Walking back to my Claws. Bold.

The eye contact and silence of the cat’s movements only served to unnerve Perscilla further- Their ears noticeably twitched and swiveled in her general direction, trying to pick up anything. As they clearly did not… Persci did not take their eyes from her until she’d returned to the counter.

At which point they had her at least in their peripheral and seemed comfortable to look down at the jewelry, twitching their head to one side before returning to center. Their eyes flicked between necklaces and sets of rings, thought they didn’t seem … enticed by them, just curious and intrigued by the shape and sparkle of some.

Her comment and question drew their eyes back to her, though they didn’t look directly at her face- They seemed to shift what they were looking at. her chest, shoulders, the wall behind her.

“Do..? Ah, Herbalist. Sell remedies for illness and pain. Not popular, but enough to pay bills. Enjoy work.” Their head twitched again as they spoke, though they didn’t seem to look away from her… They were taking quick glances at the door, one ear even angled in that direction.

They seemed on edge, at least a little, but were trying to appear calm.

“Is beautiful shop, yours. Expensive. Must know gemstones well.” Came their soft voice again, looking back up at the feline behind the counter.

“Oh, this is quite the hobby of mine... Incredible that it would turn out to be such a successful venture, hm? They say passions get one far... Success for businesses like ours answer a particular need... Yet, with our medical technology, I must admit it’s hard to establish a proper customer base for a traditional apothecary...”

She rests her chin on her paws, clearly measuring up the stout creature in her store... As for the reason for her interest in the other? Amusement was a big factor, and few things stroked a wounded ego more than the entrance of an intimidated customer.

A Hat in Time × No Straight Roads

The suspicion in her eyes didn’t waver, and she would be a fool to touch something so brazenly given… And yet, the resolution in the little girl’s eyes was, by virtue of its rarity, seemed to pique her interest. 

It isn’t before a precise claw removed the cloth that she was able to bask in the gem’s shape, its odd patterns, the likes of which had never been seen. Unmistakably, her attention was taken, her eyes stretched wide…

“…Is there anything you’ll fail to surprise at, little thing?”

With a flip of the switch, lights near the entrance dimmed, and the windows clouded. A lens is brought out, along with a cloth of her own, to help her lift the massive gem without scuffing it.

“…I’ve never seen anything quite like this before. And I know my stones. Holograms? No… Is it hollow? No… Yet, if it was, why does it move like that?”

Her deep interest in the ‘gift,’ in spite of her facial expressions, was made obvious by the tone of her voice.

“This. What is it?”

    THE ‘LITTLE THING’ can’t help but tense up the slightest bit at the dimming of the lights, but she stands firm and silent as the cat looks over the gemstone. All in all, she wasn’t too nervous about that much; she knows for sure what the gemstone is, and she’s done her research on just how rare it was on this planet. So, when the Empress’ attention turns back to her, there’s no hesitation in the alien’s answer.

❝Storm opal. There’s a few other names for it, but that’s what I saw it was called around here… I can get more of it, too.❞

“Storm Opal...?” 

The confusion, at first, seemed amplified even further for a moment... Yet suddenly, out came a worn old book, full of handwritten notes. She furiously flipped through until she arrived at the apparently relevant pages...

“Could it be!? No, how in the WORLD did you find this? And yet... It matches every detail...”

Catching herself losing her composure, the cat shook her head, as though clearing off a fleck of water.

“Ahem... So it would appear that you have some manners. Now, considering our history, I do not presume that I need to stand on ceremony with you... If you truly wanted to apologize, I would normally ask for a claw... Or in your case, a finger, perhaps?”

Empress chuckled darkly... As far as she’d remembered, Tsii’d only ever roughed up her subordinates and fled her presence.

It wasn’t as though she didn’t see the tiny girl come in. No, it was much more than that… It was just how brazen she was about her entrance. She didn’t make much of a fuss, and though she was quick, the silence was casual enough to confound her. It was only a few months prior that her shop was in disarray thanks to the very being that entered once more.

The second they made proper eye contact, she’d begun a scowl… Only to be interrupted by the cloth set on her counter. 

“…And what, pray tell, is this?”

    TSII HAD ALREADY known better than to expect a warm reception; she’s got a bounty on her head here, and she isn’t stupid. Truthfully, she’d half-expected to lose her hands when she reached up like she did. As far as she’s concerned, this is an excellent start. Let’s just hope that The Empress was as money-motivated as Tsii thinks she is.

❝Reparation,❞ is her short, initial answer, though it occurs to her that most folk that were unfamiliar with her… whole species would have little idea what it was she handed over.

❝A gem. Very rare unless you know where to find them, and way more valuable than uh… what you had before.❞

It isn’t before a precise claw removed the cloth that she was able to bask in the gem’s shape, its odd patterns, the likes of which had never been seen. Unmistakably, her attention was taken, her eyes stretched wide...

“...Is there anything you’ll fail to surprise at, little thing?”

With a flip of the switch, lights near the entrance dimmed, and the windows clouded. A lens is brought out, along with a cloth of her own, to help her lift the massive gem without scuffing it.

“...I’ve never seen anything quite like this before. And I know my stones. Holograms? No... Is it hollow? No... Yet, if it was, why does it move like that?”

Her deep interest in the ‘gift,’ in spite of her facial expressions, was made obvious by the tone of her voice.