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THE BOUQUET ESTATE - LATE EVENING
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Vix sorts through the discarded items outside a particularly nice estate, looking for anything that might be valuable or interesting.
Narrator: Visible through the gate and perhaps ill timed for Vix, one of the Bouquet's staff are currently hauling out a box of assorted broken equipment - Vials, lenses, mana crystals, parts of what can only be assumed was once a chair. The estate doors behind the staff member opens, a white and purple blurr roughly half a foot shorter than Vix streaking down the path.
Narrator: The cat, well groomed and dressed all prim and proper in a nice purple dress complete with appropriate footwear, slides to a stop in front of the staff member. "Of course, it is JUST like my sister to plan this during dinner! I knew something was up! Stop that right this instant, young man!" The small cat scolds upwards at the tall fox.
Narrator: The fox looks down at Teis, physically. And maybe metaphorically also. "I'm sorry, Miss Amar-" The fox catches themselves with an ahem, as Teis glares at the staff member more intensely now. ". . .Teis." The fox corrects. "My hands are tied. I am under your Sister's express orders to dispose of your trash."
Teis' tail flares up at this, stamping the ground in a huff. "TRASH?!? EXCUSE ME, THIS IS MY ONLY PROTOTYPE! SURE, IT MIGHT HAVE MALFUNCTIONED-" Exploded, "-AND SURE, IT MIGHT BE IN MULTIPLE PIECES NOW, BUT I NEED THIS TO REFINE THE NEXT VERSION!" Teis goes off on the poor Fox just doing his job. "Teis, I am employed by for your Father first and foremost, whom has put Miss Rondelethia's needs one rung above your own. I'm very sorry." The fox continues, leaving the gates of the estate and disposing of the box wholesale into the large bin outside the walls. Teis follows, grumbling, lamenting, but ultimately accepting the fate of her poor prototype.
Vix 's ears perk up at the shouting, and she scampers into hiding just as a new box is noisily added to the pile she's sorting through. She peeks out of the shadows, still curious about the commotion.
Narrator: With the job unceremoniously finished, the fox turns to Teis briefly. "Your sister would undoubtedly prefer your presence to be back in the dining hall, Teis." He speaks, trying to dissuade Teis from fishing it out of the trash. With that, he leaves to return to his duties inside the estate. Teis is left staring into the bin, her eyes full of sadness, a sorrow frown on her face. D'aww.
Vix shifts a little, accidentally knocking over her stack of sorted items and startling herself. "Ah! Whoops..."
Teis startles! She looks up from the bin, "Whoops?" She emptily asks the night as she turns, looking towards the source of the sound and voice, her eyes quickly locking onto the knocked over pile, then scanning for the person responsible for it.
Vix 's yellow eyes shine in the darkness next to the rubbish. She blinks, staring back at the other cat. "Yeah...whoops."
Teis locks eyes with Vix's. "Uuuuh. . .Hello." Teis greets. "Are. . .You. . .?" Teis leads her question, hoping Vix would finish it and confirm. She doesn't want to be so direct. "Because, I mean. . .It's fine if you are. Just don't let the others see you, I guess."
Vix waves her hands defensively. "I-I mean it's not stealing! It's been thrown out!"
Teis: "Hey. Relax, alright? You... Probably won't believe me but..." Teis sighs, dropping into a quiet, solemn tone. "I. . .Had to do the same growing up. I get it. So. . .Yeah. Just don't let the others see you and it'll be okay." She sighs once more, trying to perk herself up a bit. "I'm Teis, by the way. Nice to meet you."
Vix steps out of the darkness to shake Teis's hand. "I'm Vix. And I'm not poor, y'know! I have a stall in the market!"
Teis accepts, shaking Vix's hand, evidentially not giving any care in the world that she's well groomed and clean, and Vix has...Well, has been digging through literal trash. "Pleasure, Vix. And I'm uh. Sorry for assuming, I guess?" Teis tilts her head. "You. . . .Want me to leave you to it?" She asks.
Vix hums. "Well...I was thinking...it sounds like you're still attached to some of this junk. Maybe I could hold onto it for you, so it doesn't go to waste."
Teis' eyes light up a little. ". . .Yes! Very attached! But my Sister won't let me keep it. Can you believe that she's worried I might be a hoarder? Ugh. I still have things to learn from all this stuff!" Teis flies off into a miniature tirade. "That would be very generous of you, Vix! I certainly can't bring it back inside the estate. . ."
Vix taps her chin. "I could make some room in my house for it. Perhaps for a small storage fee..."
Teis nods to herself, skewing her lip. Hmm. There's no way she could justify the cost of that to Della. 'Hey. This expenditure is to store all the junk of mine you threw out.' Bzzt! That's a no go. And Teis is a terrible liar. "Ugh. I would, but much like my equipment, I don't control the finances around here either." Teis grumbles. "But you seem pretty interested in my stuff. How about I ensure that you get anything of mine that my idiot sister -blessherheart- throws out?" Teis attempts negotiation.
Vix nods. "That sounds pretty good...if you've got a little pocket money, you could stop by my stall to buy something every now and then, too~"
Teis: "Sure. I'd be happy to have a gander. If there's something there that'll help my work, then I can certainly justify the expense." Also Teis just feels bad for Vix (at least as far as this initial first impression concerns her), not in the sense that she looks down on Vix, but rather she's disappointed in herself that she can't help more. Of course, maybe this 'stall' would reveal a deeper story.
Vix grins. "I'd be happy to see you there! You'd be surprised how much good stuff folks throw out around here." She glances at the fresh box of junk. "Or...heh...maybe not."
Teis glances to the box herself as well, frowning, though her attention is quickly yanked back to Vix's perceived snarky comment. "Excuse me!? You also!?" Her tail flares up and she stamps the ground in a huff. "That is the beginnings of my miniaturized mana condenser! Those things usually take up half of a room by themselves! Do you even know what you're looking at?!" Teis yells.
Vix puts up her hands defensively. "W-whoa now, I meant you uh... know how good this stuff is! No offense..."
Teis calms down quickly, with an "Oh!" She beams a smile, resetting to a friendly demeanour. "Thank you!"
Vix relaxes again and puts her hands on her hips. "Sounds like you've got a lot going on here. I'll try not to get wrapped up in all that."
Teis: "Oh my god you have no ideeaaaaaa. . ." Teis exasperatedly sighs. "I've got a blind guy with a curse, coursework to catch up on, a Sister that won't get off my back about work, yet stuffs me into fancy dresses, spends all day grooming me, throws out my equipment. . .And then won't let me stay up all night to catch up on the first three things!" Teis vents. "Gah!"
Vix chuckles. "Phew, that's the kinda thing folks move to Respite to get away from."
Teis chuckles as well. "Admittedly it's still better out here than back home. I just wish I had more time working and less time. . .Obligating. Obligations." Teis ahems. "Vix, yes? You are the first other cat I have met since Sis and I moved."
Vix grins. "Oh yeah? I'm pretty sure there was a few more around..."
Teis: "Was?" Teis questions. "Admittedly, I'm curious to meet and make friends with more. I enjoy all folks, just. . .You know. It's nice to be around my own kind. You know? As a break."
Vix tilts her head, wondering about that last bit. "A break from...? Ah well, nevermind. Are all these boxes out here your stuff? Might be a lot for me to carry..."
Teis: "No, not all of it. I'd ah, I'd love to help you move them, but. . Sis is probably starting to wonder if I really went to the bathroom. . .And our guests are probably wondering if I hurt myself or something. . .And I promised Sis I'd be good. So I won't be able to stay for much longer." Teis skews her lip.
Vix hums thoughtfully. "Alright, how about this: just point out what you wanna keep real quick and I'll take care of the rest."
Teis: "Hmm. Yeah, that works. . .But I can even. . ." Teis takes in a deep breath, outstretching a finger and starting to chant, her other hand to provide the somatic component for her spell. Her finger glows purple as Teis systematically shoots at everything she wants to mark, a small, faintly glowing purple rune becoming etched and/or embedded into the things she's marked. Her glow fades, spell ending, the runes persisting. "There. I'll be able to track those marks as well to find you as well. No having to worry about addresses or anything. I'll try to make time so we can chat more. Yeah?"
Vix nods as she inspects the mark on one of the marked items. "Oh yeah, this is perfect, You get back to your dinner thingy, I'll make sure this stuff is nice and safe~"
Teis nods, and smiles. "Excellent. Thank you, Vix." Even if Vix doesn't end up keeping her word, it doesn't particularly matter anyway, given that this stuff is being thrown out. "It was nice meeting you!" Teis waves, taking her leave.