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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:00 pm
The wheels of the carriage droned as it made its way down the street, a constant noise just beneath Sewti's toiling thoughts. Slumped comfortably against the side of the carriage, she stared out at the shops as they passed by, the pale gray-purple of her eyes flitting over signs, lingering mere moments on the people that meandered in front of display windows. She seemed comfortable, sitting there, and if one was not familiar with her tendencies, it might have seemed like she was out on nothing more than a leisure ride with how blatantly unresponsive she seemed to her surroundings. On the contrary, however, she was actually out running errands for her mother, as she was quite often roped into doing if she happened to linger around the house too long, and this one errand in particular seemed to be one that she performed regularly. It was as if the woman hoped that by forcing it upon her she would speak to some girlier aspect of the young woman's soul, bring her out of her tomboyish state and convert her into the young spoiled princess sort she dreamed she would be instead. After raising a handful of sons, she supposed it must have been a disappointment for her only daughter to turn out, well, just like them.
"Here, driver, stop," she called out as she jerked herself upright all of a sudden. Her eyes had stopped on a sign that clearly denoted a flower shop, one she had yet to visit in her many journeys through town. Her mother had made it quite clear that she didn't want any of the usual arrangements, though she suspected it had little to do with the quality and more to do with making Sewti put in more effort in finding something 'pretty'. She shifted in her seat comfortably, sitting up and straightening out the boyishly cut clothes that she wore (though still in somewhat feminine colors, to please here ever-badgering mother), waiting patiently for her driver to stop. Once he had, she didn't wait for him to open the door for her (something he had grown quite used to) but simply climbed out of her own accord. She did, however, turn to offer him an apologetic smile as he ruffled himself up and let out a huff. He always reminded her of a rooster when he did that, and she could never resist the smile. Honestly, what was so wrong in not having to do more work? She supposed some people took their job too seriously.
Climbing down from the carriage, she stopped in front of the store and examined it calmly for a moment, her tail wavering behind her in a slow, languid motion. One pale hand reached up to run through her somewhat short hair, brushing it back from her face, head tilted to the side while she took her sweet time to consider it. Finally deciding that it looked like a decent enough place from the outside (it was hard to tell what anything looked like from the outside, to be honest, and she didn't want to spend a lot of time on this) she pushed herself forward and headed for the door. Reaching for the handle calmly, she pulled it open, and walked in already looking for the owner of the shop. She never bothered to look at things on her own, but rather, went straight to the expert and told them what her mother wanted. She was sure that wouldn't please her if she ever found out, but this wasn't her idea in the first place.
She paused just inside the shop, eyes shifting around, until she found the woman behind the counter. "Excuse me, miss, are you the owner of the shop?" she asked calmly as she crossed the few steps from the door to the counter, leaning on it with one arm while she waited for the owner to turn around and answer her. She wasn't pushy, considering she looked busy, so she simply just sat there with her eyes on the smaller female calmly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:47 pm
There were times his parents wondered why he'd picked such a profession; he could've done anything he'd wanted to, they'd claimed. In fact, Nili's mother was firmly convinced that he'd have made a great singer, and should have joined her down at the theater house. The boy, despite being rather musically inclined, had declined the invitation, if for no other reason than the fact his passion did not rest within music or songs, but rather, within something as simple as flowers. There was nothing on the face of the planet that soothed him like working with flowers did; not only that, but he was rather talented at what he did. That much was obvious from the several specimens that adorned the store; some were exotic, while others were more plain, however, all of them seemed to practically sparkle with life.
Even the most difficult plants seemed to flourish within the small, tidy shop. Indeed, the shop was not as large as many other florist shops he'd come across, but it was not out of lack for money; Nili believed that the larger the store, the less efficient it was. He didn't need more space, and as it was, he could keep enough flowers within the given space that the place looked neat and snug without being over-bearing.
Having twisted the sign on the front door to read a clear 'OPEN' from the outside, the small koshka male stood in the middle of the room, his eyes glancing here and there. A small smirk showed upon his lips as he noticed the design, the furniture, the arrangement... everything, was nothing less than perfect, "As it should bloody well be," he said, almost as if talking to a random plant displayed on the counter. This down, he busied himself with a half done floral arrangement, his back to the front door. The bell that hung over the entrance would likely alert him if any customers came in; with such a thought in mind, he allowed his hands to work on the plant, twisting the branches, plucking leaves, placing them here and there. The person that had asked for that particular job would drop by later that day to check up on him, and he wanted to have it half finished by then at least.
The chiming of the bells on the door drew him out of his work, however, Nili only bothered to shoot fast glance over his shoulder before returning to his work; he'd face the girl as soon as he was done with this particular branch. At least, that was the idea he had in mind. However, the words that drifted towards him jolted him up; the movement was visible even for Sewti, for the boy's back stiffened swiftly, as if he'd just been insulted, "You know what?" the voice that answered Sewti was feminine, but it held a note to it that hinted anger, or perhaps something aken to bitchyness, out of lack for better word, "******** you!" turning to face the girl, Nili slammed his hands down on the counter, long angora tail hitching up behind him, "I'm male, damnit! Get it right!" the words were snapped up at Sewti, even though the smaller koshka had to lean over the counter; amusing how despite being male he was significantly smaller than the strangely clad girl. His white pelted ears were folded back against his purple locks, visible under the wavy mass, mostly due to the fact they stood out, "And yes! The place is mine; do you see anyone else in here? And who the hell are YOU anyhow? What circus did you escape from?" it was clear he didn't mind offending her, and that perhaps, that was the intention.
After all, his flowers sold well, and losing one customer did not bother the boy in the slightest.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 3:21 pm
Sewti's eyebrows lifted in obvious surprise as the male that she had assumed was a female answered her and turned around to reveal himself as anything but what she had originally suspected. From behind, with the small frame and rather feminine clothing, it was easy to misjudge him for a female. To be honest, even facing him it was easy to assume that he was actually a woman. She could tell from the facial structure, even with the flare of feminism about him, and even his body - though she was probably more likely to notice given her own odd tendency to dress as a male and, in fact, be mistaken for one from time to time when she actually went to great lengths to dress up more like one than she had today. The thought amused her, to be honest, and even in the wake of him cursing at her a small smile curled on her lips. They were quite a bit alike, even if he was more in the extremes, though she probably wouldn't have reacted in such a manner had she been mistaken for a boy. She supposed it was a little harder to hide a feminine body than it was to dress a male one up like it, though, and he probably got it.. much more often.
"Excuse me then, I truly did not mean to offend you, sir" she said with that smile plastered in place, a slight laugh in her throat, little more than a breathy chuckle, sounding as she pushed herself back up into a straightened position. Her tail flickered behind her, the pale white fluff brushing up against her own leg as she eyed him for a moment. An amusing character, to say the very least. It was a wonder that she wasn't offended, but then, she was perhaps one of the easiest going creatures ever created and had little to no temper. "I hate to be a disappointment, but I'm afraid I've not escaped from any circus." She smirked again at the thought and let her pale eyes shift to glance over the various floral arrangements surrounding them. This seemed well enough, though she was quite terrible at judging whether or not this shop was any better than the last ones she had been in. It wasn't as if it truly made that much of a deal to her - flowers were flowers, as far as she was concerned.
"My name is Sewti, and I'm here to order a.. rather large amount of flowers arrangements on behalf of my mother. She likes to decorate the house with them, the entire house, and she's decided she doesn't like any of our previous suppliers." She sighed, waving a hand dismissively at the thought, and then ran it along the counter calmly, watching it as she did so. Her eyes drifted back up to his then, that smile in place, though somewhat more devilish than it had been the first time. Despite his best attempts to offend her with his terrible language, she had actually found it quite amusing and interesting, and even if he tried his hardest to get her out of his shop at that point she likely would have found every reason to stay. Her mother probably would have been very pleased to find out she was spending such a great deal of time in the shop instead of simply walking in, ordering, and walking out - of course, she didn't have to know the reason why she was doing so exactly. If she had to be here, she might as well amuse herself with it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:16 pm
She was smiling.
He could see the laughter in her eyes. WHY was she smiling?! It made no sense! He'd just insulted her rather bluntly; any other girl would have offered him a frown and stormed straight on out of his shop, offering him vague threats of how they would never comes back. Why was this girl still here? And why was she apologizing? From horribly pissed off, to absolutely baffled, Nili looked up at the girl, his face recoiling away at the mere mention of 'sir'. Wasn't there a mid-way point? Good grief!
Rather than try explaining that though, or trying to offer her an apology for his own words, the boy allowed his ears to flop back till they were flattened against his skull, an obvious signal of annoyance and deep frustration, "What the hell?" the words slipped out without his consent, but then again, he hadn't been able to help it; he was baffled and it showed. Letting out a sigh though, he willed himself to calm down, trying to reign in his horrible temper; seeing as how the girl was not leaving, then that means he had to offer her service and actually be professional towards her. Even if he felt anything but. Running a hand through his hair, the gesture no doubt to calm himself, Nili felt his ears perk up at the girl's world, his eyes narrowing a fraction as he offered her a dull look voiced a clear 'could've fooled me'. He let it slip though, deciding that he should take advantage of the situation and actually sell something.
"Huh," pushing himself off the counter, he moved to the side, grabbing hold a catalogue that no doubt had all the different species of plants he could acquire, and a small notepad. Taking a feather, he dipped it in ink and looked up at her, "What exactly are you... or rather, what exactly is your mother looking for?" this Sewtii character didn't really strike him as the type of girl that enjoyed flowers, which meant she had no clue what so ever what she was even asking for. Joy, oh joy, he thought sarcastically to himself as he prepared himself for the moronicness that was bound to ensue as he tried to figure out what she wanted, "The name's Nili," her smile forced a scowl onto his features, which he pulled off to the T, "The whole house," a pause as he poked the tip of the feather to the paper, "Well, if you have no clue what the bloody ******** hell you want, I'd probably have to go to your house and take a look at it myself in order to determine."
It was without a doubt, meant sarcastically; he wasn't expecting her to take him over to her house. Offering her a dull look, he waited, because surely now she'd walk out, right?
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:32 pm
The blatant irritation that showed on his face didn't seem to phase her in the slightest. In fact, each time he showed a little more anger or frustration with her, she only seemed more amused with him. She heard the muttered words, her eyebrow quirking though she said nothing, just watched him with that unwavering smirk of a smile. She never really rose to the occasion when provoked, as she had had to learn to keep her cool with a horde of older brothers constantly trying to grind her gears. Unlucky enough for them, they had always tried things like destroying her dolls, or shredding her hair ribbons - until they got old enough to realize that she really was more pleased than anything when they did those things. No, in fact, she was actually quite amused with his little hissy fit (even as calm as he was becoming) and seemed almost.. intrigued. It was easy enough to tell she was a little odd, so being amused and intrigued by a small, feminine boy who had just blown up in her face probably wasn't so surprising. Well, except to the small, feminine boy himself.
She ran her hand along the counter calmly as she watched him move to grab the catalog, trailing her fingers with a soft hum as she waited for him to set it back down. As he did so, she leaned forward, her head tilting so that her white hair flopped away from her eyes and to the side instead to clear it from her vision. She moved forward to gaze down at the book, even upside down as it was for her, as if that might help her decide just what it was she was supposed to be picking out. Her tail wavered slowly behind her, obviously a clue that she was deep in thought. As he spoke however, she let out a soft sigh and pushed herself back up to an upright standing position. Her eyes drifted out to the shop, her feet taking her out a few steps as she turned to look at all the arrangements, eyes narrowing on each in turn. They all simply looked like flowers, and while flowers were pretty she supposed, they were just.. flowers. She reached up to run her hand through the back of her hair, the other hand settled on her hip as she muttered silently to herself. "I have absolutely no idea what I, er she, wants. You're right."
She was just about to turn around and ask him to give her anything that was remotely pretty when he offered her that rather amusing idea. Oh, she knew he had said it with hope that she would simply leave, but he didn't know her at all, and her last thought before she turned around was that he really should be more careful of what he said. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," she said with a pleased smile, taking the few steps back towards the counter and leaning on it so that she could level her eyes with his own. "Unless, of course, you have to stay here and wait on all your customers? Otherwise, my carriage is outside and I'd be more than happy to take you to my home so you can see what you have to work with." Not only that, if she brought the florist home (and this one in particular) perhaps her mother would stop sending her out on these ridiculous errands.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:23 pm
He paused arching a brow up slightly, "Why am I not surprised?" the words were drawled out, though this time not entirely unkindly. He'd been watching her as she attempted to pick out arrangements; it was obvious the girl (.... she WAS a girl, wasn't she? He could clear make out her chest from where he stood, shamelessly looking her up and down as if to unravel the puzzle) was at a complete loss of what she was supposed to do. It was almost as if the whole task had been dropped and entrusted upon her without her consent, or rather, with her consent, even though it was clear she couldn't have cared less.
The more he watched her, the more Nili decided she was the oddest creature he'd ever laid eyes on, "It does?" the sarcasm was gone, replaced by something else; he seemed almost bemused by the fact the girl was very much willing to take his earlier comment seriously. However, sensing an opportunity that he was otherwise not going to get, the boy took it and refused to let go; he'd set himself up, but that he wasn't becoming mildly amused as the minutes went by. Was she a masochist? Deciding against asking that just yet, he arched a brow as the girl flopped her arms back down on the counter. Lifting his head up to her eye level, he let go lightly of the feather, allowing it to drop on top of the note pad, "Huh..." raising a hand, he propped his chin up over his fist and watched her, he was making a clear show of pondering her invitation, his long tail swishing languidly behind him, allowing the fact he had calmed down to be seen. It was clear the boy could work himself up into a tantrum as fast as he could work himself back down; his emotions seemed to change at the drop of a hat, clearly contrasting against the girl's, whom seemed to always be ranging over the same spectrum.
"You know what?" he drawled out suddenly as he pushed himself off from the counter, "******** them," oh, he knew she was up to something, but just like she was vaguely interested, he felt himself... likewise interested in the very first person that had not bothered to snap back at him. Nili wasn't a particularly social koshka, if only because his temper and language got in the way. His voice, soothing in song, easily offended others through the content of what he said; he rarely stopped to think about what he said, expressing himself bluntly. At least that much... seemed to hint at the fact he was indeed male. Or perhaps he was simply a b***h; either or, "If they bloody well want something, they can wait till I come back," and this said, he grabbed his note pad, a pen and his keys, padding effortlessly towards the door, "After you, girl," a pause, "'Cause you ARE a girl, aren't you?" there was a hint of a tease there as he opened the door, switching the sign to 'CLOSED' before he waited for Sewti to follow him out so he could lock the store.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:18 am
She likely would have laughed over the fact that he thought she was the strangest creature that he had ever laid eyes upon, because she would have willingly said that he was in fact the strangest she had ever seen. Not only did he look like a female, and dress like one to an extent, at least as far as she was concerned, but he also threw a temper tantrum fit to match any spoiled princess she had ever seen. She had to admit she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of spending a little more time with him than necessary, if only to figure him out, ponder what made him tick. He was an odd one, and she was more than curious as to what other fancies were connected to his rather extravagant personality.
"Yes, it does," she repeated again, rather calmly, as she stayed leaned on the counter where she was. Her eyes drifted down to watch the quill as it fell atop the pad, then drifted back up to watch him as he pondered over her rather strange and sudden invitation. She was sure it wasn't every day that he got this kind of offer, and she new that despite the oddness and the fact that she was in fact a total stranger offering him a ride out to who-only-knew where, it was a very good deal as far as business went. He did have that to consider and any business owner would think twice before shutting the door in her face, no matter how odd and quirky she was. Her smile was still in place, though less devilish than before now that he had stopped snapping at her, more-or-less pleasant if one cared to actually look.
As he pushed himself off of the counter with such a burst of willingness to go along with her rather strange plan, her smile curled into a grin and she too shifted to push herself back up straight and turn on her heel to once more face the door. "That's always a grand plan," she muttered amusedly at his response to how to deal with the customers that might show up, eyes dancing with amusement. She was a rather light-hearted thing, that was for sure, and there weren't many things she probably didn't take amusement and pleasure out of. His quirky personality with its random outbursts seem to suit her just fine, though, and she even let out a soft laugh as she waited for him to get his things. She tossed a glance over her shoulder, tail swishing patiently behind her as he gathered his things and made his way more-or-less calmly to the door.
She smirked, unable to help it at his words, as she nodded her head and made her way towards the door before him at his invitation to go first. "Of course I am, what else would I be?" Compared to his outburst at being called a woman, her rather calm reaction was probably strange. It wasn't the first time she had someone at least wondering or questioning, and she always found it more amusing than insulting - after all, she dressed like this on purpose, and if she did so, then why be surprised? She tossed a glance over her shoulder as he turned the closed sign and began to lock the door, her eyes shifting out to find the carriage. Strutting across to the door (once again beating the driver to it before he could climb down from his seat) she opened it and held it so for him. "After you," she said with a small smirk, though in her head she had to admit it rather looked like 'ladies first', even if he stressed the fact that he was male.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:46 am
"Bloody well IS a grand plan," he drawled out as he took one last look over his shoulder, as if to make sure everything inside the shop was left in perfect state before he walked out to only god knew where. The simple words signaled that honestly, Nili couldn't have cared less about others. Granted, he was sweet and mild mannered around those he loved and felt close to; it was getting close to him that was obnoxiously hard though, as proved by the entire encounter and his attitude towards it. The only reason he was still going along with it was clearly the fact he was vaguely intrigued. Closing the door behind him, the koshka arched a brow at her; it was odd how he had to look up to her, even if he WAS male and she wasn't. It must've formed an odd scene for others to behold, even if Nili himself had long time back grown used to the fact he HAD to look up to almost everyone when talking.
His frame was petite, delicate, and it was obvious he didn't so much as stand a snowball's chance in hell in a fight. On the other hand, his constitution made it seem like he might've been horribly agile, "Honestly? I have no ******** clue; I keep expecting..." he paused as the girl rushed forth and opened the carriage door for him, "See, just that; I keep expecting you to do s**t like that. What gives?" he looked mildly perplexed, however, despite his words of choice, there was a glimmer of something behind the tone of his voice; it betrayed the fact he was by now, more amused by her antics than actually offend, "I can open the door by myself, but oh, thank you, kind sir, very much appreciated," the sarcasm dripped off of him in waves, though it was no longer meant to sting.
This said, he lifted himself gracefully onto the carriage, his long tail coming to curl up partially upon his lap as he sat down. It looked as if he actually spent a great deal of time grooming it, what with how long the hair was and how brilliantly white it was; indeed, his mannerisms and even the way he seated himself seemed to voice out the fact he was more a princess than many aristocrats wished they could have ever pulled off, for it came naturally to Nili. A small swish of his tail before he ran a hand through his hair; even in profile, or facing others full out, if the boy kept his mouth shut, he looked more like a female than a male. Heck, if he'd picked out more feminine words to say, his voice wouldn't have helped either. Turning his gaze upon the girl as she entered, he arched a brow, "Who the hell conned you into coming out to get flowers anyhow? You strike me more as the type that'd rather be playing with something mechanical, or lazying up at the top of a tree," a snort followed the words, however, it was not directed at her, "Is someone trying to change you?"
He could relate to that; he'd suffered others trying to get him to act in 'manly' ways all his life. He'd been told that flowers was hardly a business he should be indulging in, "You can't change people," he drawled out, his eyes looking out the window as he leaned his chin against a hand, his tail flopping off his lap to curl up on the seat beside him, "Not if they don't want to change."
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:46 pm
She had to say that it was a little strange to look down upon him while talking, for though she was tall for a female, most men were still taller than her on average. She had met the rare one here and there that had the unfortunate luck of getting bad genes, but then they usually tried to make up for their lack of height with over-zealous attempts at acting tough. He obviously did no such thing, but simply chose to take his more feminine form and act as he pleased, which made him seem more womanly by far, but also made him seem almost more real than any other male in his state. She herself would have likely been a very beautiful female had she actually put effort into, well, looking female. Tall and shaped rather well beneath the layers of clothing she wore, she would have been a perfect fit for the ball gowns her mother was always trying to force her into. That aside, the all-white fur would have given her an almost angelic facade had she not been so bold and tomboyish on a whole. It was no wonder her mother was truly sour that she was wasting beauty.
The smile on her lips spread into a smirk at his words, her eyes drifting down to his as he spoke. She seemed pleased with the reaction, if anything, and even though he hadn't said it with any malicious intent, there were others that still might have gotten touchy over the subject of what he was implying. "I must be predictable," she said with a small shrug as she watched him step up into the carriage, her tail wavering behind her as she thought over what to say. "Maybe I'm just being polite, you know. You're my guest, this is my carriage, after all," though, by the way her eyes danced with mirth it was obvious that she wasn't doing it just to be polite. It was more likely that she was so amused by the seemingly reversed gender roles between them that she wanted to put an emphasis on it, for she truly had no shame in making people stop and stare at them strangely.
"Alfred," she called out, leaning back to look at him from where she was, "back home, you would?" Then she simply stepped up into the carriage after him, shutting the door, and taking the seat opposite to him. Her own tail flopped out calmly beside her, though it's tip continued to flicker up and down against the fabric. Her eyes had been watching the street as the carriage lurched into motion, but his words drew them back to him, a surprised rise of both brows signaling that she hadn't expected him to be quite so bold. She supposed she should have, what with his earlier outburst, but even then she didn't seem bothered by it. It was part of what she could only begin to call his strange sort of charm. "I told you, my mother wants the flowers," she said with a small shrug, tapping her fingers against the seat as she let her hand fall to it. Though, she did smile as he explained what he thought she should be doing right about now. She didn't play with mechanical things - her mother would have her hide for messing her fur with oil, and that aside, she had no reason to toy with them for she didn't need the money. Lazing in a tree did sound nice right about now, but she hadn't had a chance to do that since she was a kid.
"I suppose you could call it trying to change me, although she's really just been trying to guide me ever since she realized I didn't really like the fluffy dresses and the dollies when I was small," despite the fact that she was obviously talking about her mother trying to push her into being someone she obviously wasn't, she did seem decidedly light-hearted about it all. "I can't really blame the woman, though. After raising four sons and finally getting a daughter to gloat upon, I imagine my lack of enthusiasm was a little bit of a disappointment. She still tries, bless her heart." She smirked, weakly, and glanced back out at the window, a hand coming up to toy with the curtain that had been tied back from it. "I take it you must be familiar with such a thing. You speak about it like it's personal." She didn't look at him, as his own attention was elsewhere, but her ears were swiveled forward slightly in curiosity.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:04 pm
Her words forced an ear to perk beneath his purple hair, his head turning mildly so he could look at her, even as he remain with his chin propped upon his palm. His dull, almost blank look seemed to scream out that yeah, she WAS predictable. But then again, so was he, to the point he knew that people that knew him could practically predict his course of actions to any given situation, "Polite?" a snort followed the words, the rolling of his eyes letting it be known to the world that he'd seen right through her, thank you very much. At least, she didn't mean wrong though; he'd figured that much out, and thus his temper remain from flaring at the notion. Specially seeing as how she was also mocking herself, in a way, she did it, as well as him. The strange stares they'd gotten were met by a glare right back from his end; he allowed his displeasure at being watched be seen with as much ease as she was ignoring them all.
The further they rode though, the more Nili noticed they were going further and further into the richer parts of the city. A brow arched, his head turning to ask the girl the silent question that seemed to remain at the tip of his tongue. He wasn't poor, by any means, nor was his family; they got by perfectly well and made a decent life, however, these houses they were currently passing by were well and beyond Nili's, or his parent's reach, he knew that for sure. Further intrigued, he lifted his head from his hand and turned to recline himself against the corner, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed her up and down, as if evaluating her, "Hmmm..." he said softly, and then his legs followed suite almost unconsciously and crossed, one over the other, in a refined, feminine gesture, "I guess we're not all that different," this said, he turned his head to watch the window as he talked, "Though they were never as persistent in my case. They probably came to terms with the fact I'm more stubborn than the lot of them put together, and found it was a moot point."
Indeed, his mother had been the first to desist, noticing almost instantly that she'd simply have to view her son as a daughter, even if she did not voice this out loud. In fact, it was with his mother that he got along with the best; Sewti's laid back nature reminded him of his mother's attitude. Then again, Misae was a bit more bubbly, and was hardly tomboyish, though they did share pelt color, "Regardless though," turning back to face her, he smirked, and within that simple gesture, it was clear he still was a male, even beneath all the strange mannerisms, "You're interesting enough as it is; why the ******** change?" this said, he pushed himself from his seat and turned so he could sit rather shamelessly beside the girl; then again, his intentions were not flirting, so perhaps it wasn't shameless at all.
Reaching into his vest, he produced a single flower, which he lifted and placed into the girl's hair, "You can dress up someone to be something they're not, but that never changes the inside," producing a small hand mirror from his vest, he lifted it so she could regard herself in it. Then though, he paused, frowned at the image and retrieved the flower he'd placed in Sewti's hair, tucking it neatly into his own; his own image reflected innocently back at him from the mirror, forcing the boy to arch a brow, "It's kinda sad that it looks better on me than you though," it was not meant as an insult to her; heck, in a way, the words were as insulting to himself as they were to her. Rather, they were meant as an after thought, as if the boy were pondering out loud.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:28 pm
The snort at her choice of words was certainly not missed, but she dismissed it with nothing more than a little chuckle. It was all said in good fun, and he wasn't truly offended so she chose not to comment upon it any further. Explaining it would take a deeper conversation than she was really ready to commit to with a stranger, despite the fact that she had already determined, like he had, that they were amazingly similar. She did, however, see the brow arch that he sent her way once he noticed the section of the city they were heading into. She could only offer him a smile, then, glancing out at the window as the houses passed. "You have a big job ahead of you," she simply commented, the words bordering on a joke. She by no means thought he was poor, and didn't even seem to think that much of the fact that she was actually very well off. She had never seen the world in terms of money, ever.
Her eyes drifted back to him and away from the houses she had been watching rather idly, a small smirk curling her lips as she watched him cross his arms over his chest and then follow suit with his legs. It was a highly feminine position, but who was she to judge? In fact, as much as it amused her, she really didn't seem to mind. She was intrigued as much as amused, and both were because she had only just met him and he was, in fact, one of the most interesting people she had ever met. "You're the first person I've met that shares that plight," she said with a small smile, "though I do have to admit that my mother is the only one that still persists. My father and brothers don't really have an issue with it, if only because they don't have to worry about beating away suitors." She was blessed with an understanding father, though she did wish that her mother was a little less.. pushy. Her father loved her unconditionally, showered her with affection, and still treated her like his beloved, spoiled daughter regardless of the gender she often portrayed. Somehow, she didn't really mind it, because he simply accepted instead of pushing. "Though, I admit, that is a very fine outlook. I've never wanted to change, and never thought about it, or considered it." She wouldn't change, no matter how hard her mother pushed, not that it stopped her.
Her eyes followed him as he got up and moved to sit down beside her, her tail curling up to settle in her lap and make room for him instead. The smile on her lips settled into a strange frown as he reached into his vest to pick out a flower and put it in her hair. She took one glance into the mirror and simply shook her head, laughing softly once he pulled it out and tucked it into his own hair. "Did you really expect it to look better on me?" her brow quirked at the thought, though there was obvious mirth there despite it. She reached up, rather shamelessly at the invasion of personal space, to run a finger through his hair around the flower with a little shrug.
She could feel the carriage slowing down as they turned into the drive of a rather large house, around the same size as those around it, but obviously in the deeper part of the 'rich' section. By now it was more than obvious that her family was likely of the aristocrat nature. She turned to look out the window with a little smile, her tail twitching lightly in her lap as the carriage pulled up to the side of the house. "Here we are," she said calmly, turning to glance at him. "Would you like to go first so that I don't have to hold the door for you this time?" Oh, it was mocking him a little, but she had grown comfortable to him and personality, and the more she did the more likely she was to joke with him.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:29 pm
His eyes drifted back towards the window, his brows raising up to hide under his bangs, "Wow, no s**t I do," for a moment, he looked rather innocent, sitting beside her, cross legged, his eyes widened in almost child-like curiosity as he pondered away the many ways he could decorate such a large place. The only thing that seemed to give away the fact he was deep in thought was the way his tail twitched on top of the seat, back and forth, back and forth rhythmically.
His eyes remain on the houses as she spoke, however, an ear turned to face her, twitching at the sound of her voice, making it obvious he was, in fact, listening, "Hmm... well, patience is a virtue, they say," lifting his head, Nili frowned at the ceiling, "Not that I'd know," oh, he wouldn't indeed; he was snappish by nature, and tended to work himself up and down temper tantrums as easily as if he were whistling. Shrugging mildly, he dropped the issue; something told him he was going to have to put up with it further when they reached her home, if the way she described her mother was any indication.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he felts her fingers running through his hair, his brows shooting up once more as he turned his head towards her, "Well..." for a moment, he seemed slightly stunned out of words, but swiftly recovered, "You're the girl," he said as he reached up to readjust flower back in place. He didn't seem bothered by the contact; in fact, he'd leaned into it mildly before he'd caught himself. His mother had had a habit of brushing his hair when he'd been young, and the girl's actions had been reminiscent of that, in a way, almost calming. The surprise had come mostly from the fact that though he himself knew he was rather shameless, those around him surely weren't; that was the first time someone had reached out to touch him without a second's thought. Then again, he figure the fact so few dared to touch him was the fact he was so used to scowling, glaring, and looking like he was going to bite if someone so much as dared cross his personal space.
The stopping of the carriage yanked him out of his thoughts once more. Taking his time to shoot a rather strange glance towards her, somewhere between a leer and an something that vaguely hinted amusement, he lifted himself off his seat and offered her a graceful bow (which he somehow pulled off to the T, showing off that he actually had the skills to mingle with society, had he wished to), the boy opened the door and descended to the ground. Lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, he whistled musically, the sound almost a tune, "Holy s**t," he turned towards Sewti, "You want me to decorate that?" a pause followed, "As in the whole place?" another pause, his ears flopping back to flatten mildly against his head, "I think... I might need a couple of days, or three," hell, he had no idea how he was going to pull it off short of staying in the house from dawn to dusk and actually sleeping there.
Not that he would've minded, but he wasn't about to say that. Not out loud. As it was, he simply allowed himself to gaze at the large house, his long tail swishing languidly behind him.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:38 pm
She was glad that he didn't seem offended by her rather forward motion, as she had judged him to be the sort that didn't really mind. She had never known anyone that was as shamelessly unafraid to invade another person's personal space as she was herself, except perhaps a couple of her rather flirtatious older brothers. It was probably the fact that he had been so unafraid of putting the flower in her hair (which was, unsurprisingly, something she was not very keen on) that led her to believe that her impression of him was a good one. "Yes," she said agreeably, not as if she could disagree over being the female, "but, I'm obviously not quite the most feminine, am I?" She shrugged at it, and he could get fussy over it if he liked, but there was no beating around the bush. She dressed more like a boy, he rather more feminine, which meant that, well, their roles appeared quite reversed.
She simply chuckled, lightly, a soft and feminine sound despite her looks, at the strange glance he sent her before he bowed (with a noted grace that was not entirely unexpected) and exited the carriage. She flickered her tail for a moment and followed after him, just in time to see a flustered Alfred peering at her from his seat - once again more than miffed that they had gotten out without waiting for him. She shut the door and gave him a wave, at which point he drove off, leaving them standing in the driveway of the grand house. "Yes, my mother wants you to decorate the whole place. Like I told you, she rather likes flowers," she smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, her feet spread apart a little and making the way she stood look a little masculine. "She actually named me after a white rose, unsurprisingly." She smirked and glanced to him, brow quirking as he seemed rather baffled by how he was going to pull the task off at hand. "I'm sure we can figure something out so that the whole situation is easier for you." They certainly had guest rooms to spare and it wouldn't be the first time her mother had moved someone into them while they worked on this or that in the house.
"Shall we go in then?" she asked, ears perking slightly as she started to head for the door. Before she could even get halfway to it, however, it swung open to show the likes of an older Koshka. A little plumper than Sewti but nearly as tall, she was obviously where her daughter got her all-white coloring. With a scrutinizing eye, she shuffled out to her daughter quickly in a bustle of dark green skirts, turning yellow eyes up to study her face. She huffed slightly and reached up immediately to brush her hair with her fingers, tucking it back behind her daughter's ears, tugging on the vest over her daughter's middle after that with a frown. Sewti stood still through most of it, her tail flickering irritably behind her, eyes rolled up to stare at the clouds as she put up with the fussing.
"Well," her mother said finally, content with how her daughter looked (or as content as she could be with the silly thing dressed that way), "where are they? I don't see any flowers Sewti, and I sent you out for-" She stopped as she caught sight of the smaller Koshka behind her daughter, stepping out from where she had been standing directly in front of her. "You've brought home a little friend," she said with a smile, obviously thinking, well, that Sewti had met a female friend. After all, female influence upon her daughter could be nothing but good, right?
"Uh, well," she began quickly, knowing that if she didn't stop her mother, she was going to insult Nili in much the same manner that she had originally, and she didn't need him biting her mother's head off for she did have a rather foul temper, "this is Nili." She flickered her tail, glancing at Nili, then back at her mother, "he is the florist of the shop I was going to buy the flowers from, but he does such talented work that I thought it would benefit everyone involved if he could come and see the environment he was working with.. first hand." The simple lie rolled off her tongue easily, and she flashed her eyes at Nili with what seemed like an almost apologetic smile. "Nili, this is my mother, Lady Celosia," she didn't miss the way her mother's eyes had shot up at the mention that he was in fact male, or the way she had straightened her back when her daughter had introduced her. She had even remembered the title the woman constantly insisted upon, although she wasn't even truly sure if it was an actual title, or if her mother just liked it. Her father certainly didn't call himself anything special.
For what it was worth, Celosia did dip her head to the.. male. "It's a pleasure," she purred out, eyes studying him for a moment before they flashed up to her daughter momentarily.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:54 am
Amusingly enough, the boy did not care to be offended this time, but rather, instead turned his head to offer her a strange look, "I know; that's why I said it was kinna sad," there was the ghost of a smirk haunting at the corners of his lips, but it vanished almost as soon as it'd been summoned. Pausing just slightly, he placed a hand on his hip while he used the other to block the sun from his eyes, just staring at it. His pose and his mannerisms DID in fact make him look further more feminine than the girl, and for once, he didn't really have a problem with it. Nili was well aware of the hilarity of the fact their roles were reversed, as far as on-lookers might've been concerned.
Lowering the hand he was using to block the sun, the boy motioned towards the house, his feet, unlike the girl's placed graciously together as his long tail swished lazily behind him, "Yes, well... I like flowers too, but ********, my house doesn't look like a jungle," then again, no sooner had he said this, that the boy turned to face the house with a pensive look written upon his features. A slow smile curled upon his lips soon enough as they walked in the direction of the mansion, no doubt deep in thought over just what he was going to do when he got inside. Sewti's voice yanked him out of lala-land, a brow arching as he looked up at her once more (he was becoming accustomed to doing so, and the notion was slightly horrific in a way), "A white rose? Why am I not surprised?" moving his hand in a delicate flourish, he snorted, "Then again, whom am I to judge; my mother named me after the color of my eyes," their conversation was interrupted as a plump looking female scurried over to them however, and Nili found himself shutting his mouth, merely watching the scene.
He could only imagine the woman to be Sewti's mother, by the way she was fussing with the girl's clothes; he had to refrain the smile that kept threatening to curl upon his lips. After a moment, the boy was forced to lift his hand to cover his mouth a bit, in an attempt to hide it, because it was clear he was fighting a losing battle. When he was addressed, his ears perked up within his purple hair, and though for a second he looked slightly torn between anger and... something else entirely, Nili was smart enough to have noticed that the ordeal was in his favour, and that opening his mouth would not do him any good. Pulling off such a big job would allow him to maintain the shop for at least a few months straight without having a single worry, so thus, he bi his tongue and offered the woman a polite smile, almost sugary sweet; it was clear the boy had it in him to be horrifyingly polite if the situation suited him, "Nili Jicho," he offered the woman, "I can only hope to be of service, M'lady?" he bowed again, half curtsy, half bow, somewhere in between, though the sarcasm was nowhere to be seen on his pose this time, "I heard you wished to redecorate the whole household, and I was just telling your daughter that it'd be helpful to take a look within so I could sketch out some ideas. Pleasure's all mine."
If anything it was clear he was rude usually not because he didn't know any better, but because he simply couldn't care LESS what others thought of him. Now though, there was something to gain, and Nili was smart enough to know as much. Straightening himself up, he allowed his languid gaze to regard the house from outside, "Sadly, I am afraid the place might be too large for me to handle in a single day, and ridding back and forth from here to my home is highly unproductive. It will make me lose precious hours of work," as fluidly lied as Sewti had, he brought a hand to brush through his hair before turning back to the older woman.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:42 am
Sewti was silently pleased over the fact that Nili actually managed to hold onto his anger and bite his tongue. She assumed that the job was worth it now that he had a good idea just how much he was going to be doing and that the reason he had blown up on her was, well, because he had absolutely no idea what she had actually come to offer him. It was good to know that when the situation called for it he could be polite as he as the next person, which took a little bit of pressure off of her back with trying to keep her mother from saying something too offending. She would still try to keep her from being flat-out insulting, but as was common with a lot of the higher-ups and pure-bloods, she was apt to say snide comments now and again to those she obviously thought beneath her, sometimes even to those that she thought were her equals. Sewti never thought much of it though, as she was sure it was a somewhat.. common practice among the housewives of the aristocratic society.
"I see," Celosia purred out slowly, her eyes flickering to catch her daughters for a moment before they settled back on the male. Well, even if she had wanted Sewti to pick out the flowers herself, she did want her house to look splendid (and notedly better than the houses of her associates to boot) and a personal florist coming to look at the space and design the arrangements around their home was something she was certain no one else had done. "That is a wonderful idea, if I do say so," she said finally after a few moments of brooding, a smile forming on her lips as she turned her eyes back up to her daughter. Despite the fact that Nili had said it was his idea, it was obvious she was going to give credit to Sewti, blinding herself into thinking that the girl had somehow realized that floral arrangements could have clashed in the home had she not brought the florist to see it instead. She reached up to stroke her daughter's cheek in some strange form of praise, beaming proudly, when the other words registered from the male.
"Well, we can certainly accommodate you. We have plenty of guest rooms available, and I'm sure staying in the environment would only.. aid you more in your ability to make us the best arrangements possible," she let a small smirk spread across her maw as she thought over the simple jealousy she would strike into the heart of her friends. Her eyes drifted up to her daughter then, watching her for a moment. "Show Mr. Nili around the house, my dear, so that he can become acquainted with what he shall be working on? I'll have the maid prepare a room for him." And with that, she simply turned on her heel, happily strutting back into her house without even waiting for so much as an acceptance from Nili or a 'yes mother' from Sewti.
Sewti frowned after the woman, and as she disappeared into the house, she turned that apologetic smile back upon Nili. "My apologies if she's a little forward, I don't think 'please' is actually a word in her vocabulary," she smirked lightly at the thought, her tail flickering behind her. Then, as if she had just realized something, she glanced in the direction the carriage had bustled off in not minutes before. "I can tell Alfred to have the carriage back around in a bit, since I'm sure you'd like to at least gather your things. Well, assuming that you're going to take up my mother's generous offer." She put emphasis on the words to express just how much she knew her mother to be pushy, and how the offer hadn't exactly appeared to be an offer at all.
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