Open [Temple of the Moon] Food for Thought

[Keph]

Winter 3, 513 AV
Nearing the end of midnight rest.

He’d always liked Leth better than Syna.

It wasn’t a personal thing; something inside him just preferred the subtlety of the moon, rather than the all-encompassing glow of the sun. He liked to attribute it to his innate sensibility, ingrained young when he was a child—a stop for a thought was his kind of philosophy.

He wondered if it were considered scandalous to think he preferred a god over his lover, a goddess. Leth was the god of thought, and maybe he could hear his mind wandering dangerously—was he losing points?

He was grounded on the Shinyama Peak, standing uncertainly in front of the Moon Temple, painted snowy in Leth’s translucent light. The tips of his ears ached with the cold, and his fingers were laced in front of him, strangely reverent, as though he were waiting to be invited into the Moon Temple. He’d feel like he was breaking in if he just walked in.

He didn’t even know why he’d come. After releasing his frustration at his irresponsible mother (“Would you be a dear and cook up something? I don’t feel like it, and I'm hungry.”), he escaped into the night for a clearer thought process, and he was drawn to the Moon Temple without knowing it.

He was just a visitor tonight. But what was he supposed to do?

[Tessa Bane]

Winter 3, 513 AV
Nearing the end of midnight rest.

Tessa ran quickly, her paws barely grazing the ground. She had caught the scent of a wind rabbit, which was swiftly escaping the bobcat girl. She hissed in frustration as a branch swiped her furred face. For early winter, finding small animals that were yet to hibernate was surprisingly easy, and this particular rabbit had just been eating all it could find in order to stock up for the winter. It would make a nice midnight dinner.
Tessa didn't usually stay up this late, but tonight the nighttime air wasn't as chilly as it had been in the late days of the fall season. It was only pleasantly stinging her skin with its frosty grasp.
While her instincts took over the job of tracking down her prey, Tessa allowed herself to think for a bit. She had already applied for a job, but her request was still pending. Right now, her food came from hunting, and hunting would only get harder during the winter season. With her twisted ankle still giving her troubles, the chances of catching something were lower than she would have liked.
Clicking back into predator mode, Tessa realized that the terrain had turned uphill. Where was she?
During the fall season, with her twisted ankle and no funds to heal it, all she had done was read and re-read a book describing Lhavit in all its glory. Mentally reciting the page dedicated to Shinyama Peak, Tessa concluded that yes, this was the place.
As she headed farther up the peak, the cat realized she had lost the trail of the rabbit she had been so keen on catching.
Petch!
With her prey gone, her attention turned towards a building that was coming up ahead, where the trees thinned, A tall figure stood in front of the... What was it? A temple?
Curiosity overcame her thrill of the hunt.The bobcat approached the man from the side slowly, trying to figure out who he was and why he was there.
Then again, where was here?

Tessa stalked for a few more clicks, then her gaze caught on the elusive rabbit from her earlier hunt. The animal was standing, almost smug, on the other side of the man. Of course it was on the other side of the man. It thought the stranger would somehow save it. How pathetic
All that stood between Tessa and dinner was a human that hadn't even realized she was there.
Those were odds she liked.
She went from a complete standstill to an all out dash towards the rabbit, grabbing its neck in her mouth before the poor animal knew what hit it.
With a loud crunch she crushed the rabbit's neck in her jaws, but not before it let out a terrified scream that only a puny mammal could produce. Human-sounding enough to be nightmarish, but not quite human enough to justify what caused it. The sound didn't faze Tessa, she was too used to the cries of prey in their final moments. She couldn't say the same for whoever the figure was, though.
Speaking of the figure, Tessa kept her eyes locked on him, her instincts tipping back and forth between fight or flight..

[Keph]

Something scuttled in the darkness. It was a panicky sound, and when Keph had turned around, the figure had darted to his side.

Keph gawked at the shivering rabbit and, being the decent human he was, felt a surge of pity for it. And then, when he was certain the animal wouldn’t move, he knelt down, meaning to somehow comfort it with his presence.

Keph didn’t realize there was another animal until it had slid between his legs and launched itself onto the rabbit, sinking its jaws into the rabbit’s neck. The animal’s shrieks were appalling.

Keph jumped back and landed on his rear, shaking not just from the cold. He was a boiling pot of surprise, fear, and a deep-seated anger that was churning up from within him. He knew animals killed other animals for sustenance. He understood that from his time at the Academy. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be completely unreasonable when it happened right in front of him.

“What the petch?” His eyes were both bright and dark with fury as he sprang to his feet. “Shoo! Get out of here!”

[Krisa]

It wasn’t as often now that her bad dreams had kept her up at night, but tonight had been horrendous. She’d woken up in a cold sweat, hands shaking, breathing rapid. She’s actually just intended to go for a walk to clear her mind, but the moon was so beautiful tonight, she decided to visit the temple.

Krisa visited the temple of Leth every now and then. She felt it was expected to worship her cities gods, and besides, she had the upmost respect for Leth and his light. The night was beautiful, and so much more peaceful than the business of the day time. Especially up here. She didn’t go inside, instead she decided to do her prayers underneath the moonlight. “Leth. You’re light has always soothed me in the darkest of times. Thank-you.” Krisa whispered into the darkness.

Apparently her prayers were to be interrupted as a she heard a voice cut through the near silence of the late night. A voice swore, and then told what sounded like an animal to ‘shoo’. Curious, Krisa moved towards the sound. A young teenage boy had been startled by a bobcat who’d snapped the neck of a small snowy rabbit. Stepping out into the moonlight Krisa made sure not to crowd the animal. She’d rather not spook it and end up with sharp teeth nipping at her ankles. “Hey, step away from the cat, If you don’t want to be bitten.” Krisa told him softly, eyeing the cat warily. It was very fence, as if it couldn’t decided weather to pounce or just flee.

[Tessa Bane]

"What the petch?!"
Tessa nearly laughed. Had she really scared him? This was just a tiny bit.. Pathetic.
This was also the most entertained she had been in ages.
The man was shaking, though he looked quite angry.
Tessa smiled. He obviously had never seen an animal kill for food. She considered stalking closer to him, but then again, if he actually thought her to be an wild animal, he might just attack her.
Over a bunny.
Tessa would have laughed, if the figure hadn't interrupted her, telling her to.. Shoo?
Did he really think she would just run away because he told her to?
She scowled. First of all, he doesn't understand the concept of eat or be eaten, and second, he thinks I'll just run away with the flick of his hands..
This could be quite fun.
Tessa skimmed her eyes over the stranger. He was unarmed, though even if he did have a weapon, she doubted he would use anything against her.
Softly, Tessa growled, looking for a reaction. She didn't really mean him any harm, she was just messing with him, seeing if he would fall on his backside again. Once he gets up, that is.
Just as she was about to growl for the second time, a new figure approached them.
“Hey, step away from the cat, If you don’t want to be bitten.”
The voice was definitely female, and the voice seemed to have quite a bit more sense than the man, telling him to back away instead of tell a bobcat to shoo.
Most likely, they both still thought Tessa was nothing more than a wild animal. It was a bit offensive, though she could see why they thought that.
Nothing she had on her marked her as a Kelvic, but since Tessa really didn't want to get frostbite, shifting wasn't an option.
She should have brought her cloak, or used the knapsack to carry some spare clothes. It was much too cold for being out in the open without a coat. Shifting would have to be a last resort.
Turning her attention back to the woman, Tessa wondered if the second figure would make a move, the woman might have been carrying a weapon, but right now she seemed just as cautious of Tessa as the man was.
Neither figure had been brash enough to attack her yet, so now would be the time to have a little bit of fun. Abandoning her almost-eaten rabbit dinner, the cat marched right up to the man and nudged his face with her cheek, like a household cat would with its owner. She hoped he was confused.

[Keph]

The eyes on the cat seemed to glow in the moonlight, rooting Keph into place with a menacing growl. Keph wasn’t sure if he was just imagining the claws glinting with bloodlust.

“Hey, step away from the cat, if you don’t want to be bitten.” A stranger had appeared beside him, with hair the colour of breath-held fire, a little dampened in the night, but still brilliant. Keph couldn’t dig up a title to label her, but he felt she wasn’t a normal human.

Keph blinked. Her words overrode his panic, and he had the manners to offer her a look of shame. He shouldn’t have overreacted like he had—it wasn’t a thing Keph would do. He imagined his mother’s laughter with a grimace.

He didn’t say anything, instead turning his attention back to the cat with his hands furled into white-knuckled fists, his expression a little more subdued. He was still breathing heavily; puffs of nebulous white escaped him.

He stiffened like a wooden plank as the cat padded toward him, so casual after having just slaughtered an animal—the rabbit was still sprawled in its own bright red puddle—and then nudged him with its cheek, clearly looking for some sort of reaction he wasn’t ready to willingly give, not to an animal that thought it was better than he. But it did take him a lot more willpower than he thought necessary to keep grounded. Every fibre of his being was poised to run.

“What does it want?” he whispered, gathering the last of his cool and still staring right at the cat.

[Krisa]

The boy was in some kind of panic. Krisa certainly wasn’t new to panic. She wondered if he had problems with anxiety as well. Surely most people wouldn’t react so strongly to a little bobcat hunting. Though maybe her opinion was bias. She supposed most people here didn’t hunt, and weren’t used to seeing the food chain in action.

Having grown up around hunters, seeing something be killed and eaten was not an alarming concept for her. But she understood that he wouldn’t want to be patronised. The cat hissed loudly, and Krisa stood her ground looking at it warily. Really, if it wanted a fight, the two humans would win. But it obviously didn’t feel threatened, otherwise it would have run away by now. That idea was then confirmed when the cat ambled up to the boy and nudged him with it’s nose.

This was curious though. It was as if the cat was teasing him: growling one minute, and being friendly the next. “It seems it wants a reaction.” Krisa said frowning. “Just ignore it.” She suggested stepping back herself. “Maybe it’ll get bored.” Krisa moved back towards him and offered him a hand to help him up. “Come now, kitty, your letting your meal go to waste…” Krisa muttered, not really expecting the creature to react, but hoping it would just turn away to finish it’s meal and leave them alone. Something told her this wasn’t a normal cat. She didn’t want to give it away that she suspected it just yet, she wanted the cat to give it away it’s self.

She smiled reassuringly at the boy “It’s alright,” She told him, patting a dagger she held tucked into the folds of her coat “It won’t win, if it comes to a fight, I will.” She looked down at the animal, curiously. There was just something about it that didn’t seem all-animal.

[Tessa Bane]

Nudging the boy again, Tessa circled him until the newer, female figure spoke.
The female seemed to have caught on to her ploy, maybe Tessa had been to obvious about getting a reaction. Had she frightened the boy too much? She had never meant him harm... Physically, at least. Tessa flicked her tail, thinking.
Stepping over the boy's legs as she revolved around him one last time, the cat came to a decision. It didn't matter what they thought of her. She was just some cat to them. If she ever saw them again, it would be back within the city, and she would be in her human form. They would never know it was her.
Still circling, Tessa observed the boy, he was still afraid of her, that much was plain to see. He sat still as the bobcat roamed around him, if he meant her harm, he either didn't have the means, or was in shock.
The woman was a different story. She didn't seem afraid of Tessa, this was proven when she tried to encourage the big cat to go back to the rabbit. The bobcat's dinner had been picked clean, the animal that had been live just bells ago was now nothing but bones, there was no point trying to get anything else off of it. Tessa stayed where she was.
The female reassured the boy, and offered him her hand. Tessa backed off several inches. She didn't want to admit defeat, and there was no way she was going to run away from either human, she simply didn't want to end up on someone's wall.

Cautiously watching the female, Tessa was struck with a sudden thought when the stranger patted her side, The girl has a weapon... The bobcat scowled at a piece of rabbit fur ...Would she really use it? Tessa looked at the stranger's stony scowl. Probably.
Deciding not to prove this theory, Tessa kept the boy in between her and the possible threat. She kept her face passive, refusing to show worry. She wasn't afraid of the woman, simply cautious around her. The female might attack, Tessa reasoned.

As the stranger peered down at her, the bobcat raised her eyes, meeting the woman's gaze. She had assumed they would leave now, but the meeting had been so... Interesting, that Tessa didn't really want them to go. Unless, of course, the female decided to attack. In that case, curiosity would have gone too far.
The only blood Tessa wanted spilt on the ground that night was the blood of the rabbit. If the strangers wanted a fight, the Kelvic would not throw the first blow.
Lowering her body to the ground, but keeping her stare on the female, Tessa played with a spindly leg bone, batting it between her paws, her curious green eyes flickering as she waited for the two to make their move.

[Keph]

Keph narrowed his eyes. Were animals supposed to act so . . . infuriating? It was almost like it was trying to coax him into a fire-fueled frenzy. A childish temper tantrum.

He wasn’t going to let a cat get to his head. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did.

With an exhale, the world lifted itself off his shoulders, and he allowed himself to be led away from the cat by the woman with red hair. He was pathetic; like a child being led around a puddle of water. Fear burned into shame, his cheeks hot against the night chill.

He harrumphed, not trusting himself to speak, and wrested away from the woman’s grasp. The cat had backed away, and was rolling a bone in between its two paws, its eyes strangely expectant.

“It acts like a person,” he said. He pursed his lips in thought. Why? “Like it’s . . . waiting.” For something.

For them?

“What do you want?” he asked the cat. The moment he asked, his cheeks exploded into a red more intense than the woman’s red hair, and he suddenly wanted to run away for a different reason. Was he expecting the cat to answer?

Maybe he needed Leth more than he thought.

[Krisa]

x

Krisa hadn’tt ment to make him feel embarrassed. She got the sense that she had when he roughly pulled his hand out of her grip. Krisa shook her head, but said nothing. The cat was still toying with them. Maybe she should try to befriend it. The cat was hanging back from her, keeping the boy between them. This was ridiculous. Cats didn’t think like this did they? The boy had picked up on that too, when he tried to speak to the cat. ‘What do you want’ he'd asked it. His face erupted into a fierce red as he realised he was talking to a cat that couldn’t answer him.

Krisa squatted, and got down on the cats level and put a hand out in a welcoming gesture “Here, Kitty. No one wants to hurt you” She said, clicking her young, and holding out her hand for it to sniff. Maybe it would approach her, and decide she wasn’t a threat “Enough of your games.” She cooed. If the cat rejected this or seemed offended by her mushy tone, maybe it was a kelvic. Wouldn’t that be odd, meeting her in her human form. She couldn’t get her head around being an animal AND a human at once. Were they more human or more animal? She didn’t quite understand how it worked.

But there was no real way of knowing weather this was just a cat or not unless it shifted. Anyway. There was no way she was going to use a weapon on a cat. Not unless it was clawing at her face. She hoped she could get it to trust her.