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Post by Nomz on Nov 20, 2024 14:43:07 GMT
Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the narrow street, leaving one side in the shadows of the buildings lining it. A woman with blonde curls ducks under the low-hanging plastic of scaffolding, far too used to the city always being under repair to think twice about it. Despite and yet also perhaps due to the time of day, there are few people on the sidewalks, and none of them glance twice as she opens a glass door. The number 71 stands out above the doorframe though this is neither the address nor the same of the shop.
Felicia pulls her hands from her pockets, eyes dancing across the many, many displays lining the walls. While stealing is always good and fun and exciting, there is also joy in finding a particularly well-crafted item that some other soul gave up. The store clerk, an older man with dark grey streaks in his beard, only glances up at her for a moment before going back to the jewelry he is evaluating. Earrings catch the light as he pulls them from an old box and another person stands across from him, hands nervously tapping on the glass counter.
Another person selling what cannot be replaced.
As all those who know how to search do, Felicia starts at the case closest to the front door. Necklaces stare back up at the thief-turned-shopper.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 20, 2024 16:46:56 GMT
A pawn shop is a weird place, and it is a little sad for desperate people to sell such prized possessions for far less than they would be worth. The objects handed in were often charged with history, sentimentality, and nostalgia. Not that he would ever spend much time thinking about it that way; he's lived so long that he already willed away his possessions a few times when he got too many.
Or, well, it had been a while now... for obvious reasons.
If Felicia looked to the side, she would notice the shadow of a black feline quickly walking into the shop just as the door closed; it had shiny, clean fur and yellow eyes. If she continued to look, she would find it slowly wandering down one of the isles before stopping to look at itself in one of the mirrors. It looked like it was admiring itself for a few moments before continuing further inside.
The cat again stopped as it reached a table, calmly jumping onto it. After a long stretch, it continued along a shelf and stopped looking at an open glass cabinet filled with beautiful figurines in glass, jade, and other delicate materials.
It turned its head to look toward the owner before reaching into the cabinet and slowly pulling something out... inch by inch.
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Post by Nomz on Nov 20, 2024 19:33:21 GMT
Sharp grey eyes fall from the jewelry as a sneaky little black cat slinks through the pawn shop and her expression softens. There will always be a spot in her heart for black felines and she finds herself wondering if the beauty will let her pet him. The necklaces in the case in front of her are long forgotten as the little cat stops to appraise itself in the mirrors. What a curious little thing!
All that adoration comes to a halt and morphs into surprise as the cat...tries to- no. There's no way. It wouldn't. Felicia finds herself a bit dumbfounded as the cat reaches into the open glass cabinet as if to pull something out. Was that cat fucking stealing? The irony is not lost on the woman.
A careful glance is sent toward the busy owner before she cuts across the room to where the black cat is. Without asking, she leans down on the counter near the animal with her eyes pinned on the phone in her hands. Felicia whispers like she's sharing a secret, "I really hope I'm crazy and you're not actually trying to steal something in front of me."
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 20, 2024 21:33:58 GMT
The cat stopped mid-motion, looking up at her... and there was a moment of silence before:
"Not more crazy than everyone else." The cat said, and there was a slightly awkward pause. "I mean- Meow...?" which sounded just like someone trying to mimic a cat's meow more than a cat meowing. "This is all a dream, or you're having a stroke; take your pick; good day!"
The Black cat nabbed what looked like a small figurine in the shape of a dolphin before bolting for the door, aiming to sneak out with his prize, as a new customer had just entered the place. That had been stupid! Why did he say something?! Hopefully, the woman would chalk it off as her imagination or perhaps blame it on something she had eaten.
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Post by Nomz on Nov 20, 2024 21:57:17 GMT
Felicia blinks at the contacts list on her phone as she sees the cat look up at her from the corner of her eye. Part of her prays it will just meow at her or hiss. Instead, its little mouth opens up and very clear English spills forth before it tries to...fake meow at her?!
"Are you gaslighting me," she hisses even as the cat nabs an item and dashes for the door, tail held high as if nothing had just happened. Felicia blinks once in complete disbelief before a helpful part of her mind reminds her that she did just find and befriend a djinn not too long ago. Was magic more prevalent than she had thought?
The new patron pauses to hold the door open as they see Felicia stalk towards it and she ducks under the man's arm and out into the street. Her curls bounce as she looks down one way and then the other, looking for that little black cat. If anyone asks, she'll just lie and say she was trying to stop a thief.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 20, 2024 22:12:28 GMT
"Hehehe-" was the muffle snicker as the black cat continued down the street with his prize in his mouth.
Felicia would be quick enough to catch sight of the feline disappearing between two loose boards of a fence into the backyard of an old building; if she was perspective, she could faintly hear him humming, "If I was a rich man".
Once he was on the other side, Salem would start climbing up the side of the building itself, going from the ground onto a box, further onto a container and up onto the fence before using the fire escape stairs to go higher. He aimed to get to the roof and go from roof to roof until he was back at the sanctum. Not that he even imagined anyone would be able to follow him or be interested in doing so... most people in New York did not pay any attention to cats on the street.
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Post by Nomz on Nov 20, 2024 23:11:23 GMT
The thief is quick on her feet as she trails after the little black cat, not looking twice as she jumps over the fence that the creature has snuck through. Her brows pull together in bafflement as she swears on her good name that the little guy is humming "If I was a rich man." Felicia gets over in time to spot the critter up on the fire escape and she frowns.
She could try to climb up the same way he had or she could risk it all and pull her grapple bands from her fanny pack. "I'm crazy for doing this," she mutters to herself as she secures the metal bands over her thin wrists and takes a step back for clearance. If she takes much longer, that little cat will be on the roof and going who knows where.
Felicia does not stop to even consider just why she is so insistent on chasing after the kitty cat. She knows it isn't for what he stole and she knows that she's not crazy. As she lifts her hand, aiming for the edge of the rooftop, the reason finally becomes clear to her. It's the curiosity. If she were to leave now, she would spend so many sleepless nights wondering and a tired thief makes a dead man.
Her knees bend, bracing for the pull as the grapple connects and starts to reel her in. The only sound she makes is the oh-so-very soft click of her boots on the side of the building as she swings for the rooftop in the hopes of getting there just before or at the same time as the damned cat.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 21, 2024 7:48:15 GMT
Salem just got over the rooftop's edge and immediately noticed Felicia; he stopped, looking down from the side of the building, then back at her, back down... and to her again. His ears twitched and moved, listening. Then, he carefully placed the small dolphin down before clearing his throat. "I was sure the stroke excuse would have worked; at least dementia worked on the old lady who heard me talk last time." He commented, talking more to himself than Felicia.
Then he sighed.
"Greeting, mortal."
He said, turning his feline eyes upon the stranger.
"..."
Salem tilted his head to the side...
"You want something?"
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Post by Nomz on Nov 24, 2024 13:47:42 GMT
Felicia watches the cat, ready to dash after him if he tries to bail on her. She relaxes as he sets the dolphin on the ground and squats to be closer to his height, arms resting on her knees.
"Holy shit, you really are a talking cat. You could have just meowed at me and I would have second-guessed myself and left." There is something dumbstruck in her voice before it seems to shift into amusement. "Stealing is against the law around here." There is so much irony in her saying as much. "Why did you take that figurine?"
Assessing grey eyes flick to the little dolphin and its condition before looking back up to the cat. Blonde curls shift as she tips her head, resting it on her arm.
"You're more than a cat. What and who are you?"
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 24, 2024 14:07:03 GMT
"And degrade myself? No, thank you." Salem said with a huff, "Kitty going... meow, such a cliche." He looked to the figurine, back to Felicia, and to the figurine again. "Because-- it-- pretty?" He paused, "No, even I know that sounded stupid. It's gaudy, and it looks like someone old Nanna would keep it on a shelf in the living room. It would have been more dangerous if someone else had gotten their mitts on it because it is--" He looked at Felicia again, trying to understand her reaction. "cursed."
The cat cleared his throat, taking more of a noble position, sitting with his tail gently wrapped around himself.
"Of course not, or have you had many conversations with cats in this city? My name is Salem Saberhagen, and I am currently a cat. I suppose the correct term would be a familiar. That is the term if we're being strict about it." He reflected on what he had just said for a few moments before nodding. "Yeah, but in most ways, I'm like an average housecat, smarter, and I can eat chocolate just fine. Which, if we're being honest, is the best kind of superpower, amirite?"
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