vi. Returning to Seed
The Black Market Botanist
“A skilled young botanist, Felidae spends her days researching rare (and often illegal) plants, creating herbal tinctures, and curing ailments” - Almanac of Palia*
Childhood Daze
Some things were better left to their own devices, but Felidae couldn't agree less. She wasn't supposed to touch it, but here she was, her teeth wrapped around the handle of the lantern as she footled about with the lock to a cargo container. Talk about the rules of flow, and how they shaped the world of palia. Talk about the laws of grimalkin. Felidae's plum hair etc.
It was a rather quiet day at the apothecary, Nymphadora was busy tending to a customer with a particularly nasty sore on his side. She was busy mixing up a chamomile and calendula poultice when the bell above the shop door rang out, signaling a customer. The sign on the clinic room door was up, so she knew she wasn't to be disturbed, but when she heard the telltale sign of scuffling and Felidae's defensive tone, she just let out a deep sigh. More often than not recently, she was getting herself into trouble. This time however, it was paired with the scolding of a certain other familiar voice, and had Nymphadora wished to ignore it before, she couldn't now.
"Would you…give me a moment?" She feigned a polite smile to her client, who waved her off and was busy reading some sort of newspaper article, and sipping on his tea. She washed her hands, pulled off her gloves and opened the door to the shop to a sight she was expecting, but was hoping otherwise.
"My Gods.." She sighed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head "Felidae Maron, what now!". Felidae's wrist was secured by the paw of a short, tubby cat-like man, wearing a button up vest top and a few little bits and bobs adorned to his outfit. A grimalkin. Nonetheless. By the name of Zeki. He had an unamused look on his face, and his tail flicked in reception to his feelings.
"It was nothing!" Felidae whined, giving Zeki a sharp tug, to which he growled.
"Wasn't nothin'," Zeki corrected, much to Felidae's dismay "Boss caught her digging around the flow shipments, trying t' get her paws on…what was it again?" He nudged her, and Felidae merely mumbled a half-hearted response under her breath. Unsatisfied, Zeki coaxed her on again, to which she finally responded. "Piksii Berry Bulbs, But I only wanted to see what they looked like! All your books have really crappy photos-"
"Felidae, enough" Nymphadora scolded, and ran a hand through her hair, turning to Zeki with an apologetic look. "I am sorry for all this, Zeki. I don't know how or why she continues to do this!"
At the first oppurtunity she felt of Zeki's grip loosening, she took the opportunity to slip out of his grasp and storm off into the backroom, slamming the door behind her. Nymphadora let out a deep sigh, and rested her hip against the counter. "Did she.."
Zeki waved a paw "Nah, 'course not. One of the lugger boys caught her prowling about before she could even get into one of the shipment containers. She's a smart kid though, Nymphie. Caught her in the middle of prying off one of the locks, you gotta find her something t' do with herself, or she'll-"
"I know, I know," Nymphadora let out a frustrated noise, and sat herself on the stool behind the counter, resting her elbows on the smooth, varnished surface. "I just don't know what. She shows no interest in anything I have for her, and it's not like this place is rich with opportunities"
"Ah there's plenty o' opportunity round here," Zeki joked, but shut up at the sharp daggers Nymphadora shot him, to which he laughed awkwardly and ran a paw over his ears "Jus' not for a little Maji girl I suppose…"
Nymphadora was at a loss, and she had no idea how to account for it. It seemed no matter what, Felidae was drawn to everything she was trying to protect her from. Zeki's paw came as a reassuring aid on her shoulder, and she covered it with her hand.
"She'll come right" It was one of those rare moments where he actually seemed to give comfort, and she relished in it. "Ah, before I forget!" He grinned, pulling a small pamphlet out of his satchel, and sliding it across to her. She only chuckled in response, turning it over to reveal the latest order details from the Kilimia docks.
"Thank you" She smiled and he flashed her a grin, before straightening his lapels and making his way to the door.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get back to my own thugs, see ya' Nymphie" he saluted, and with the chime of the door, he was gone, leaving Nymphadora with a louder mind than before. She glanced towards the backroom door, and with a sigh, pushed herself off the counter. Her rebellious niece would have to wait, right now she had a customer to deal with.
Felidae was sat in her room, curled up on the end of the bed. And though the book she held in her hands was filled with riveting stories of dare-devilish, space-faring grimalkin who sailed the seven skies, her mind was elsewhere. All she could think about was getting into one of those shipping containers, and getting her hands on that mysterious substance she'd heard so much, but knew so little about.
Felidae groaned, tossing her novella onto the floor and flopping back against the sheets. It was one thing to have access to the wealth of knowledge known as her aunt's bookshelf, but another to know that the good stuff was locked away in the bottom cabinet, taunting and tempting her every time she went to pull out "Legends and Legacies" to re-read. One day, she'd find a way to break that lock and grab the big, thick book that sat dead center of the shelf. She could recite the name of the tip of her tongue:
"The Study of Flow : Observations, Applications and Recorded Failures" She mumbled, closing her eyes, trying to imagine what secrets it held locked away in it's withered pages. Her daydreaming was soon interrupted by the familiar footsteps of her aunt making her way up the stairs, and Felidae silently prayed she wouldn't come to her bedroom door. But alas, a rhythmic knocking came all the same, and Felidae turned away.
"Fel? May I come in?" Nymphadora's tone was soft, more worried than angry. It made Felidae think twice, and so, she swallowed back her pride for a second and mumbled a quiet "mhm". Apparently, it was loud enough, and with a twist of the doorknob, Nymphadora let herself in. The first thing she noticed was the very pungent smell of rosemary, and a small string of smoke twirling from an ashtray beside the window. She sighed, and pinched the roll-up at the tip, stubbing out any remaining embers, before perching herself at the end of the bed. She placed a hand on Felidae's knee, and rubbed her thumb softly over the girl's cargo's, tracing the stitching off a patch she'd fixed on a few weeks ago to repair a small hole.
"If you're going to steal my cigarettes, you might as well not waste them" She teased, before reaching up to run her fingers through Felidae's hair. The soft locks were a stark contrast to the scuffs on her nose and chin, and the tear marks that had since dried on her cheeks. "What is going on with you, hmm?"
Felidae swallowed, her brows furrowing, eyes still knitted shut, and her ears twitched. Nymphadora sighed and continued speaking "I know how frustrated you must be…Life isn't exactly…thrilling down here. But you can't be getting involved with matters like that, it's bad enough that the grimalkits keep footling about round the cargo bay, but you? Felidae.."
"Auntie, it's fine," Felidae groaned, rubbing at her eyes and sitting up, her eyes unfocused "I won't get caught again, I promise. It was just… a flook is all."
Nymphadora shook her head and cupped Felidae's face "Flook or not, dear, it won't happen again because you will not be going down to the cargo bay from now on, do you here me?" Felidae whined and her eyes widened "But Auntie-"
"My words are final," She said curtly, as Felidae tried to protest.
