[PQ] a place to call home

Though Tal had been talking to Sohalia, he didn't have the heart to tell Jude that when the kid piped up with such a shy smile. He bobbed his head back and managed an awkward smile in return, but was relieved when the distraction of cake offered a change of subject.

Unfortunately it was a short lived celebration and soon he was back outside, scowling as he glared into the shadows of the narrow alleys on either side of the combination house and shop. He half-heartedly called out "Here, kitty kitty..." as he poked around the building, while Boreal circled the roof, sharp eyes peeled for movement.

Soh didn't have to tell him twice to come back inside. He scurried after her and was just starting to head upstairs to finish his slice of cake when the culprit made its appearance. Tal wrinkled his nose in silence, hanging back while the other two fussed over the kitten. At their hostess's question he swallowed and looked hopefully to Jude, who sprang (metaphorically) to the fore as a willing sacrifice. The courier breathed a sigh of relief, his grin returning as he nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds good t'me!" he assured the younger man. "Now, about the cake...?"

Sohalia

Tal's scowls were not lost on Soh, and so she murmured an apology as she summoned him back inside. She also didn't miss the way he hung back from the kitten; she remembered that he'd said before that he was a dog person, and she offered an apologetic smile. Though she herself preferred dogs to cats, she had a soft spot for all animals, especially babies. And this kitten was particularly adorable.

Jude was petting the kitten around her fingers, and from time to time, they made contact with her hand, bringing the slightest of blushes to her face. She offered him the kitten, since he seemed so enamored with it and had so kindly offered to take it. "Maybe I can visit her, sometimes?" she asked hopefully, as excited by the prospect of seeing Jude as she was seeing the kitten.

In the meantime, though, they had a celebration to finish. "Bring her upstairs, Jude. We can find her something to eat and finish our cake!" And so she led the way upstairs, where the three of them, Boreal, and the kitten could relax and enjoy the rest of their afternoon.

-FIN-

these aching memories still dance around me