Closed [The Bronze Woods] Birds of a Feather (Kaie)

[Kayelin Mannering]

A sweat broke out on the back of her neck, making her shirt collar stick to her skin. She hadn't planned on getting into a fight today, or anytime soon. Let alone with a petching Myrian. Leave it to her luck that the first time she has a conversation with one of their kind, it's riddled with tension and insults. A little absently, Kayelin wondered if the savage would try to eat her or her dog first. She shifted uncomfortably, pressing her leg against the pup's quivering side. It flinched, startled by the contact, but then pressed closer, dripping saliva from its jowls. She should have kept her mouth shut, maybe even walked away. But a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that turning her back on the Myrian right now wouldn't be a good move. Not that any other move she'd made was good, for that matter. Her gut felt like it was knotting itself up like roiling snakes at every accusation and insult the barbarian threw at her. Anger colored her cheeks and made her ears burn. Kayelin mashed her lips into a hard line, bottling down any biting remarks she wanted to spit back. Kayelin's back tensed suddenly as the Myrian started to approach. Apparently she wanted to goad her into action, and she was going to do a good job of it. Kayelin had tried to back off and show a little restraint, but obviously Myrians didn't think that way. The gap between them closed up quickly, and with each insult her face grew redder. She wouldn't be surprised if steam started to billow out of her ears. Kayelin put a hand on her sword hilt. She had a death grip on it by the time the woman stopped in front of her. They were almost close enough to reach out and touch each other now. A major violation of space. Her Falivan whined, a shrill sound. It seemed like neither of them were sure what to do. Did this Myrian not value her safety at all? She would come this close to an armed stranger spewing insults and accusations, and not even bat an eye. Kayelin jumped in surprise when she burst into laughter. Now she was really confused. Beyond confused. This was a whole new realm of 'What the petch?'. "What in the Gods' name are you getting at? If you're going to hit me or something, just do it. Quit beating around the damn bush, will you? I've just about had enough of this conversation. No, I take that back. I have had enough of this conversation. I think I'll be leaving now." Her confusion had upped her defensiveness tenfold. She glared at the Myrian wearily, wondering if she'd pull that knife out and stab her in the spine. "I don't need anything, especially empty advice from you. Everything I need is provided by the Knighthood."

[Kaie]

Kaie could feel it. All of it. The tension in the muscles, stiffness in her posture, and not to mention the nervousness clear as day. The Myrian had the fresh squire right where she had wanted her now. Her words caused the other woman to put herself on lock. Lips closed tight, anger flushing her cheeks and entering her eyes. Truly, the bronzed woman's very presence had rattled her like an iron cage. Was she really living up to her savage reputation so convincingly? That seemed to be the case in her eyes anyways. It wasn't just the squire who seemed skittish, the dog was just about reeling over an emotion cliff. Quivering at her side, salivating as canines do. It was dripping on the dirt too. The gooey, thick drops of spit pooling by its paws coagulating with bits of foam. How delicious. What actually caught her attention was where the squire's hand moved. Straight to the sword at her side. Now that was worth noticing. A glimmer of a threat given as the human's face turned bright red with fury. A white knuckle sort of grasp. "What in the Gods' name are you getting at? If you're going to hit me or something, just do it. Quit beating around the damn bush, will you? I've just about had enough of this conversation. No, I take that back. I have had enough of this conversation. I think I'll be leaving now." Beside her, the pup cried out at the tension between the two. The human's hand was locked tight on the hilt of her weapon and she had daggers in her eyes. Kaie had to actually go over the sentence again to understand, it had come out so quickly. Was she actually serious? Brown eyes searching the woman's furious expression for a second or so, she found her answer to be yes. The Myrian woman had to take a step back or so, doubling over in laughter almost. Her elbows tapped her knees once before she pulled herself back up right, eyes bright with amusement. Her facade was over, and the curtains had decided to close on her act now that she had finished. She had put on a pretty decent show in her own opinion in the short time given. This poor girl... "Gods you squires and your knights really do have hickory sticks shoved up your asses." She said between a laugh or two, knocking the back of her hand against the woman's shoulder in jest. Pissing this one off was too easy, it was becoming like a game. Either way, the woman had managed to keep her cool in the face of an insolent savage. Respect was earned and she'd show her acknowledgement in the only way she really knew how. She shared an ounce of information with her. Even with the fact the woman had neglected any introduction of her own. This was truly a first. "Kaie of the Cutthroat Shadows. What do I call you, my Skiddish friend?"

[Kayelin Mannering]

Kayelin was glad they were alone. If anyone would stumble upon them, seeing this Myrian doubled over with laughter and her with her hand ready on her blade, they'd get the picture pretty quickly. She had to look away, and anger flared in her eyes. Anger and embarrassment. She was pretty much humiliated by this point. Self confidence was a precious thing, especially to a fresh Squire. When a threat laughed in your face, seemingly unafraid and completely unfazed by the thought of a fight, it really made one wonder if they at all imposing. Shouldn't future Knights be intimidating? Apparently Kayelin wasn't. Hopefully this Myrian was just psychotic. Scratch that, hopefully not. She had thought that throwing her title at the woman would cause some sort of reaction. Respect? Fear? Awe? Not mirth. And the fact that Kayelin was far larger than this barbarian, that should have accounted for something. Myrians must truly be very different in their ways of thinking. A small part of her couldn't help but respect the confidence and high-handedness of the foreigner. Even if she was a bitch. Maybe Kayelin was being a bitch too, but this one was definitely the bigger bitch between them. A little absently she imagined striking the woman down, either with sword or first, she didn't care which. But for a split second it took all of her rigid self control not to. And then once more everything seemed to flip flop. This woman is giving me whiplash, she thought unhappily as the dark skinned savage suddenly turned, what, civil? Not exactly that, but possibly less... of a bitch. Possibly. "Kaie of the Cutthroat Shadows?" she repeated. "How fitting." But she didn't give her name for a long moment. Kayelin stood there, staring down at this mercurial creature before her. Amusement danced in her eyes, but Kayelin's were weary and displeased. At least she looked a little less angry. Anything was better than being laughed at and insulted. She'd gotten enough of that from everyone else all of her life, she didn't need to start getting it from foreigners too. Was she really that ridiculous? She pushed those thoughts away quickly, though. This wasn't the time to think of bitter memories. She'd been silent for several long ticks, but finally she decided she could give a name. If this Kaie was going to kill her, she'd have probably done it by now. But what did she know about Myrians? They could become best friends and then this woman could turn on her and eat her. Never mind, not likely. She wanted to actually laugh at the thought of them becoming friends. When Ivak freezes, that'll happen. "My name is Kayelin Mannering." She had to admit, she did sound like she had a hickory stick lodged in her ass, but with good damn reason. "I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, Kaie of the Cutthroat Shadows, but I'd be lying." Was she a little sarcastic when she said the Myrian's full title? Yes. Did it make her feel better to be shitty? Definitely.

[Kaie]

Kaie shook her head, fighting another round of gentle laughter. Finally a bit of a break in the squire's rigidness. Absently, she couldn't help but wonder how many foreigners this Kayelin Mannering had stumbled before in her short life. Probably not to many more than Kaie had back in Taloba, which would be virtually none. Of course that was an atrocious comparison. Taloba turned away all outsiders, assuming they weren't killed before they could reach the city gates. Plus, Kaie was still a little girl at that time rather than the seventeen year old she was upon meeting the squire girl. The Myrian woman had now probably met more outsiders than was custom, though that was by no means intentional. Well she supposed it was, considering she had wanted so badly to see the barbarian cities. The people she was destined to kill righteously for Myri. Upon being stranded out here, she quickly found the barbarians had another word for it. Murder. "You know, you're alright. Kayelin Mannering," She responded with more emphasis on her name than necessary, returning the shitty nature in which the squire had answered her prior. It didn't bother her. Had she been far better at Common she might've spoken far more sarcastically. Getting all the words in order as she intended was a bother though. It was easier sometimes to just refrain and let the sarcasm seep into her tone. As if she couldn't blow off the encounter any further, Kaie stepped back and seated herself upon a slanted fallen tree. Yawning some, she spun her body parallel with the log, leaning back to settle on the angle. From a pocket inside her cloak, she withdrew a small tin. Propped up on the wood, she popped the lid open and retrieved dried strips of meat. Kaie plopped a smaller piece onto her tongue, finishing the meager piece easily. "How do you feel about human thigh tissue?" She asked naturally, holding a slice out toward the squire with a cocked eyebrow. She looked at the woman expectantly, a grin still clear on her features as she watched her expression. One leg hung from the log lazily, looking much like Kaie was seated upon a hammock of sorts. Comfortable without much care. Cloak ends draping from the sides of the wood like curtains over a window.

[Kayelin Mannering]

She wasn't sure if she was supposed to trust this suddenly halfway friendly behavior. Kaie might think she was alright, but Kayelin wasn't sure if Kaie was alright. She guessed, though, that she could relax a little. After all, the Myrian went to sit down. She'd have a head start now if there was any retaliation, and Kayelin had the advantage of standing. She stiffened automatically when Kaie pulled out a tin, but forced herself to relax again. Probably she'd get laughed at again, but being careful never harmed anyone. That she knew of, at least. "Wait, what?" she sputtered, taking a step back as if the Myrian's next words had been a lash. "Huma-," Kayelin started to question, then stopped, growing pale, then red in record time. "You're kidding." A rhetoric question, and stating the obvious at that. "That's not funny, at all," she growled, trying to reign in her embarrassment for actually falling for it. Her pup crept toward Kaie, head low, and tail straight. But her hackles weren't raised, and her nose tested the air. "Get back he-," she started again, but paused. See what happens. And so she forced herself into silence, watching her dog shuffle toward the savage. She raised her wet nose when she reached the Myrian's seat, sniffing toward the tin of meat. Her tail wagged once, twice, three times, very slowly. A sign of curious acceptance. Anyone with food couldn't be that bad, in her young, untrained eyes. Kayelin's nerves were about shot by this point. She felt like her brain was going to melt and ooze out of her ears. Is she going to feed her? Feed on her? Attack her?" She had quite the rampant imagination.

[Kaie]

"What is it with you barbarians accusing us of cannibalism?" She asked with a gentle roll of her eyes in a combination of curiosity and exasperation. The squire hadn't needed to voice any internal opinion or general statement. Her thoughts were written clearly in her facial expression. Myrians are murderous, psychotic, man-eaters. Had she informed Kayelin that she'd been openly accused of that even a hundred times, it would be the understatement of the century. Even in the bar she'd be openly asked if kept a stash of dried flesh under the counter for later. Her boss had let her off with a warning after Kaie responded by shattering a mug over the guy's head in response. The only reason she probably wasn't let go was because a larger group who had watched the entire thing unfold kept returning. Always hoping for more of the Myrian woman. That's how she heard most of the imagery barbarians paint in each other's minds about her race. Surprisingly, not too much of it was off. Had she been born human, Kaie might've been afraid of the jungle warriors too.

"A little man-eater you have on your hands. This dog? Brutal," She joked as she watched the dog make its way to her. Must've smelled the food. Dutifully, she held the meat out expecting the dog to take the strip greedily. There was always something about animals with Kaie. Their primitiveness and their intelligence was balanced and pure, so unlike the other creatures who thrive off brain power. If the dog approached and was friendly enough, Kaie would run her bronzed hands through its fur first before returning to the squire. This time the savage chose silence. It seemed that both speech and speechlessness made the human woman uncomfortable. How odd.

OOC:My summer has been crazy. Thanks for waiting.

[Kayelin Mannering]

Her dog eagerly took the meat from Kaie's outstretched fingers, licking the tips of each one in the hope of collecting any residual flavor. With that peace offering, Kaie had thrust herself into good standings with the pup. Playing up the part of the "starving" baby, she swarmed closer, wagging her heavy tail and snuffling the Myrian with her wet snout. Drool trailed across her coppery thighs, left in the wake of the Falivan's dripping jowls. She whined loudly, rearing up onto her hind legs and bracing her front paws on the woman's torso. The sheer weight of her was enough to knock her off her well arranged perch, and the two of them crashed onto the forest floor - the dog on top.

Kayelin instantly burst into hysterical laughter, pointing and hunching over to brace herself on her knees before her mirth sent her to the ground as well. Her dog squirmed excitedly, snatching at the tin of meat and grabbing a big wet mouthful before running off into the bushes to enjoy her stolen meal. Kayelin couldn't take it. She glanced back up at Kaie, flat on her ass, and burst into another round of enjoyment. She laughed so hard that she began to cry - eyes streaming and red faced - and her lungs felt like they would burst if she didn't gasp for another deep breath before expelling it in another guffaw.

"Are...," she tried to speak, but couldn't stop laughing. This contradicted her image of the savage, fierce Myrian so completely. Who'd have thought? Kayelin's big puppy knocked her right off her seat. Finally, she managed to catch her breath and calm down a little. "Are... you... alright?" she asked between chuckles that shook her body.

[Kaie]

"Wait, hold on. Easy there," Kaie said quickly, not truly expecting the dog would really jump up at her. Eyes went wide in realization but it was too late. The dog's paws unsteadied her and before either knew it, they plunged into the dirt. She landed with a sharp exhale of surprise. The dog on the other hand wasn't nearly as upset by the drop.

"Whoa, no! Ugh!" Kaie exclaimed though quickly it turned into a laugh as the dog ran off with her rations. The Myrian shoved herself back to her feet, brushing herself off. There wasn't much she could do. Kaie respected canines too much to haul off and strike the Falivan. She didn't have the heart. Kayelin on the other hand seemed to be getting a real kick out of it. Kaie straightened up and look at the doubled over squire, brow arched paired with an amused grin. So she thought it was funny?

"Well you seem to be enjoying yourself," She observed coolly while dodging her question, waiting for the squire to find her bearings again.

Without warning, Kaie unsheathed her gladius. The metal sung a metallic verse as she pulled it from its confinements. Her eyes glimmered, shining with excitement. She played with the handle a bit, finding a desired grip. All the while eyeing the squire in a sinister manner.

"How about a friendly spar? What is a useless squire in combat, right? Come on it'll be a rush. Weapons or no weapons. I'll even let you pick," The warrior offered exuberantly, shrugging her shoulders. It was a genuine off. One that would benefit them both. Besides, it would be a nice way to acquaint themselves with one another. After all she should know all those shining law enforcers in the city, right?

OOC:You'll be repaid in full for that. I promise.