Open A Not So Warm Welcome

[Thundiirn]

Winter Season, Day 2, 215 AV He could see it on the horizon. Sunberth, his old home. He'd been on the road for too long, and was thrilled to finally see it again, despite the memories of the past that haunted the place. Memories were just that, though. They couldn't hurt him unless he let them, couldn't project themselves onto this world without his permission. As long as he remained in control, he was safe. The sun had just risen, and the wind was definitely biting. Thankfully he had arrived before Winter hit fully, or this trip could easily have been the death of him. He didn't plan to lose this game that easily... There are plenty of ways to lose in Sunberth, this he knew all too well from experience. Especially once the sun went down. Thank the gods it would still be up when he finally arrived. shortly after the 10th bell... Thundiirn finally entered for the first moment in quite some time the streets that he so lovingly despised. Despite having been born and raised in Sunberth, he still managed to take a few wrong turns here and there as he winded his way to his destination. His family's old house, abandoned for several seasons now. He dreaded to see the condition of this once cozy place. Hopefully no one has taken up residence he thought to himself, though not too concerned. After far too many of such wrong turns and dead ends, he finally saw it. His heart sank as he saw the door missing from its frame, the house dark and seemingly filled with refuse. The sun was going down, the journey had taken longer than expected. He wouldn't have time to fix it up today. He stepped in wearily, unsure of what he would find. Was that a sentient he heard, or just a scurrying mouse? His senses were on high alert...

[Natsuki]

Natsuki's ear's pricked forward as cautious footsteps entered the house. The girl had taken up shelter in an abandoned cottage, or what she had thought was abandoned, a few days after her arrive in Sunberth. From what she could gather from the thick layer dust, the rats and missing door this place had been uninhabited, by humans at least, for a fair amount of time.

But someone was here. Perhaps the original owner of the house, or maybe another lost soul seeking shelter, but it was most likely a thief coming in to see what they could scavenge from the supposedly empty house.

The wolf stood; keeping to the shadow's that were creeping in with the sinking of the sun, she stepped closer to the form that stood in the doorway in an attempt to get a better look at who the intruder. It was obviously male and that fact instantly put her on edge; Natsuki let out a low instinctive growl and felt the fur raise on her back. She eyed the man suspiciously and waited to see what he would do next.

[Thundiirn]

Thundiirn stopped dead in his tracks. As soon as his toes crossed the threshold, he had heard a growl. What the hell? he thought, somewhat surprised by his general lack of shock. His emotions had been suppressed for too long, nothing made him care these days. That didn't mean he wasn't weary of the... something... staring out at him from the shadowed corner. It was definitely dark, definitely furry, and definitely not human. Quickly reasoning in his head, he all but eliminated the fact that there was a wild beast sitting in his family's home (though it would possibly explain the overall stench of the place). How would it have gotten in, after all? Surely someone would have seen it and, though there were no authorities to report it to, Sunberthians had a tendency to quickly eliminate anything they viewed as a threat. This left him two options. It could be tamed, an option that would leave him with both good and bad news. The good news would be that it was likely restrained by some device, considering there was no door, and therefore not an immediate threat to him. The bad news would be, it likely had an owner, and any sort of owner hiding out in an abandoned home with a huge tethered beast of this sort was bound to be bad news. Unfortunately, this seemed most likely. The other possibility as he saw it, one which he dearly hoped for, was that this was a Kelvic. They were rare around these parts, but a few had passed through during his days here. They generally didn't stay long, which could be why this potential one was hiding out in what it thought (correctly, until now) was an abandoned house, to avoid paying inn fees as he or she planned their next move. Sounds familiar... Thundiirn thought to himself, amused by the possible parallel between it and him. Were that to be the case, perhaps they could work to one another's benefit. Do you speak, creature? He asked, leaving his thoughts and returning to reality. This entire mental conversation had only taken a second and a half. Quickly, he decided to add a sign of friendliness, so it wouldn't assume any hostility from him. If you're sentient and friendly, know that you are welcome to stay here for the night, free of charge. I do claim this place as mine though, as the property is owned by my family. I don't know how long you've been here, or from where you came, but regardless, the rightful owner has returned. Having said all he could, he waited. And hoped. Hoped that he would see this creature morph in the next few seconds and that he could speak to a friendly humanoid.

[Natsuki]

The man spoke in a calm voice and made a gesture of friendship. Natsuki still hesitated, she had never been one to trust easily. Especially men. But, she sensed no hostility in the stranger, though that still didn't put her mind at ease. Nevertheless, the girl could not communicate in her animal form.
So she shifted.

Natsuki stood, her long hair falling over her shoulders and down her chest. She brushed the dirt from her naked form. The girl was yet to grasp the concept of modesty and what was socially acceptable. Looking up at the man in front of her, there was a suspicious tone in her voice that she didn't try to suppress but she did feel a little bad for trespassing on his land, “Sorry for the intrusion. I swear I have not taken anything or destroyed anything, the door was missing when I arrived in early Autumn... My name is Natsuki and I would be truly grateful if you would allow me to spend the night”

The girl rarely spoke in such a fashion and it felt unnatural to use formal language, but when you were first meeting someone it was probably better to be somewhat polite. Though, politeness was also a somewhat foreign concept to the kelvic.

[Thundiirn]

What a relief. And how strange. A Kelvic wolf, squatting in his home for months? How had she not been detected? How had she kept herself safe with not so much as a door to hide her away? However she had done it, she was clearly a survivor. And as such, would be a useful ally in this godforsaken city. Impressive, my friend, that you have managed to hold this place for such a long time. But be ware, such a feat is not typical of Sunberth. You'll soon learn that nothing comes for free here. All is paid for in money, sweat, and blood. I've got money, and blood is messy. Tonight is free, if you wish to stay past that you'll be paying in sweat. He desperately hoped she'd take that deal. Though she looked somewhat scrawny, sitting there naked in the dust and grime of the unkempt house, her wolf form would have superior agility and sharp fangs for him to compete with. His vision had adjusted somewhat to the darkness of the building, and he quickly scanned for possible weapons to use in case she chose the blood option. The place had been stripped of valuables long ago, this much was certain. There was a wooden table with a missing leg, still standing only due to an empty crate propping up its sagging fourth end. No use. Maybe cover if it came to that, he could knock the crate out and use it as a wall for a split second. There were three chairs, seemingly sturdy enough to throw for another momentary distraction. He looked further. A small stove once sat in the corner, now a vacant space. It had probably been sold by some scavenger as scrap metal. One man's stove is another's rent. Such was the way of Sunberth. Ah, they had missed something though. He saw a pointy metal something, half hidden under some rubble and trash. Most likely the poker his mother had used to tend to the stove's coals. That would do quite nicely, should he need it. He hoped he wouldn't. It was all the way across the room, but he figured he'd be able to get to it before a fight broke out. She wouldn't be counting on his ability to hypnotize, an ability he had picked up abroad while visiting Zeltiva. It would buy him no more than a few seconds at his low skill level, but that's all he'd need to get the poker. The challenge then would be to kill her. Couldn't have a reputation getting out as a hypnotist round these parts. He'd honestly rather not. Blood was messy, as he'd said. But so were lynch mobs. He'd do what he must to survive. He had things to do, people to avenge. The sense of purpose felt good, such a drastic change from yesterday. It gave him a strength he had not felt since he had last stood here.

[Natsuki]

She gave a short nod and muttered, “That seems fair”

Although, Natsuki was a little concerned about how she would be paying the man. She agreed that blood was messy, and would much rather pay in sweat like he suggested. But if he expected her to do anything demeaning, the kelvic would have no hesitation in tearing his throat out.

Natsuki saw the man's eyes scan the room anxiously, he was probably looking for some form of defence in case things took a turn for the worst and she thought it strange that he would not already have a weapon on him. Even the kelvic carried a sword with her, she was not the best fighter and was pretty much self taught but any weapon was better than none.
It was clear that he did not trust her and why should he? But she was not after a fight, at least not with this man.

The girl paused, she considered putting clothes on but did not like the idea of turning her back to the stranger, so Natsuki asked, “Do you have a name?”

[Thundiirn]

My name is Lithan Thundiirn said, using his secondary identity. No need to be too trusting, and if she went blabbing perhaps some old friends would come find him. Or enemies, though they could provide just as much enjoyment. I was born and raised here in Sunberth, in this very room you are standing in. This sentence prompted and unexpected, and unnecessary emotion and memory. He saw the room as it had been many seasons ago. Everyone smiled, it was bright and clean. His father sat at the wooden table, now with all four legs intact, reading over old shipping records and occasionally recording a number or chart in his leather-bound journal. His mother tended to the stove, sweating a bit from the heat, as a wondrous aroma of beef stew wafted throughout the small, cozy space. There was a knock at the door, Ondilo most likely stopping by for dinner. Thundiirn reached out and opened the door... ...and snapped back into reality. The dirt-streaked, naked Kelvic stared piercingly at him. She had asked him his name. Had he answered? He could no longer remember, nor did he much care. I wish to sleep he announced, I've travelled for far too long. You can start the day off tomorrow by telling me your name and story. Not waiting for a response, he finally left the door frame and fully entered the dim house. He grabbed the poker, waving it playfully at the Kelvic, as if to say don't mess with me, and curled up to sleep in the corner. A chill soon swept over him, and his eyes popped back open. Hold on, help me move this table, friend. Prop the flat of it up against the door frame so as to block out the wind. The crate will keep it in place. It will also look like a door from the outside, so people will be less likely to think the place abandoned and wander in....

[Kel Ehmry]

Kel had just left a shop that offered a variety of jewlery, gems, and other precious items. But as Kel was carousing the selection, he had a bit of a realization. This was Sunberth, and anything purchased here was likely illegitimate. Upon this realization Kel, sighed and left the store, but not without a small confrontation with the shop keeper who was a little to eager to sell his goods. The man had blocked the door, preventing Kel's departure from the store, and insisted on selling some "rare sapphire," as he called it. After a bit of a standoff Kel managed to escape the shop and now he found himself here, walking at night in Sunberth, one of the most dangerous cities on the continent. What is it with people in this damn city? Maybe I need to learn how to fight or something. It was a thought that had come up before, and even just familiarizing himself with a weapon would be enough. It would certainly make walking around this place at night a bit more bearable he thought. As he walked down the street he figured he needed to get back and head to sleep. But before he could make any serious effort to return home, he found himself looking on a building. The front door had been unhinged, that was obvious, but there was something else covering the entrance. A a large blank of wood or something else that could resemble a door. The logical conclusion here was to simply walk away and go to bed. But Kel found something about the mysterious building inviting, as if it was calling him have a quick look and see if anything interesting was in there. Kel ran to one of the windows by the entrance and peered inside. Starlight wasn't the best light source, as Kel couldn't see much except for some overturned furniture and some clutter on the floor. It looked abandoned, now that Kel had taken a closer look. Kel decided that a quick look around would be of no harm, besides, he wanted to get off the streets. Hopefully no one would mind him rummaging through an old abandoned building. Or someone might mind a whole lot. Kel place his hands against the object blocking the entrance and began to slide it out of the way. Damn this thing is heavy Kel though as he pushed. Finally, the object had been moved to the side, and Kel hesitantly entered the building. The room was almost pitch black, with the only light coming from the stars. Kel paused at the entrance to let his eyes adjust as much as they could before continuing his exploration. Once he could see, although barely, he began to slowly creep across the floor, constantly watching out for any surprises, and it wasn't long before he encountered one. First, he saw a man curled up in the corner of the room, hidden from the window. Stranger than that was a naked women sleeping on the ground who seemed to be covered in some sort of grime. Kel froze with dumbfounded look on his face, wondering what in the hell he had just stumbled in on. But by this point, Kel's curiosity was in control and he wasn't turning back.

[Thundiirn]

Of course this would happen on his first night back. He clutched the poker tight, comforted by the hard, cool metal jutting against his ribcage. He had instantly popped back into consciousness the second the table started moving, having been only lightly asleep anyway. The little flashback earlier had shaken his nerves way more than he wanted to admit. Thundiirn, still feigning to sleep and curled up on the ground, looked to the wolfling to see if she had awoken. His eyes now fully adjusted to the sparse light of the room, he saw her eyes flickering behind closed lids. A difficult sign to interpret. After all, was a Kelvic more human or animal? He'd never been very close to one, and wasn't sure. In humans it would be a likely sign of consciousness, but in animals it could be frequently written off as mere dreaming. Looks like he couldn't count on her assistance. Hope for the best, expect the worst, a voice in his head advised him. Words Ondilo had lived by, and now so did he. He was rather weakened from being on the road so long, and he had never been much of a face-to-face fighter anyway. He preferred to win from the shadows, but it looked like such a thing wouldn't be an option this time if it came to confrontation. Moonlight poured into Thundiirn's eyes, and he reflexively squinted up his eyes for a brief second before relaxing the muscles to look asleep once more. A potentially costly mistake, but unless this was an Eagle Kelvic (which, based off the proceedings of the day so far, was absolutely not out of the question) there was no way this stranger would have seen that with his or her eyes not adjusted to the light. The stranger was now inside. Thundiirn gripped the poker and hoped he wouldn't have to use it, that the wolfling's fangs would come to his aid. He didn't think the stranger would be able to tell he wasn't actually asleep, if robbery was the goal he could wait it out and track the bastard down in the morning. But murderers and tweaked out drug addicts roamed these streets as well. Never expect the best

[Natsuki]

It was the second time today that the girl had had her sleep interrupted; at first she thought it might have been the owner of the house, Lithan, as he had called himself but from what she could gather he was asleep in the corner. This new person had pushed the table away from the doorway and stepped in cautiously, they seemed rather determined to get into the house, that table hadn't been easy to move. The kelvic waited, wondering what this new person would do. She hoped that they would just take what they were after and leave. But, having lived in the abandoned building for nearly a whole season, she knew that there was not a lot of things to take.

Natsuki was tired, she hadn't been sleeping very well and was annoyed at having been woken twice, and the girl was not thinking things through as much as she should have. The kelvic rolled over, grabbed her sword and stood. She looked at the dark figure and muttered, “Please go, people are trying to sleep”

It then dawned on her that confronting a total stranger in Sunberth who had just broken into a house was probably not the best idea, but it wasn't the first time she had done something that ridiculous. She considered transforming, though it was so much easier communicating when she was human but the kelvic could always do that if things turned ugly. Well, it was too late to rethink her actions now so the girl pointed the sword at him and nodded towards to the door, hoping that she hadn't just done something she would later regret.