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Post by Jared Sandeye on Feb 16, 2016 21:50:39 GMT -5
Edoran reached a paw across the table to shake their paws. “Hello, Tsaron and Hiacynth! It’s good to meet you! So, yes, the three of us will be sharing that apartment on the second floor.”
Madeline took a quick sip of her peppermint latte, and looked up at Tsaron curiously. “We’re still getting used to the neighborhood; it’s very different than where we moved here from.”
Jared studied the checkerboard to formulate some strategies in his head, when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. The young Sandeye turned around in his seat. Behind him stood a male hedgehog about his age, holding out a cinnamon raisin muffin to him.
“Courtesy of the squirrelmaid in the corner table there,” he explained. “She said it’s on her.”
Jared nervously took the muffin from the stranger, a confused look across his face.
The hedgehog continued. “Too shy to give it to you herself, I assume. Anyway, it’s her way of welcoming you to the city and the apartment complex.” With that, the hedgehog gave him a friendly smile and a nod before going out the door of the shop.
When Jared met eyes with the squirrelmaid again, she was timidly staring at him over the top of her mystery novel. In a split second, she had hidden her face behind the book. Jared couldn’t help but blush again. He made a mental note to thank her for the treat later. His eyes caught a quick glance of her book: Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles.
He didn’t know that his siblings and his new friends had seen this whole exchange.
Edoran decided to say nothing about it, and cleared his throat to get back into the action. “Come on. Let’s play some checkers. So, you said there’s a family dinner going on between those four tonight? We’ll stay away then. But because we live right above them, we’ll know if something happens. Jared’s ears, they’re…strong and sharp. He’ll hear it first before the rest of us do.”
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Post by Taurian on Feb 17, 2016 7:16:53 GMT -5
Tsaron carefully moved their piece, starting with a sort of maneuver that Hiacynth had seen too many times not to recognize. "Yes, there's going to be a family dinner. Hiacynth spent a good part of the day helping Taurian prepare," the owl remarked.
"She's rather pretty," Hiacynth said to Jared, looking over toward the squirrelmaid and chuckling slightly. "And ye'd best keep yer ears away from the floor. I won't stand fer Tarlya an' Taurian bein' gossiped about," she warned, suddenly frowning.
"Anyway, Taurian's decided to be civil tonight, for once."
"For once? An' where'd ye 'ear that, featherbag?"
"From you, when you sat down to play checkers."
Hiacynth sighed exasperatedly, and Tsaron flashed an owlish grin.
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Post by Jared Sandeye on Feb 24, 2016 17:27:52 GMT -5
Jared timidly nibbled at his cinnamon-raisin muffin, his absent mind still focused on the stranger squirrelmaid. In his heart, he did agree with Hiacynth that she was rather pretty. If his siblings were planning to leave and return to the apartment right after the checkers game, he wanted to meet her first.
Edoran saw the dazed shine in his younger brother’s eyes, and chuckled in amusement to himself. Then he saw Hiacynth’s frown. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “We won’t gossip on them, you can rest assured of that. I didn’t mean to come off that way. “ He quickly whispered to his sister, “Madi, upper piece on your leftmost side: maneuver diagonally to your right.” The female Sandeye did so, doing her best to avoid Tsaron’s unfamiliar opening.
The squirrelmaid closed her novel for good and stowed it away in her purse. She wanted to watch the checkers game that was unfolding a couple tables away from her. Swallowing another bit of his muffin, Jared turned around in his seat to look at her. (His enhanced ears sensed her movement.) Their eyes met yet again, and a cheerful smile spread across the male squirrel’s face.
“Hello,” he spoke. “Are you the maid who bought this muffin for me? I just wanted to thank you for it. Really, I do appreciate it. Umm…thank you.”
The maid’s hazel eyes shone bright in the sunlight, and she too smiled, but with a friendly and casual air about her. “You’re very welcome. My name is Larina Skyleaf. I haven’t seen you around town before, or in the apartment complex. Are you new?”
Jared felt his heart jump in his chest. He hadn’t expected the maid named Larina to strike up a conversation. “Uh…I’m Jared Sandeye. Yes, my siblings and I are new here. We moved into the complex not three days ago. We live on the second floor. And you?”
Larina stood up, grabbed her purse, and moved to the empty table between them. She sat down in the chair directly in front of her new friend, hazel meeting brown. “I live on the second floor, too, hence why we’re still both complete strangers to each other. I've just been too...er, nervous to meet you face to face. It’s good that you came here; this coffee shop is one of the most popular hangout spots in town. Plus, those cinnamon-raisin muffins are cheap. You enjoy that, all right?” She giggled lightly at Jared taking another bite. Her laughter like silver wind-chimes warmed Jared’s heart and caused a pink blush to fill his cheeks.
“Pleased to meet you, Larina Skyleaf.” He extended his free paw to shake hers, and she did not hesitate to do the same. An small electric jolt shot through their fingers as they met, one of warm affection and rousing energy.
“Pleased to meet you, too, Jared Sandeye. Welcome to town.” With a flirtatious wink, she added, “I hope to see you more often around here and in the apartment. I’ve heard your piano playing in the lobby; it sounds wonderful and I love your technique. You honestly should play more. I’ve talked to some of the other tenants and even the staff here: they are always entertained by your music.”
Jared couldn’t bring himself to wipe the bashful smile from his face. All he could say was, “Thank you, again.”
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Post by Taurian on Mar 3, 2016 16:25:24 GMT -5
"Oh, she really didn't think that ye'd gossip," Tsaron commented as they pushed their piece with a talon. "Yer good folks, an' Hiacynth can tell when folks are a good sort. Just protective o' 'er friend, that's all."
"Aye," Hiacynth flashed Edoran a smile. "I worry about 'er. Some people talk 'bout 'er an' Tarlya an' Argrav an' Aldous, an' it ruffles my fur somethin' terrible." Turning back to Jared, she winked encouragingly at him before addressing the squirrelmaid. "Larina, 'ow've ye been? Is that footpaw better?"
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Post by Jared Sandeye on Mar 15, 2016 19:48:49 GMT -5
“What are friends for? Friends stand by each other, no matter what, like family. Family is always together.” Edoran again guided Madeline’s movements through the chess game, taking care to notice Tsaron’s more unpredictable tactics.
Jared swallowed the last of the cinnamon-raisin muffin and met Hiacynth’s encouraging wink. He almost didn’t understand what she meant by it, but that didn’t stop him from assuming. Was she…encouraging him and Larina, and vice versa? He couldn’t get his head around it.
Regardless, Larina’s eyes also met the shrewmaid’s. “Hey, Hiacynth, what’s up? My footpaw’s feeling a bit better, but the doctor always says to take it easy. He estimates maybe a week or two before it’s better. Thus, I’ve taken to using the elevator up to my apartment.”
“Oh, what happened to you?” Jared wondered out loud.
Larina giggled at him again. “Curious, are we?” She gave him another flirtatious wink. “It happened about two weeks ago: I was walking down the street as usual, almost not paying attention to my direction. I came to a street corner, and part of it had been removed for road construction. So, with the pavement approximately a foot lower than usual, I tripped and sprained my right ankle.” She smiled at the slightly concerned look on his face. “Minor injury, of course. Nothing to worry about, my dear new friend.” Larina leaned over to tap Edoran on the shoulder; he was in the process of pulling out his wallet to buy a drink and snack for himself.
“Your little brother’s cute,” she whispered decisively in his ear.
Edoran looked happily at his younger sibling, who had taken over his role in advising Madeline against Tsaron, as well as being arbiter for the game in general. “Where did you have your little accident?”
“On the corner of Mitchfield and Hickory,” she explained, showing him the exact spot on the map on her cellphone. “There’s a strip of stores there, an added circuit of the mall on Prague. Thrift stores, fancy resturants, a video game shop and arcade; stuff your siblings will definitely like. You should visit there sometime.”
“I’ll make a note of it,” Edoran promised, smiling gratefully. Larina put her cellphone away and settled down in her seat to watch the checkers game.
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Post by Taurian on Mar 29, 2016 20:05:24 GMT -5
"Mitchfield and Hickory?" Tsaron mused, looking up from the board. "That's where we got Taurian that nice coat, isn't it?" They asked Hiacynth.
"That would be th' place. Marvil's Thrift, if'n I remember correctly," the shrewmaid replied.
"Yes, yes, that was it. Lovely set of stores." The owl turned their eyes to Larina. "Dreadful t' 'ear about your footpaw, dear."
"I told y' 'bout her footpaw a fortnight ago, y' silly old featherbag," Hiacynth quipped.
"Well, that was two weeks ago! Ye didn't h'expect me t' remember it for that long!"
"Yer bein' a real Wisebeak right now, Wisebeak."
The owl chortled in response, and then turned back to the checkerboard.
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Post by Jared Sandeye on Mar 30, 2016 17:48:53 GMT -5
While Edoran went to the counter to buy himself a drink and snack, Madeline focused hard on the checkers game. While her siblings truly preferred chess over checkers, Madeline knew the game quite well. She took one of her red pieces and jumped Tsaron - twice. She smiled modestly at the owl and innocently took a drink from her peppermint latte.
“Mitchfield and Hickory, huh?” Jared thought out loud. “I hope the construction there ends soon. Maybe we can go there tomorrow. You said there’s a video game store?”
Larina nodded affirmatively. “Yes, there is! They’ve got all sorts of stuff there, but I won’t spoil anything for you! You’ll have to see it for yourself to believe it!” She leaned over to look at Hiacynth and Tsaron. “Don’t you two worry, my footpaw’s not that bad! It’ll heal in maybe another couple days or so! The apartment elevators save me the trouble of taking the stairs!”
She was cut off by a cellphone vibrating. Jared’s paw dove into his pocket. Seeing the Caller ID, he immediately jumped to his feet. “Excuse me, I need to take this.” He rushed out the door with his phone up to his ear. If one of the group strained their ears properly, they would just barely hear him on the other side of the muffling glass window.
“Hello? Mom?...Yeah, Ed’s here with us!...Where are we? In a coffee shop downtown!”
“Yes, Maddie and I settled in just fine, and Ed arrived like less than a half-hour ago…What are we doing?” He looked over his shoulder back inside the shop at the others. “We’re playing checkers with some new friends, other tenants of the apartment. You want me to get Ed, or is everything OK?...All right, then!...Oh, so you and Dad will come visit tonight? That’s great, we can show you around the place! What time?...6:00? We can have dinner ready by then…Great! Give Dad my love!...Thanks! Bye!”
Jared hung up his phone and hurried back inside the shop. “That was my mother,” he told his new friends. “Our parents are coming to visit tonight.”
“So soon?” Maddie asked excitedly. “That’s great! I can’t wait! Oh, Tsaron, it’s your move.” She quickly told the owl.
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Post by Taurian on Apr 9, 2016 15:00:59 GMT -5
Tsaron knitted his brows and peered curiously at the squirrelmaid sitting across from him. "Are you a ranked checkers player?" He asked. "You have remarkable skill." His eyes tracked Jared as he sprang from his seat. Shushing the others, he strained, and caught snatches of conversation."
"coffee shop downtown...playing checkers...new friends...visit tonight?...time?...6:00?...dinner ready…Great"
"Tsaron Wisebeak! What've I told ye about listenin' t' other people's conversations!" Hiacynth chastised him, swatting at his ear.
"Your parents are coming for dinner at six," Tsaron told Madeline, ignoring Hiacynth, who threw their hands up in an exasperated gesture. Jared then came back in, and reiterated the information. "Ye know," Tsaron began. "If ye need some help I know Hiacynth didn't have any plans for tonight." The shrew's face grew furiously red.
"Oh, I've got no plans, now, 'ave I?" They said in a barely-level voice.
"Ye ne'er have plans, Hiacynth," the owl observed.
"But that doesn't mean ye can go 'round sayin' I don't!" The shrew turned to the squirrel family. "Sorry 'bout that," they apologized. "I can help y' wi' dinner if ye need any assistance. I can go see if Taurian has a spare pastry or ten. She usually keeps a few around for 'emergencies'."
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Post by Jared Sandeye on Apr 13, 2016 18:15:11 GMT -5
“You didn’t need to spy on my conversation with my mother, Tsaron,” Jared mildly scolded the owl while tucking away his cell phone in his pocket. “However, I figure there’s no necessity in arguing about it now.”
Madeline drained the rest of her peppermint latte, shrugging a modest piece at Tsaron. “All things considered, I’m not a ranked player, like you asked. I’m entirely an amateur; playing for entertainment and not for competition. But I know how to be careful in a game. To be honest, I don’t even know how I do this. My brothers can never figure it out, either.”
Edoran came back to the table with a frothy vanilla latte and a double chocolate muffin. “What’s going on? Who called, Jared?”
“That was Mom,” Jared informed. “She and Dad are planning to visit us tonight. Do you think we can make dinner?”
Edoran took a thinking sip from his drink, his mind whirling with ideas. Hearing Tsaron and Hiacynth offer their help was a welcome assistance. “I’m supposing rice and salmon tonight. I bought some in transit up here; it’s in the refrigerator back at the apartment. We’d certainly welcome anything you can give us.” He told the owl and shrewmaid.
“On the off chance that there’s anything I can do to help,” Larina offered. “I’d be happy to help. I could likewise show you around Mitchfield and Hickory sometime.”
Jared felt himself blush again, and he almost struggled to find the proper words to say to his new friend. “That’s…that’s very kind of you, Larina.” The young new friends laughed lightly together.
Madeline methodically studied the checkerboard in case Tsaron were to try anything sudden or unexpected. That aside, she honestly had little care about winning or losing. Tsaron and Hiacynth were new companions that she and her siblings hoped to become familiar with later. Behind her, Jared and Larina had started exchanging phone numbers. Edoran patted his younger brother on the shoulder; young love was blossoming before the other Sandeyes’ eyes.
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Post by Taurian on Apr 25, 2016 5:31:28 GMT -5
Hearing Jared's mild scolding, Hiacynth swatted Tsaron's ear again for good measure, harrumphing in triumph. "After we go through the trouble t' ask 'em not t' listen t' Taurian arguin', ye cannae just listen in on their conversations!" She told them again.
"Fish an' rice, very nice. Heh, that rhymes!" Tsaron observed, ignoring Hiacynth. "If you'd like to be a ranked player, I'm sure I can rustle up the paperwork," the owl continued, jumping three of the squirrelmaid's pieces.
"Any recipes fer that salmon? I know Taurian makes a lot o' fish. The little one an' the pirate bring back loads."
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Post by Jared Sandeye on Apr 27, 2016 18:26:10 GMT -5
Madeline cheerfully set away her three captured pieces on the owl's side of the checkerboard. "That is a very well-mannered offer, Tsaron. But please, the honest truth, as just stated, is that I play solely for fun. My brothers encourage me sometimes to enroll in public tournaments, yet I never see the appeal of it. I play for pure enjoyment, similar to so now. Winning or losing is unimportant to me. Checkers is what it is, a game. It simply needs no more detail than that." She countered the triple-jump move by jumping Tsaron twice once more. At the same time, there was no genuine care for victory or defeat. She had found a friend in the owl, a mentor in the meticulous however pleasant tabletop game.
Edoran retook his seat to consider the offer from Tsaron and Hiacynth to help with dinner. "Fish and rice, that's set in stone. Dad will want his sriracha sauce; he can't have fish without it. At that point, we should buy mayonnaise for the rest of us. How about salad on the side?" Edoran stole a bite from his double chocolate muffin whilst also taking out his phone and preparing to make a shopping list. "Sriracha sauce, mayo, croutons, generic ranch, and rice. Maddie, you guys brought the salad spinner and the rice cooker, correct?"
"Already stored in the cabinets," the squirrelmaid confirmed. "I'll show you where I put them. You and Jared tend to the fish; leave the salad to me." A cute decisive wink from the female Sandeye to her eldest brother sealed the designation of the dinner jobs.
Jared leaned forward to inquire of Hiacynth. "Aldous and Argrav; the otter boy and the pirate. What are they like, their characters, if I may be allowed to so ask?"
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Post by Taurian on May 2, 2016 18:28:54 GMT -5
"If ye ever change yer mind, let me know," Tsaron told Madeline, his eyes flicking over the checkerboard, planning his next move.
"Anythin' ye need 'elp with, just knock on my door," Hiacynth reiterated. "Argrav and Aldous? They're quite the pair."
"The otter is a good boy, but I don't like that pirate cat one bit," Tsaron practically spat.
"I don't mind Argrav as much as Tsaron does, but we've rarely spoken. Aldous is very nice whene'er I'm over an' 'e's 'ome. But 'e can be a bit o' a rascal, from Tarlya's stories. Repeatin' pirate ditties when 'e 'as no business knowin' the words!
"Argrav's a fisherbeast, an' a darn good one, I've got t' say. But we're all relived when 'e's not loiterin' about Tarlya an' Taurian's place."
"That shared custody debacle is absolute balderdash," Tsaron commented. "I'm surprised Taurian 'asn't run 'im out o' the town."
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Post by Jared Sandeye on May 8, 2016 18:24:54 GMT -5
“Keep your guard up, Maddie,” Jared cautioned her. “But enjoy the game, too.” He looked again at Hiacynth. “I suppose those two aren’t the best pair, huh? But Tarlya and Taurian sound like respectable beasts. You should introduce us sometime.”
“Shouldn't something be said about dessert?” Edoran asked. “What have we got back at the apartment as far as dessert delectables?”
Jared counted the things off on his fingers. “Strawberries, vanilla, and whipped cream, just a few of the list.” His eyes flashed with a sudden idea. “Hey, how about strawberry shortcake? Mom and Dad will love that! Cleanse the senses after rounds of sriracha sauce!”
“Smart thought!” Edoran made a note in his cellphone. “I won’t say that we understand what’s happening between that bunch. Do you want my opinion? With the general information you’ve given us, it appears to me like Argrav has no business partnering himself with that family by any means. A wildcat doesn’t belong in it. We won’t ask more about that custody debacle you mentioned. If things get out of paw, we're generally around to help if need be.”
“A little kid singing pirate ditties?” Madeline thought, still staring at the checkerboard and watching for Tsaron’s potential move. “Also balderdash! That’s no great quality music at all! Then again, what’s on the dumb radio nowadays is very little better, either.”
“I finally found that new Anthrax album!” Edoran suggested. “It’s on my phone; we can listen to it on the drive back.”
“Where exactly did you guys move here from?” Larina pondered.
“New Jersey,” Jared replied. “New Brunswick, to be exact. Born and raised, lived there until very recently. Needless to say, we were forced to move. It’s not a pleasant topic of talk in our family.”
Larina gestured her understanding. Yet, whatever trouble may have been stirred up in Jared’s soul, the bright charm and cuteness in Larina’s gentle hazel eyes soothed and quelled them.
Edoran glanced at the clock on his cellphone, then up at Maddie and Tsaron. “It’s 4:45. How close is the endgame, you two?”
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Post by Taurian on May 15, 2016 14:19:08 GMT -5
Tsaron studied the board for a moment, and moved a piece decisively. "Madeline should win within five minutes, I believe," the owl stated.
"Taur an' Tarlya'll be more than glad t' meet you," Hiacynth replied. "An' thankee for yer offer. I'd like t' think that Taurian an' Tarlya 'ave it well in 'and, but it's good t' know they'll have friends with them." They glanced over to the game of checkers. "Hey, featherbag, could ye maybe throw the game faster?"
"Humph. I do have some amount of pride, Hiacynth!" Tsaron retorted. Hiacynth ignored him, as usual.
"New Brunswick, eh? One of Argrav's buddies' buddies was from there, I think. Idiots talk so loud the whole building can 'ear 'em. An', if ye ever need a dead asleep lump o' feathers to vent to, just call me," they added, jokingly.
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Post by Jared Sandeye on May 17, 2016 20:35:01 GMT -5
“5 minutes more, we guarantee, Ed,” Madeline promised her older brother while simultaneously taking note Tsaron’s decisive and unpredictable move; while rationally asking herself, how should I counter this? The squirrelmaid moved her piece in the other way of Tsaron, catching yet another one of the owl’s and putting it aside. She likewise spied an opportunity to obtain a King, however kept it mystery from the owl in order to not give away her potential winning strategy.
“Well, New Brunswick, huh?” Larina thought. “I have some family up there. I’m from Phoenix, myself. The need for a change of climate compelled me to move here; although, I wasn’t hoping to sprain my ankle. I’m perfectly OK!” She inched said ankle methodically upwards till it lay in Jared’s lap on his kneecaps. The two shared a laugh, and Jared took to affectionately massaging the injured footpaw.
“Truly, Larina, what’s this for?”
A slight passionate shine danced in Larina’s eyes. Jared got it in a millisecond before it vanished. “That is for me to know, and for you to discover.” Their ears twitched at the sounds of the other Sandeyes laughing. Neither were fazed, and the younger male Sandeye continued his footpaw massage.
“You know Taurian, Tarlya, and Aldous?”
“Oh, definitely,” Larina affirmed. “Aldous and I used to go rocking at the bowling alley at least twice a month. Exceptionally skilled kid for his age…until Argrav got acquainted with him, that is. Presently, Aldous doesn’t want anybeast other than him. He – Argrav – merits the worst and not the best. Aldous belongs to his guardians, not to the wildcat. It’s unfair. Custody, my tail!” She snapped in irritation and Jared nearly lost his grip of her ankle, causing her to squeeze his shoulder apologetically.
Edoran grinned at the budding couple and pointed them out to the others. “Take a gander at that, you three: young love blossoming right there. Tell us, whom of Argrav’s friends was from New Brunswick? We may have known them.”
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bye!
