Solo But Does It Come In Black?

[Madeira Dusk]

71st of Fall, 517

”Welcome to Imawsable pets! Here, let me take your cloak. How are you doing this fine day? Good? Good. Fantastic illusions lately, don't you think? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. It's wonderful to see Summer back again! Oh, best keep back from Lolly's cage, sweetpea, she's teething."

Vinric Jayovali came at Madeira like a whirling dervish of perfect teeth and sparkling congeniality. At once stripping the Craven of her cloak, hanging it by the door, and giving the goose extending it’s long neck towards her unwary backside a reprimanding slap.

Madeira herself was almost deaf to the clerk. Her attention had been swallowed by the unusual store. The large floor was open but for the waist high dividers lining the walls and the large, twittering cages at the back. The illusioned ceiling showed the silvery underside of the towering tree outside high above the ceiling rafters. Trinkets and bright, childish art hung from the exposed beams and rustled musically in the breeze coming from the open windows. A strong, animal smell seemed to leak from the very stones, and the air was alight with hisses, rustling and mewling from the different sections, and the honking of a very angry goose.

"Oh, but my manners! I'm Venric, but you can call me Vinny. Everyone does. And what's your name, sweetpea?" Vinny pinned her with eyes the colour of melted chocolate as he waited patiently for a response. Struggling to keep up with the rapidfire conversation, Madeira blanked on her own name.

'Um, M-Madeira. Pleasure to meet you." She stuttered embarrassingly. Her training kicked in then and she offered her hand to Vinny, who shook it enthusiastically. "And please don't call me sweetpea."

Vinny blinked owlishly at her for a second, then broke out in what she was beginning to recognize as his trademark smile.

"My-dear-ah? Well, if you insist! This way my dear!"

"No- no, that's not..."

Too late. He had already spun away on the heels of his shiny black shoes and began walking deeper into the shop, gesticulating wildly.

Madeira had to take a tick to gather herself before following. As she jogged back into earshot, she slid into the conversation he was already having with the empty space he expected her to be.

"... then the snakes all turned invisible, and we haven't found them since." he was explaining, his fingering dancing in the air. “Now, what brought you in today? How about a lovely songbird to brighten up your home?"

They passed a tall cage full of jewel bright little birds, who sang louder and louder at their approach. A few were fluffing their feathers, clearly showing off. She imagined Bird, her pet pigeon, would be very upset if she brought one of these twittering prima donnas home.

[Madeira Dusk]

"Ah, no, I don't think my bird, Bird, would get along with these", she replied tonelessly, poking her fingers through the bars. Immediately a charmed smile threatened her lips as the little birds crowded around her fingers looking for a stroke.

"Your bird-bird? Is it, perhaps, more bird than a regular bird? Double the bird, if you will?" Venric's eyes shone with interest.

"I don't know if it's even a regular bird," she shrugged, poking the fingers of her other hand through so as to dispense more nuzzles. “It could just be a pidgeon, but it was a gift from the Inverted."

Whatever that meant, it seemed to satisfy the eccentric clerk, who nodded knowingly. It was no use asking further, and he knew it. Ionu did not work in straight lines or straight answers, and neither did the Inverted.

"Well, my dear. We will find the perfect animal for you yet! In fact, I think I know just the thing." He took her by the shoulders and steered her away, to the ire of the little birds, who twittered mutinously.

They passed more low stalls who's occupants all made excited noises as they passed, but Vinny was holding her too tight for her to lean over and see what was inside. A section of cozy and rather enormous wooden boxes were piled up against the wall. From the holes in the sides she could see bright yellow eyes glaring at her. Yet he didn't take her to these, but to the wooden crates beside them. He set her facing them, then ducked down and stuck his hands in the nearest open crate. A tick later he surfaced with something brown and bristly.

"SPIDERS!" he roared triumphantly, brandishing a startled looking arachnid the size of a dinner plate. All six hairy legs flapped loosely as it soared through the air. "The ultimate pet! Unique, low maintenance, comes in six varieties of venom for the discerning connoisseur, and makes a great accessory!"

With that he plopped the startled spider on the head of the equally startled woman, where it sat like the worlds ugliest pork pie hat. She could feel it's fragile legs tightening and it's heavy body hunkering down in her hair. She couldn't see it's face, but she was willing to bet every gleaming eye was watching Vinny with contempt.

"Ah..."

Incorrectly reading his customers expression, he tutted and reached into a second box.

"Not to worry, my dear! They also come in travel size.”

And a fistful of thumb-sized spiders were thrust into her hands.

Too scared to move, lest she dislodge her hairy passenger, and unable to stay still while covered in spiders, Madeira was left with nothing to do but to hold her hands as far away from her body as possible and hiss like a nervous kettle.

Finally cottoning on to her discomfort, Vinny shook his head as if amused and exasperated by the silly woman and her silly terror. He began plucking individual spiders off her hands and dropping them back in the box. From a round hole in the crate next to it, a long blue tongue unrolled and began snatching the spiders out of the air.

"Never you mind, never you mind. Not spiders then, eh? Well, never fear! We shall find your perfect animal yet!" As the last spiders in her hands were pulled away (not one of which reached the intended box) Vinny began to unwind the large spider from her hair one reluctant leg at a time.

"Perhaps... Perhaps something more durable?" she suggested, as the spider was pulled away. Visions of her large hyena bondmate and Dhani best friend flashed in her mind. She wasn't sure she was ready to scrap her new pet out of the carpet or from between Allister's metal teeth, even if it was a spider.

"Say no more, say no more! I have just the thing", he beamed at her while struggling to fold the angry spider's many legs back into its box.

[Madeira Dusk]

Spider free and beaming, Vinny didn't seem at all put off by his picky customer. Instead, every failed attempt seemed to make him more determined and excited to find her exactly what she needed.

"This way, this way!"

He led the way back down to the front of the shop, with Madeira hurrying behind. Fully expecting him to lead her out the front door, instead her turned the opposite way, to a back door she never noticed. It was painted in that same whitewash as the walls, but set at eye level was a square of thick warped glass. The bright azure sky and jade green grass on the other side undulated liquidly together in the pane, like she was about to interupt them fucking.

Vinny threw the door open, and the acreage of Impawsable Pets rolled out before them. Goats roamed in the field, chickens clucked excitedly in coops, geese roved in tightly packed groups, and a huge mew of evil eyed hawks were watching a run of bunnies with sour expressions. Madeira was still marvelling that Ionu would let the shop travel with so much land when she realized Vinny wasn't beside her anymore. Sure enough, he was a ways ahead, having a conversation with thin air and gesticulating wildly. Madeira jogged to keep up.

"-knew who you were the moment I saw you" he was saying. Madeira looked around in alarm. Was she finally being recognized as a Craven? "I am very observant, see. Nothing gets past Vinny. I pride myself on knowing the who's-who." He dusted his lapel, letting this pronouncement stew for a moment. "That dour, prudish disguise can't fool me, no! You're the actress Stara Alophenne! Yes, yes, I know. I saw you in The Ascending Of Ivak at the Playhouse. Tired of being mobbed by your fans, eh? Trying to sneak around in that stuffy disguise, eh? I must say, your excellent make up would have fooled anyone but me. You look like you haven't slept in years! Not to worry, not to worry, your secret is safe with me. Wow, I can't wait to hear what Thuk thinks of this!"

The excited, chatting Vinny and the severely deflated Madeira eventually came upon a high fence made of thick interlocked wires. Vinny produced a key from inside his shirt, unlocked a heavy brass lock and ushered her inside. It seemed to be a massive run, laid out with gravel and smelling strongly of fur and raw meat. At once she realized she should have asked what 'more durable' meant to the energetic clerk.

"Um, Vinny, what-"

"One mo'. Just have to call them." He stuck two fingers in his mouth and let loose a piercing whistle. In a shadowy corner, she saw something enormous lift it's square head. Around the corner she could hear the sifting of gravel, the raking of excited claws, and a high, excited growl. The massive shape in the corner got to it's feet.

Nope. Madeira's mind roared. No no no no no. She turned around and made to wrench the door open. It was locked.

"Now, you'll want to keep you hands to yourself”, Vinny was saying. "Don't want to lose any fingers, right? And best keep your elbows in."

Madeira rattled at the door, but it wouldn't budge. Behind her the scraping of many claws, and the thud of some heavy bounding creature, was getting closer.

"And don't run. Don't walk, either. Actually, best not to move. They have a powerful prey drive. And don't sweat so much." he admonished. "They can smell fear, ya' know."

Heavy breathing, something fetid and wet, was rolling behind her. The smell of fur and skin and raw meat was overpowering. Madeira was already holding the wire, trying to pull herself over the fence by sheer force of will and terror, when something hit her from behind.

Two rough paws slammed into the back of her shoulders, and the Craven bounced off the wire and fell backward into a pit of excited fur. Her prayer to Dira wooshed out of her lungs, and a huge black nose snuffled excitedly in her ear. A lolling pink tongue was oozing on her cheek.

The biggest dog she had ever seen in her life was standing over her, looking down at her as if baffled that she would be there. Around her was a writhing mass of excited fur. Some no taller than her ankles, some thick and heavy with shaggy fur, some sleek and shiny, and all with sharp little teeth and excited tongues. An avalanche of dogs.

"That's Horse!" Vinny was shouting while he fended off his own enthusiastic attackers. "Imperial Watcher! Isn't he beautiful? And that's Jollie the Helevaos eating your dress. That little guy is Brussel Sprout the Ovatalis Terrier. Then we got Potts, Barfolomew, Steve, Spud, Tibbs..."

Madeira struggled to her feet while waving away a terrier determined she not leave with her skirt intact. Wading over to Vinny in a knee high wash of barking dogs, she grasped his shoulder for support.

"Too durable!" she shouted in his ear. If Allister and Ssanya could kill a spider, Jomi and Emma could kill her with a dog. If any of these dogs developed a badger’s cold hatred or a childs tantrum... Well, they'd be picking her out of the carpet instead.

"Adorable? I know, right?!” he shouted back, obviously pleased.

"Let me out of here!"

“What about deer?!”

"What?"

"What?"

Frustrated and batting away leaping dogs, Madeira mined one-handed undoing a lock.

"Well why didn't you say so?!"

In a chime the two humans had squeezed out of the run, looking ruffled and slightly damper than before.

"Well, what do you think?"  Vinny beamed at her, wiping a long string of drool off his coat.

Word Count: 966

[Madeira Dusk]

Madeira beat the slobber and dusty dog prints off her skirt, her head down so that Vinny could not see the expression rolling across her face. She strightened up, still facing away, and breathed deep through her nose while cracking her knuckles one by one.

"I could see you with a nice Bozderon, or a Jivatalus!" Vinny started up again, seemingly unable to let a silence go unfilled. "Medium sized, can take care of themselves. A bit of work to keep, but-" for the first time, Vinny of Impawsable pets faltered. Madeira was stalking towards him, her expression thunderous. She grabbed him by the front of his coat and dragged him down to her level.

"Vinny."

"My dear, wha-"

"No."

"But-"

"Shhh!"

She let the silence, that blessed silence, sit between them uninterrupted for thirty ticks. When she spoke again, her voice was forceful and unaturally even.

"Vinny. I have a tiny house. My beloved bondmate is a large hyena with metal teeth and a teaspoon of sanity. My best friend is a death obsessed snake monster. I live with a magic bird. I live with the taxidermied head of a Kelvic tiger we treat as family. I live with the ghost of an angry Kelvic badger who hates me, the ghost of a delusional little girl who loves me, and the two of them never, ever sleep. I need something big enough not to be crushed by Allister, clever enough to stay away from Ssanya, friendly enough not to destroy Bird or Raj, and with the spiritual fortitude to survive Jomi and Emma. Vinny, help me."

They stood like that for a long moment; her fists wrapped in his lapels and him with arms wide and hunched awkwardly at the waist. Blue eyes bored into brown, and suddenly some understanding ran between them. In a moment they both independently saw in each other a spark of that old Avalad madness. A spark so similar yet so entirely removed from their own. An insanity that ran deep in the blood of those who loved their city and their trickster deity. And still nose-to-nose, they smiled at each other as a camaraderie flared between them.

"I think", Vinny said in clear tones, a knowing smile on his lip, "I know exactly what you need."

Word Count: 383

[Madeira Dusk]

Several chimes later, back inside Impawsable Pets, Madeira was ankle deep in cats and having the time of her life.

Vinny leant on the waist high wall that surrounded Madeira's fluffy paradise, prattling on about the benefits of cats on the wellbeing of mind, body and soul. Madeira barely heard him. She was kneeling in the pen petting every feline in reach. Sleek, long haired, green eyed, yellow eyed, aloof or curious, she offered her hands to all of them. Finally, here was something clever and durable and not especially dangerous. She smiled wide, knowing she had found exactly what she needed.

But which one should she bring home? Did she choose something meek or brave? Did she want something aloof or one that would crawl into her lap? Vinny must have sensed her dilemma, for he broke through her mental tune-out to give her sound advice.

"I find bringing a trusted friend in for a fresh perspective helps with making decisions. Perhaps you'd like to come back later with someone and decide?"

"That's a good idea", the Spiritist perked up. "But I can just call her here now. Do you happen to have a knife on you? I'll need to slit my wrist."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, this'll do."

Pushing on the squishy pink pad of nearby cat extended four wicked claws. She swiped the cat's paw across the thin skin of her own wrist, and blood welled in the shallow cuts. Dipping her finger into the macabre paint, she sketched a lopsided sixteen-point star in her palm. Working a large opal ring from her finger, she set it carefully in the star and closed her eyes.

She focused on the drop of soulmist inside the hollow stone. Using her own soul for power, she sent power along the connection between the mist and the ghost it came from. Once she had it firmly in her mind, she invoked it with it's name.

"Emma Chamelle!"

The little nine-year-old ghost popped into existence with a shimmer of disturbed air. Caught off guard by the summons, both her arms were extended outwards, as if holding something up. But as soon as she saw Madeira the ghost tucked her hands guiltily behind her back.

"What were you doing, Emma?"

"Nothing", she said a bit too quickly, and Madeira raised her brow. She was going to come home to find something broken, she suspected.

"Never mind, sweetheart. I need your help, ok?" Madeira couldn't quite keep the glee out of her voice. Emma had just realized where there were, and her big brown eyes were lighting up with joy.

"Are we getting a kitty!?" the girl squealed in paroxysms of girlish delight.

"Yes we are! But I need you to decide which one."

As the ghost wheeled around, searching the ground at her feet for the perfect kitty, Madeira caught Vinny smiling at her. He didn't seem particularly surprised to have witnessed a dead child being summoned with a blood ritual to his store. In true Alvadas fashion he looked to be appreciating the spectacle while ignoring the deeper questions of 'how' and 'why'. He winked cheekily at her and they both turned to watch Emma chase the cats around the pen.

"That one!" Emma announced several chimes later, having scared the wits out of several dozen cats. While the rest of the felines were hiding under toys or cramming themselves in the corners with such force as if to invert themselves out of existence, one little black tom sat unperturbed in the middle of the floor. His enormous, lamp-like orange eyes were bright and ever so slightly crossed. He was watching the ghost with a passive interest that could almost be vacant. It was either a brave, curious creature or ever so slightly mad.

'What's his name?" Madeira asked Vinny, her head tilted to the side as she regarded the little cat.

"Spooks."

"We'll take him."

[Chameleon]

GRADE

XP

• Socialisation: 3XP
• Observation: 1XP
• Spiritism: 1XP

LORES

• Impawsable Pets: Alvadas pet store
• Impawsable Pets: Sell birds, spiders, goats, geese, chickens, dogs and cats
• Venric "Vinny" Jayovali: Impawsable Pets clerk
• Vinny: Thinks she looks like Stara Alophenne
• Stara Alophenne: Performed in The Ascending Of Ivak
• Spooks: Madeira's new cat

OTHERS

It made me laugh too! Loved it - you know the drill now. Mark as graded, PM me with questions and write more for me to read!