Fantasy Chaotic Rouge and Officer - Steampunk RP

[Cosmic_Chaos]

The walk to the headquarters was uneventful, seeing how he was off the clock and Sally was just escorting him, but it was nice. After all the events that happened tonight, a small bit of calm was welcome. He managed to convince Sally stop stop at Kelvins and let him Pet the puppies, which she allowed for the sole reason she knew that Aion knew Kelvin and thus the dogs. After the pit-stop it was a straight walk back to the headquarters if Sally had any say in it. At the headquarters a complicated route of turning everything off started, but it was done within 5 minutes. He wasn't fond of the tracker, it could easily be stolen, or broken while he was being moved away from it, but it was better than not having the ability to be tracked and found within 10 minutes, so he didn't complain. He did like that once it was pressed you couldn't stop it. So you couldn't break it to disarm it. After that whole Ordeal, Sally offered to take him him.

"Its late, you're probably tired, and I'd rather you not getting lost on the way to your own house." She said, which made him laugh and accept the offer. Like always she could see right through him, seeing the tired-ness like preferred to hide.

"Thank you, it'd be apreciated." He accepted, and she linked his arm with her own as she talked about her day, in a smooth, gentle voice. Aion simply smiled and listened, knowing what she was doing. A Calming voice, in the presence of friends and knowing that if they were attacked he'd be protected? Makes him real sleepy, and she knows it. But he didn't stop her, letting her guide him to his house. It was half-an-hours walk, but she seemed to have a plethora of stuff to talk about. He suspected that she made small things up just to fill out the story a bit, but he wasn't one to judge. Once they get to his house, she makes sure he takes his pills before giving him a hug and a wave goodbye with a stern reminder to go to sleep soon. Which he did after having some sliced bread to eat. why sliced bread? He couldn't be bothered to butter it, and it was nice as it was anyway.

The next morning was slow. He was slow to wake-up, and it was still dark out, and he was sluggish the entire morning. He remembered to take his pills, somehow it popped into his head unanouced so he followed the thought, ate something light. It was only a sandwich but it'd do for the morning. He wrote down on note-pad a reminder to get some bread since he was starting to run out, got dressed after doing all the basic higene activities which didn't help wake him up, and left the house. He was Supposed to clock in around 8am, but seeing how the Sun came up an hour before he had to clock in for work, he left earlier and walked slowly. When the sun did finally rise, he felt a lot more energised and was patrolling the streets. Nothing major ever happened in the morning, everyone was always sleeping in if they had the ability to.

He clocked in, said good morning to a few of the people there and went on with his day until Lunch. or rather until Sally came in and kicked him out with an order of getting something to eat. He laughed it off, knowing Sally knew he wouldn't eat until he got home if he didn't go out and get something to eat, so he went to the food Market. Or he was until he heard a quiet 'meow' and looked around. sure enought here was a cat in tree. He tried to coax it down to no avail, so he decided to climb the tree instead, not learning his lesson from the last couple of times. He was able to grab the cat, but he was using his legs to keep him stable, and one of the grips in the tree loosened under his weight, prompting him to fall.

He didn't fall far, he didn't even hit the ground with his leg caught inbetween two branches and some vines. The cat was also okay, letting him pet him before running off. And so, he sat there thinking what to do. His leg might actually be caught this time, completly forgetting that he could just lift himself using his core strength and untying himself, so he had to wait for help. Sally would get worried for sure, but she was also busy. He wondered if Cedar would find him like this, wouldn't that be interesting. It would be nice to see the young kid again, and he was sure that Cedar liked him as much as he liked him, aka, intrigued and curious.

Brain_Rot (Sorry for the long wait!!!)

 

[Brain_Rot]

Cedar scraped the remaining contents out of the curry bowl, spooning it eagerly into their mouth in order to sate their hunger. It wasn't much but it would last until the evening. What would they even do till then? Sure it was a nice day, but they didn't have much of a social circle to spend their time with. Gambling didn't start till after dark, and thievery wasn't in the cards because of their current status with the law. Heading home after some grocery shopping seemed to be the best option. Lillian was usually up for a nice game of chess in the afternoon, and she'd be more fun than looping around the neighborhood. The cold cobblestone wall that Cedar was using for cover, shrouded in shade to hide them from any active police officers, had a thick layer of moisture that had yet to evaporate from the night before. This discomfort confirmed Cedar's decision to leave, and they brushed off any dirt or gravel that might've clung to their pants as they exited the alley.

A small chorus of cries came from the sky, a disrupted family of doves fluttering to the crowded metropolitan skyline that buzzed with blimps and air ships. A howl from a cat and a man came from the dove's nesting grounds, and Cedar was surprised to find a full grown man dangling from one of the higher branches. Not just a fully grown man, but the goddamn detective who tried to arrest Cedar the night before. They had a hard time connecting this clumsy goof to the monstrous creature who demolished 4 armed people in a matter of secconds- but low and behold, it was undeniably him. Cedar strolled into the grassy patch of land, their movements quiet and steady. They had to knock at the base of the tree just to get Aion's attention, though the man was turned around so it wasn't that difficult.

"A little caught up in those branches, aren't ya?" Cedar called up to Aion, a series of giggles coming forth as the situation set in. the tabby strolled out of the lot, having been helped and released with no disregard to the man hung high up in the tree. Cedar's fingers pressed into the gritty bark, a flood of energy pushing against the elves finger tips like a pained cry.

"I think you might've broken a couple branches on the way down. Don't you know this tree is like, 100 years old." A rough estimation, but not impossible. Its mighty trunk bore scars and dents from age, and its height was almost compariable to the many factories that were in the city.

"Want me to help you down before you end up breaking something of yours?" They tugged down the hood that protected their face, not feeling very threatened by Aion in his current position. If he didn't arrest them the night before, it would be silly to do so now.

Cosmic_Chaos

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

Aion had only just heaved a sigh his eyes closed and ready to take a nap, a small wish to be found and assisted just coming into his head and interrupting his thoughts for just a moment, only to notified of someone being near when they knocked on the tree. He had to arch his head backwards to see them, and he brightened up at the familiar sight. Just his luck! He had wanted to see the little sapling, and wanted help, and now he had at least one of them. He wasn't sure if Cedar could or even would help, but it was better than nothing.

"Cedar! How are you, lil' sapling?" He asked, as though asking for help was lower on his priority list then making sure the other was atleast doing alright. He chuckled when Cedar commented on his predicament, and he looked down with a fond smile as the other giggled. It was cute, the giggles from the younger. It made him want to pinch the kids cheeks, scoop him up and baby him. where the Paternal feelings came from, but he chalked it down to his desire to protect all that was small and cute. He looked shocked and then worried at the mention that he had broken the tree.

"Awh! That wasn't my intention! I was trying to get the Kitten out of the tree." He gestured to the cat nearby. "My foot slipped and thats why I'm hanging upside down like this." He said, looking degected. "Didn't mean to hurt the fella." He said, talking as though the tree was alive. But, it technically was, as it wasn't dead, it could harness energy and all that, it was just a different alive to his own. At the Offer of help he did brighten up a bit.

"If you could, that'd be swell. I probably wont break anything, falling from this height. I've fallen father at much higher speeds and come out fine, so I should be okay." He said, smiling. It was the norm for him, not taking much, if any, damage let alone pain from something that could injure or even kill a normal human. "If you can like, somehow get the vines around my ankle off, or at least, I think their vines, I should be good." He said, trying and failing to move his caught ankle. There was a suspicious cracking sound and even Aion looked up slightly worried. "Well that sucks. I can't feel my anckle any more." He said, casually and not at all worried that his ancle was probably broken. He cocked his head to the side curious. "How does one purposely break their anckle while hanging from a tree? It doesn't come easy if you're trying to do it, does it?" He asked, findign the situation more funny that actually worrying. He's had worse and its proabbly not even all that bad. He didn't even feel it, although that might be his high pain tolernance there. but if it was really bad you'd think he'd still feel it, right?

"Ooh, I know, if you help me get down, and if I can still walk, which I probably can, I'll buy you something to eat! I was planning on getting something to eat before I got stuck." He said, as though the situation wasn't a situation to be worried about. He'll go back to the office doctor and let her look at it. As scary as the woman was, she was damn-well good at her job. A simple human woman, bloody terrifying, and a damn good doctor. "I just hope miss Aiko isn't angry at me got getting hurt again." he sighed, expecting to be reamed out by a woman who took more interest in his own health than he did. Marco and Harry were probably going to make fun of him, or try to at least.

Brain_Rot

 

[Brain_Rot]

“I’m doing fine, Aion. Just give me a moment.” Cedar replied, their giggles quieting as they buttoned up their jacket and rolled up their sleeves. While Aion rambled on for a bit Cedar scaled the tree, their steps swift and light as they menevered the different branches till they managed to perch next to the man’s entangled foot. They winced and instinctively brought their hands closer to their chest as the ankle cracked. Using a gentle touch as to not inflict anymore damage, they assessed the situation.

“Food? Don’t worry about it.” Cedar shot down the offer without much hesitation. They’d rather be caught dead than indebted to an officer, their anxiety around this particular lawman was only subdued rather than eradicated. The elf seemed to be a lot more skittish than last night, a hint of weariness being directed towards the Aion despite him having nothing but good intentions. Without the veil of night keeping the elf hidden they appeared to be a normal teen, big blue eyes focusing on freeing Aion from the tree’s clutches. Perhaps they could be treated as just that- a kid, even if they had a rather peculiar job. Cedar wouldn’t be expecting it of course, having to be on alert around almost everyone was the only way they knew how to stay safe.

“Just consider this a thank you for helping me out last night. For all I know, I could’ve been leaving that cafe in a body bag.” They explained. Aion’s foot was wrapped in some long, nimble branches that were piled and caught in a small wedged opening on the larger branch. Cedar reached down to their boot to grab a knife, carefully cutting away at the branches that were farthest from Aion’s ankle. The twigs snapped and freed Aion after a few careful cuts were made, sending them to the ground without warning. Cedar winced and peaked over at where he had landed, quickly making their way down the tree to make sure he was ok.

“Feeling ok?” They asked before stifling a laugh, picking off some leaves and branches that fluttered down to rest on Aion’s face.

Cosmic_Chaos

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

"No no, my treat. Besides, you're skinny as it is, you can put a bit more meat onto those bones of yours." He grinned, but then looked up confused for the others reason for helping him. " You shouldn't be thanking me like that though. There isn't a need to be thankful for. I did my job, I'm supposed to protect people, and so I protected you as best as I could." He said, seriously. The thought of Cedar leaving in a bodybag made him frown, but he ignored the thought. "Just a simple 'Thanks' would suffice, no need to save me from a tree. So let me thank you for helping me when you could have just left me in the tree." He smiled. Eventually all thoughts left him as he found himself free-falling for a split second before hitting the ground. As he said, no damage was taken, and eventually landing on his back, face up, leaves in his face.

He blinked up to the elf who looked down at him amused and he grinned. "Better now that I'm not upside down. Thanks a ton." He smile, sitting up to inspect the damage to his ankle, letting all of the blood that rushed to his head leave once again. He found it hard to move, and while pressing on it didn't cause pain, it didn't feel great either. He waiting for the small headrush to go before he got up and almost stumbled at the fact that it buckled under his weight. "Huh, well thats not good." He said, looking down at his foot. Was it worth it getting food with this foot? Was food worth being shouted at? Yes. He looked down at Cedar and grinned, ruffling the younger ones hair affectionatly.

"All good. Little bit light-headed but I've dealt with worse. Now, I'm getting you food, lets go. What you wanna eat? I'm thinking burgers. If they do them, I hope the're selling burgers today." He said rambling a bit again, before looking at that smaller one of the two of them. "Well? C'mon. If you're worried about me taking you in or something, I'm not gunna. First off, I'm on my break, and second off, We had that agreement last night. So, neutral truce until you do something where I know it was you." He smiled, walls and guard down, open like a book, and see through as a pane of glass. It was clear he truely didn't have a reason to take him in, and thus wouldn't take the other in.

There was a small meow at his feet, and he looked down to the kitten and smiled, shifting so that he sat back down in front of the kitten. Said cat crawled into his lap purring, and the larger man melted, helpless to the smaller, fluffier creature. "Hello~ how are you? Oh you are precious arn't you?" He asked, scratching the kittens head, gently, refusing to put any force onto what was probably a very delicate body. the kitten was Just bigger then his hand, and if the kitten curled up, he could hold said kitten in his hand without an issue. He looked back at Cedar with sparkles in his eyes.

"Isn't it just precious?" He asked, in awe of the tiny creature.

Brain_Rot

 

[Brain_Rot]

Cedar didn't talk much, even less conversational than the night before. It was clear they preferred to sit in silence rather than speak when they had nothing of value to say. At least what they determined was valuable. As Aion rambled on Cedar reflexively pulled their hands into their chest, tucked between it and their folded knees. Reclusive and nervous, but more vulnerable than defensive. Not quite comfortable, but also not threatened. They stood a bit quicker than the officer, allowing them time to react and alleviate his initial fall by grabbing his arms. The difference in weight couldn't have done much other than lesson the impact of Aion falling back down to the grass. Once again, they kept quiet as the man rambled and reassured Cedar that they were safe.

"You really shouldn't be walking on that, even if it isn't a serious break right now it can easily lead to one of you aren't careful." They piped up, catching Aion's hand as it approached the ginger's mess of wavy locks. They weren't angered by this action, and simply returned the man's wrist right back to their lap. They felt that their actions spoke for their words and decided it would be best to leave it in the past.

"How about I fetch you- or I guess us something. There's a burger joint down the street, I never go because its just a couple of bougie assholes manning the stand but.. if you're paying I wouldn't mind the wait time." They offered, hands no longer tucked away but incessantly toying and turning the various rings that adorned them. Perhaps this could be a simple exercise of trust, Cedar thought, though that could've just been a rationalization to downplay the guilt they felt for getting friendly with a lawman. They thought back on what Aion had said about their mutual butcher friend- if some one as hearty and secretive as that could trust Aion, Cedar could find room in their heart to do it too. Their spiraling thoughts were interrupted by the stray cat sliding up against their leg. They sprung to their feet and let out a tiny yelp of surprise, though calmed soon after seeing what it was.

"It's.. a stray. Be careful or it could give you rabies or something." Cedar shot back. They kneeled back down, eyeing the kitten with hesitance before taking their calm demeanor as a sign that they weren't dangerous.

"You're quite the funny officer. I'm surprised you haven't hurt yourself with your reckless need to care so much?" Their gaze grew fonder for the kitten, but they still hesitated to reach out and give it any physical affection.

Cosmic_Chaos

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

Aion noticed he was really the only one talking, and it was a stark difference to last night. When the kid was quippy and quick to taunt and mess around, now the kid was shy, nervous. which meant is said a lot when the kid came to him without him initiating the conversation. He felt his heart soften and the parental need to protect the child who seemed more vulnerable. He wondered if he should comment on it, but he remembered how Sally mentioned that people have different sides to them, and act differently at different times and with different people. Changes of environment effect everyone. the only major change was that they were on ground and it was day. Maybe the kid didn't like day time? It then clicked in his head.

The kid felt a lot more protected in the Dark! Thats so common! How did he not think of that? He smiled brighter, when the kid put his hand back in his lap, wanting to ruffle the hair but respecting the others wishes. "I said I'll be fine. I got distracted by the cute lil' fella right here." He said, cooing at the small kitten now a ball of purring bass in his lap. He was guna have to take the kitten home, wasn't he? He looked up when Cedar offered to get them food, and grinned. "Sure. I'm not sure how much it costs, so here." He said, pulling out a small bag of money. "Remember, get yourself something as well." He said, as though that was more important than getting change or the recipt. and to him, it was. Money was just that, money. he's already paid the bills, and loosing that amount wont kill him.

He laughed at the warning, shaking his head. "It'll be fine, trust me. I'm good with animals!" He said, lifting the kitten up. it mewed at him sweetly and he cooed, brinign it close to his face, closing his eyes when they gently headbutted. He giggled a bit at the paw at his face and pulled back, gently putting the kitten back down, and gently scratching it. "See, if it was rabid or a spicy kitty, it would have atacked me. And all it did was tell me 'hey, thats too close sir!'" Aion explained.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I've gotten myself hurt a lot caring for others, but I don't mind. But you know, I've learnt something from people. Its that... Kindness can do so fucking much. Kelvin didn't have to take me in, but he did. Kelvin could have stopped talking to me when I joined the work-force, but he didn't. The people at the work force didn't have to believe that the scawny kid could do anything, but they did. It made me realise that just simple kindness, doing something that you don't have to do, can go a long way for people." He explained, smiling softly as he gently pet the kitten. He noticed that Cedar was looking at the Kitten, and knew that look.

"Here.." He said, getting Cedars attention and very gently, ever so lightly, easy enough to pull away from with ease, grabbing the kids wrist with his thumb and index finger and gently pulled it towards the mewling kitten. The kitten sniffed the hand before starting to pur again and licking one of the fingers causing Aion to chuckle. "Awh, it likes you!" He grinned.

Brain_Rot

 

[Brain_Rot]

Cedar watched with fondness growing in their wide and unblinking eyes. The kitten was cute- of course it was, but Cedar wasn’t exactly in a situation they were very comfortable with. They had ran from the cops 100’s of times in the shadow of night, they could pick out a path by fickle moonlight alone with point blank accuracy. That was a setting they knew how to navigate- but chatting up Aion with a stray cat in broad daylight wasn't nearly as familiar. They couldn't really place why they had grown so accustomed to the dark, most kids on the streets knew that being out after 10 was an easy way to get kidnapped, but it always a lot simpler for them. It was quiet and still, way easier to focus without the world changing and bustling around you.

They practically jumped out of their skin when a sack of cash was offered to them. They stuttered out a few words of objection, but they fell silent under Aion’s insesant adoration of the tiny creature tucked comfortably in their lap. 'This has got to be a trap' Cedar thought frantically, hair standing up on the back of their neck as the weight of the coin sack settled in their grip. 'They're going to send me on my way, and call for back up' They rationalized, their eyebrows furrowing a bit as they stared down the sack of coins. They opened up the top and only pulled out about 1/3 of the total amount before securing it once again. Snapping back to attention once Kelvin was mention their brain tried to back track on all that they had missed, but quickly realized it wasn't worth the effort with how fast Aion changed subjects.

"He took me in for a while too." Cedar muttered, placing the sack of coins next to Aion's hip, pocketing the cash they slipped out moments prior.

"I-its fine, really-" Cedar objected as their hand approached the kitten, not quite afraid of it lunging but afraid of hurting the thing. Their fingers placed a few feathery touches upon it's forehead, and their apprehension dissipated.

"A lot.. sturdier than I thought it'd be" Cedar placed their free palm on the ground and leaned forward, their knees meeting the ground to take some pressure off their ankles. After a few moments their attention grew a bit more rough, not hurting the kitten but enough to make it pretty pissed off. Much like how you'd pet a dog, Cedar began to slide its ears back and scratch just underneath them. The kittens initial mewls of discomfort weren't loud enough for Cedar to hear, but the hiss and tiny claws digging into their hand were enough to make them pull away.

"Fuck!" Cedar yelled and tucked their hand against their chest. "Shit, did I hurt it?" They asked quickly and pulled their hand up to their mouth, sucking at the claw mark with a worried expression. The kitten was unscathed, simply cuddling back into Aion's hands with the whole situation forgotten. Cedar didn't look as nonchonant about it, their ears angled downward and worry written all over their face.

"I-I'm sorry, Aion, that's how I pet Kelvin's pups when I watch them, they love it." Cedar said nervously and looked up to meet the adult's gaze. It would've been a bit of an over reaction if it were a normal kid.

Cosmic_Chaos

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

Aion started to noticed the the kid was starting to not become all there. Still there, but almost like falling asleep while awake. He looked up tyring to think, and then realised that he did that! if he was really tired! Or stressed, but same thing. He noticed that Cedar gave back the bag of coins and shrugged, taking it. The kid took some money, and not even half of it. He didn't comment on it, simply accepting it. Slowly and steady, just accepting them as they are, and not expecting them to change. thats what you did with kids, right? You don't force them to change. At least, thats what he's figured out at least.

He heard the mutter and smiled. "I think Kelvin has a soft-spot for kids on the street. Took the pair of us in when he didn't need to." He grinned.

Aion watched with fondness as Cedar interracted with the kitten and realised a small bit to late when the kid used too much pressure to upset the kitten, causing it to scratch. with its small claws it barely broke skin but Aion was still worried none the less, gently grabbing the hand and inpecting it before letting it go with a relived smile. "Its alright, Kittens are fickle things. And I understand that, the pups love it if you're rough with them." He smiled, understanding and not at all angry.

"And no, its not hurt. You just used too much force on his head and while they're sturdier then one might think, they're still sensitive. Here, sit down and I'l show you." He said, holding the kitten in his lap and gently petting it with one hand while using the other to motion for the other to sit down. Once the other did, he gently took the othes hands and hand then facing up as he gently placed the kitten into them. He took the hands gently, under his own and guided it, gently petting the kitten. "You gotta be a lot more gentle with kittens. You can be firm, but not rough. We're much bigger and much stronger then them, its a case of knowing your strength and knowing how much to use." He explained, gentle and mentor-like, letting the hand go after a moment, and keeping an eye on the kitten, ready to take the kitten away if nessissary. But it seemed to be happy enough to be gently rubbed as it was.

"Though I must admit, if you're used to petting dogs, Cats are going to be weird to get used to. Never touch the stomach, it is a trap. They do like their ears petted but at this age I think it's best to leave them." He added thoughtfully. He get the kitten and gentle scratch on the head, smiling. "Cats are a lot more easier to deal with then kittens. Cause You can be a lot more forceful. not as forceful as Dogs, since they're still pretty fragile compared to Dogs, especially Kelvins dogs, but they can take much more then a firm handshake." He chuckled. "and if you can get a Cat to like you, you are a Magic person." He grinned. He knew the tips to make a Cat come to him, which was quite literally ignore said cat, but that didn't mean every cat would like him. Cats were fickle creatures, and he respected them.

Brain_Rot

 

[Brain_Rot]

Cedar flicked their hand back and forth to shake off the sting, glossy eyes wide and curious as they searched for any sign of damage on the kitten's petite forehead. They were able to pry their apologetic gaze away from Aion only after realizing he wasn't angry.

"It clawed me when it didn't hurt? A little ridiculous, don't you think?" They scowled quietly, sitting back down with their legs neatly crossed as Aion started his explanation. Cedar quickly found this to be a lecture, and grew less fond of it as time went on. They didn't say anything though, focusing much more on the cat that started to kneed and paw at their finger. Far cuter than a hungry mongrel looking for a fight. They carefully gripped the kittens paw and watched as their toes squeezed around it, claws being pushed from the base and extending to their full glory. The kitten didn't seem to mind much, so Cedar didn't stop.

"Its a cat- I'm not sure it requires that much nuance." Cedar finally spoke, finding a nice rhythm as they raked their fingers across the creatures back. A little snooty but they weren't trying to hurt Aion's feelings. No longer stressed from the previous ordeal, they realized they should have been getting burgers and mentally slapped themselves for loosing track of time. Tapping the pocket of coins to make sure they were there, and briefly looking around the area for any forgotten belongings, they stood and prepared to walk out into the crowd. It was a little chilly out so puling their hood up wasn't so suspicious.

"Lost track of time. I'll get lunch now." Cedar said briskly. It was apparent they were making an effort to evade eye contact unless necessary- for instance, as soon as their apology was accepted they went right back to looking at the kitten. The night before they felt bold enough for a challenge, looking a cop straight on while trying to piss them off, but it was bright out and they were overwhelmed at the moment. They could be a bad ass later when their job started and they'd need a more confident persona.

"Be back in a jiffy." They muttered and turned on their heels before heading back into the street. They weaved with expertise in between the crowds of people, and was lost from Aion's view in seconds. With their unique form cloaked and hidden it was easy to blend in with the more mundane looking population. After a while of Cedar not returning, it was safe to assume that they ran off with the money- but they hadn't. They waited, paid, and were even polite to the workers in the shop as to get to Aion as fast as possible. Anxiety itched at the back of their scull- had they taken too long? Was it suspicious? The only thing they could do was hustle back to the tree.

Cosmic_Chaos

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

"Hey if someone is doing something that makes you uncomfortable, you'll push them away too, right? And the Kitten can't control its claws yet." Aion explained, almost offended on the kittens behalf. but he was smiling all the same, and he laughed at the lack of nuances. "You'll be surprised. Cats are unpredictable." He chuckled, not taking the snooty tone as rude or hurtful. He watched as Cedar got up, looked around and left after briskly stating they'' get food. Aion nodded. "Thanks, You know where to find me." He grinned, and watched the kid go, and then looked down at the kitten who had watched the younger walk away before going back to him.

"I suppose I'll be keeping you, little one. What should I name you." He hummed, laying back. "You're a cute little thing. are you-oh your a calico! Oh you're so cute!" He gushed, lifting the cat up, a girl! From the look of it? "Well, I'll just call you Kali. Like Calico." The ball of fur didn't seem to mind or care, and he was content in just simply petting a cat. he wasn't sure how long he was sat there for, but it was enough for his phone to ring with Sally on the phone.

"Hey Sal. Oh, I'm fine. Well, no, thats a lie. I think i broke my foot. I'm not sure. It cracked and I don't feel anything. A kids helping me out though, cause I'm really hungry so they went to get food." He explained. He heard her moving around quickly and he shook his head. "No no no, no need to find me! I'm fine! I can hobble over after I'm done eating!" he exclaimed but Sally didn't listen. Oh boy. It was barely five minutes until a red-head was running her way over.

"Asshole, you got yourself hurt-awh! baby!" She cooed instantly at the Cat. She grabbed his leg and started looking at it, and he sighed. "I'm calling her Kali. I saved her, she came right back to me, no mother cat has come near, I'm adopting her." He said and she chuckled. "She's adorable. Anyway, uh, yes, you're ankle is broken. Knowing you, you can walk your way there, but I'm not letting you put presure on that." She chided and he groaned.

"My God Sally! I'm a grown man! I don't need you to baby-sit me." he whined, childlike. She rolled her eyes. "Alright then, get up. Stand up and walk over to me." She said, walking back, hands on her hips looking mighty un-impressed. Aion, not one to back down from a challange, attempted to get up but then saw a rush of red heading their way. "Oh, its the sapling!" He grinned, sitting back down. "Foods here! Hey kid!" He called, waving. "My sisters here, she got worried and came to check up on me." He explained. Sally looke dat the smaller elf and blinked. "Are you going to adopt every small, cute thing you find on the streets?" She asked, turnign to him. "In fact, how do you find them? what the hell you lucky arse!" she complained, much to Aions amusement. "Dont' mind her, Sallys Harmless." He grinned, much to the merfolks asperation, but she was smiling.

Brain_Rot

 

[Brain_Rot]

Cedar pushed through the final crowd of people before standing at the edge of the grassy section of land surrounding the tree that Aion had been resting under. They pulled the paper bag full of food closer to their chest as they assessed who had walked up and started talking to Aion. Aggravated, but not hostile- it reminded them of all the times Lillian pestered them to eat and rest when things got a bit tight in the budgeting department. Though this new stranger was on Aion’s side, ther reason for being there wasn’t entirely clear. This made Cedar consider dropping the food off and fleeing. Though the thought was attractive, the kid was quickly being enveloped into the situation by their new mutual.

“Sister, hm?” They repeated and tentatively slid their hood back down to their shoulders. The bag of food was tossed Aion’s way, but the elf’s eyes stayed trained on Sally. If there was any hint of recognition on her face they’d book it out of there. If not they’d still find a way to leave early, but it was good to know if it would be a chase or a stroll.

“Pick out what you’d like. Feel free to take what’s left if you’re hungry, Sally.” They offered and slid their arms tight around each other. Surely the blonde wouldn’t invite anyone hostile over, at least not intentionally, but it was the unintentional danger that Cedar found themselves worrying about in this instance.

 

[Cosmic_Chaos]

"He says sister, but I'm more like a baby-sitter. Guy can't look after himself." She rolled her eyes, looking at the elf interested, curious. She doesn't really recognise him, and she smiles gently. "I'm Sally, thanks for looking after the dumbass." She grinned and Aioon simply pouted. "I can look after myself." he grumbles as he catches the food, opening it and making sure Cedar took something. Sally barks out a laugh at his comment.

"Sure sure, mr-I-got-my-leg-stuck-saving-a-kitten. Shall I remind you of the many times I've had to call you up and remind you to take your medication, that you are required to take on the instuctions of Miss Aiko,because I knew you would and had forgotten to take it?" She asked and he pouted. "I'm sorry, my brain just goes too fast and I dont'remember things un-important." He grumbled, as though he was a child being told off by his mother. He was about to take a bite, when Sally took the food out of his hands and took a bite first. She waited a second before handing it back. "Yep-, not poisoned." She said, mouth full and ungracefully sat down, taking the kitten out of Aions lap so he could eat properly. Aion simply rolled his eyes, the action being normal. She never trusted anything that could be injected, which he thought was weird, but that was Sally.

"Nah, not really all that hungry." She waved off. "I've already had lunch and didn't forget." She said, pointedly looking at Aion who huffed. "Hey, you're still hungry, right? Besides, you got the food, you may as well have some of it." he offered. "You can pet the cat as well if you want. I named her Kali." He said, grabing the kitten out of Sallys lap. The Kitten was happily snoozing at this point in the palm of his hand, looking like a colourful ball of fur.

Brain_Rot

 

[Brain_Rot]

"You're going to piss her off moving her around like that." Cedar pointed out promptly as they cupped the creatures legs. As thin and dainty as they were, their hands perfectly molded around the kitten- or rather its small and flexible body fit just about anywhere. With an arm wrapped around their chest they slid the kitten into the crevice of their elbow. Kali didn’t waste much time before burrowing into the soft fabric of Cedar's baggy cloak. With one hand free they cautiously took and chomped down on a few steak fries, they were easy enough to consume while still analyzing Sally. Was it another joke that they hadn't caught onto or was she genuine in thinking that Cedar would attempt a poisoning? If it was the latter, at least she wasn't trying to hide it.

"and no, I seem to have lost my appetite." They muttered in a quieted tone, wiping away the greasy residue that suck to their fingers against the flush grassy patches that surrounded them. Having another stranger there without knowing before hand was unnerving enough but what was worse was her arguably endearing, yet stiff demeanor. Cedar was on the local cop shit-list for crossing about 1 too many lines and was probably brought up to lower level police officers on a couple of occasions. It was only a matter of time before Sally would be asking questions, and with her occupation Cedar assumed lying wasn't a viable option.

“So.. how long have you two known each other?” Cedar asked after the discussion faded into a soft chuckle. They wanted to keep the two chatting for a little while, sitting and listening was somewhat enjoyable and the teen thought this was as good way to waste time before ‘work’. At a few points along the discussion they even found themselves genuinely engaging with Aion and Sally, happy to be talking with someone other than the old woman they lived with. They eventually grew so relaxed that they even grabbed the remaining burger, chowing down with their new found appetite.