this is Salem, a land filled with magic and maladies. It is a place where witches and their elemental familiars gather, a home to legend and
lore that predates time itself. Yet of all the wicked and wonderful stories the past can tell us of, the most magical are the ones yet to happen.
This is Salem - this is the start of your very own journey. Welcome to starfall
Starfall is an animaga witch roleplay set in mostly modern times. Members play as witches in a world plagued by monsters, where the only safe spots are walled cities. Starfall strives to be a character-driven roleplay with expansive lore and a highly interactive plotline. We want to allow members to
create and look back on a magical journey, and mold the site and its plot as their characters grow.
This was the first and only order she received from a certain representative that held one of the higher up positions in her coven. While she didn't know who he was, other members have graciously confirmed as much, noting that it was for their own safety. Understandable, really, seeing as they were proclaimed to be the assholes of the magical governing, and the Knights - being the oh-so-diligent bastards in shining armor, she'd be arrested and taken away upon the slightest suspicion. But of course, having the Brooks family name served as an instant veer-away, because why would anyone in a family of noble status do such a thing when they've already had their lives sorted out without any financial difficulties?
The listed location stated in the little notice she picked up from a bulletin board in the townsquare led her to what was a higher-end part of the city. The more she proceeded to walk onward, the more the houses turned bigger, and structures began looking all the more fancier.
"Boy, would I kill to live in a place like this."
"Technically, you already do, though my unhumble abode is far wider." she quipped aloud, not minding the fact that she was having a conversation with literally no one as she continued walking past random people on her way to what was presumably a tiny castle on the hill. The property itself wasn't connected to any other houses, and it perched atop a rather tall cliff that, although seemed dangerous, had quite the spectacular view of the sea expanding outwards, with waves of water crashing about, seagulls gliding just above the surface to catch their next meals, with numerous fishing boats being their only source of competition for food.
"Meh, I see your point. Still, gotta love nature and all that jazz."
For a bird its size, Crimmy sure spoke with a rough, husky overtone with a slight twinge in his voice that rivaled that of a mafia lord's. While Loraina has never had the opportunity to meet any other avians who enjoyed smoking cigars, she's certainly wanted to travel abroad to experience different cultures before eventually setting the whole place ablaze.
But ultimately, her goals came first. And in order to achieve said goals, she had to grow stronger - hence the reason why she's here today. Menial tasks for now, sure, but it was all to increase her spiritual connection to the world she lived in. Besides, if she were to dive headfirst into a dangerous mission, she'd perish then and there and leave this life as a mere grease stain on the ground.
"Hello?" Though she was told to remain incognito, Loraina sure didn't get the memo that she should've dressed the part. Like most of her wardrobe, the particular outfit that she had on today was eye-catching, to say the least. A somewhat lowcut white shirt that one could almost, almost see her risque undergarment holding certain mounds in place, and a rather short skirt that left just enough to one's imagination. Naturally, paired with a pair of stockings and knee-high boots, she looked like an out of place catholic schoolgirl with a slight punk-rock edge, despite the fact that punk rock didn't even exist yet.
A pioneer, even in fashion.
"Yes! Just a minute!" The gentle, almost symphonic voice of an old lady rang in the air as the witch heard random scuffling noises from within. When the door finally did open though, their client-to-be seemed to match the exact description of a nice old lady, almost to the point of it being a bit too cliche. "Ah, I apologize for making you wait, young lady. I am in a bit of a rush, but I've made tea that you and your other companion could enjoy. O-Oh, I've also made notes that I've wedged under the tea set."
"Please do take care of my children, they are all I have left in this world."
And just like that, she took off. No formal greetings, no exchange of information, no clues on where she was headed towards. She just left.
"See, she's so nice she didn't even complain about your skanky-schoolgirl-looking ass. You're a nun's worse nightmare."
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i refuse to just being a footnote in your history
[attr="class","salvatore"]For someone like Cain, being desperate and careless was a dangerous combination. Just earlier that day, he had arrived upon the home of Silvertongue, and rushed straight for the mission board, where requests for the assistance of witches were posted up for members to take on. Having recently just secured the required trifecta of a home, food and clothes, Cain knew that he'd have to increase his income in order to maintain it. It was for that very reason, that the red-head had rushed to take the highest-paying job he could get his hands on. And it just so happened to be this particular one. A job that Cain really had no experience in. He had been expecting something more on the illegal end, considering how Silvertongue was a rogue guild that was willing to do whatever task was asked for as long as it paid well. He was never expecting himself to ever be babysitting, at all.
Yet, here he was, approaching the home of his client. The thought of cancelling on the request had crossed his mind, but the promise of a high reward had been too tempting for him to deny. He needed this money, and beggars couldn't be choosers, as they say. He grumbled to himself, coming upon the decision to just get the mission done and over with, so he could go back and reap the rewards from this menial task. Babysitting. The word repeated itself in his head, and with every repetition, Cain's frustration increased. He was a composed individual, but even his patience had his limits, especially towards those that would refuse to work with him. Nine times out of ten, children were like that. Just way too playful for their own good.
It wasn't like he was any much difference when he was kid, especially with how he had been brought up. Raised under a leash, and in a cage, Cain had yearned for any form of escape he could find, and that had come in the form of childish fun, however he could obtain it. He had been a mischievous brat, in short.
Cain memorized the route to the destination, then, before crumpling the paper up and stuffing it into one of the front pockets of his signature leather jacket. It had been one of the few things he had taken with him when he departed from the Godfrey household. The article had been a birthday present from his dear younger sister, when he had turned sixteen, and according to her, it had been made from hand. It had a leather outer layer, with a cloth in-lay for comfort and warmth, and around the collar was a tuft of white fur, though the shade had grown more yellowish over time, from both dirt and wear. A simple white shirt was worn underneath, thin and loosely fitting upon his body. Unlike his jacket, however, this one carried a clean white appearance.
A pair of black pants accompanied the top set, held in place by a worn-out leather belt, and finally, a pair of black boots, reaching just above his ankles. His red hair, as always, was as messy as ever, despite the obvious feeble attempt to slick it back, with two rebellious strands sticking down the front, over his eyes. Between his lips lay a lit cancer stick, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake, the paper cylinder already half burnt off. Slumbering in his inner chest pocket, as always, was Hailey, her natural warmth adding more upon what the jacket provided.
It did not take him long to reach the mini-castle in question, and he stared at it wide-eyed, quite impressed. He hadn't seen houses like this since his time with the Godfrey family, and seeing it again after years of being in the slums had brought back quite a bit of memories, both good and bad. His home had been something like this as well, though it was larger in size, and less... Extravagant. An elderly woman was half-running out the front gate, and moved past Cain. The red-head followed her with his eyes, halting in his approach for a moment to see her off, blinking curiously. Was that the client in question? Probably. She had the fitting look of a Mrs Katelaidee, however that worked.
A scoff was his only reaction, before he reached up and pulled the cigarette off his lips and dropped it onto the ground, killing the blaze with a stomp of his foot. The fact that she had rushed off meant that his supposed partner had already arrived, retrieving the key from her. Well, it was time to see who it was that he would be stuck in this hell with. He finally passed through the open front gate, and halted in his tracks as his golden eyes came upon a familiar pink-haired figure. And there he stood, mouth agape, in disbelief that he would see her again so soon, and in a situation like this, too.
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
Originally, Loraina thought she'd signed up for a mission that only required her own efforts, and not that of another person's, but the more she thought about it, the more she welcomed the idea of another person sharing in her growing pains. Though she herself was good with children to an extent, having been to many gatherings and banquets where she's often looked upon as the older sister of sorts by the children of those in attendance, she's never been relegated to babysitting duty. Feeding, comforting and most importantly, changing the diaper of a baby? Oh how she wished she brought along one of her maids from her gargantuan estate back home.
There was an inkling of a feeling that surfaced from the back of her mind though, and that revolved around the idea of why this elderly woman required the services of two witches instead of asking for a normal nanny from down the street.
It didn't take long, surprisingly, for her client to disappear into the distance, riding off in her carriage, her expression full of glee and wonder being the last images implanted into the mind of the first witch who arrived punctually. And speaking of which, a familiar, bulky silhouette began approaching this very house, and it was evident from the looks of it that this person would be her partner for the day.
Imagine a look of disgust that someone with a severe case of arachnophobia would show if presented with the appearance of a spider. Multiply that by ten, and add a huge scowl to that, and you'd get the concoction of expressions plastered across the woman's face.
Wasting little to no time at all, the less-than-elegant pink haired lady wandered into the modest-looking house and made herself comfortable immediately on the couch, leaning back against the soft fabric of the chair and crossing her booted, stockinged legs, almost as though she was re-enacting that infamous Sharon Stone scene from Basic Instinct, but not before grabbing the little note left behind by the elderly woman.
"Dear fellow witches, please do try to take care of my darling little babies as I take my leave. They may be quite the naughty bunch, but I am most certain you'd all manage just fine.
1. Finnyboo is rather energetic. He would playfully pounce onto most people, but he's harmless! He enjoys carrots and being petted, and I've left out some on my kitchen area for your convenience.
2. Kevin my dearest, named after my cute husband, is.. docile. Some of my visitors have claimed that he's somewhat terrifying, and I would admit he does give off quite the evil stare, but I assure you he is the least of your worries. He would eat anything at all, and I've left you lot an assortment of food that you could enjoy and feed Kevin with.
3. Sethy enjoys jumping off high places. He tends to be fine, but I am more worried about my fragile decors that he might knock down along the way. Please do take care of those if you could! He enjoys fruits and vegetables, and like the others, I've left them out for your convenience.
They are all sleeping upstairs in my bedroom, which could be unlocked by a simple twist of the key attached to this note. Thank you again!
PS, do try not to get zapped. It tends to sting quite a bit."
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i refuse to just being a footnote in your history
[attr="class","salvatore"]What in the actual fuck? Cain scrunched his face at her reaction, narrowed eyes glaring back. Hadn't they already settled their differences, or was her hatred so deep that even after pacifying her during their first reunion, she still held him in high contempt? He groaned as she turned away, dropping his head in frustration as a hand moved up to run down his face. This mission had already threatened to be a troublesome and annoying one, and now, Cain was starting to feel that it was underestimating how disastrous this could potentially become. And he was going to be stuck here with her, with those three kids, for an entire bloody day.
The things he did for money.
Well, no turning back now. He'd lose credibility if he cancelled the mission off when he had just arrived at the area of operations, with no legitimate excuse to speak of. It was uncomfortable? Yeah, he'd be a laughing stock, and probably never be able to find a job in the coven anymore. Clicking his tongue and taking a deep breathe to brace himself for what was shaping up to be one of the worst days of his life, he paced across the front yard and arrived upon the front door. Having been unlocked by Loraina earlier, it was an easy feat for the red-head to gain access into the household, and the first thing he did was gaze upon the foyer. It was grand, with two arced staircases at the sides leading up to the second floor, the walls filled with drawings and paintings of cats. A large glass chandelier hung overhead, and vases were planted atop every single pedestal that he could see.
This woman was really well to do, wasn't she? That was probably why she could afford paying babysitters like the two witches such a large sum of money for a single day's work. Not that Cain was complaining. Hearing footsteps in the room to the side, Cain would presume them to belong to Lori, and proceeded to enter the room. Shelves of all kinds of books lined the walls, and in the center was a set of leather couches, placed in a square, with a large table in the center. Once again, paintings of cats hung on the walls, and vases were just as present as they had been in the foyer. It was a quick scan, really, for Cain soon found his eyes planted upon Loraina. If he hadn't noticed her attire before, he certainly noticed it now.
Her seating posture teased with sexual appeal, and only caused a bit of her shirt to pull off her skin, revealing a hint of a black strap that Cain had to struggle to glance away from. She was clad in a short skirt, with stockings and knee-high boots, and everything about her appearance just served to tempt the young red-head. A worrying thought considering the nature of the relationship between them at that point. He cleared his throat, wandering over to her and ensuring that his eyes never wandered anywhere below her neck - which was a struggle in itself, considering her milky white skin and shapely thighs - he then forced himself to place attention on the letter in her hand. "Hm, what's that?"
Standing then behind the seat she sat upon, Cain read the letter as well. Oh, a letter from the old woman, hm? He furrowed his eyebrows as he read on, especially upon reaching the description of the three children. What the hell were these kids? "Zapped? What the hell does that me--" Cain hesitated in his speech for a moment when he turned his eyes towards Loraina and found himself receiving a peek down her shirt, one that he quickly relieved himself off by turning his gaze towards the foyer. "--an?"
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
That little line of caution at the end really did set things into perspective as to why an elderly lady like that would hire two witches in the first place. With the added factor of what was spread all across the walls of this manor, it took Loraina no more than a whole ten seconds to figure out just who, or rather, what, this lady referred to as her children.
The pink haired lady plucked up the key that was previously attached to her end of the note and, wasting little time, proceeded to head up the grand stairwell. Thankfully the place was decorated with a lot of seemingly random things their aging client must've collected over the years of her then-youthful adventures, because with each step Loraina took, the click of her heels against the ground reverberated throughout the estate. If the place was without all these things, she wouldn't even begin to try to fathom how loud and creepy things would've been. Besides, unlike most units in lands like these, this actually felt like a home. A home that held memories, a home that exuberated warmth, and a home where everyone who's lived in was happy.
It almost made her sick to her stomach.
Being more than certain that her supposed 'partner' of an individual would've probably sensed the same things she did, she decided to let her mischievous side take over for the time being. Hey, if they were to be spending the entire day together, might as well make things a bit more interesting than they already are, right? Hence, she purposely motioned for him to follow along as she continued spinning the circular chain of the keys around her index, all the while making sure she was several steps ahead of him and thus, stood a few inches higher than him during their ascension of the stairwell. That slight height advantage, mixed with the deadly combination of her attire, oh how she wished she had a portable mirror of sorts just to see his reactions behind her. Alas, that was not to be, at least not yet, but the mild discomfort alone was enough to satiate her playful cravings for now.
Hell, up close like this, he may even have been able to see the color of her garter belt - or worse, her raunchy-looking corset through the thin fabric of her shirt.
"Those children she mentioned." she began, stabbing the lock with the key she had been presented, gently twisting it and undoing its locks before pushing it inward to reveal their three targets for the day. "They're not human. And, from what our generous client mentioned, quite the dangerous ones."
Though there wasn't a specific mention of who amongst the three possessed electrical prowesses, or if all three of them did, it mattered little. They were all sound asleep at the moment, each laid out in their own individual locations, and just by looking at them, one could already discern which was who. Finn, the cat with red and black fur, slept near a ball of yarn that had been recently played with; Seth, the black and blonde cat who slept soundly whilst perched atop a high shelf containing random knick knacks; and dear old Kevin, its larger frame sprawled across the bed while it snored on to no end.
"M-Mother of God, get me outta this hellhole right now!"
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i refuse to just being a footnote in your history
[attr="class","salvatore"]Wait. Pouncing. Climbing. Could it be? He frowned, as he began to look around the house once more. Everywhere he looked, there were paintings of cats. The only human he ever saw in the images was the client herself. Not a single one had been about her children. At least, not any human children. And considering how much she doted on about them, Cain figured there would have at least one or two paintings about them. Technically, as the pieces came together in his head, he was right. These were paintings of her children. The woman was a cat lady. And like, a really, really hardcore cat lady. He frowned. Could this mission get any worse? Babysitting was one thing, but catsitting?
He hated cats.
"You've got to be kidding me," Cain muttered softly, mostly to himself, just as Loraina got off her couch, with the key in hand. She moved back over to the foyer, and Cain, knowing that they'd have to face their marks sooner or later, and pretty much guessing where she was heading to, followed after her. A subconscious hand moved up to his chest, as he patted the part of his jacket where Hailey lay hidden and asleep. This was going to be a traumatizing experience for her, that was for sure. She was a small timid bird, and these were playful aggressive cats, from what the woman had described. He made a mental note not to let Hailey out of his sight, or the pocket, even. It would be uncomfortable, but she'd have to deal with it.
She gestured him along, though she didn't really have to. Cain was content with just following at this point, not entirely excited in seeing the three little whiskerteers. Maybe he could talk his way out of this? Lie about something like being allergic to cats? She couldn't be mean enough to try and force him against his health, right? He raised his chin and was about to bring it up to Loraina, but his eyes immediately caught hint of the little traps she had set up for him. The naughty hint of a red underwear hidden in the black shadows of her skirt, and a cheeky corset worn under the white shirt. He almost fumbled in his step, and averted his gaze once again to look at a nearby painting of a cat.
"Yeah, I figured that," Cain replied, a right hand coming up to tug at the collar of his white undershirt, feeling rather uncomfortable at the moment. Was it just him, or was it getting stuffier in the household? And what was her deal with these clothing? The first thing he saw her again, it was a tight-fitting dress. And now, it was this, this... Holy sin. Was this how she really dressed now? He grumbled softly to himself, though, if he were being honest, he couldn't really complain. They were... Nice on the eyes.
It only served to be detrimental against his concentration and focus on the task.
They soon arrived upon the room, and finally laid their eyes on the three cats they were supposed to take care of, each with their own individual bed. He flinched. Just how spoilt were these cats? "I can't believe this," he whispered, bringing a hand up to press against his forehead. What were they going to do about this? Cain knew squat about taking care of cats, much less pets. Hailey was easy, low-maintenance, but these cats had been spoilt beyond reason. And knowing what he knew about cats from rumors, they were going to be real demanding on the two of them.
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The extend of Loraina's pet knowledge ranged from the guard dogs that surrounded her estate, and that one goldfish she used to own but never really knew what happened to. Even if the idea of keeping cats around intrigued her, she definitely didn't want to be responsible for the life of another creature at this point in her life. Sure, Crimmy took good care of himself, and the only thing she had to do was keeping him fed with bits and pieces of the food she ate, but three cats? No, not only three cats, but three magical cats that threatened to electrocute potential visitors?
In short, Loraina had no clue how an elderly lady like this managed to keep all these magical felines in check, but she did know one thing.
"Cats and dogs? They tend to avoid me like the plague. Bit unfortunate really, as I'd love to own one some day. Hard cheese for me, I suppose." The thought of owning a cat, or even a dog, it was something of a childhood fantasy. They seemed like nice, loyal companions to have around, and unlike most humans, they'd never stab their owners in the back because they weren't intelligent enough for such things. Maybe all she needed in life were less intelligent friends? The idea alone gave her a mental chuckle, knowing for certain that it'd only result in really bad conversations.
"What of you? What is your experience with them?" Naturally, she was soft spoken and quiet, namely because she didn't want these cats to wake up any earlier than they would, so the peace and quiet would last at least a small while longer. What's surprising, compared to their initial meeting, was the way she conversed with this individual. Instead of being overly spiteful and such, this exchange was far more tolerable and, well, normal.
Though her lack of experience was really going to be a pain in the ass, her current state of mind revolved around feeding them when they're hungry, dodging them when they're not, and just to make sure they don't break anything too expensive. A good, simplistic approach, but deep down she knew that things weren't going to go as planned. Nothign in this world ever does.
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i refuse to just being a footnote in your history
[attr="class","salvatore"]"It's just cats, Loraina," he corrected her as she spoke of cats and dogs, turning his head to give her a lightly furrowed eyebrows. A right hand was lifted, gesturing towards the three felines that slumbered before them then. And what was this talk about her wanting to own a four-legged pet? Was she being serious? He blinked, finding himself imagining her playing around with a little puppy, and he could not help but find the image rather... Endearing. He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. It was obvious that he had not yet come to terms with the change of her appearance, from that young chubby bespectacled girl, to this curvaceous, beautiful and fierce beauty, an exact fit to what he would have believed to have been his ideal girl. Too bad she hated him, and he found her attitude annoying. One of the cats suddenly moved in its sleep, rolling across its back and stretching its four arms upwards. The chubby one. Kevin, Cain figured. The appearance certainly matched the description of what they had been told about their personalities.
"I own a hummingbird for a familiar, Lori. I'm not going to keep any cats," he replied simply, placing his left hand on his hip, his right hand coming to the side of his head as he scratched his red hair. What were they supposed to do now? Wake the cats up? Or should they just let them sleep, shortening the time they'd actually have to do something in terms of taking care of these felines? He reached forward, then, placing a hand on Lori's shoulder as he jerked his head towards the door, gesturing for them to leave. "Let's let them sleep a bit longe--"
"Meow,"
Cain flinched, his eyes widening slightly at the fearsome sound. Well, it wasn't fearsome in itself, but the implications the words carried, that was what was really frightening. He turned his head downwards, and saw, a few feet away from him, a small little cat with red and black fur, staring up right at him. He blinked, staring back in silence. And suddenly, the cat stood straight on all fours, its tail erected fully as it screeched at the man. He let go of Lori, stepping back. And just like that, the cat pounced, directly at him. "Wow, hey!" he exclaimed, hands reaching forward to try and catch the cat. He succeeded, of course, but was in for a surprise when he felt a sharp jolt of electricity run down his arms.
"Ack!" he let go of the cat, staggering back and feeling his arms go numb. He began to shake them, unaware that his bout with Finn had woken up the two other cats.
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"Tch, it's just cats, he says. Spiky haired fucker don't know shit about the wars I've been through with these milk drinking suckbags."
As per usual, Crimmy made his presence known within the mind of his master, but never physically manifested himself out in the open. It made sense, since the hint of fear in his husky voice made it seem like he was going through some sort of post traumatic stress episode, so much so that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of these electrifying feline. While Loraina herself hadn't fully understood the concept of a familiar, and whether or not they could actually switch owners if either their contracts were broken or simply, their last masters perished, that little nugget of information provided her with ample data that she'd add to her expanding tome of knowledge.
"Just cats, hm?" The mere scene of her partner struggling with the first cat held a sense of hilarity that she'd only expect in theatrical comedy acts, or even those street performers that, although talented, could not find themselves on the bigger stages regardless of their efforts. In cases like these, friends would most certainly help one another out, but even Cain must have known that the female witch wasn't a friend of his. At least, not yet. After all that childhood trauma, it would take some time before she could actually open up to him and as such, she would spend her time openly laughing at his misery, even if it seemed apparent that this little kerfuffle had awakened the other two sleeping cats.
She walked into the room, glancing at both the yawning felines as they stared directly back at her. The chubby one - Kevin, she could've sworn she was being snarled at by that one in particular, and it only reaffirmed her 'loathed by cats and dogs' hypothesis that she hadn't even planned on proving. "Thankfully, these adorable creatures do not hate me to the point where they'd attempt to rip my face off my face. Most only snarl and hiss when I try to approach."
At that point in time, she wasn't entirely sure if her partner was still listening, or if he had passed out from the shock he received, or was still receiving at the hands of Finn the adorable demon-looking cat. Out of the corner of her eyes though, she noted that Seth had begun prepping for a long jump of sorts, as it stretched its hind legs outward and kept its front ones stationary. From what she remembered of the notes, the seemingly suicidal cat would be fine, and all she'd have to worry about were the items that might've been placed along his path. And just like that, it leapt off the highest shelf in the room - a place which Loraina had no idea how it reached to begin with - before landing flat on the edge of the bed, narrowly missing his mark and potentially suffering a harder landing that it had intended on getting.
Kevin, as mischievous as it seemed to be, proceeded to then shove Seth off the bed with a simple prod of its tail, causing the other kitty to land on the wooden frame with a thud. For a second there, she could've sworn she heard Kevin cackle and laugh at the utter humiliation of its brethren, but she'd much rather be imagining things than to be labelled the next cat whisperer.
"You're going to have to feed them. Though I suppose, I could help prepare their meals."
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i refuse to just being a footnote in your history
[attr="class","salvatore"]"I take back my words," Cain muttered through clamped teeth as he continued to shake his arms, trying to get the blood flowing again to rid himself of the numbness that had enveloped the entirety of his appendages. "They're not just cats."
Cain glanced down at his arms, and then back up at the little hellspawn known as Finn. It still glared at him with its sharp eyes, looking ready to pounce once more. Cain frowned, meeting the creature's stare as he readied himself. IF Finn was going to pounce again, Cain would be ready this time. The cat took a step forward, and Cain cut short a breathe in anticipation. For a few seconds that felt like hours, the two warriors stood in their battle stances, as if reading each others stances, trying to anticipate the other's movements, and more than ready to deliver the killing blow at the smallest mistake of the other.
The cat pounced. Rookie mistake. Cain moved aside quickly, kicking open the door as he did and allowing the cat to fly straight through to the corridor outside, as it landed gracefully on the floor. Cain quickly moved to follow-up, as he closed the door behind it, effectively cutting himself off from any more attacks from the aggressive feline. "What the hell--" He heard a soft thud behind him and glanced over his shoulder, only to see the other two cats playing around Mrs. Katelaidee's bed. One was recovering up onto its feet after seemingly crashing to the ground, while the other circled on the mattress, before plopping back down, probably intent in going back to its catnap.
Cain blinked. As Lori spoke up, then, the red-head would display a deep disapproving frown, as he crossed his arms over his chest with a huff. "Why the hell do I have to feed them? You're the one they're scared of. You could pretty much approach them without any problems," he snapped. Of course, he already had an idea of why she wanted him to do it. After seeing him suffer under the hands of Finn, the demonic cat, she probably found it an amusing idea to subject him to more such incidents. An idea that, of course, Cain frowned highly upon.
"I'll feed them if you tag along instead of hiding in the kitchen," he added on, throwing down what would be his demands for compromise. One way or another, they'd have to get the cats fed anyway. Their client probably wouldn't be happy to hear that the two witches had starved her dear cats, even for just one night. Kevin was a clear evidence of that, with his oversized figure. Cain did not like the idea of being stuck in this house for a whole day with three demonic cats, and a woman who found amusement in his suffering, and not even be paid for it.
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
Oh the horror - was what she would have said if she possessed even a teaspoon of compassion within that rotten apple core she called a soul. Never in a million years would she have known that her childhood bully avoided cats like, well, cats avoided her. It was endearing, kind of sort of, but it also provided her with ample ammunition to unload on him in the very near future. For now though, they had to take care of the three little kitties and feed them their next meals. By the time they'd finish prepping, it'd already be dinner time, and Mrs. Katelaidee said she'd be back before midnight, so all in all, this was to be quite the short day, and considering the amount of money they'd be paid for short term labour like this, she had no qualms. Besides, it's not like she needed the cash.
A minute's passed, and they could already hear a constant flow of scratching noises from the other side of the door, and before long, Seth got right back up and headed towards the edge of a reading table with the intent of performing random acrobatics once more. Kevin on the other hand, began licking itself, which was a strange sight, to be truthful, but she was once told that this was how cats groomed themselves. Oh well.
Just to prove a point, Loraina attempted to approach the self-grooming chubby one by inching an arm closer and closer to its proximity, and the cat almost immediately jumped up to the far edge of the bed, hissing right at her. Another wooden thump signalled the rough landing of the black and brave cat who she couldn't believe, was not trying to show off in front of them and this was how it actually behaved. "Buggers wouldn't approach me if I was the one feeding them. We could leave the food in their respective bowls to see if they'd nub on it themselves"
"Besides, little Finn seems to have already taken a liking to you, innit?"
Of course it was meant as a joke. Hell, she even chuckled out lightly, especially since her words were being accentuated by the light purring of the aforementioned cat as it continued trying to scratch and claw its way back in impatiently, not one bit thrilled by the fact that it had been locked out of his own dwelling.
"But yes, I'd follow along if that's what you so wish. I'm sure it'll be hilarious to see if you lose your plot over feeding these animals."
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i refuse to just being a footnote in your history
[attr="class","salvatore"]He glanced at his fingers as he began curling and straightening them, slowly getting the feeling back in the little digits. He grumbled, finally recovering from the unexpected zap from Finn earlier, before lowering his arms. He raised his chin, then, looking up to see Loraina adorably approach the cat, as if wanting to pet it. Instead of allowing her to, however, Kevin would leap to the opposite side of the bed with a screech. Cain blinked. She... Really had a way with animals, didn't she? "That's the point," Cain replied, sounding rather tired already. The image of being pounced on by the cats as he attempted to pass their respective bowls on to them did not sound like an appealing thought at all. One shock had been enough. Getting three shocks? Yeah, Cain wasn't going to take his chances.
If Loraina herself was a deterrent against the cats - as sad as it sounded - then Cain would make full use of that unusual feature of hers. What really caused it, though? He figured they'd at least be drawn in, somehow, by her charm or something. Womanly and motherly, whatever was there? Of course, at this point, he was still unaware that it was simply the sixth sense of the animals, warning them of how dangerous the pink-haired woman actually was, more than how she portrayed herself to be. He clicked his tongue at her following comment.
"Shut up. That cat's from hell, for sure," he quipped, though there was a bit of belief in his words behind his tone there. The cat had attacked him out of nowhere, as if to challenge him. Cain glanced over his shoulder, at Seth, who continued to climb to whatever high platforms it could reach with its agility and short leaps, before leaping back down to the ground, almost always landing hard on its stomach. What was it trying to do?
Wait, was the cat possibly thinking that it was a bird? He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, his eyes narrowing with it. Every single one of these cats had hella unusual quirks. Just what did the owner do to these kittens that made them like this?
Cain then sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. I'm just looking to get paid here," he snapped back, as he gestured for her to follow, then. Hopefully, with her in tow, Finn wouldn't try to attack him. Upon reaching the door, then, he stared at the knob for a moment, before a better idea popped into his head. Stepping to the side, then, he wrapped his fingers around the metallic knob. Gesturing towards the door with his other hand, then, he gave the woman a mock bow.
[newclass=.salvatore]padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:11px;color:#2b2b2b;font-family:calibri;text-align:justify;[/newclass] [newclass=.salvatore b]color:#800517;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar]font-family:'Iceland';font-style:normal;font-size:22px;font-weight:400;color:#F70D1A;text-align:center;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.azotar:hover]color: #800517;-webkit-transition: all .5s linear;-moz-transition: all .5s linear;-ms-transition: all .5s linear;-o-transition: all .5s linear;transition: all .5s linear;[/newclass]
Overall, this seemed like a wonderful experience - at least for her, that is. There wasn't much she could actually do about the cats' unorthodox hatred for her, and she honestly had no idea why these adorable creatures stayed away from her as though she radiated the essence of evil. Sure, she has her moments here and there, and she has done things in the past that would warrant such biased thoughts about her, but didn't those usually come from people and not domestic pets?
"Look at the bright side. Only one of them wants you. The other two seem to be minding their own business, however strange those businesses may be." Leave it to Loraina to find the positive needle amongst all the haystacks of negatives. Of course she wasn't planning on encouraging him with her words, because why on earth would she even think of it. She merely wished to not discourage him, that was all. If he wound up leaving because he couldn't take it anymore, she'd be in deep trouble unless she devised a clever plan to feed those magical kittens without the need to approach them.
"You could only cower behind me for so long, you bloody dolt." All in all, she couldn't fathom the reason why he seemed to harbor a distaste for cats. Outside of these few magical and quirky cats, she's never really seen others who would openly bother humans, and they often just sat around minding their own business. Was it because of that little familiar he possessed? Had something traumatizing happen to the poor, beautiful bird in the past? Well, none of it mattered to her, but if she were to be continuously used as a cat-repellant, she would make sure he did his share of work too.
And so exit she did, with the cat who was previously scratching against the doorframe coming in contact with the skin of her leg, it jumped back in terror and sheer disgust. Thankfully, it didn't leave any heavy scratch marks, but it did sting quite a bit, what with the electrical jolt and all, but what stung more was the sight of the cat's expression, and it promptly caused Loraina to frown as she continued walking past the hallway, down the stairs and back into the common area before proceeding onward to the kitchen. There were a lot of things that she could've had as a child, but her shattered confidence and self consciousness often resulted in isolation and self loathing. Over the years, she's gotten herself in shape, both mentally and physically, and had now managed to scratch one of the biggest things off her bucket list - wearing clothes that made her look pretty.
She also wanted a pet.
Though there hadn't been a lot of other animals around, wild or tamed, the ones that she stumbled upon had all the same reactions as these cats. The only ones who were seemingly able to ignore her like she was nothing noteworthy were the familiars of other witches, but that's probably because she wasn't as strong as she could be just yet.
"Could you wash the feeding bowls and refill their little drink fountain? I'll handle their food, and perhaps our dinner." Looks may be deceiving, especially those who didn't know how she was before during her younger days. Being a more-than-chubby little girl, she had her fair share of good food. Not being one for socializing and the lot though, she picked up on quite a few tricks in the kitchen from personal chefs that her father often hired for meals that they had in their home. Admittedly, the kitchen here was a tad bit shoddy, but it'll have to do.
A good rinse of her hands with soap, and she should be good to go.
"Do keep an eye on Seth and make sure he doesn't break things? Finn is still a bit shook, so I suppose you're fine for the time being."
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
[attr="class","azotar"][googlefont="Iceland:400"]i am not your rolling wheels, i am the highway
[attr="class","salvatore"]"Yeah, yeah. Lucky me, I caught the eye of the demonic cat," Cain snapped back sarcastically at her comment. Though, true enough, she had a point. At least, it was just one cat. If it had been all three gunning for his guts, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it through an entire day in this mansion. The door soon swung open, and as Cain had predicted, Loraina's affinity with cats - or lack thereof - drew Finn away, and Cain could not help but flash the little cat a grin of victory, as childish as it was. The little beast had attacked him from the get-go, and it made Cain a little bit frustrated that he couldn't do anything to get back at the cat. At least Loraina's presence seemed to bother it. He'd milk that as much as he could, for sure.
"I know, but I'd rather not mess with that damned cat right now," Cain muttered as he followed behind Loraina, watching as Finn glared back at him, as if frustrated that he couldn't charge in close without having to go near the eerie-feeling female. It was embarrassing, to say the least, but Cain cared more about not getting zapped than keeping his pride before the woman in front of him. It hadn't been a pleasant experience, and if Cain had any say in it, he'd rather not have to go through it again. They succeeded in leaving the three cats to their businesses, though, as they moved back down to the foyer. Finn continued to follow them, as if stalking Can and waiting for another opportunity to pounce. It seemed that Kevin too had grown curious where the two humans were, as it silently walked out of the room - a surprising feat for a cat its size - eyes peering down from the second floor towards their direction.
Soft thuds from above indicated that Seth was just doing what he had been. Trying to fly.
He sighed in annoyance. "This is why I prefer dogs," he stated off-handedly, as the pair of witches wandered into the kitchen. She did say she was going to prepare food for the cats, after all, and Cain, not wanting to be a victim to Finn's attacks just yet, remained close to her. Not creepingly close, but close enough to fend the demonic feline off. Before he could get settled down anywhere in the kitchen, though, Loraina would proceed to toss him a set of instructions. "Eh?" He replied at first, not having expected to be tasked to do anything so soon, but knew that they were things to be done anyway. He glanced around, but saw no feeding bowls in the kitchen. He blinked, before noticing a large door connected to the kitchen.
Wandering over to it, he opened the door, and found the dining room. And true enough, at the side of the room, were three feeding bowls, each one custom-designed for each cat. Finn's bowl was onyx in color, with what looked to be rubies embedded at the side, tracing the cat's name. Seth's was black as well, with golden trimmings and the plated letters of its name drilled to the side. Kevin's was large, as compared to the others, and was silver in color. Completely made of silver. Cain blinked, staring at the three feeding bowls.
Hell, selling any of these bowls could probably set him for the next six months. "You're not gonna believe this, Loraina," he called out as he moved to pick the three bowls up, before walking back to the kitchen and showing them to her. "She spends way too much money on these cats, I swear," he commented as he glanced at the bowls. As soon as she was done washing her hands at the sink, Cain would wander over and place the three bowls in them as well. And letting the water run, he pulled his jacket off of him, setting it to the side, before proceeding to wash the bowls.
"Does Robird has a cage like this?" he taunted, knowing that the bird was listening.
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Like most other situations, it was better for Loraina to take charge and tackle their tasks head on as opposed to just standing there, wondering what to do next while feeling as lost as a little boy in a black market street. Besides, time seemed to fly by faster if they had something to preoccupy themselves with. Thus began the arduous process of preparing the cat's' meals, as well as their very own.
It was painfully obvious that this kitchen wasn't used that often, outside of certain cooking utensils that were probably only ever touched because of the cats. Layers of shelves were covered in dust, and so were the jars that stored all the dry ingredients. Still, being a fairly good judge of freshness, most of them were still usable, so she'd at least be able to make a decent meal out of whatever they had.
And boy did they have a lot.
Alongside the preferred foods for the cats, there were fresh vegetables and meats, eggs and cheese, you name it. There wasn't a need for such hospitality, especially with them getting paid by the end of the day, but with the amount of food and only one person living in this rather large manor, it'd be a total shame for all of this to go to waste if they didn't put at least a small dent into what was already presented to them. "You're not allergic to anything, are you?"
No questions of preference, none of what he'd like to eat. Hey, he's lived in the slums for all these years, if he had anything to complain about regarding her cooking, then he'd be welcomed to starve or eat raw celery for the rest of their meal.
"Huh?" By the time he'd return with the bowls in tow, she had already begun the arduous process of soaking and marinating the meats in a mixture of spices and sauces she found from the pantry, and had just started chopping up the vegetables into smaller cubes that would then be fed to the kitties. Since Kevin the chubby cat ate whatever it is humans ate on a regular basis, all she had to do was make an extra portion of the chicken parmesan and fresh tomato salad that she was in the midst of.
Oh, and her hair was tied up in ponytail. What? She didn't want it to get messy.
She would admit, upon first glance of the bowls, they did seem a bit too hefty for normal pets, but at the end of the day, it didn't come as a surprise to her, not one bit. "She referred to them as her children. Parents dote on their kids with toys and fancy gadgetry, and she dotes on hers with fresh food and decorated feeding bowls. You would know, you've been a part of that world before."
"If there ever comes a day where Crimmy willingly stays in a cage, the Sun would have become a black hole. A fascinating thought, but it wouldn't happen in any of our lifetimes." A life he made a willing decision to leave behind. Really though, ever since she stepped foot into this house, she couldn't help but to shake off certain thoughts about how starting a family felt like. Perhaps there were questions that she would've loved asking the elderly lady once she returned from her trip, or even on some other evening where the time of day would be slightly more appropriate.
However far off those days might have been, sometimes curiosity can be overwhelming. Speaking of being curious though, she did have one question that's been resting at the back of her mind ever since that fateful encounter. No, not the one with him, but the one with someone very close to him.
"So, this freedom. Is it worth the thought of leaving your sister behind without so much as a notice?"
Come pull the sheet over my eyes So I can sleep tonight
For someone like Cain, being desperate and careless was a dangerous combination. Just earlier that day, he had arrived upon the home of Silvertongue, and rushed straight for the mission board, where requests for the assistance of witches were posted up for members to take on. Having recently just secured the required trifecta of a home, food and clothes, Cain knew that he'd have to increase his income in order to maintain it. It was for that very reason, that the red-head had rushed to take the highest-paying job he could get his hands on. And it just so happened to be this particular one. A job that Cain really had no experience in. He had been expecting something more on the illegal end, considering how Silvertongue was a rogue guild that was willing to do whatever task was asked for as long as it paid well. He was never expecting himself to ever be babysitting, at all. 
