched a curious brow at Milo, noticing his wistful question. "Yes. Cyan blue." He smiled and began teasing the tall man. "What, do you like her or something? I should tell her sometime. Her entire family would love to hear it. She and her four other sisters have been looking for suitable husbands. The two younger sisters and their triplet brother aren't, however."

The only reason he knew this was because the cat family visited Baile often, singing with him, trying things out--like new foods or customs--and many other things. He would have been part of the family if it hadn't been for one small problem: one of the four elder sisters, Analese (pronounced Ah-nah-lezz). He and Analese were constantly dancing around each other's feelings, tempting each other and spending copious amounts of time together talking and...learning through touch.

He shook his thoughts of Analese away before he began drooling and shut his mouth, looking at Yahto with surprise. "You sleep with women as well?" That was all he got out of what she had said. What a mess--two pyromaniacs, one of whom wasn't a man but acted like one, the other was in love with a cat-woman, and their friend the tall bird-man was in love, just like Baile, with a cat-woman.

Baile began laughing; this was turning out to be an outrageous evening.

((Speaking of outrageous, I think my charrie Baile has escaped into the real world. Last night, I went to go see the play "Much Ado About Nothing" and a fire started in the most lonely, random room in the entire theater. XD It was ridiculous. We had to evacuate and missed the second half of the play in it entirety (spelling...?). We went to eat burgers and cake instead. Healthy way to eat at eleven at night, right?))

[Anonymous]

To Yahto, Milo replied softly, "Yes; very blue. No one in my village has blue eyes. I'd never seen them until I started my journey. Light green is well enough, I suppose, but a woman with blue eyes...it's as though she carries a piece of sky with her."

He blushed lightly. "You'll have to pardon me. I have a romantic weakness, it seems."

At Baile's comment, Mmilo scoffed gently, his feathers twisting and lying flat on his head once more, "Oh, don't marry me off just yet. I doubt I would have much use for a wife, and I'm not a spectacularly desirable mate. I'm only an apprentice yet."

As if that meant anything to either of his companions. Telling them he was an apprentice was as ambiguous as telling them he had a family. The fact was, his family consisted of twelve siblings, a father, and two mothers, and so telling them that he had a family was an understatement; likewise, telling them he was an apprentice meant little if they weren't aware that his career path would leave him an apprentice for another thirty years.

With that thought, he added, "I have hope to be a proper mate for someone in another year, though."

"Are you married?"  he asked Baile curiously. He didn't bother asking Yahto - he suspected she wasn't.

[Anonymous]

The thought of marriage or of anything that didn't involve wandering, fires, or simple late nights under a star imbued sky twisted her intestines into a fierce knot of sudden dread. Of her three siblings, she was the youngest and the one most careless [although this happened later in life]. Her family had always been relatively small, her father having dead only a year after her birth. Her mother had never been tameable, but her father had certainly worked charm and magic to make her a suitable wife and mother - her siblings often smoke that they were "a match made in heaven" - whatever that meant. But after her father died, her mother returned to her former ways, smoking and drinking heavily, sometimes doing drugs,, being promiscous and going out to all hours of the nights, stirring up havoc and trouble with former friends.

It didn't take long for Yahto's sisters to accompany her mother or venture out by themselves. Young Yahto was the only one who was ever sober enough to carry them into their rooms, to make food or get the bath started - she was more grown up then people gave her credit. Of course, Yahto had not been without her own passions, which she found in cigars and fire. When her family finally grew up [following Yahto coming of age at 15], or at least tempered itself, she told them to be 'moderate' and simply left. That's how Yahto was.

"I do. Love is love, no matter how temporary," she said in her dismissive voice, reaching up to her bag to pull it towards it, pulling it up to peer at the contents.

Baile liked fires. He had a particularly chatty cat-girl friend. Perhaps she liked him? She wasn't quite sure - it had all happened rather quickly. Milo liked blue eyes, and would find himself to be a suitable mate by another year. He was an apprentice. Whatever that meant.

What a small, interesting group.

Her bag held nothing but cigars, a black, leather-bound book with smooth, foreign symbols embedded deep into the leather that gave off a slightly silver hue. The pages themselves were of white vellum with gilded edges. There was bandages and  a small, sturdy deep red wooden box with meticulously painted dark greens and golds with hints of red curling around  ungainly dark blue birds with silver crests and tail feathers, either in flight or perched on long, thin legs. There was also a small utility knife accompanied by a hunting dagger, a small, smooth, round, translucent purple stone with a broken leather thong, and possibly what seemed as food wrapped in cloth along with a flask.

She closed up her bag, finding nothing entertaining in it, an ear turned towards the men and their talk. Then she rethought it, got another cigar, stood, dusted herself off, and went over to the fire, lighting it up and relishing an inhalation of the smoke. She would offer one if she only had enough for herself... [actually, she could at least five to herself, and she had just around that number left].

"I need more cigars," she mumbled, blowing out smoke and looking at her cigar thoughtfully to only sit back down in her former place, sitting up and looking upwards in the trees.

[Anonymous]

Baile perked up at Milo's question, blinking in silence at him for a while. Was he kidding or no? He couldn't quite tell. So, Baile began to laugh. And laugh....and laugh. Then, noticing that Milo was kidding, he wiped his watering eyes, calmed down and, somewhat dejectedly said, "No." With indignance, he quickly added, "I should be, though, according to my customs. And I will be." He laughed nervously and picked at the ground as Yahto lit her second--or was it her third?--cigar. "I will be." He didn't quite believe himself. However, it never hurt to act as if one believes in something, right?

He had listened to Milo with an interested look in his eye as he described his village--or, at least, the people of the village itself. No blue eyes? How did someone live like that? Of course, he couldn't say much either; he came from a town where purple, red, hazel or golden eyes were unheard of. "A piece of the sky...Very well put, my tall friend," he smiled. "I've never quite heard it put that way before."

He heard Yahto's complaint and looked up at her. "I could go and fetch some quickly. It'd do me good to walk around a bit anyhow." He reached in his pockets to find that he was flat broke...again. He shrugged and considered either stealing or barganing. Normally he could bargain for a bit of labor. On other occasions, he was forced to steal, which could come out quite funny in the end in one way or another. He chuckled at how clumsy he was at theivery--he was no Specter of Silence, that was for sure.

[Anonymous]

Milo looked up at Yahto thoughtfully, and nodded his agreement. "Love is love. And blue eyes have less to do with love, and more to do with lust."

He thought back to the first time he had seen blue eyes. It had been a humiliating experience; it was in a pub with a fellow apprentice. Both had been heavily into their cups, when Milo was stunned by the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen - cornflower blue, almond-shaped with long lashes. He had immediately thrown himself at the woman's feet, begging her to marry him...until the woman hit him full-force in the face. He was mortified to find out, upon waking, that the "woman" was the bartender's brother. He kept this little anecdote to himself, however.

"You sound as if you have no choice in the matter," he commented to Baile after patiently waiting out the other man's laughter. "Perhaps that has some root in custom and expectation, as well?"

At Baile's offer to "fetch" some cigars, Milo perked slightly. Obviously, a luxury such as that would only be found in the city, which was where his next stop ought to be, if only to replenish his supplies.

"I'd like to come along, if you're going."

[Anonymous]

"And I'm not staying here alone," Yahto said, her voice bubbling with sincere amusement as she stood, stretching out her legs, standing up abruptly and twisting her back until she heard a loud crack and popping noise. She sighed - quite relieved that the tension drained from her back.

"And I won't trust you to get my cigars. You'll probably get some shitty brand," she spoke flippantly, hand waving, her voice even more amused. "In any case, I haven't made a visit to Arca in some time. There are people I'd like to speak too," her true motive glinted as she stretched her arms, bending impossibly backwards as various cracks and sickening pops ensued, all over her body and from every joint imaginable.

She snatched up her pack, her eyes flickering to the fire. "We could leave here to spread or put it out," she said, weighing the options. Well, the way she didn't really move to put it out, suggested she probably wasn't going too. She hadn't made the damn thing, nor was she willing to douse out beautiful flames.

Yahto puffed mercilessly on her cigar. Her mind was already calculating what cigars to buy and from what stand in particular, to where the people were most likely to be at such a time and just where the most appropriate places she'd find some easy stealing. Rarely, if ever, did Yahto have money. She mostly stole, rarely staying long enough in any one place to land a good-paying job. Her guts always twisted at the thought of something that took more committment than a day.

"Oh, don't be coerced by anyone that says I'm worth money," she told them, a grin flickering on her lips. "I can cause scenes bigger than you know."

Fair warning. In case they wanted some easy money and thought of trading her in for a few coins. But never be fooled; if she didn't rely on brute force she'd certainly rely on her voice and lies and the most accomplished acting anyone had ever seen not on a theater stage. Oh, yes, Yahto would scream, shout, and cry louder than you could imagine and bring the valiant and well-to-doers from miles around, beckoned by her distress. And she'd use them fully, weeping and sobbing, fretting the entire way. You never did quite know what would happen if Yahto was bored or found herself in a situation that was unfavorable to her.

[Anonymous]

Baile nodded at Milo. Friends were great to have around at night; it made the travel a little less tedious. He blinked at Yahto's statement. He wasn't quite used to the lack of girlish-ness as of yet. "Well, goes to show just how much faith you have in me," he mumbled.

Without another word, Baile stood up and began making his way towards Arca--where the Twilight Festival was still taking place. The last time he had attended a Twilight Festival his sister was living, which had to be a while ago. The thought of his sister made him stop walking and shove his hands into his pockets, holding his head down almost in shame. Don't do this, he thought, I can't get upset, not tonight. It took Baile a moment before he could begin walking again, mumbling an apology and something about being dizzy.

((UAH! Writer's block! D8 ))

[Anonymous]

Milo rose with Baile, gathering his walking stick and wineskin, and followed him; he didn't know the direction they should be traveling, and most definitely get them all lost were he to lead the little party. He glanced back to the campfire, wondering if anyone was going to put it out. Being a stranger to the culture, he didn't want to interfere with something that might be a sacred ritual. Perhaps it was blasphemous here to put a fire out. He kept silent on the subject.


Milo glanced back to make sure Yahto was keeping up; she was a poor woman, in his opinion, but she made a very agreeable companion. Were she a man, Milo would have liked her greatly for the independence she exhibited. He also quite believed her threat to cause a scene.

"We'll find the finest cigars in Arca for you," he promised cheerfully.

The change in the way Baile carried himself as they walked wasn't lost on Milo. One of the most important ways the people in his village expressed their emotions was through body language, and the closing of Baile's stance (his hands thrust in his pockets and his head down) led Milo to believe his companion was either frightened or unhappy. No matter which, he placed an understanding hand on Baile's shoulder and smiled comfortingly in the darkness.

[Anonymous]

Yahto had a gait that constantly changed - one moment she could be walking slowly, the next she could be using long strides that easily kept up with her companions, or she'd skip, hop, and do anything to keep herself preoccupied on what she considered a most boring walk. Then again, Yahto had to do simple things to keep herself pleased or there'd be absolutely no dealing with her.

"I wouldn't trust even my sisters to get me good cigars," Yahto told him to assure him that it just wasn't him - it was just everyone. But she had more a reason to distrust her sisters. They could be little gits and just get the wrong cigars on purpose, forget, or they were too drunk or not there to get them for her.

It hadn't been lost on Yahto either, the sudden change in Baile. She studied him carefully, and even while he blamed it on dizziness, she wondered if she should think more of it. Unlike Milo, she was less concerned with it and didn't bother to reveal she had recognized such a thing at all. Again, it was a result of her hands-off approach to new people. A new rule she had decided to instigate, mostly to see if she could do it or not. It was just a fact of life and of Yahto that she wasn't concerned with much, if anything at all.

"I'll hold you to that," Yahto replied to Milo, flashing him a toothy little grin as she fell into step with them, changing it frequently and constantly tripping and stumbling over herself and roots and rocks, laughing at her own idiocy. However, she recovered each time, probably hinting at the fact she meant to do it each time. Anything to keep her amused, really.

When they finally did reach Arca, she twirled in a circle, bouncing her head from each side. She was an extremely animated person, and seemed to lack the capabilities to stand still now. It was probably just the hype for the fact that she was getting more cigars.

Suddenly, she spotted someone. She waved waved them over with her fore and middle finger, other fingers curled downwards. The person stiffly came over, glancing at the other two warily, as if they might suddenly show themselves as threat. In a quick gesture, her left hand forming a loose fist and clapping over where her heart would be, her right hand hanging limply, fingers curled away from the man, her chin dipping towards her chest. The man mimicked it and she gave him a light punch in the shoulder in which he brushed off. He was clearly uncomfortable with the other two.

"This is Sverin. Don't mind him, he's an ass. If you need anything, he can get it for you or point you in the direction in which you could get it," she told the two men with a grin, patting Sverin as if he was some trusty friend.

"I demand some good cigars," she told him, adding something in a completely different language. Sverin nodded slightly in return, adding something with much more eloquence in his deep, baritone voice but within that same language. "I hope I can help you," he said with equal grace to Baile to Milo.

Sverin was pale-skinned with hair a myriad of colors, such as red, brown, and gold. His eyes were a pale, moon-yellow with brown lines etched from center to out. The pupils slitted slightly, and their were notable differences in how he carried himself, his teeth [sharper than a human's, most certainly], his hair seemed course, and there were faint, cool blue tattoos on his skin, covering him from head to toe. However, his clothing consisted of the norm of loose pants and a loose shirt. He didn't bother to wear shoes - it was apparent he had clawed fingernails and toenails. He looked slightly barbaric, except his tone seemed to cross out that notion entirely.

[i'm just hurrying things along... sorry if that's bad or not what you wanted >>' it's just I didn't want the next three of our posts about them walking, lmao. and. Sverin was completely just.. made up on the spot. eh-heh. >> my mind is everywhere today, forgive me if i just screwed something royally.]

[Anonymous]

((Ah, it's fine. Nothing was royally screwed. XD))

Baile looked up at Milo to be met with his smile. Baile forced out a nod and kept going, watching Yahto trip and hop and laugh the whole way there. Finally, there was no way for him to ignore her. He blurted out, "Goddess, are you high?"

Upon entering Arca, he noticed that there were several violinists playing their hearts out, laughing at the silly couples who were dancing in the main square. Baile nodded and attempted to make the same move as Yahto had made, making a tight fist with his left hand and punching his chest. He coughed and lowered his hand; wasn't quite used to this kind of a greeting yet. His reddish eyes swept over the dancers, looking for someone. Suddenly three voices were calling his name out of sync. Or, at least, it was his newly-given nickname, "Bailey." He turned around and around and saw no one. Hence, he was blindsighted by two little children with differently colored ears and tails--one calico style and the other orange and gray--and was sent tumbling to the ground. He laughed as they crawled atop of him. The girl, the one with the calico pattern, spoke first.

"Where have you been?" Her accent was adorably thick. Her "been's" sounded like "bean's" and her "where's" sounded like "whey-ah's."

"Whaddaya mean, 'where've I been?' I've been in the woods. I haven't left yet."

"Yet! Yet?" The boy spoke up, flickering his ears. Baile blinked as he heard the ears jingle. Upon looking closer at the two, he noticed that they had bells in their hands, one in their tail, and tiny sleighbells were tied to their ears and tails. Of course--they were coming up with their own version of musicians. Bellists, did they call them? "You plan on leaving us? Think about daddy! Think about...about Analese."

Baile flustered at the sound of Analese's name. Slowly he asked, "Is she here?"

"She's sitting off by herself over deah. She's happy, but she doesn't wanna dance without you deah," said the girl.

"Ah. Well, if you get off me, then--why is it your family likes pouncing on me?--then I'll go dance with her." The children got off of him with sounds that resembled "mrow" and bounded off. Looking up at Yahto, Milo, and Sverin, smiling sheepishly. "Kids. I'm not having them...no matter how cute they may be." He pulled himself off of the ground and dusted himself off.

((Wow! You created Sverin that fast? *bows before you* I am not worthy! XD ))

[Anonymous]

Milo decided to forgo the greeting Yahto gave  Sverin. Instead, he nodded respectfully to the man, quite unsure as to whether he had anything he trully needed that wasn't provided in a shop. Then again, a guide would be good; where in Arca did one go to find seeds, anyway?

He drew a leather pouch, nearly empty, from his pocket and, curling his other arm around his walking stick, poured a small ammount of the remaining contents into his free hand. He held it out to Sverin and asked softly, "I don't suppose -"

It was at this point that the cat-like children pounced. Though they were attacking Baile, Milo took a step backwards and sideways...and promptly tripped over his cloak, the seeds in his hand scattering and his walking stick clattering some feet away.

He looked around bemusedly for a moment, as if wondering how he possibly could have managed THAT bout of clumsiness, and then gathered his senses and stood, brushing himself off. He was already retrieving his staff and composing himself when Baile made his comment about children.

"'Kids'," he replied (as though repeating something from rote rather than asserting an opinion), "are a blessing. I wouldn't mind having a few myself. Milder, quieter ones, that is."

Milo looked around dubiously. He was definitely going to need those supplies sooner than later.

[Anonymous]

Sverin stood, relaxed, but his face completely impassive. His arms hung loosely at his sides, watching them merely as a spectactor, most unwilling to get involved with any of Yahto's new companions. When the children came barging in, he had simply taken a step back, brows coming together very slightly, looking almost puzzled, noticing how... feline like they were. And then he lifted his chin towards them, turning to Yahto.

Yahto was a little amused at the entire situation, leaning back as the kids ran in, feeling herself grin as she watched. They were adorable and rambunctious - but not nearly as rowdy as the children back home. Of course, it depended on where the child was raised, but it was a generally accepted assumption that all Tijur'en children were mischevious and wild, no matter where they lived. And Yahto believed that firmly.

"Aw, no kids for Baile," she spoke in a childish, sing-song voice, regardless she appeared at least in her early twenties.

"Hey, you okay, Milo?" She asked him, leaning forward slightly to peer down at him before turning her half of her attention to Sverin, glancing at his quizzical expression she gave an amused grin before patting him on the upper arm.

"Oh? Good luck to that. All the kids back home were wilder than these ones," she said, grinning as her gray eyes flickered to Milo, amused. Children? Tame? Didn't sound possible. "When I first got here, I had never seen children so... tame," she commented, dropping her cigar and pounding it out with her sandal.

 Sverin leaned down towards her ear and murmuring things. After a moment, she waved at him. "None of my concern. They're all adults and they can take care of themselves," she told him flatly, brushing off her clothes.

"No more adults than when you left them. They're closing the borders - it's not like we can protect them. And your damn family isn't one to up and leave behind a grave," Sverin said, the more he spoke the more accented it became, and it became evident that his native tongue [although had been spoken before, had been eloquent, influenced by his time here] was much rougher and growling than one could first assume. Almost animalistic.

"They're D-" She paused and momentarily looked amused, shaking her head. "I won't start a racial argument with you, Sverin. However, they won't give in so easily. I'm sure they'll hold out until your people can get to them and defend them. And. If not," Yahto sucked in a breath for a moment before letting it out, as if she wasn't quite sure how to end such a sentence. "Well. The obvious consequence would be to die or become slaves of those bandits," she concluded, eyes flickering to her wrists before she waved him off. "Don't bother me with the subject again." She said, glancing at Milo and raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry about that. Things back home are getting a little unsettled.... Anyway. Before you had a nice trip, you needed something...?" Yahto said, leaning against Sverin's muscular body, her elbow perched on his shoulder.

[sorry for taking so long. >>']

[Anonymous]

((Gah. Issues. ^-^;; Sorry...))

"No, no kids for me," Baile laughed as he offered Milo his hand. "Sorry about that, dear one. They're quite a rambunctious species." He looked about, listening to the cute, jingling bells the triplets were shaking in the distance. Although he wanted to go straight to Analese, he wanted to make a big scene--a scene better than the one that just took place, that is. He watched the band of violinists and drummers play slowly and seemingly with a bored attitude. Arching a brow at this, he took another glance at the dancers to see that they were just as bored.

Baile bowed to Sverin, Yahto, and Milo. "I'll be back in a moment. Feel free to join in if you want." He strode and twirled between dancers with ease. He waved his hands towards the ground and the orchestra slowly stopped. He asked if they knew one of his hometown's traditional dances.

"The Kicker?" Asked a blonde violinist. Her eyes brightened at the song's title.

"Yes, yes, the Kicker. Can you lead them?" The blonde nodded happily and bent down to whisper something to a sitting drummer. He nodded and began beating out a fast pace with his hands. She stood and began playing a fast and happy beat, moving her feet in a tip-toe sort of fashion. Baile began kicking the ground as if to nudge something out of the way--this was just the beginning of the Kicker.

The dancers slowed to a stop and watched the band begin to steadily joining in and laughed as the triplets held hands and bounced up and down in a frantic circle. Baile continued and finally kicked his legs up so high he made a backflip. He bowed to a woman--who curtsied back--and took her arm and showed her how to do the actual Kicker: bring the knee up, put it down, kick as high as you can. The woman followed his lead and, before she knew it, they were kicking and moving in a rhythmic circle. The dancers laughed and grabbed his other arm, the woman's other arm, and so forth until there was a long line of kickers.

Baile broke away as he saw Analese laugh into view, flicking her black-and-white ears around. He grabbed her hands and gave a silent hello. Stunned, she shook her head, eyes bright. Then, "Enough of that...come on, Baile. Don't tell me you've forgotten how to dance."

She and Baile made a series of toe-touchers, dips, and flips (with Baile's support, of course). At the finale, he made a grand hand gesture and bowed with the music. He wasn't sure what the other dancers were doing at this point in time--his eyes were on Analese, who curtsied deeply in her silver and gold skirt that rested just above the knees. Her ears flickered as she watched him without moving a single muscle--Baile blushed and finally straightened up.

((Sorry...I...I like-a de Can-Can. ^-^; ))