carbonflight
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Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Sept 16, 2012 10:41:03 GMT -5
Leo sat behind the desk in his shop, fidgeting. He had given up messing around with the toy boat on his desk a while ago, as well as sitting upside-down, and was now just sitting there, slowly losing it. He looked outside, sighing, judging by the sun, or rather, where the brightest spot behind all of the clouds was, it was still rather early morning (possible 9:00). His stomach growled, and he sighed. Why couldn't he at least have some sort of distraction from his hunger? He was completely out of lumber at the moment, and had completely finished his boats. Adding designs on them would only end badly. The last time he had tried, he ended up with a boat covered in swirls, which sounded nice, but in truth was unbelievably ugly.
After a few more minutes of this, he could take it no longer. The tom jumped out of his seat, and dashed over to the door, he grabbed his scarf and gloves, then changed his sign to "Closed", leaving, as the door closed with a jingle. Outside, there weren't many cats out, most of the vendors were gone, leaving only the shop owners, and a few cats who had forgotten to buy milk for their breakfast. Leo didn't often go into the marketplace, seeing as he didn't have all that much money -not many cats in the empire knew how to sail- but he would make an exception today, seeing as his stomach would probably start digesting him if he didn't. He thought about this hyperbole for a while, not really paying attention to where he was going, until he suddenly found himself standing in front of a small shop.
The smell of baking bread wafted out of an open window, so sweet it could bring tears to a hungry cat's eyes. He sighed, his eyes half closed with the delight of the smell. He put a paw to his heart, closing his eyes to inhale deeper, sighing as he caught the sweet smell of rolls hit him. Still inhaling deeply through his nose, the tom looked up at the store. It was an older building, not run down or anything, just a bit worn. The sign above the door read "Owens' Bakery" in carved neat letters, and he raised an eyebrow. There had been a she-cat in his school named Owens, Fennel Owens, if he wasn't mistaken. He remembered his sisters had teased him for having a crush on her. He laughed under his breath at the memory.
Could it be the same Owens? There was bound to be another in the empire of course, Owens wasn't a very uncommon name. But all the same, he still decided to go in. Entering the shop, the warm, sweet smell of fresh baked rolls hit him hard. Even if the owner wasn't Fennel Owens, this would still be quite worth it.
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Post by Warriors-horse on Sept 17, 2012 19:55:47 GMT -5
It was a simple day; nothing unusual, nothing to look forward to for Fennel Owens. She had been in the kitchens since the first light of the dawn sunrise, but even this was a regular practice for the long-furred feline.
It was still early. By this time, she had already baked a few batches of bread and rolls, along with the beginnings of some sweet pastries. She had managed to get her paws on some sugar a few days ago, a delicacy she didn't come across in much abundance. The windows to the kitchen were open as always; this helped with ventilating the hot air out and often drew in customers, too. There was nothing better than the scent of freshly-baked goods to attract a hungry cat from off the streets.
At the sound of the door clicking open and the timeworn floorboards creaking ever-so-slightly, she wiped a paw along her brow and swept through the door frame to enter the main shop. Tying her apron more tightly around her waist, she turned to face her customer, a smile brightening "Hello, welcome to the bakery. Can I get you anything, good sir?" she asked. Something about this tomcat looked familiar, and her expression grew thoughtful. Before he could answer her question, she added, "If you don't mind me asking... do I know you from somewhere? You look quite familiar."
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carbonflight
Full Member
Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Sept 18, 2012 18:51:57 GMT -5
Leo smiled a bit at the sound of his old classmate's voice, "Fennel!" He made a show of remembering her, "Remember me? I'm Leo, we went to school together for a bit, then I had to drop out." The toyger cat walked with surprising speed over to the counter. "I see you're just as magnificent a baker as everyone in your family, ah, I remember when I was just a kit my sisters used to come here and try to flirt with your brother!" He laughed loudly, "Good Grimalkin, it smells amazing in here!" He surveyed the baked goods in the shop.
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Post by Warriors-horse on Sept 19, 2012 20:18:48 GMT -5
Fennel's yellow gaze searched his face for a moment more, but at the mention of his name, a wide smile split her face. "Leo!" she cried, clapping her paws together and consequently sending up a cloud of flour. Dipping her head graciously at his complement and laughing at his memory, her expression glowed amiably. "I remember that. Flax, always showing off with his knives he was." She sighed despondently at the thought of her brother, but the hint of sadness was gone like a speck of dust on the breeze. "Well, it is a bakery. I suppose it's inclined to smell quite pleasant." She winked. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" she asked. "Fresh batch of rolls just got out of the oven if you're interested."
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carbonflight
Full Member
Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Sept 20, 2012 8:14:55 GMT -5
The striped tomcat smiled, putting his hands together, "Sounds lovely!" he beamed, "How much?" Leo bit his lip, waiting for the price to come. What would he do if they were too expensive? He couldn't just say "Oh, sorry, I'm broke as an old stool" and leave. He might not get another chance to see his old friend, and he still wasn't quite sure he wanted to let her know how poor he was. She'd think there was something wrong with him, and more importantly, she would think there was something wrong with his boats. Looking around the bakery, he saw absolutely nothing that could help him. Besides maybe baguettes. He could always hit her on the head with a baguette and run...
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Post by Warriors-horse on Sept 24, 2012 20:30:30 GMT -5
Fennel smiled. "For an old friend? Two schillings for three rolls," she replied, noting his nervousness. "And if that's too much for you, I might be able to spare you one for free." Leaning her cheek on her paw, the tabby feline studied him carefully, hoping he would stay for some conversation. She hadn't seen him in such a long while - and one didn't often come across old memories that weren't in some way stained with loss or sorrow. Her few seasons in school had been nice ones; it was, after all, the place she had learned the alphabet. Her mother had taught her how to string the letters together to spin webs of words, and now her skills of poetry were among her most valued - but secret - talents. Realizing that she was rambling in her own thoughts, the creamy she-cat smiled again. "You can always stay for tea, too," she added, tail sweeping through the four-dusted air.
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carbonflight
Full Member
Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Sept 30, 2012 18:34:52 GMT -5
Tea? Leo thought to himself, trying to keep from licking his lips. His sister usually made the worst tea in the world, which he never drank, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he could remember tea from some other cat. The tom racked his brain for a moment, then the memory came back. It was back before his family had run out of money. He had been just a kit, and his mother had been good friends with a few of the teachers from his sister's school at the time. Of course, they had rejected the whole family once Leo had been forced to drop out of school. Anyways, they had asked his mother out to tea at some shop and she had brought him. It was probably just to show off how she could take care of two young she-cats as well as a tomkit, but she had still brough him. She had bought the young striped tomcat a cup of lemon tea, and he had loved it.
"Yes," he nodded, still a bit lost in his memory, "that sounds splendid! Thank you very much!"
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Post by Warriors-horse on Oct 8, 2012 19:19:19 GMT -5
Fennel smiled warmly, grabbing his paw and whisking him through the doorway and into the main room of the house. Five spindly chairs were pushed neatly into a plain wooden table; a patched-together cloth covered the table and displayed Fennel's not-too-extensive knowledge of sewing. Letting go of his paw and pulling out a chair for him, it wobbled noticeably - one of the legs was looking like it was about to come undone from the seat. Smiling apologetically, she drew a paw over her arm absentmindedly. "Sorry, the chairs are all a bit unstable. I've never been able to fix them when they come loose." Smoothing her apron, she made her way towards the kitchen. "I'll be right back with the tea. I think there's some water still on the stove." Disappearing through the other doorway, she popped her head back for just a moment to ask, "Is rosemary tea okay? It's all I have, but I guarantee it's amazing. I grew the herbs myself."
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carbonflight
Full Member
Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Oct 29, 2012 20:17:09 GMT -5
Leo smiled and allowed himself to be dragged through the small building, reveling in the pleasent smell of freshly baked bread. He quickly reached to help the sandy colored she-cat to layout the table cloth on the table, feeling his paw brush the wood, he raised an eyebrow, pausing for a moment. The toyger cat had always like to think of himself as a sort of wood aficionado, but any cat in the empire could easily tell this wood was as old as time. He doubted it would burn in a fire, it was practically petrified. He wondered if he should say something, but held his tounge, instead thanking Fennel for the stool and sitting down across the tabel from her.
He gladly accepted the tea, taking a deep smell of it and sighing with pleasure, rosemary was one of his favorite sents. He took a sip of it and smiled. This was what real tea tasted like: home brewed and grown well enough to send a warm but tangy feeling up your throat just by breathing in the steam. It was so good, in fact, that he felt slightly guilty for accepting it without any payment. Leo's ears instantly perked up when he caught that her stools were getting old and wobbly.
"Hm," he smiled to himself, "you know, I'm actually a joiner, believe it or not-" he raised a hand to stop her imaginary protest and joked, "I know, this is the face of an entertainer, that's what they all said, but I had to follow my heart, even if it was to a much more modest workspace. But that's not the point, I'd actually be willing to built you some new stools, and maybe even a few tables or a bar for your main room as well! 'But', you say, 'in exchange for what, might this ruggedly handsome tom wish for? I couldn't possibly have him do it all for free!' " he gave his pretend Fennel an impossibly high voice, as he spoke, a broad smile stretching across his face.
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Post by Warriors-horse on Nov 3, 2012 21:27:54 GMT -5
Fennel clutched her cup of tea close to her face, feeling the steam cocoon her face with its warmth. She smiled to see Leo's reaction; the tomcat looked quite content. It was always rewarding for her to be able to put a smile on somebody's face. She sighed, breathing in the rosemary scent as it curled up, watching it as it dissociated into the air around them. Sliding into a chair on the opposite side of the table as Leo, she watched as the warm liquid wobbled, almost spilling over the side of the chipped teacup. It seemed like everything in this house was lovingly worn, from the counter tops to the teapot that she had set between them.
Fennel started to protest as he began to offer to make her some new furniture for her home, but she was cut short by the tom's paw. She couldn't help but giggle a bit as he made his impression of her. "I don't talk like that!" she meowed teasingly, giving him a friendly shove from across the table. "But do tell me, what would you wish for in return? All I really need is for the legs on these chairs to be fixed. I don't think I could afford all of that!"
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carbonflight
Full Member
Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Nov 6, 2012 9:39:23 GMT -5
"Hmm," the tom scratched the fur on his chin, pretending he hadn't already thought of it, then raised a paw, as if he'd suddenly thought of the answer, "Eureka!" He stood up, jostling the table (he quickly checked to make sure that the tea was alright), "In exchange for my woodworking services, which would help you get a bit more business (because tables and chairs are good for a shop), doesn't it seem fair that you would use your professional skills to help me get a bit more business?"
At her look of confusion he went on, "I have practically no business on days like this because not many people even want to think about being out on the ocean on a boat when it's this nasty. So, one way to make people want to come in? A few fresh baked goods!" He beamed, "If you brought a few scones or something in every week or something, then I'd get an infinite amount more customers! And I'd build you stools and all that stuff for free! Even a new counter if you want!"
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Post by Warriors-horse on Mar 3, 2013 16:57:22 GMT -5
Fennel watched as her old friend flew up excitedly, beaming as if he had just discovered the cure for tail pox. As he explained his plan, her expression changed from confused to thoughtful. It wouldn't be too hard to bring over some baked goods every week, and to get new furnishings for her shop would truly be a gift from the stars themselves. Not to mention that she wouldn't mind visiting the jaunty, good-natured tomcat more often. They had a lot of catching up to do, by the looks of it.
Slamming her paw down, rattling the table as he had, she stood up enthusiastically with an equally bright grin. "Leo, you have yourself a deal!" she meowed, extending her dusty paw out to him.
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carbonflight
Full Member
Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Mar 6, 2013 18:14:38 GMT -5
Seeing his old friend's expression light up like a firefly in spring, he couldn't help but smile. It was funny, most of his past seemed unpleasant and cold to him, just the other day his sister had brought up his mother and he had just up and left the room. Now he was straight up being dragged under into the waters of his kithood and he hadn't lifted a paw in resistance. Sometimes it can be nice to be reminded of your past, he thought to himself. Remembering that not all of those memories were bad lifted the weight of the darker ones. Memories like writing the alphabet on the chalk board in his scribbly handwriting, playing tag in the festival fields, and the class trip they had taken to the palace gardens.
He quickly reached out to shake the sandy colored she-cat's paw, noticing how floury it was. He wondered if his paw was so sawdusty. "Great!" He replied to her, "I can probably even use this wood for a countertop! Old, hard wood like this makes great tables." He raised his eyebrows and nodded, hoping he looked knowledgeable enough.
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Post by Warriors-horse on Mar 22, 2013 19:09:46 GMT -5
Drawing a gentle paw over the old chairs, she smiled. "I would love for this old wood to be reused," she replied. "It has something of... sentimental value, one might say." The creamy-furred she-cat sighed lightly, and then sat back down again, drawing her cup of tea closer to her. There was still steam curling off of the liquid's surface; it was still quite warm, and she sipped at it, her manner becoming a bit more subdued. "So, how have you been, Leo? You said you were working as a joiner now. Somehow that seems to fit you right well." Fennel gave him a smile, tilting her head a bit as if trying to fit him with the memories she held of his face, his personality. She was relieved to find that he seemed to be the same cat she remembered, the same old friend.
Fennel just hoped that he wouldn't ask too much about her family. They were all gone now, only memories and old scratches on the floors reminding her of the large, bustling family that used to fill the bakery home with warmth and comfort. She wondered how much Leo remembered about Flax and Cornmeal.
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carbonflight
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Ailish Corbon and Leo Evelyn
Posts: 145
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Post by carbonflight on Mar 22, 2013 19:44:07 GMT -5
Leo smiled in return to my question, "I've been pretty well, I mostly build ships, though not many cats know how to sail them these days," he sighed, shrugging a bit. "I do some carvings and furniture now and then, of course. During the winter, most would rather buy a comfortable chair to sit by the fire in than a boat to go of to the stormy sea in." Leo laughed quietly, taking a small sip of his tea. It was warm and sweet, and the smell was quite wonderful. He looked over to his old friend, watching the steam cocoon around her face, he lost himself for a moment in thought.
"Hey, do you remember that time that one tom in our class -what was his name? Good Grimalkin, I can never remember these things- oh, it was Sawyer! Remember that time he was telling the joke and he laughed so hard his milk shot out his nose?" Leo shot himself into a small fit of laughter. "He was strange..." the toyger tom shrugged to himself. "So, how have you been? I can't imagine that your bakery isn't the talk of the town, what with how wonderful this tea is." He paused for a moment, noticing the bandages on her arm, and before he could catch himself he asked: "What happened to your arm?"
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