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Post by Kari Muffin on Jul 30, 2008 13:40:09 GMT -5
Xiven was pretty sure that was a question rather than an answer. Either way she would have to explain what was going on to the Ace. Babies are okay? Well, that was very little comfort.
And then Xiven just snapped. Without much of a warning she started crying and sobbing. She couldn't handle all of this stress. Fluffy was her sister. Fluffy was pregnant. She would be an Aunt to an Ace. Fluffy sure as hell didn't know where babies came from. This was a living nightmare and it wasn't going away anytime soon.
She just wanted all of this to disappear. She wanted to be clueless again. If it wasn't for some idiot who had stolen her pet, she would have been living in the dark for the rest of her life. If she ever found out who did this to her, she was going to make them pay more than Danny ever did.
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Post by The Jenn on Jul 31, 2008 10:27:55 GMT -5
Oh, this was bad. This was almost worse that Fluffy had ever seen her owner before. After another moment passed, that changed. It was the worst she had ever seen Xiven. She didn't know what to do... but she had to do something because she couldn't stand to see the other feline so unbelievably upset! Had her answer really been that wrong?
She nudged against Xiven, hard, until she had enough room to wriggle her incredibly soft paws around and just start petting her side, one after the other in a rhythmic motion. She purred, she petted, and she smelled good. There... wasn't anything else that she knew to do for her mistress. Those three things were it. She tried not to let herself tremble from all the stress filling the room and the fact that she had just half-manhandled Xiven, who really had needed it. She could still cling to her Fluffy's neck, but the Ace needed to at least try and help the situation.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Aug 1, 2008 12:45:34 GMT -5
Xiven didn't mind being manhandled at this point. She felt like utter crap, and Fluffy was trying her hardest to make her feel better, even if she didn't understand what was going on. Even if Xiven explained things to Fluffy she probably wouldn't understand until it was too late.
This was going to be a difficult problem to fix. And Xiven shuddered at the thought. There had to be an easier way. Things were just... this was all so complicated and she honestly didn't want to deal with any of it. It wasn't going to disappear on it's own though. The fact that Fluffy was her sister would always be there in the back of her mind. Her pet was related to her by blood.
"I'm sorry Fluffy. I'm so sorry," Xiven whimpered. As much as it wasn't her fault, she was never going to be able to explain things.
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Post by The Jenn on Aug 10, 2008 8:36:07 GMT -5
Months passed and still Fluffy didn't receive any sort of coherent explanation as to what was going on. Every time Xiven tried, she just couldn't keep going. The Ace couldn't decide whether pregnant was a horrible thing, or whether it was just a horrible thing for her or for an Ace, but whatever the case it obviously made her mistress and her mistress's Mama Peaches hugely upset and that made her feel awful. Her calming scent helped keep her in a state of near-tranquility no matter what happened, especially since there were no more drastic outbursts that she was privy to.
And then one morning she had an uncomfortable feeling in her gut, which had grown a little bit larger than normal. She complained of a weird stomach ache to Xiven, who promptly went to summon Temmin to her room to deal with things. Fluffy finally figured out what pregnant ended with, though she still wasn't entirely sure why Xiven had been having crying fits. It hurt, but it only lasted for a little while and it wasn't that bad. Again, her scent probably had something to do with that.
There was only one child and he was small, an easy burden for her to have carried. It made the birth uncomplicated and relatively easy according to the doctor and what he told her owner. She stared down at the little Ace snuggled against her, confused at what to do. The heron had told her to let him nurse, which apparently meant feed him, and groom him if she felt like it, which she certainly did. Grooming she could do easily. He was such a cute little thing. It was hard to believe that he'd come out of her. The whole concept was just so bizarre to Fluffy. What was she supposed to do with him? Xiven would tell her, she supposed.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Aug 11, 2008 11:37:40 GMT -5
Xiven was far from amused by the entire situation. Her Fluffy wasn't supposed to be tainted by such an experience. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. And Peaches was still working on finding an owner. This... thing was going to be out of the palace as soon as humanly possible.
Of course she wanted it out NOW. That wasn't going to happen so she had to bite her lip and wait. And she had to deal with her own problems as well.
Meanwhile Peaches was having fun finding big spenders when it came to Aces. She had found a woman named Josephine e'Devya... who was obviously filled with Highland Pride out her ass. However, she apparently had a niece who might be willing to purchase an Ace. It was just a matter of getting to this girl and not being eaten by a Highlander Mage in the process.
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Post by Satra on Aug 11, 2008 17:59:38 GMT -5
Light. Where...?Noise. Who...?Touch. What...?"Mye?" piped up a tiny voice. The tiny Feline couldn't quite open his eyes yet, but he heard and felt the people around him and saw the red glow of light passing through loosely shut eye lids "Myer?" he called out a again, a little louder now. The situation was more real now, the swimming in confusion only moments before forgotten completely... ---- The tiny Ace slept quietly next to his mother. He made a small noise with each breath that might have been either purring or snoring. "Mmmrr?" He woke suddenly, the dream he was having forgotten the second purple swirls on white reached his vision. He purred loudly as he squinted up at Mommy. He liked being next to her. He always felt calm to the point of absolute lethargy. Which was fine, because his motor skills along with an undeveloped back leg caused him to fall over a lot, which he didn't much take a liking to.
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Post by The Jenn on Aug 11, 2008 18:24:08 GMT -5
Fluffy twitched in surprise when she heard the little trilling mew, looking down at her kitten as he squinted up at her. She purred in return, half to keep him calm and half because she felt like it, leaning over to lick twice across his back before her bright blue tail curled around him. She liked him a lot, but he seemed to make Xiven nothing but antsy and upset, which in turn left her confused. - - - - - When Aunt Josephine told Thyme about the possibility of a new Ace on the market, one with a slightly more high-bred lineage, she was interested. A Highland and Avington mix would be ideal in terms of colors, especially with what had happened to the wolf since her unfortunate encounter with an enchanted moth in the attic, and she wanted a feline more than any other breed. The preference didn't make her aunt happy, but Joe didn't like any felines so it wasn't something to really worry about for her. When she'd been a child, her grandparents' Mr. Jingles had been half-babysitter for her and her siblings whenever he needed to be and they'd all adored the Tulgey feline. Living in the Highlands, she had agreed through her aunt with the mother of the Ace's owner to meet in the palace of Hearts and see the kitten in person. That way she could tell whether or not she really wanted him. According to the woman, its name was 'Waffles', which she found insanely cute.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Aug 11, 2008 19:00:57 GMT -5
Aunt Josephine had decided to accompany her niece. She didn't want her to make any hasty decisions. It was a cat after all. And the world could do without another useless cat running around. It almost made her growl.
Xiven was anxious to get rid of the thing. She didn't want to deal with "Waffles." It was hideous and just... She shuddered. Why was her mother such an idiot. Why had she slipped....? With a small growl she shook her head and waited for the girl to arrive at Palace. She prayed that whoever this was they would take Waffles off of her hands.
She snapped back to reality when a servant popped their head in to tell her that the woman had arrived with her Aunt. Hurrying as fast as possible for the feline she went to greet the pair. She was as cheery as possible, and as presentable as she could manage being pregnant and all.
"Welcome to the court of Hearts, You two have come to see Waffles, yes?"
Josephine raised an eyebrow at the pretty cat girl. God she hated cats. She simply remained silent and waited for Thyme to respond.
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Post by The Jenn on Aug 12, 2008 0:21:09 GMT -5
Thyme didn't want to get her hopes up at the prospect of the kitten, but she couldn't deny that she felt excited. She'd been in the 'market' for an Ace for maybe six months now and hadn't found one that quite suited her yet. Looking at older ones, she just didn't feel the connection that she wanted. When she wrote home to her mother for suggestions, Femi had mentioned that her family purchased Mr. Jingles as a kitten and raised him as they'd seen fit. Normally her mother never had anything worthwhile to contribute to a discussion and her father ended up throwing in advice after she gave him the letter to mail, but sometimes a gem made itself known. She'd thought the idea a good one.
There wasn't often cause for her to visit one of the palaces, much less with her aunt. At least the Ace's owner wasn't in the palace of Clubs. She wouldn't have had a problem with it, but Joe wouldn't have wanted her to go alone and probably would have been a testy piece of work the whole way. She still needed to get the whole story out of the woman... maybe someday.
She smiled politely as she entered the palace walls, the expression staying in place until she'd reached the room an attendant had directed her to. A titled Queen of Hearts... she felt slightly anxious, but her mother had been a Queen and she herself was a King, just like her Aunt. Of course, she was also a Club and that mattered a lot more in the Courts, especially to a Heart. It was enough to make her want to roll her eyes, except that wasn't at all polite.
My, the woman was pretty. And pregnant. Rather pregnant. She inclined her canine body in a small bow and flicked her tail to keep it from standing awkwardly, the feelers floating around and almost overpowering her with a fragrance. Lavender and chamomile saturated the area, at least to her heightened sense. "Your Majesty, thank you for the welcome. My name is Thyme, my aunt is Josephine, and yes, we're here to see the kitten."
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Fluffy heard voices in the antechamber outside Xiven's bedroom and sleepily opened one eye, staring at it. She recognized her mistress's, of course, but there was another that she didn't know. The feline didn't often have visitors to her private quarters that the Ace had never met before. How odd.
She yawned and curled more closely around the little Ace snuggled against her, tail mostly obscuring him from view. In the weeks since she'd given birth, she'd grown fond of him and thought his name was just so cute. She liked waffles - they were yummy. Xiven's Mama Peaches thought of good names.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Aug 12, 2008 0:40:06 GMT -5
Xiven was happy that the prospective owner was so very polite. Maybe she could get the little bugger out of her hair as well. The thought made Xiven's tail twitch with anticipation. Of course, even she had to remember her manners. She gave them both a cordial smile. "If you'll follow me, I'll be happy to show you to Waffles. Though I have to remind you that he is missing a leg... it just never really developed. He can walk rather nicely, though he's young so he has the tendency to flop over."
Xiven turned to the door and slipped it open she stepped to the side to allow the pair of them through.
Aunt Josephine was fantastically uncomfortable. This woman was almost the spitting image of her rival so many years ago. The only thing different was her region--if she was a Highlander the old woman would have mauled something on sight. As of now she had to remember her place.... this was royalty after all, and she was polite. Poor woman seemed to be expecting, that's probably why she wanted to get rid of this Ace.
Xiven looked over to the cat bed. "Fluffy, Waffles, I've got a treat for both of you." She said as she grabbed a bag off of her dresser top. Bribing her pet with food was the easiest way to get what she wanted done. "Waffles is under her fluff of a tail." A bright blue tail no less.
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