Did You Know Catnip Helps With Pest Control? [Paladienne]

[DragonSong]

Addie took a different route home from school, trying to avoid the particular winding side street where she'd bumped into a cluster of classmates what felt like every day for the last week. It wasn't that she didn't like the, precisely, it was just that...

Well, they didn't seem to like her much.

She was an easy target; she knew that. She wore her emotions on her sleeves and cried far too easily. She almost didn't make it fun for people trying to get a rise out of, simply because it required so little effort to do so.

But it seemed that didn't stop them. She should probably come up with a new defense mechanism.

Hefting her shoulder bag a little bit up against her side, Addie paused and glanced around, trying to take stock of the twisting spires of silver and blue that surrounded her. Alright, she was familiar with this general area of the station--she had to be, it was the quickest route from her house to school and back--but she'd never been on this particular street before. She was pretty sure if she headed up another block or two, then took a right...

Or maybe it was left? Or would that just loop her around?

Bit her lip, Addie felt her steps begin to slow almost unconsciously as she realized her best option might be to backtrack and just go the way she usually did. But...she really didn't want to deal with those people today. Couldn't she get just one day?

The communicator in her pocket suddenly buzzed and she quickly pulled it out, blinking once as the iris scan unlocked the comm to her print and revealed a text from her mother:

Working late again. You can get yourself dinner, right? I'll see you in the morning.

Addie sighed, typing out a quick, affirmative reply before she pocketed the comm again and let her shoulder lean against the wall. Her bag was suddenly heavier, the buildings around her taller and brighter as her chest tightened, the threat of tears rising up behind her eyes.

Stop it, stop it, stop it. She hated doing this, hated that she never seemed to be able to stop or control it, no matter what she did.

She needed to get off the street. It just made things worse that she knew every random passerby would be able to see her stupid little breakdown. Sniffling, she hefted her bag again and hurried a little further down the street, eyes flicking around until she fuzzily recognized an "Open" sign for...some sort of cafe?

Didn't matter. She just needed to get off the street, just for a few minutes. Not even pausing to read the name, Addie darted inside and closed the door behind her, then leaned back against it, breathing in short, sharp little hiccups as she tried to fight down a new threatening wave of tears.

[Paladienne]

It was a normal day for business, at least as far as his register cared. So long as the money was flowing and he could afford to keep the place open and his friends fed, Sey really didn’t pay attention to the clientele that came into his Feline Phantasm cat cafe. It was an unusual place to have on a station such as the Libra, but it was a novelty and it tended to be popular with school children, so he never found much of a reason to argue. So long as they obeyed the rules of the house and didn’t harm the cats, Sey allowed them to stay as long as they liked. People flowed in and out, spending money to play with the cats and have some snacks themselves, and then if they were feeling generous, they might leave a tip or support one of the cats.

Sey looked up from the glass he was drying as the door opened, the small bell above the door chiming to alert him to a new patron. His eyes followed the girl as she entered. She seemed to be like a frightened rabbit, sneaking into the place and quickly closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door as if it was the only thing keeping her upright, and her head was bowed. Her chest heaved as if she’d been running. Maybe she had been. But something wasn’t quite right. He could feel it, like an electrical current in the air. Sadness. Since it was concentrated in the area around the girl, Sey could only assume she was the one who was sad, and he felt compelled to go over to her to see if he couldn’t help.

Sey knew he was an imposing figure. He was just shy of six feet tall, of average build with the kinds of muscles one achieved from lifting heavy boxes, constant movement, and the occasional cat-lifting and carrying. His hair was shoulder length, straight and black, though it tended to have a mind of its own when he was feeling something extremely powerful. Since he was feeling worry and uncertain, his hair was beginning to corkscrew and turn blue. His eyes were a pale sea-glass green, but they held a kind expression as he approached the girl. He knew that if she was truly frightened, she’d run, and then who knew what kind of trouble she’d get into.

Sey stopped an arm’s length away from the girl, and offered her a gentle smile as he held out his hand to her, leaving the decision to take it or not up to her. He was certain he’d never seen her before, and therefore she might not know where she was. The new customers tended to come with their friends, having been convinced to come. Those who showed up alone were either regulars, curious passersby, or lost.

“Hey,” Sey started, keeping his voice even and calm, “are you lost? Do you need some help?”

[DragonSong]

Addie started and gasped, snapping her head up as she realized the shop proprietor--at least she assumed he was--was standing right in front of her.

"N-no, I...I'm..." She swallowed thickly, sniffled, tried desperately and futilely both to stop crying and look like she hadn't been crying. "I'm just...browsing?"

Oh. Oh gods that was bad. That was really very bad.

With a sigh, the girl allowed her shoulders to curve forward and slumped back against the door, wrapping her arms loosely around her waist. She still trembled slightly, and was clearly exerting a good deal of effort to hold back more tears. Finally, she lifted her head again and swiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

"I'm not lost," she mumbled thickly. "But I, um..."

She looked him over again. Looked around the shop. Weighed her options, weighed the risk. Then she gave a sharp exhale and hesitantly reached for his hand. "I could...use some help."

[Paladienne]

Sey studied the girl for a moment, uncertain exactly what to do with her. She looked utterly defeated, as if the slightest move or word would send her into a fit. She looked like she was about to cry, if she hadn’t spent the time outside of his shop crying already. Her eyes were watery, her lips fighting the urge to curve into a pout, and there were clear tear-stains on her cheeks. He didn’t know what to say to calm her. Don’t cry seemed to always be a quick way to get someone to start crying again. So he waited and watched, looking for the moment that the girl was ready to talk.

When she did, the words that came out of her mouth weren’t exactly what Sey had been expecting them to be. Very rarely did anyone actually ask for help, let alone ask him. Usually, it was after they’d had a moment to play with the cats and relax, perhaps have a snack and a drink and had time to contemplate their lives before they opened up to him.

But since this girl was asking for help, Sey knew he had to give it. So he smiled and he curled his hand around the girl’s, holding her hand in a gentle grip that she could break at any time she wished. He didn’t say anything as he led her over to a small private table near the glass window that separated the cafe area from the cats’ play area. The table itself was shielded on three sides by a folding screen decorated with wild freesia and painted green leaves. He sat her down, then crouched beside her.

“Would you like anything to drink? Anything to eat?” Sey looked toward the glass, smiling a little. He pointed with his finger as one of the cats jumped onto the ledge on the other side of the glass, her furry face inspecting the girl sitting at the table. “She’ll keep you company until I get back. So, what’ll it be?”

[DragonSong]

A fresh wave of tears, these from relief, nearly swamped her, and Addie had to bite her lip and swallow several times to keep them back. Her hand was small and just a few degrees north of limp in the cafe owner's hand as he led her to a small table back by a...a glass wall?

Where exactly was she?

That question was answered quite abruptly when a small feline jumped up onto ledge just on the other side of the barrier. Addie gasped, a little startled, and her eyes went wide. The expression quickly morphed into something softer and delighted when she realized it was just a cat, and she smiled slightly even as she sniffled and swiped a hand over her eyes.

Glancing back to the proprietor, she bit her lip again and nodded once, shyly. "Could I, um...could I just have some water?" She didn't exactly have a lot of money on her, so that seemed like a safe bet.

[Paladienne]

Sey raised a brow when the girl asked for water, but he didn’t argue. There really wasn’t any point in arguing with a crying girl, because she wouldn’t take it in the way it was meant, and she’d only end up crying harder, which would draw more attention to her. And it would probably make Sey look like a jerk. Of course, there were subtler ways of getting someone to do what he wanted them to do, so he only nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

Leaving her with the cat and its luminous eyes regarding her through the glass, Sey returned to the bar and began to fix the girl her glass of water and a snack besides. There was always food that he was going to take home with him later for the tenants once his cafe closed for the evening, and he figured he might as well share some of that bounty with someone who seemed like she truly needed it. He greeted a few customers that walked into the cafe and accepted their payment, then unlocked the door between the cafe area and the play area so they could go play with the cats. He filled a few more orders as well, getting a few customers who were sitting at the bar their drinks and something to eat, and then he picked up the glass of water and the small plate containing a piece of chocolate cheesecake and returned to the girl.

He set the water in front of her with a straw, then set the plate and its accompanying fork down on the table. “You don’t have to eat it,” Sey said with a soft smile, “but it’s there if you want it. If you need anything, just wave me over, okay?”

He thought about patting her on the head, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate the brotherly contact. So he just left her, winking at the cat that was still sitting behind the glass, its tail twitching as if it was annoyed that the girl had gotten the goodie rather than it. It gave a plaintive meow, muted but a meow nonetheless, then proceeded to groom itself. Sey returned to the bar to help another newly-arrived customer, nodding in time to the person’s order.

[DragonSong]

Addie managed a small smile and nod when he moved away to attend to the cafe at large--oh gods but she hoped the other patrons hadn't noticed her little breakdown--and she managed to take in a few calming breaths as she remained tucked into her little corner seat.

Her eyes flickered over to the cat behind the glass several times, the fuzzy animal drawing a half smile to her face almost despite herself. She reached out to drag one fingertip back and forth across the glass, giggling softly when the cat batted lazily at the moving target with one paw.

When the proprietor returned baring a plate in addition to the glass of water, her eyes widened fractionally and she glanced back and forth from him to the food--gods it looked good, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been allowed to treat herself with something so frivolous.

"Oh, I, uh-umm..." Before she could stammer out a full protest, or even a thank-you, he'd moved back to the bar. Addie quickly sucked down the water, gave the cat another small smile, then swiped at her eyes again and got to her feet.

Hoping she looked a little more put-together than she felt, she cautiously made her way up to the bar with the plate of cheesecake clutched tight in her hands. "Ex-excuse me?" She winced at the stammer, then forged ahead, "I, ah... Thank you, really. This looks--it looks really good, but I, um, I'm not sure--I don't think I can pay for this? I'm sorry..."