To Start Anew

[Kage]

It was always like this. Running away or hiding. From one place to the next. First it was from his family, then it was from what he'd done as a Blade. Then it was Natalie. Leaving one Goblet home to another and now he was leaving even that to join a Free Company in the Mist. He wasn't going to have a permanent home in Ul'dah but he was still a child of the Jewel. After all, Momodi's and Aya's hospitality had no equal.

 

Kage looked over his shoulder as he packed the last of his things that hadn't been moved into the Free Company space for him. His work benches weren't going to in his room; he'd learnt his lesson. He'd sent out some works he'd made. A metal construction for when Salem and L'aan got their own house. His new blade, a new axe.

 

A low purr reached his ears and he rolled his eyes. He'd started to collect a small collection of animals he'd come to love as his friends and pets. Most of them had gotten situated nicely at his quarters in the Mist with one exception. The lalafell shook his head slightly as he rubbed the fat cat's head as he passed him, heaving another box around until he dropped it out of shock.

 

A large sack of honey roasted peanuts had tipped over, the small cut to its burlap sack allowing them to flow out. Kage cursed and as he ran towards the bag so too did the fat cat... which was surprisingly quite fast.

 

"Arturius no!" Kage reached the fat cat, picking it up and almost bowling over himself with the size and weight before he paused. No collar... the spotting wasn't the same... Kage blinked as he realized as it was a new one. -Another- fat cat. "Oh no no no, I can not have another one of you!"

 

He set the other right next to Arturius and they seemed friendly towards each other. He sighed, grabbing a small pouch full of the peanuts and gesturing his head towards the other Goblet neighborhoods. He grabbed his distinct beret and made his own attempt at meowing at the cats, leaving a few peanuts behind for them as he led them somewhere.

 

Perhaps Aya would like a friend...?

[Kage]

The lalafell with the white beret atop his blue hair surveyed the streets he walked through. The last time he'd been here, he'd been taller and had furry appendages. Right after the terrible things he'd done to Aya. Before that twelve-damned Jin'li's death. Before he had to say goodbye to -her-.

 

He paused, trying to get his bearings as the heavy cats tried to rub into his legs, demanding more peanuts. He dropped some more, trying to remember the path to where Aya had took him. She'd had suggested once upon a time that maybe he couldn't be a Sworn... but he didn't need to be a Blade for sure. His hand slowly touched the handle of the axe he'd started to use before moving forward.

 

Thinking he'd found the right place in the Goblet, Kage stopped. Unsure. He shook his head, the feather in the beret swaying gently back and forth. He folded his hand into a fist before knocking, hopefully Aya was present. If not, perhaps she was working? He looked up at the sky before knocking again, no the sun wasn't quite so set that people would not have other work before slamming tankards of ale onto Momodi's bar top.

[Aya]

The cobblestones were rough upon the avenue in this forgotten corner of Ul'dah.  Frequented more often by beggars and ne'er-do-wells than tradesman or Brass Blades, it was not exactly the sort of space a young woman liked to cross on near daily basis.  But, space was always at a premium in the city, and that is just where the dancers had found affordable room for their studio. 

 

She was just returning from a double-session, first in the morning, second that afternoon with a break for lunch in between.  Two different groups were preparing for performances, and neither minded having Aya join their sessions.  It was not just practice and exercise, but more than that: an indulgence.  Although she would rather have been performing, at least she was dancing, and that is what mattered in the depths of her heart.

 

The smile she bore as she walked through the rugged avenue reflected upon the truth that dire surrounds were no impediment to happiness.  There would be leers, even jeers and catcalls, but mostly it was friendly waves, and nods of the head between her and the local residents whom she had come to know over the past year.  She did what was usual, trying to spread a little good cheer where she went.  It wasn't quite ritual: but it was routine.

 

Her heeled boots made their tell-tale sound as she passed step-by-step along the broad sweep of the avenue that spoke to the fruitless high hopes of its original planners.  As she glanced up she noticed something strange upon one of the balcony's hanging off to the side of the route.  She was familiar with the spot, an angle in an alleyway that provided a phenomenal view of the sandstone neighborhood sprawling below.  However, what made the sight unusual was puff of blue and red hair rising from the head of a diminutive Lalafel.

 

She shook her head, she must be seeing things—moons ago she had lead Kage there, when it seemed like he hung upon the edge of a precipice.  She always imagined him floating above the business of the trivial business of the day-to-day; stuck in a never ending search for a grounding anchor.  He had once found three to secure himself to.  But in subsequent misfortunes each had crumbled beneath him: the clan, the Sworn, and Natalie.  Aya had tried to help him, to offer what advice she could.  And that had been the spot she had chosen for it.

 

She looked away, blinking slowly as if making herself conscious of any disruption to her vision.  She turned her gaze back, and there he was once more.  Looking around with an expression of mixed hesitation and expectation. It really wasn't the sort of place she thought Kage would normally hang around.

 

She turned from her path, ascending the stairs and rounding the corners of the alley before passing under the archway that lead to the corner-balcony.

 

"Kage?  What are you doing up here?" she asked softly.  There was no longer any doubt that it was him.

[Kage]

It was perhaps his mind playing tricks upon him, the expectation of hearing her boots on the floor. He'd thought he heard the once-upon-a-time boots that had bruised Natalie's feet. It was the voice however, that made him realize that he had not been imagining it all.

 

Kage stammered, spinning around and dropping some of the peanuts from his hands and pouch, "A-Aya!?" His boots crunched some of the nuts on the floor while the two fat cats seemed to drop their bodily weights to eat the rest of the honey roasted peanuts he enjoyed. He nervously just stuck a hand inside of the pouch and stuffed his mouth like a nutkin, chewing honey roasted peanuts with his mouth closed as he pondered what he was going to say. What -could- he even say. He liked to believe that his relationship with Aya was repaired, a type of perhaps forgiven but not forgotten type of affair.

 

The lalafell swallowed as he patted the hand that had grabbed the peanuts on a pantsleg to get some of the crumbs off. He coughed, scratching at his goatee as he looked up to blonde hyuran's eyes. "Hi.... Aya."

 

Kage looked around, glancing at this and that around the street. He sighed before he continued. He gave her a small smile and spoke, "I was hoping to see you actually."

[Aya]

She watched with a half-amused, half-confused (confamused) expression.  The slight raise of blonde eyebrows, lips slightly-parted amidst a partial smile.  Her eyes shone though, with that cheerful energy Kage could so easily recognized.

 

She glanced at the cats, a soft giggle rising within her.  "With your friends?" she asked amidst the light effervescent laughter.  Her accent so noticeable, the light-hearted tone of a delighted Ishgardian girl.

[Kage]

The lalafell's cheeks flushed a pinkish hue as he coughed and rubbed at the little spot of hair on his chin. He scratched it a bit, looking sideways at the newer feline addition to the little group of animals he'd somehow accrued before bashfully nodding to Aya. Kage grinned, "Well, I really can't take care of two cats that seem to get up to no good eating lots of things. I was thinking... maybe you'd like to take care of one?"

 

Kage bent down the very short distance he needed to, getting onto his knees to play with Arturius. He motioned to the cat with the collar, commenting for Aya's sake, "This one's Arturius. I'd er... I'd been feeding my nutkin some peanuts in an alley off Ruby Road when he just came out and stole them. I gave him some more and when I went into the Quicksand, he'd kept followin' me." The lalafell rubbed the cat's head a bit before continuing, "I guess you could say that was that. He never left me alone. I'd tried feeding him -less- but it's not possible."

 

He swiveled around on his boots, grabbing some peanuts and throwing them onto the floor. Arturius and the other fat cat followed the thrown nuts as he turned to look up at Aya, holding a handful out to her with a tilt of his head.

 

"Figured that... since the cats were friendly, I'd give them to one of the closest friends I... still have."

 

He bit his lip and fell silent not knowing what to say anymore.

[Aya]

Aya giggled delightedly at the sight of the two cats.  She gladly accepted the Lalafel-handful of peanuts, and crouched down beside the small group, offering one between two fingers toward the felines.  One looked up at her as she did, begin its deceptively quick waddle toward her.

 

She flashed a grin to Kage, "I really don't know that I can keep a cat..." The cat nipped at her fingers, stealing away the peanut and meowing plaintively.  She offered him another.  "He is adorable though..!"

 

She laughed as she stood back up and turned to leave, offering a way back to her friend.  "Its good to see you Kage, don't be a stranger now!"  As she began to step away, the waddling cat followed behind her, though it looked as though he could roll faster than he could walk.  There were more peanuts to be had, and he would not be denied!