Curiosity and the Cat [Tiki]

[Hadrian]

"Ow, shit!" he hissed, falling back and clapping his hand to his arm. Almost as painful was the sudden snap of the hypnotic connection. His body all a-Flux with djed, he scrabbled backward and settled into a ready crouch in case he had to flee. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to figure out how your eyes work and... see?" With that, he used some of that Fluxing power to fuel his next Morph, and soon black fur was pouring out of his pores, all his natural hair follicles less human and more feline. This wasn't the first fur he had morphed, Cathan being one of his many subjects, but he was refining it here, making it specific to a great cat and not a wolf, or even the stray cat back in Syliras who used to alight on his windowsill looking for milk and fish.

[Tiki]

But Hadrian’s attempts to justify himself failed and Tiki hisses and roared more in greater fear. Tiki wasn’t familiar…he wasn’t even vaguely acquainted with magic first hand. Fairy tales and stories, maybe. He knew of the Valterrian, and how magic had driven the world to pain and suffering, but he never knew what it exactly was. Nor did this experience make the realization of its nature any less shocking. Hadrian’s sudden morphing was incredible for him. All his life he had only seen the aftermath of magic. Tiki didn’t care what he was doing. For all he knew it was another trick. For all he knew it was a plot to trap and kill him as he would prey. He wasn’t some subject of observation or experimentation. He was not the means to Hadrian’s gain for anything, not like that at least. His face wrinkled viciously and he showed his fangs, those massive dagger-like…things. He prepared his claws to attack, swatting at the air. He was no one’s fool, especially some tricky little wizard’s.

[Hadrian]

With Fluxed strength, he leaped into the branches of a nearby tree, clinging there with claws similar to the cat's, hissing back at him with fangs similar too, though scaled down to the size of Hadrian's mouth. His overall anatomy had not really begun to shift toward something feline, only the details. Ethan had been right, perhaps; he should have stayed within the city limits. He had strength and speed augmented by his magic, but he was not a fighter. "Go away!" he shouted. "I don't want any trouble, so go away!" He was balancing too many magics to attempt hypnotism at this point, his blood pumping too much adrenaline through him to calm down enough to focus the manipulative powers of his mind to calm the beast down or order it away.

[Tiki]

The shouting only provoked Tiki further. She let out a mighty roar, unexpected even to him. He appeared to calm down, but it was just him take advantage of the situation. There was no use in fussing and having a fit if there was nothing to gain from it. He moved closer to the base of the tree inside the clearing and prowled slowly, keeping sharp eyes on Hadrian. He continued despite Hadrian’s pleas for peace. He crouched and pushed up, springing from the ground from four feet to two. He was a mad kitty, and that became clearer yet. His nostrils were flared and his golden eyes wide and menacing…menacing! Why, that explained the pack and oddly friendly nature. By the gods, he was a kelvic! Still he was a pissy kitty. “What are you,” he roared from the ground, “and what were you doing?!” Well this was good news at least. The kelvic was trying to converse. If anything it could lead to one of them gaining an upper hand with the other distracted, or better yet the peace Hadrian sought after. Tiki was evidently distraught with Hadrian’s magic though. It was surely strange and fearful, magic that is, but after this incident he was starting to get ideas. Magic users surely did seem to be cowardly. Why fear a coward? Why not eat a coward…? Why not…

[Hadrian]

"I am a man," he called down, exasperated. "And I was doing magic, looking for something. Queen Morwen knows I'm here and what I'm doing. Belgar of the Icewatch has already taken me into custody and she named me of the Iceglaze Hold and has given me work to do. She would be displeased if I were to die before it's completed." Let the Kelvic chew on that, then. If they were meant to bond and submit to human mages, how much more subservient would they turn to a god's will? He sighed, trying to get control of his pounding heart. "Look, I have no plans to hurt you. If I come down, can we talk like rational creatures or do I have to use force to protect myself?"

[Tiki]

Tiki let him finish his case. Upon its completion, and a moment’s pause to consider the given facts, he arrived at a decision. Tiki spoke, “You’re awful skinny to be a man. I have seen men in the city. I don’t believe you, men lie. Many lie, at least. Your magic scared the wilds, and even put my hairs up. So, I agree you should come down and explain yourself,” and then so sharply added, “but I guarantee not your safety. Any swift moves and I will make you my next prey for the Frostfaun!” He had brought himself to a halt and stood his ground on the farther side of the clearing that Hadrian had made. The spheres were upon him, always. A part of Tiki did want to believe Hadrian was friendly though. He didn’t start shooting things at him, or throwing knives, or pulling out swords and such. It was Hadrian after all who had retreated away from Tiki’s coming. It was all considerable. And, before the whole magical scandal, he had showed Tiki friendly gestures…prior to that devilish sorcery. Tiki had only heard of some of the magic that this world could sustain, and held witness to even lesser amounts of such mortal defying energies. Thus was the common knowledge of Mizahar all the same. After all, even the kelvic was aware of what magic had done so long ago, during the Valterrian… He was losing heat at an exponential rate, and his own gesture for peace had been put forward. He was sure to keep sharp eyes on Hadrian, but diverted his hands elsewhere. He tried to cloth himself fast enough to avoid the frost’s bite. He’d be clad in furs in no time flat! Maybe then he could warm up to Hadrian. Not all humans can be bad, right?

OOCSo sorry about having taken so long. Musical has been a blast, but my time has been thinned...I miss Mizahar sooo much! Anyway...tag!

[Hadrian]

His limbs still coursing with djed, he climbed down carefully, sure, at least, of his grip. The cat-claws were sharp and his muscles would not lose strength with the constant renewing. When he stood again on the ground, he did not release that strength, glad that he and Azilis had learned the trick even if he was not adept at its use. But the beast didn't think he was a man, and some of that Fluxed power began to work a physical change in his muscles, bulking them up until his clothes barely fit over his improved physique. He might have grappled with Astro now and given the wrestler a run for his money, but as of now he merely wanted to survive unmolested. Avanthal had proven itself not the best place for that. Its people were so nosy. "I do not wish violence, but if you attack, I will defend." That was not a threat, but a promise. But in reality he would probably flee before defending himself. He didn't want to hurt this Kelvic, but rather wanted to go home, warm up, and calculate a few things he had going on in his mind. "So. Here I am."

[Tiki]

The intuition of predators is precise. Tiki knew well what kind of a person Hadrian was, even if the human didn’t realize it. He saw the way he stood, heard the tone of his voice, and felt that sensation about his person. It wasn’t quite autistics, but instinct. Hadrian, against all personal doubts, was indeed a fighter. Now just wasn’t the time. Tiki pulled the last of his clothing over himself and began to rub inside of it all. The rubbing helped warm himself up. Those sharp feline eyes stayed locked on Hadrian. He had been compliant thus far, and even that was questionable. His actions could be as deceitful as his appearance. Tiki could keep up appearances as well, and what better way to assert himself as a kelvic, a great cat lurking the northern wastes than with a deafening…furious… “Roar,” Tiki exclaimed in a very human and mocking voice! he intended on Hadrian jumping one way or another, just to poke fun. He threw his arms up as he did this; the animation always made the shout more intimidating, like when the polar bears stand up tall when they get into arguments. Tiki knew it well; it was obvious to him, that not even all of the guards were fond of each other. He stumbled back and started laughing a bit before he fell on the ground and rolled back up. With his legs crossed he waited for Hadrian to join him. “There you are, but I am here. Come closer and tell me about yourself?” Tiki left the last of his words with an upswing in his tone. He was sure to add, “I am Tiki," with a quaintness only a kelvic or kelvic-sympathizer would understand. The mind of the beast is a complex one.

[Hadrian]

With his muscles jittering with Fluxed djed and ever more pouring down along his nerves, he was too quickened to be surprised by Tiki's movements, too blue eyes tracking the movement and the fall to the ground. He absorbed so much information, both with his mundane senses and his sense for auras, that he quickly caught the shift in the Kelvic. Their antagonism, it seemed, was over. Whatever the lad had decided, it didn't involve fighting. Curious and cautious, Hadrian crouched down beside the laughing Kelvic, then found a patch of ground bare of snow and sat down. "I am Hadrian," he replied, which answered the question, but only to the letter. Who Hadrian was, well, he had tried to explain enough to prevent a fight, but to truly know someone took time. Time. He had all this energy to hand and it was going to be wasted so he quietly wove it outward, converting it into invisible Shield energy. He was a far sight more skilled than he had been back in Syliras when he first started paying close attention to this discipline. Now his work was more even, and would only flicker or warp a person's vision if he made a mistake or something was attacking it. The energy smoothed out into a dome that covered the both of them, even sinking into the ground below them. He only tasked it to prevent heat exchange, so the bubble in which the sat would ever so slowly warm up. This would be a true boon in the grip of Winter.

[Tiki]

The magic seemed to be what disturbed Tiki most of all. A deadly fascination, perhaps… He seemed unnerved by the shield magic, even if he couldn’t see it, animals just get that vibe that something’s up, especially so close to the source. Still, he stayed, although unaware of what had been cast over him and Hadrian, or what Hadrian was. For the challenge to have been let down so easily, by either party really, it was a good sign of peace. Quite honestly, the world would be bloodier yet if territories didn’t overlap even a little bit, and this was one of those crossovers. Those first uneasy movements became calm- no; they became more accepting of the concept, and of Hadrian. It was a bad schema in the making. Too often the young kelvic had come across people in the wilds and so easily befriended them. One day, if he were to let his guard down to the wrong person, he’d be no more. For now, however, it was hopefully for the best. To Hadrian’s misfortunate, this meant the reiteration of Tiki’s life story in a nutshell for the…oh, let’s say fiftieth time? One he was fully at peace in the bubble, his eyes settled on Hadrian’s and he smiled. He loved to smile. Day or night, he’d find a reason to smile, and hopefully to make other smile. “Hi! Hadrien…Hade-ree-en. No! Wait! Ha-Hade-ree-an! Hadrian! That’s it, right? Hi Hadrian!” Even if the young wizard had stopped to correct him, the kelvic just had a habit of running his mouth all the more, given the chance. “You’re Hadrian, and I’m Tiki. From Syliras, sort of. Around Syliras. Sylira, right? It’s nice there. Where are you from? You could be from Syliras, Sylira, or somewhere. You look the part. Oh, and now we’re in Avanthal; near Avanthal anyway. These are my woods!” His arms expanded outward to exaggerate his claim beyond the domain of the clearing. “But not always, well they had not always been, but they will now always be mine. I hope at least. I’m not sure. I’m going west still, traveling. I left Syliras, Sylira earlier…” The kelvic paused for half a moment to reconsider her point of speech at this moment. “Last spring! I left Syliras, Sylira last spring, and have gone up through the woods into these woods and then through Spires and then up, up, up to Avanthal! I didn’t care for Spires too much, but I met nice people along the way.” Just as he seemed to have come to a stop, even before one’s lips could part entirely he went on. “Kind of like you! Not so weird though. Lots of travelers, still, defiantly. Treading the other way I’m afraid, not west. I want to go to Wind Reach, to see the eagles. Oh, but I’ve seen weirder things yet. There were this very…mean white cats in the fog, Spires, Taldera. That’s how you say a name of a place on a map. I know how! The place and the place it is in. Well, the city and the…are with the other stuff. The area including all the regular places. Right! Where have you been? What are you doing here? Where are you going?!” Those bright eyes shined through all of his endless chatter, beaming Hadrian in the face. He seemed a little bit…off for a kelvic, especially the feline type. Perhaps he was simply a very extroverted kitten? In any case, he may have proved Hadrian wrong in some respect. What little Tiki had to say, he was quick to tell Hadrian. Even then, the overview itself was rather vague. He stopped long enough. Surely he was finished for the time being. His smooth voice was cut off at last. Be it time or all his talking, Tiki was starting to feel the warmth of the bubble. It wasn’t much, but for one used to his own skin, it was enough. He disrobed his torso and repositioned himself to give Hadrian his full attention.