[FIN] A Boy and his Bander

[Vyn]

(Isolde is to post first, but after her intro the thread is open to anyone who wants to join. Kaden needs to meet more people XD)

A loud crash echoed through the shopping district, swiftly followed by a roar of frustrated shouts and more, but smaller, crashes. Kaden laughed aloud, leaping out of the way of a flying item and escaping into the streets with Quicksand racing along at his side. Within minutes the shouts were fading behind him and Kaden had vanished skillfully into the crowd where he made himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Alas, while Kaden had long ago learned the art of 'disappearing', Quicksand had not. Any level of utterly uninteresting that Kaden managed to achieve was swiftly off-put by Quicksand's nipping habit as he snapped at ankles or tails on the way through the crowded streets.

The constant hiss of admonishment from the boy didn't help him blend in with the crowd any, especially not against a shopkeeper that was looking for the Boy and Bander with a presence like a small tornado hitting his shop.

Briefly lost in his thoughts, Kaden barely managed to notice the little Selkie doe in time to save her from Quicksand's sudden curiousity in her tail. The Bander twitched, snapped and Kaden thrust the little beast to the side with a yelp. "Eerrr...! Sorry 'bout him!" He laughed and grinned widely.

[Kiki]

Isolde was in Capital City today with her Grandpa Ophelia for a change, they were out window shopping looking at this and that, Grandpa had mentioned wanting to pick something up for the lab but Isolde didn’t really pay much attention to remember.

“Grandpa Ophelia, would you mind if we stopped in to get some groceries? I really wanted to make dessert for Tavor tonight” she asked hoping to get a positive answer. She was so pleased to have someone to talk to during the day, so she made it a habit to bring him things when she went out to the Capital.

She was so wrapped up in thinking about what to make for him that she didn’t even notice the bander until it had almost bitten her. It was so odd, she didn’t think she had done anything to warrant being bitten but then again, banders didn’t always have nice manners like Tavor’s little chubby one did.

Shaken slightly she looked at the child before her. “I-well that is alright I guess, no harm done. I’m just glad you grabbed him when you did or he would have bit my tail clear off.”

[Vyn]

Kaden laughed a little, as if his little terror hadn't just attempted to maim a little girl. As 'icky' as little girls were, Kaden knew better than to underestimate them -- Loreta was his mama after all -- and he'd prefer not to face any of their wrath. Especially not when the big serpenty deer lady stepped up behind her with a look that could quickly put most people in their place.

Instead, of course, Kaden just laughed heartily and nuzzled against his sandy colored pet. "Well he wouldn't 've bitten it clear off. Just made it hurt a little, he's a just a nipper."

Ophelia stared hard at the colorful bird, her thoughts flickering back to a certain hat-adoring man she had known for the greater portion of her younger life. Well...that was, odd.

"Is everything alright over here, Isolde?" Her brow arched up sharply, her hand falling lightly onto the young doe's head in a silently protective manner.

[Kiki]

Isolde was pleased with the attention but she wished it had been for another reason really. She was glad that he hadn’t made such a big deal of the scene. It confused her though when he played it off, the bander could have seriously hurt her but if the bird didn’t think that, then perhaps she was just over-reacting.

“Well either way, I am still glad you grabbed him. Whether it’s a quick nip or something more serious, I do not do well with pain and I truly doubt you would have wanted to be a party to the consequences.”

She turned quickly to the figure that came up next to her. “Yes everything is alright now Grandpa, he should just keep his bander on a leash if it bites. He came over and tried to bite my tail….” She sighed but quickly brightened.

“I haven’t died so it’s really not such a big deal and I would really like to forget the whole thing. In that instance, do you like cookies? I would be very happy to have you for some if you wanted to join us. I’m making them as a surprise for my brother but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you joining us!”

Isolde was normally good natured so it was easy for her to go from slightly upset to cheerful to meet someone new.

[Vyn]

Kaden's gaze snapped up at the snake-lady and for a moment his face screwed up in thought before his father's voice snapped back into his mind with an explanation of the woman's familiarity. She was a well-known in the scientific world for genetic alterations. Well then!

"I know you!" He shouted abruptly, hopping up and down. "You're Ophelia! My dad's talked about you, he's a scientist too! Mechanical stuff, lots of it."

The bird beamed a little, looking between the two females as he tried to figure out their relation to each other. The girl eventually said 'grandpa' which solved that, and went on to explain something of leashes which made Quicksand sneeze and Kaden giggle.

"Holding a leash is hard with no fingers!" He outstretched a wing, wiggled it around and then tucked it to his side again. "Not to mention that Quicksand here doesn't like leashes, he chews through 'em eventually." The bird nodded as if this was a great knowledge and then wandered off to the next conversation without batting an eye. "COOKIES?"

His mother's voice boomed in his head about not wandering off with strangers, but that didn't really matter in the end. This was THE Ophelia he was in the company of, so his parents couldn't really consider her a stranger! His expression melted into content.

"I love cookies. Sure!" Quicksand sneezed again and aimed a nip at Kaden's heels to which the boy responded to with a brief kick and a low aside to the tawny beast. "Stop that."


The corner of Ophelia's eye twitched as she listened to the children speak, wanting to sigh a little. Recognition was nice, but...the boy was a spazz...which only meant he would encourage Isolde to do the same. By the suits, she was doomed!

Keeping quiet, she pulled her hand from the girl's head and beckoned her to follow. If Isolde intended to bake, then they needed ingredients.

[Kiki]

"Yes cookies. Tavor loves sweet things, so I make anything he wants. Well good, the more the merrier!" Isolde giggled a little at the bander now nipping at his owner, silly things.

"He can come right, Grandpa Ophelia? It would be only right after such an encounter. Hey! I didn't get your name though!" Isolde exclaimed.

She couldn't believe she had been so forgetful to ask. "I'm Isolde but you can call me Issy if you want" she smiled.

When grandpa pulled her hand from her head, she knew it was time to go so she followed her to the little store where she normally bought all her baking supplies.

"Ok, we need sugar and oatmeal..." she went on and on listing all the things she wanted for the cookies. She even went so far as to obtain things to make lemonade since he had liked it so much the last time she made it. She planned to make three types of cookies to see what Tavor liked most. So far she had decided on Corvistowne's Chocolate Chip and Avington oatmeal-raisin, she was even toying with making lemon cookies.

[Kitty]

[[ He can't resist loud crashing noises, frustrated people and.. .Banders. Enjoy him in all his stalky glory. Just assume he's stalking until there's a good "lookit me I'm awesome" moment or feel free to have him noticed. Sneaky weasel mode isn't perfected yet. XD ]]



He really shouldn't go to the city when he was bored.... their just wasn't usually anything going on anymore. Ever since he'd come across Hadrian, well, things were slow since then. He was just about to give up and go home when voila, there was prospective fun in the air in the form of a loud crash, several preceding ones and a chorus of frustration in it's wake, music to his ears really. And that's when he put his limbs in motion, no need to be sneaky at the present moment and, really, with his color combination most people side stepped to keep from touching him even if he wasn't rotting.

It was easy to track the source of suck a racket and he used the crowd as best he could to keep himself as hidden as possible until the boy and his bander came to a stop. Oh! He had a bander did he? That made him all the more interesting and he instantly went into sneaky weasel mode as to try and keep himself hidden until the very best moment. This was when he took note of his new company and began to gather names. Kaden, Isolde and Ophelia... they were officially stored away should any of them prove to be interesting. Ophelia was already interesting, her appearance was rather... curious really.

His thicker then usual rat tail twitched a bit in thought as he watched them from a safe distance away. If they all shuffled off, well, he'd continue to follow until he was discovered or found his proper moment to make his delightful presence known.

[Vyn]

"O! My name?" He paused briefly, expression baffled as he realized he'd simply picked up Isolde's name from Ophelia and hadn't really exchanged his own with the girl. Oops. "I'm Kaden! The ankle-biter with me is Quicksand," he inclined his head to signify his bander. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." He put on his best "well behaved" smile and bobbed his head.


Ophelia wanted to roll her eyes or sigh or, best yet, just ignore the children behind her. Taking care of them alone was so much more taxing than sharing the duty with Maxwell. She nodded as they spoke, speaking up when spoken to but remaining quiet otherwise. She'd deal with the groceries and then they could head back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Kaden... and Yes, he can come if he thinks his parents wouldn't mind him coming with us." "Oh no," Kaden reassured quickly. "They won't mind. My dad lives there anyway, I'll just go see him." Ophelia nodded and said no more, simply tending to the groceries as they were announced.


Wonderfully ignorant to the situation, Ophelia and Kaden failed to notice Mo's approach at all. Or even his steady pursuit as they went about their errands, one following Isolde around and the other chatting happily with said doe. Quicksand looked in his direction once and sneezed a little, but Kaden paid him no mind and so the Bander lost interest after a short while as well.

[Kiki]

"Agreed, Nice to meet you Kaden and Quicksand!" she smiled brightly. She really did love meeting new people, she was stuck home so often with only Tavor to talk to (though she cherished the time they had)... she just wanted to make friends. Hearing Ophelia's words, Isolde ran over to grandparent and gave her a big hug.

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" Though it would not have been characteristic of Ophelia to want to hug back, Isolde always had to keep trying. She was more the type to show her affection to others while most of her family chose not to. That was alright now, she didn't mind be the overly-cheery one. Isolde was so wrapped up in trying to get everything she needed and talking to Kaden, that she didn't even notice the newcomer when he started following them. She was focused on her mission; she had to make Tavor happy.

[Kitty]

[[ Mmmph.. .this is before he gets his mane and pretty scar XD]]

He followed them, all the while focusing on keeping his claws from clicking and his breathing as light as was possible. Slowly but surely, and the more they seemed to be oblivious to his presence, he was formulating a plan that, at the very least, would earn a chuckle or two from him. Wouldn't it just be utterly grand if he were able to scare the lot them? In a manner that didn't make him seem like an utter jerk or course. Something casual, something ...

Oh, but one of them did notice, didn't it? One side of his muzzle twisted up into his characteristic lopsided smile, banders were quite the wonderful things, weren't they? And this one didn't look as scraggly and downright unfriendly as his mothers did, it was cute. But even it lost interest and the plan was instantly back into play. Cards could be so oblivious sometimes, couldn't they?

The closer he got the more he intensified his sneaking efforts, slinking through the crowd as low to the ground as he could manage and still have fluid movements. His long, sparsely furred tail was curled up and away from the ground in a delighted little 's' shape, but his smile had turned into his tongue out the side of his mouth concentration face. This was the perfect form of practice, that was for sure.

He was close, so very close and then the younger girl began her rather loud chanting and he seized the moment. Instantly he straightened himself up, puffed up his chest (because strangers most definitely needed to see his rank as soon as possible}, kicked in his charm and slapped an equally endearing smile upon his face. His movements became rather graceful for a long bodied, short legged youth anyhow, and he made sure to flick his ears forward inquisitively. He introduced his presence just as soon as the girl shut her trap, perfect.

Well, hello there.