Sharing? What is this Shar- D'aw well.. okay.. (Kit)

by **Ana Sol Starris** on February 15th, 2012, 10:26 pm

Winter 30th, 511AV
Sunberth, afternoon.

The day was as usual, clouds over hanged the sky and the sun seemed to refuse to come out and the wind was bitingly chilly now. That didn't stop the city of Sunberth though, it was still bustling around albeit a depressive chime in the air as inhabitants trudged through the cold winter days. It got harder this time of year, it always did, for when there was snow there would be tracks for a maniac to follow or some poor bloke to end up robbed in the alleys, the weak froze and there was always hungry crying mouths. It was harder indeed and to a riduculous level in Sunberth, there was less food around for someone of little wealth to scavenge around in the woods for or little warmth to be found in a dying fire grate, there was nothing good about this time of year to Ana; only bad.

Walking around the shop keeper streets, the little theif had her hood up and eyes scanning at leisure; trying to keep normal. Ana had an idea, instead of taking and running she would try to let her sticky fingers work their magic, this would require being relaxed. It was failing as she aproached the stall, her objective: pick up some bread without being noticed by the owner, from what she had noticed they got rather vicious to screw ups. The goal: not to get caught, arms trembling, Ana could feel her body heat up tremendously in waves which caused her to flick her eyes a little faster than she should have. Passing the stall, the little hands moved on their own, flowing with her movement, snatching without looking at the owner whom she had seen turn his head from the corner of her vision.

Anas body tensed up as she continued to walk on, weaving between different people at random while hiding the item she had picked up beneath her cloak. Waiting for something to happen, her eyes watered at the anticipation while brutal images floated up in her vision. It was only her paranoia getting to her, nothing happened, it was all in her head and she had succeeded. Not realizing she had been holding her breath, she let it go, flicking her eyes now to turn to look at the shop keeper. He seemed to have noticed a small loafe of bread unaccounted for and was now scanning the crowd with an angry eye. Ana turned her head slowly away, heart pounding hard in her head and ears, clutching at her throat with an iron vice of a grip, she had to remain calm, she had to keep from running lest she'd draw his and every person in the streets attention to herself.

Clutching the loafe of bread to her side, she willed herself to stay calm and hope trouble wouldn't come to her, it always did, more so in the winter season than it would in other seasons. She couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on her as she continued walking.

by **Kit** on February 17th, 2012, 3:54 am

Kit's stomach growled, and hunger pangs ate at him. His sackcloth clothing was scratchy and uncomfortable, but his mother had warned him not to appear before humans without it. He hated his human form, and only took it when he could not find food other than by paying for it, but today was one of those days. Unfortunately, he was not used to the human way of doing things, and he had forgot to bring his money. It was probably still laying forgotten in a corner of his den, but it wasn't with him now, and without it he couldn't purchase food.

He stared longingly at the stack of bread in front of him, but the stomper on the other side of it kept giving him dirty looks. It reminded Kit of the stompers inside the buildings who would chase him out with brooms, and in this form he wasn't sure he could run away as fast, plus he was entirely without his most unique defense mechanism. As such, he kept his distance from the stall, just a bit out of arms reach, but he could not tear his eyes away from such tempting food.

That was how he saw the smaller human take the bread. Kit was confused; the bread had been taken, with no exchange of little shiny coins. Was that loaf somehow exempt from the bizarre rules that governed the obtaining of food in the human world? If so, that meant it was fair game to Kit as well. He followed the human, his mind almost completely consumed by hunger and the idea that that particular loaf of bread was the only food in the whole world he was allowed to have. He followed the loaf like a lost puppy, making small whimpering noises, too quiet to be heard from a distance. Other stompers got between him and the smallish human, but he was always able to smell the bread...

Several streets later, there stopped being other stompers between him and the bread. The human seemed to feel safe as well since she removed to bread from her cloak. With a plaintive cry of hunger and desperation, Kit pounced at the bread, trying to get his mouth onto it.

OOCI made some minor assumptions about what Ana would do next; let me know if you mind. Also, Kit appears to be in his early teens in human form (I couldn't figure out how to work that into the narrative without sounding out-of-place.)

by **Ana Sol Starris** on February 18th, 2012, 4:46 am

Moving carefully around people, Ana didn't want to end up squishing the bread as she got further and further away from the stall she had stolen from and closer to Wrenmaes slum house. The thought occurred to her that if she showed to Wren what she could do, he'd praise her, and then even be amazed when she shared with him! The whole scene was being planned in her head with glee, the little thief never once noticed a boy was following her all the way from the bread stand, the very one she had stolen from moments ago. It hadn't occurred to her that someone had seen her pick the bread up and walk away, let alone have the nerve to follow her afterwards.

It was when people began to thin out Ana felt a little paranoid, she had taken the bread out while walking as she was going to eat her half right away. Stopping, she glanced around her and that is when she saw him, a boy with hungry and desperate eyes lunging at her from behind. Turning and taking a few clumsy steps to do so she brought the bread up high and hoped she was tall enough to play keep away from him while using her other hand to press against his chest to keep some physical distance away from herself; she barely succeeded in doing so. Frowning, she was confused on what to do now and his constant struggle to get her food was taking a toll on her own strength. Holding back a wild animal of a boy was hard, especially when your body was weak, she began to shake a bit with the effort.

Something in her mind cracked, this was her bread, she had stolen it and now it was rightfully hers! "Hey Kid! KID!" She started barking at him in an annoyed voice "quit it kid! Hold a minute!" When he hadn't seemed to stop she mimicked a scene from her book and took a step to the side and brought her hand away quickly to send him fowards with his own weight; it was less energy taxing this way she realized. But she was too annoyed now to praise herself for being like her role model for a few seconds, it seemed no one understood the rules "this is mine! Not yours.."

OOC :

by **Kit** on February 18th, 2012, 5:47 am

Kit stumbled forward and fell on his face when she moved her hand (he wasn't exactly all that used to walking on only two legs), but he wasn't about to just give up. "Yeah, and when I get my hands on it, it'll be mine!" He lunged for the bread again; unfortunately, she easily held it away from him. It quickly turned into a one-sided game of keep-away, and Kit was clearly losing. In the end, he was stretched on his tip-toes, trying to reach a loaf that she was holding just a bit too high.

Kit stretched higher and higher, until... he lost his balance and fell over again! Now he was human, starving, AND covered in dirt, not to mention exhausted and humiliated. Defeated, he sat in the dust, sniffling. Great, now his eyes were stinging too, and there was this icky runny stuff coming out of his nose. He wiped his face with a dirty sleeve.

by **Ana Sol Starris** on February 18th, 2012, 6:28 am

His determination had not necessarily fallen on deaf ears as she only grinned, this feeling of having control was amazing. It made her grin "we will see about that!" Ana started as the boy lunged again. This time Ana was more than ready, taking a step back and rising on her tip toes along with his own ones she held onto his shoulder for more support and to keep him away at the same time. Why hadn't she done this more often before? To have this sort of power over someone, he wanted what she had. Inwardly Ana knew the answer to that, everyone was always stronger than herself so she didn't pick fights with them..

When he had fallen again, she had purposefully pushed him down with his own weight to add to his fall. Taking a few steps back in case he decided to do something funny again, she held the bread mockingly away from his reach, away from his hungry mouth. Then she froze, is.. is he crying? She thought with a tinge of guilt, he seemed to be because she heard the sniffling and went to rub his eyes. Now she felt awful, the power hungry feeling dissapeared and her shoulders slumped as she frowned at him. Looking to the bread she had played keep away with, would Wren have thought her arrogant to do that? Her body became rigid, not from the cold but from a subconscience fear.

Cringing at what the answer could be, she looked at the pitiful boy again and then back at her bread with hesitance. Ana knew what it was like to be hungry, to be desperate, and he had put effort in trying to take the bread from her. Feeling disgusted with herself for being a bully, for letting the Sunberth custom breech her thoughts and actions. Crouching next to him, ready to spring away if need be Ana broke the loaf in half with her head hanging low she sighed and held a piece to the hungry boy "sorry kid," she started with a smidgeon of pity in her voice "we can share y'know.." Lifting her head to look at him to smile, the dark circles were rather predominant under her eyes "I'm Ana, whats your name?"

by **Kit** on February 20th, 2012, 9:31 pm

Kit seized the bread she handed to him and devoured it, scarfing it down like it would get away from him if he didn't make sure it was good and dead. His belly now full, Kit's mood instantly improved. He stuck his dirty face closer to the bread-girl's so that he could see her properly, and said, "Name? What's a... oh right! That's the thing you humans use to tell each other apart. You want to know what humans call me?" He thought for a while, trying to remember. "Wellll, my mother called me Kit, but I'm not sure if that's a name or just what I was. Is there a difference between those? I mean, a lot of stompers call me 'pest' or 'get out of here' but I don't think those are names. My human calls me..." Here Kit had to concentrate so hard his eyes crossed, "Moo-shak-his? I think that's right, but I can never quite remember."

Then he decided to try out the bread-girl's name. "Ana. Ann-na. Ana-ana-ana-ana-ana! Do you want to give me a name too? I like names!" Kit grinned at Ana, waiting to hear what fun new words he might be able to keep under the pretense of being his name. He wondered if they would be any easier to pronounce than the ones his human gave him.

by **Ana Sol Starris** on February 21st, 2012, 11:46 pm

Watching him eat as if he hadn't eaten in days, boy did she know what that feeling was like. Ana held her half still, she never looked once at it but to avoid from it being also devoured, not by the boy, but by herself. Her own stomach growled accordingly as she went to drop it into or rather under her tightly tucked in blouse, the belt didn't only hold up her pants, but it kept larger than coin items from slipping through, she had pockets, but those were prone to be picked. There was an item missing, but she did not panic, recently she had left her book in the corner wrapped up in some of the 'dirty' clothes of Wrenmaes housing she layed in for the past how ever long it seemed to be since him taking her in.

Remaining crouched, she watched him further still, her eyes were slipping shut to take her by surprise, his face was in her face! Toppling over onto her side with a wide eyed expression, the heck did he need to do that for?! She thought angerly to herself, scooting slightly away to sit up straight Ana looked at him with an eyebrow raised "I'd prefer you not getting too close kid.." Stopping her sentence to listen to the kid as he spoke, it sounded as if he didn't consider himself human.. Or maybe he was a slave? If he was.. Would she get a reward if she turned him in? The thought of rubbing a large amount of money in Wrens face was highly enjoyable... Kit? or moo..sha....something... I think I'll go with Kit, Ana thought to herself bemusedly, it was also cuter.

Shaking her head, it was tempting.. Oh so tempting... Even if she could convince him to follow her she highly doubted he would be stupid enough to not remember the slave tents. Anas eyes had fallen to the ground in thought, make money or make a friend? Jerking her head up to look at him for his insistent chatter, shrugging "pest is like a bug or a rodent.. Something people don't want near them.. Or in your case, their belongings.." smiling very lightly, she figured he was being run out for attempt of theft; Ana was VERY sure of her self that this was the case "and I'm not so sure I should name you.." Tilting her head at him, curious "why not name yourself?"

by **Kit** on March 1st, 2012, 12:46 am

Kit tilted his head, mirroring the bread-girl's curiosity. "Why would I need to name myself? I know who I am." Having stated the obvious, and having lost interest somewhat in the bread-girl, Kit started looking around, listening and smelling for any new curious thing which might be about. That what when he caught a whiff of a lovely scent almost as wonderful as the smell of fresh bread.

With his nose poked daintily in the air, he tried to sniff out the source of the wonderful smell. He followed his nose into a nearby alleyway, and found a pungent bit of yellowy food-thing, just sitting in the street, where anyone could take it! Celebrating his luck, Kit pounced on the cheese and nibbled away at it.

Suddenly, everything went dark, due to the scratchy not-at-all-soft-thing being pulled over his head. He was grabbed by rough arms, and he heard rough male voices, but he was too terrified to make out what they said. Instinctively, he tried to spray his attackers, but he was in the wrong form. He couldn't decide whether it was a good idea to shift or not. Being smaller might give him the chance to slip out of their grasp, but it would also make it easier to be stepped on....

by **Ana Sol Starris** on March 2nd, 2012, 9:57 pm

Jerking her head to be level again as Kit copyed her, it eyeing him with mild irritation she listened to his answer and for a moment. Ana could not answer. Did he know who he was, for real? Did Ana know whom she was? Scoffing at the thought, she knew who she was- she was Ana Sol Starris, small time thief and socially awkward adult! Her lips began curling into a smile as she chuckled lightly, kids, she wondered how old Kit was. He didn't appear to be older than ten, though she could have been wrong, she too was a runt for her age and she still is even to this day "well," she started off quietly "sometimes people like to take on names of their own choosing.."

"To start new.." Glancing at his movements, only to scan around, she suddenly felt watched.. Or rather, the warnings that had been underlying her thoughts at a dull roar had risen up into something of deafening proportions. Standing up, she kept her gaze not focused on him, but on the streets and corners... Everything felt normal, yet... strange.

Trailing her voice, Ana turned to look at him as he cutely stuck his nose in the air and began sniffing, walking away from her. This kid.. Whats he doin..? Ana raised her eyebrow suspiciously at him for having of lost interest, had he just come for what he gotten for from her? If this was the case, it was highly likely. The small time thief watched him wander across the dirty, mud covered snow street towards an alleyway. What in the gods is he smelling thats so potent..The question sparked her to sniff the air also, only a blurry scent of refuse and the usual musky Sunberthian air hit her nostrils. He was smelling something Ana could not, or it was simply her nose being too clogged from the starts of a cold.

Curiously Ana jogged after him as he dissapeared into an alleyway, pressing herself against the wall to peek past the corner and into the depressive street. Blinking, with eyes widening in fear, just as Kit had grabbed something off the ground two men had appeared from some hiding spots. Dirty, brown, black and grime covered sheets had been used to camoflauge their movements. Pulling a rough sack over Kits head they began to restrain him as he struggled, the taller of the two gave a raspy and spine chilling laugh while the bulkier one held Kits arms. What was Ana to do? She was small, weak, and certainly not a hero...

Yet.. The little thief couldn't just stand idly by and watch, if she could help him, in any way, shape or form, it was worth a try even if it did not work.

The lanky man, who oddly reminded Ana of a snivelling rat was pulling out some rope and moved to bind the kids hands while the bear faced, bearded fatso held Kit good and tight to keep him from running away.

"This pest better fetch a high price," rat face wheezed, coughing as he chuckled again "what a nuisance."

"Shut it boy, just get 'im tied already" the bulkier of the two grunted in irritation "I wants me' mead soon."

Staring in disgust, having of heard what they said- albeit with some trouble as her noble 'want' washed out and turned into anger, Ana was wrong, Kit wasn't a slave but he would be one soon if she didn't do something. Kits freedom, however, wasn't what made her want to help, it was the thought of two ingrates getting money for food and drink while she had nothing was what motivated her to do something this stupid. Glancing around quick, snow, mud, ice, planks of discarded wood that were most likely frozen to the ground. Having of not looked back into the alley, Ana crouched to the ground and began gathering as much snow as she could into her already frozen fingers.

Her target would be one of the twos faces, if she could hit them that is.

OOC :

by **Kit** on March 2nd, 2012, 11:30 pm

Kit couldn't see a thing, but he heard a 'thunk' as Ana's dirty snowball hit the building near the stomper's head. The wheezy voice said, "There's another one over there. We could get paid double."

Then grunting voice shoved Kit roughly into slimy, claw-like arms and said, "You hold on to this one. I'll get the other one." Kit struggled against his bindings. The ropes were too tight to slip out of at this size, but now that the big stomper had stomped away, Kit might be able to risk shifting without getting stomped on. Besides, from the sound of it, bread girl was in trouble, and Kit couldn't do anything like this. He'd have to risk it.

Taking a deep breath and getting ready to struggle a bit, Kit shifted in a dazzle of lights that seemed wholly out of place in the grimy Sunberthian alley. He flopped forward onto his face, since his forearms were still lifted awkwardly behind him. They were small enough to slip through the ropes now, however, so he was able to quickly stand up. The downside was that he was now tangled in a mass of sackcloth, both his clothes and the sack on his head confining and confusing him. He tried to back up, hunting for an exit, but there was only more cloth. He wanted to move toward the brightest light, or the freshest smell, but everything seemed uniformly dim and musty in here. Turning around only seemed to get him more tangled and lost.

The lanky man looked down at the rustling bundle of cloth in amazement for a moment. "This one's a kelvic! We'll be rich!" He shouted to his friend. As Kit struggled to get free, the lanky man tried to get ahold of the small, wriggling animal. Somehow in the struggle, Kit ended up free of the clothing, but now being held by two bony hands. The lanky man lifted the skunk up to his face, horror slowly dawning as he realized what he was holding. At this range, Kit could make out the sharp, greedy features of the stomper's face, and at this point he was unwilling to give the would-be slaver any more chances.

A spurt of liquid hit the man right in the face, burning his eyes and filling his mouth and nose with a stench that defied imagination. Coughing and sputtering, he dropped the skunk, money suddenly becoming infinitely less important than just getting that awful smell away from him. Unfortunately for the man, he could not possibly run far enough...

Having taken care of his own problem, Kit turned toward bread-girl and the grunting stomper, waddling confidently toward them, and hissing at the man. This one was far enough away to get a warning, but if he didn't take the hint, he'd share his friend's fate.