Completed In Front Of The Window [abandoned]

[Kaim Sunrunner]

He listened to him intently with his brow furrowed. Kaim was about to speak after the man finished explaining himself when he saw him reach into his cloak. Kaim immediately became tense and his knuckles grew white. He was holding a fist in both hands, he didn't think he needed it but the situation seemed to be escalating to a degree Kaim was not prepared to handle. He was just an acolyte, when he was younger he fought with kids his age. Even now, during his training, he only fought with fellow acolytes and real life situations demanded experience. It was one thing to fight against a friend or a trainee, it was another to fight a total stranger. With no way to truly gauge this cloaked man, Kaim did the only thing he thought would be right to do in this situation. He raised his hands, in surrender and in defense, "Hey now, I'm not here to hurt anyone either so why don't you-" Kaim's words slowly came to a halt as the man unpredictably removed his cloak and the dagger he had hidden within in. In that moment Kaim realized that the white cat was up against the window. It seemed like the cat was afraid, most likely aware that the man had reached into his cloak. The man set down his dagger and offered his cloak to the cat. Kaim lowered his arms and settled them to his side. He shifted his weight again and release the tension that he felt building within him. He sighed again and scowled, Kaim hated feeling threatened, tense moments that were unnecessary. The daily chores already had him tense enough, and meditation helped very little with the stress. Regardless he was a Shinya, and he knew that if he had to act to save a cat, or Kelvic, he would do so in the name of the Shinya. That did not seem to be the case at this moment, and his somber expression quietly replaced the scowl that his face had worn. He decided to help the cat as well, "Why don't you back away a little, It seems frightened. Just set the cloak on the floor and that should do."

[Ardan]

CODE: SELECT ALL

Ardan "Why don't you back away a little," said the robed man, "it seems frightened. Just set the cloak on the floor and that should do." Ardan felt like a fool. Speaking to a cat and offering it clothing; he must have looked insane. He sometimes forgot that humans usually had a difficult time distinguishing the similar races. "Of course," responded the thief by placing the cloak on the ground beside the cat and stepping away. He turned to the other man, an apologetic look on his face. "I am very sorry for this whole situation. Sometimes, I forget that the entire world is not out to get me. I just had to be sure that you were not one of my pursuers, and this was the only way I knew how." He bowed his head slightly as a sign of sincerity and respect, knowing that people generally disliked being threatened. He also knew that very few could truly understand his plight, and even fewer would take it as an excuse for making them fear for their lives. "My name is Ardan, a Kelvic of Sylrias. I am a thief, an outlaw, and, in many eyes, a vicious murderer. Report me to the guard if you must, but know that I will be gone by the time you return." Ardan knew that saying something like this was incredibly risky, but he had to be honest. He could see the anger in the man's eyes, and wished that he had run instead of laying down his weapon. Things would have been so much simpler.

[Kaim Sunrunner]

Kaim knew a liar once, but many years have gone by since then. He quietly gave his attention to Ardan, hearing his apology and his introduction. After Ardan had finished, Kaim was left with a decision. There are always Shinya close by, and Kaim did not have to move far to find one. All he had to do was raise his voice loud enough, capture the attention of any Shinya. He would also have to hold the man down, which he wasn't so sure was very likely. It is very easy to run, especially on such a melancholic evening such as this one. What the hell, he thought, I could have easily punched this guy while he was bowing. Again, Kaim crossed his arms almost unsure of what to say or do. Until his mouth started yapping, "Listen here, Ardan, I am a guard." He pressed his fat dumb to his chest as he continued, "We are called Shinya and we don't take very kindly to criminals here in Lhavit." He was hardly a full member of the Shinya, but he was still considered a guard, in his opinion. Acolytes run chores, train, and patrol in large crowds. For Kaim, that meant he was exactly what he claimed to say he is. Kaim didn't shift his gaze from Ardan, and looked straight into his cat-like eyes. "But I'm off duty," he said, "I haven't heard of any kind of thief, outlaw, bandit, take your pick. None of those have come into town as far as I know." He knew Ardan had just surrendered himself, not unconditionally albeit. However, he had laid his dagger on the ground, removed his coat, apologized, and bowed before Kaim. Growing up with a compulsive liar did teach Kaim a few things. This man had bowed before him and laid himself bare before Kaim, expressing what he said as truth. Truth, as Kaim grew to learn, was very subjective. His memories had many truths, many of which were not true. "My name is Kaim," he said scowling, "you don't need to bow or apologize. You haven't even done anything wrong except scare this poor cat. This could also be some cheap joke. It wouldn't be the first time some stranger dropped a dagger and proposed he was a thief." In an attempt to settle the situation, Kaim let the words flow freely of their own accord. Yapping his mouth away, and completely aware that it was indeed the first time he heard everything Ardan had just proclaimed.

[Engghaen]

Engghaen calmed down. Slightly. She watched them both and felt the urge to morph grow bigger. She looked at the cloak and back. It wouldn't be a problem if she... She leaned forward curiously. Why did that man say I didn't need his cloak..? Didn't he realise we were both Kelvics? She leaned down and sniffed the cloak. Nothing bad, I guess... She jumped down off the window ledge. She curled herself up into it and morphed. She stared at the both with the same, blue eyes and hold the cloak tight. "Sorry for any... Problems I'd cause. " She murmled in a general direction. Engghaen bowed her head. "In my opinion this man is a Kelvic, sir. I do not know which kind, but he recognised me. Yes, he scared me, but I am thankful for offering his coat to me." She sat on the ground like that. No more protection than the cloak she had around her.

[Kaim Sunrunner]

Peaking around Ardan, Kaim noticed that the cat had spurred to action. She, as Kaim came to realize, hid under the coat and underneath it something grew. Where the cat was once hiding, now covered a vibrant, blue eyed young girl. Her translucent skin shone under the night sky. He knew it could have been a Kelvic sitting at the window, but most Kelvic's did not care for clothing. This girl on the other hand seemed to care enough that a coat was necessary to wrap her naked body. Even so, she had misunderstood what Kaim had said. It seemed like she thought Kaim was threatening the man, or rather writing him off as someone crazy. "I had a feeling, but I don't like to assume. I figured it would be more simple to accept the coat if it was on the floor. Whether you are a Kelvic or a cat, I still felt it necessary to offer you the coat...with a more welcoming method." He shrugged his shoulders and a straight-faced expression settled over his scowl. He didn't want to show any emotion at this point, he looked angry one moment and the next he didn't. It was not so, Kaim just did not have many social experiences such as this one. His days are usually spent around the monastery training, or doing other errands. So he did not know how to handle it correctly, whether to go to the guards or not. It did not matter though, for he had already decided there was no point in doing so. He breathed slowly through his nostrils, feeling the evening air flow right in and out. "There are no problems here," he said, moving his eyes slowly between Ardan and the girl, "just a simple misinterpretation."

[Engghaen]

"Then I am sorry to misunderstand you." she said. Well, I didn't know that. how would I ever be able to? She tried her best to... Well... Smile. Sort of. Her face showed a desperate look, though. The cat started to murmle. "I'm Engghaen. I'm not in Lhavit for very long." She hesitated. "...And I'm not staying her for long. Just from the one place to the other, I guess." What the...? What did you do now?! That's not true, and you know it... "I don't want to bond yet. I don't know about you two, but I don't like the breeding season. Everyone is.." The cat stopped. Stop changing the truth, idiot! She looked down quickly. Maybe it was time to change to another subject, just in case. This wasn't good. She shouldn't lie. But what would she have as other options? Telling her true story? Too painful for her. She looked at Kaim. "If you are off duty, why are you wearing that robe? "

[Ardan]

Ardan The hairs on Ardan's neck stood and he let out a growl at mention of the season. He hated it intensely; the primal urges that came with it took control away from him. He absolutely despised being out of control. He looked into Engghaen's eyes. They told so much about a person. He saw that she was conflicted, and frustrated. He considered changing. Many other Kelvics found communication easier as their animal form, provided that they could, understand each other. No, that would likely complicate the already annoyingly complicated situation. His attention shifted to Kaim, who had just essentially allowed a criminal to go free. Ardan had not counted on the man being a guard, and adjusted himself appropriately. He made subtle changes to his posture that would allow him to change with ease if the need arose. He didn't trust Kaim, and knew that the feeling was mutual. Not only was he a guard (the mortal enemy of a practiced thief), but he was a guard in a city to which Ardan had never been. He could have been a corrupt, conniving bastard. It never hurt to be prepared. Maybe the man would stab Ardan as soon as he turned his back. Of course, Ardan was not entirely trustworthy himself. However, at least he was honest about it. An honest liar. That was more than could be said for most guards. Bastard's probably just waiting for the opportune moment to strike, thought the thief. "Yes, that is quite curious," said Ardan, adding to Engghaen's question. "I assume, if she is questioning it, that your robe is the standard uniform. If you're off duty, why not wear something else?"

[Kaim Sunrunner]

He laughed a little when Engghaen spoke hesitantly. Now that she had transformed, Kaim felt like he could relax a little. Shifting his gaze a little, he noticed Ardan tense up. Kaim was unaware that it was a breeding season, or that there was a breeding season. Really, Kaim was mostly oblivious about most things, but he never liked to admit it. Instead, he just agreed as if he knew exactly what everyone else were discussing. "Pft, yeah breeding season," he said shrugging his shoulders. Suddenly, the attention was averted to him, both had asked him a direct question about his clothing. He thought it a strange question. It was something he preferred over his regular clothing. However, these strangers did not know that and Kaim immediately felt that Ardan was not getting tense about breeding season. He averted his gaze from Ardan for a moment and looked down at his own clothing. It was quite comfortable, light, fashionable compared to what Kaim had hidden away back at the monastery. He tried to compose himself to hide any emotion, as he was taught, but his exhaustion won at the end. He sighed and nodded, "Yes. This is my uniform and no, I don't feel like wearing anything else. It's comfortable and easy on the eyes!" When he finished, he padded his clothing and nodded again. "I like it better than what I got," he said moving his eyes back towards Ardan.

[Ardan]

Ardan "Whoa, no need to get all dramatic," responded Ardan as he backed away slightly. A grin formed on his face as he noticed some key changes in Kaim's stance and face. He knew what Ardan was thinking. He had noticed the thief's adjustment in posture. Oh, you tricksy little man, he thought. You're on your way!

[Engghaen]

Engghaen stared at Ardan. She liked his eyes. She was curious about him. She... She had seen that particular sparkle before. She only didn't know where. Maybe when she... No. She shook her head. It was hideous. She did not know this man.

I wonder what he will be when he transforms, she thought. Maybe he would be... Maybe he would also be a feline. Maybe they could roam around sometime. But that wasn't now, and she needed to be serious. Careful about what she was saying. She would be staying here for a while, but apparently she was not able to say it out loud in front of these two.

The cat bent down and smelled the cloak. It smelled nice. Worn, a bit mysterious, and slightly sweaty. And sweet. A sweet smell she could not place teased her nostrils. The cat looked up, realising she had been with her nose in someone else's cloak for too long to be called normal.

She saw Ardan grow tense. Was the breeding season something bad for him? He growled and Engghaen intuitively growled back. She did not want to know. It was probably one of the countless secrets one could have.

She turned to Kaim and moved her gaze to him. When Kaim gave her the answer, it sounded fine. Logical. She'd do that herself, too. She looked at his clothing. Well, it was much better than hers. It seemed more comfortable. More... His. She should really go and find some new clothes, once. Only her cloak was her favorite. She relaxed, seeing the others do that too.