<em> "Cross my heart and hope to die. You will have your feather waiting for you when you arrive at home..."</em><br/>Skuld practically burst with excitement and pure, unadulterated joy at this seemingly simple promise that meant all the world to her. She squealed in delight and threw her slender arms around his neck and practically fell on top of him (as well as nearly knocking Maleena off of her perch!).  Some might argue that the cheap gift was nothing more than a bribe, a trinket to gain the cat-girls’ favor but those that would say that didn’t have a cat-girl’s intuition – or a cat-girl’s nose!  No, as far as Skuld was concerned this Akira was genuine; he did not have the soured milk smell of ambition, the moldy perfume of old money or the rancid meat of greed.<br/>She could learn to like him, she thought to herself mid-strangle of the poor lad, despite her first impression!<br/><br/><em> "What do you think?"</em><br/>She glanced down at the open book Maleena offered, arms still locked around Akira’s neck, down at the open spread of a parrot-lover’s dream-bed.  Her velvety ears bounced and her eyes blinked as she leaned down closer to the book (dragging Akira with her).<br/>“Ooohh….” Feline eyes flicked up to Maleena’s. “You don’t mind?” She knew the other girls’ preference for more… elegant tastes.  She wanted to make sure it was something Maleena could feel happy with, as well.  That’s why Skuld left all the designing to her.<br/>