At least Cats are Cute

Travel seemed like a strange priority for Ms. Brooks, but she supposed she could not explain away the activity. She had gone to various places while she still lived with her parents. There was something at her core that always referred back to her parents. Not simply because they were blood, or because she had a strong bond with them, it was more than that. They had raised her in her formative years, and although she had been away from them for two years, it was impossible to think that she had become a completely separate person in that time.

Her parents had some priorities that Ava did not agree with. While she could never think of them as bad people, she knew they were selfish. She too knew that she was selfish. That did not make her a bad person. She was a critical young lady, but she did not turn a blind eye to those in need. While her blood pressure could spike in such a way she would pass out at any real exertion, she knew she was a capable wizard. With several keys under her belt she felt safe wandering the area without supervision. It used to be that she always had her butler and best friend at her side. Now she was a competent guild wizard, and she made her way to Shirotsume Town alone, with only a bag of possessions for travel.

On her way into town she caught word of someone needing help. Well, she always wore her keys as a necklace, and usually travelled with one of them out to talk to her. She felt confident she could help, and headed in that direction. Although when she arrived she realized this was no so much a job for a fighter as a babysitter. Still, Ava had made attempts to mature and realize that she was a grown lady now and needed to help those around her. She was in the lobby of a small animal shelter, waiting for the owner to arrive as she noticed someone else who looked out of place.

350/500

Tenjin breathes a small sigh of annoyance. Word was, that there were some interesting mages in this town and Tenjin had come personally to investigate them. Ever since the split faction of the Magic Council had occurred and the shadow guilds began to move- Tenjin couldn't rest at all... not when the order of balance was so close to being tipped. Already, citizens feared the Magic Council, unsure which faction they belonged to or if they were on the side of justice or not. Tenjin was a free-spirited mage in the Magic Council, she was new to the title of Seeker and was still getting used to the freedom her title allowed her.

She was still quite inexperienced though, unprepared and ill-equipped for the "freedom" of the travel she was allowed in her investigations. She had arrived in Shirotsume Town after hearing about the interesting mages, but now she was a little short on currency and needed a quick job to make sure she had emergency funds left over if something happened.

That was when she had decided to take this simple job, she was still a bit uncomfortable using her magic in actual combat, so she figured starting out small would be best. An animal shelter seemed like a good start, she loved animals and had a soft spot for them. She had been in the lobby of the animal shelter for a good ten minutes before another female entered the building, Tenjin inspected the girl from a side-glance, her paranoia often made her do unnecessary things. She seemed nice enough though, possibly from a local guild looking for some quick funds. She smiled to the girl and approached her, Hello there! It seems like we will be working together today.

Ava’s parents did not abide pets. They had nothing against the care for others, but generally they were too preoccupied with caring for themselves and hiring servants to continue on with this trend. They did have many children to care for. Realistically they could handle a few pets. Ava was sure her sisters would enjoy a kitten or something more manageable. Perhaps a bird? A hamster? Whatever it was, she knew her parents would decline. Animals were a lot of work, and they were unclean. The statement “this is why we can’t have nice things” would never be uttered in the Brooks household. In their household, everything was a nice thing.

All of this made being in an animal shelter strange. She was in a slightly less fancy dress than she normally would be wearing. She had to dress appropriately for travel. A long sleeved light blue dress that came down to her knees. From there she had on tights. She was fairly covered up and her hair was braided for the day.

She saw an older woman with blue hair and realized she was being examined. She greeted Ava and Ava gave her a small nod. “I suppose so. Its nice to meet you, I’m Ava,” she said, being polite.

About that time a woman walked into the room. She had long blond hair in a braid. She wore jeans, a tan blouse and a white blouse. “Hello. Are you here about the job?” she sounded hopeful.

“Yes. At least I am,” Ava said, glancing at Tenjin so the woman could of course speak for herself. Ava had no desire to be rude.

624/500

Tenjin had studied this young woman, she dressed properly and was quite beautiful. She kept herself standing straight and held her posture very lady-like. It seemed that this Ava was raised in a rich and elegant family. Ava.. of the Brooks family perhaps? My name is Tenjin, I'm hoping to work well with you today. While Ava was dressed nicely in a dress and tights, Tenjin was quite the opposite of Ava. Tenjin wore white thick cloth pants, a black belt and a long white trench coat. She didn't wear a shirt at all, instead she wore bandages wrapped around her breasts and her long blue hair cascaded down her shoulders. Tenjin's wooden sword was sheathed at her left hip, it was an odd piece of equipment, but she didn't seem to think too much of it.

Then a blonde lady appeared from the back and seemed cheerful, she brightened when she saw Ava and Tenjin. I am here for the job as well, ma'am. Would you show us what needs to be done today? Straight to the point- that was just like Tenjin; it was always best to be clear with your intentions.

The woman nodded and pointed towards the back door behind the counter, Of course. What are your names? Behind that back door there, is where the animals are kept in the shelter. Their cages need to be cleaned, given fresh water and food- and play with them a bit, they do need some exercise. But watch out for Tommy, that cat is very mischievous. The woman chuckled softly at that thought.

Tenjin raised a eyebrow slightly but shrugged off the warning, surely a cat couldn't be too much trouble... I am Tenjin of the Magic Council's Loyalists.

Surprisingly, this woman actually knew who Ava was. Well, that might be a bit of a reach. She seemed to have heard Ava’s name. Ava had become so accustomed to those around her having no idea who she was. She had actually met a young lady in Magnolia, and mentioned being part of the Brooks family, and the girl simply did not know who they were. It was baffling. Ava had begun to wonder if the plebeians knew about her parents. She knew that they didn’t know much about her, if anything. She had yet to make a name for herself. She nodded with subdued surprise when Tenjin asked if she was Ava of the Brooks family. So this woman, Tenjin, looked far more accustomed to travel. Looks could be deceptive, but Ava was certainly not going to hold anything against her. She wished she knew something about this woman, to return the favor.

While Tenjin looked… well, inappropriate, as far as her fashion sense, Ava decided she would ignore it. If the woman asking for their help did not mind, then Ava would be able to resist any form of commentary. It was only polite. They confirmed that both girls were there for work, and the woman nodded at them.

When asked for her name, Ava gave a small curtsey and said, “I am Ava Brooks,” which should come as no surprise to Tenjin who had already guessed it. The woman explained that cages needed cleaning, fresh water and food, playing with them. Hm, well it wasn’t Ava’s ideal work, but she hadn’t expected ideal work. She just nodded as she listened. Tenjin introduced herself as… Tenjin of the Magic Council’s Loyalists? Hmm, well that organization was not high on Ava’s list of preferred groups. She supposed it didn’t matter. At least she wasn’t a Crusader. There would be problems in that case.

“Alright, Tommy will be kept in mind,” Ava said. Loren lead them into the back. There certainly were a lot of cages, but they seemed to be well maintained. That was good. It would be a shame to see all these animals being houses in poor conditions.

As Ava had introduced herself, she was indeed of the Brooks family- a lucky guess on Tenjin's part. Tenjin was familiar with a lot of important and political or rich families in Fiore, so it wasn't too uncommon for her to have such knowledge- as a Seeker of the Magic Council, it was important for her to possess valuable and uncommon information. Whether the woman at the animal shelter was bothered by it or not, she didn't seem to care too much that Tenjin was from the Magic Council; likely she would be wondering why exactly Tenjin was even there.

Don't worry Ma'am, we'll take care of the animals and watch out for Tommy. The woman seemed pleased with their answers and lead them to the back of the shelter where the animals were kept. Tenjin watched the way the shelter was set up; it was one large room with rows of stacked cages. All the cages were large in size and kept fresh and clean, but there was a small smell & she could tell that the owner of the animal shelter hadn't received much help this week.We change the animal's cages twice a week, but I haven't gotten any help this week. So you two are a real life-saver.

The woman seemed happy to have their help, and Tenjin was looking forward to helping the animals. She had a soft spot for animals where she was normally cold to humans. Something caught Tenjin's eye though, a single large grey short-furred cat sat on the floor and looking up at Ava from the right side of the room. Tenjin pointed to the cat and chuckles a little; there was one cage with an open door and was empty. I'm going to make a guess and say this is Tommy?

The woman sighed a little and chuckled herself as she chided the cat. Oh Tommy! You know your supposed to stay in the cage..

Ava was not the average guild member to think “oh, the council knows… anything?” but it still surprised her when a member’s knowledge specifically extended to her family tree. Sure, knowing who they were was not so surprising. Guessing the well-dressed blond girl named Ava was a Brooks? That took some more intuition. Ava would have to tell her friends about this meeting with a council member who seemed less than ignorant. It would be an interesting conversation with the celestial spirits she hung around.

Tenjin assured Loren that they would watch out for the animals, especially Tommy. As best Ava could guess, the council had been divided into the people who claimed that they were in charge, and everyone had to obey because they were right, and people who thought they were knights in shining armor, come to fix the mistakes of other people for the better of the general people. Neither side just screamed to be liked, but Ava would mind her own business and interact as the time came. Apparently today was one of those times. Taking care of animals… not how she expected it to go down.

The shelter needed to be cleaned, and Ava did not take any deep breathes. This was why having Rolland around would be better. Or Virgo. Oh Virgo would absolutely relish the option to clean things for Ava. Ava did not need to call to her former butler or her celestial key. She was going to handle this herself. Menial labor, not something to mention to her parents if they spoke soon. At least it was clear the room was generally well maintained. Were it an absolute tragedy, Ava was not sure she could steel herself enough to manage it without extra help.

Ava nodded when the woman said she hadn’t received help this week. Tenjin drew attention to a large grey cat sitting on the floor. Ava casually walked over to him, crouching in the most ladylike way as she could, and holding out her hand for the animal to sniff. She then petted his head gently as he seemed well behaved. “So, he is an escape artist?” Ava asked, curious how this cat, among them all, seemed capable of getting out of a closed cage.