Petting the Kitty (River EA)

[Ali ibn Farid]

Intended or not, Ali certainly took it that way. He gave her a sudden look, lips quirking. "Oh. I see. Well, it's always good when one's efforts bears fruit, eh?" He said, his tone as bland as he could make it. His lips twitched.

He smiled gently at her. "I'm rather touched, Sora. Thank you. I'm very happy with this indeed."

And then his smile turned to the kitten. "And with Sheera. Ah... what do kittens eat exactly?" He frowned. "You don't have to catch mice for her, do you?"

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Sora gave a little chuckle, "No, nothing like that. Mostly fish and milk. For the moment, mostly the latter; Only just stopped nursing a bit ago after all."

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Oh. I see." Ali blinked. "I hadn't realized she was that young. I suppose she is quite small."

Hesitantly, he reached out, gently stroking the small creature. "She's so soft. Are they all so soft?" He looked at Sora, smiling a little sheepishly. "I'm afraid I know little about pets, cats or otherwise. I could tell you a little about human babies, but not kittens."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Oh? ...I have never seen a baby, actually. As odd as that might sound. I had no siblings until my father remarried, and I met my younger brother when he was already five. I am not sure why I was an only child so long, especially since I remember father telling me I would get a younger brother to play with as soon as he could arrange it."

She looked down at Sheera, "...and they're not all so soft no. Most are, however."

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Mmm. I'd been just about to ask about siblings, actually." Ali said, smiling. "I have a younger brother and a younger sister, myself. They still live with my parents. They help out as best they can, but..." Ali chewed his lip a moment, forehead creasing. "Well, I like to visit when I can, or send some money at least."

He frowned. "How was it that you didn't see your younger brother until he was five? I hope I don't intrude on family awkwardness, but that sounds unusual." A moment, and then he smiled. "Or perhaps that's just the difference in upbringing. My home had three generations living there, until my grandparents passed."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"I suppose it makes more sense if I call him my step-brother? I don't like doing so because it feels less personal, and he really is a wonderful child I think."

Sora smiled softly, "He's very gentle with the animals and likes for me to read him stories."

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali smiled warmly. "That's wonderful." His hand briefly drifted from petting the kitten to finding Sora's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze through the fabric. After a few moments, the smile grew playful, and his hand slid higher...

But only for a moment. His hand settled back on the kitten's head again, petting gently. "It sounds as though the two of you are very close. That's important, in family." He looked at her a moment. She'd mentioned her father many times, but never her mother, and if her father remarried...

"What stories do you read to him?" Ali asked instead.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Mmmm... various fables and such. He's six now, but he can't quite read himself yet. A lot of what I'm sticking to are simple books though, picture books or nursery rhymes otherwise. But I'm not sure I would call us very close. I only see him a few times a week actually. I just enjoy spending time with Jamal when I can."

She watched his hand, smiling softly and watching as Sheera's interest went from her lap back to Ali's hand, the kitten seeming to try to climb up onto his sleeve.

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Oh. I somehow thought you were closer in age." He frowned, his forehead creasing noticeably. The pieces of Soraya's family life were coming together to make a strange puzzle. Her father had promised another child as soon as possible, but it was more than a dozen years? Surely not all of that could have been due to her the loss of her mother, or that would have been phrased quite differently...

His thoughtful reverie was interrupted as a critter decided to try and scale his arm. "Oh. Hello there." He murmured, head swiveling to smile down at Sheera. The linens he wore were excellent for little kitten claws. He shifted, just a little, giving her an easier path up his arm, his other hand coming around, ready to catch her in case she fell. "Goodness, she's a curious little thing, isn't she? And a good climber. I can only imagine that you might find cats in all sorts of strange places in your room, from time to time."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

A small grin, "Oh, certainly. All the more reason I'm careful with where I put Iabu and Abril's cages. The cats tend to climb the curtains and linens and shelves and such, but can't reach the birdcages. Not that they show much interest in them, but I would rather be overly careful than not."

Meanwhile Sheera had actually found a way into Ali's sleeve, squeezing under his arm into the thing with just the cat's rump sticking out as she got stuck.