Partners in Crime [Tao]

[Isette]

Watching the two interact warmed her heart. There was no denying that they were fond of each other. He truly was her human. Isette purred with amusement, cheered by their bond. A feeling of loneliness settled over her, a mild longing that mixed oddly with the warmth inside of her. They were family. She was happy for them and sincerely hoped that they appreciated what they had. Because not everyone could have it. The relationship between an animal and a human was special and too often taken for granted. These two were lucky to have found each other. Isette hoped their bond would continue to grow. Isette was surprised when the human almost tripped over her. She let out a quiet chirp and moved quickly out of his way. The man greeted her nicely and Isette mewed in response. Of course, he wouldn’t understand her. Even if he could, she wasn’t sure how to answer his question. She supposed she technically was a stray. Isette looked up at him, her eyes betraying a surprising amount of intelligence. Then she did something extremely unusual for a cat. She nodded. That was something he would be able to understand. Language was not the only form of communication. Of course, the kelvic would not consider herself to be a hellion. She never tried to cause trouble, but it did have a way of following her sometimes. Isette’s intentions were good, if not always selfless. If she could, she would have answered yes to the stray and no to the hellion, but body language was only going to get her so far. In the end, she supposed it didn’t matter. She was not likely to have more than a few minutes of contact with this man. His thoughts on what sort of cat she was were not important.

[Tao]

He hadn't been expecting a response from the stranger cat. Maybe a meow, with some kind of emotion attached, the way Miruku was when she chattered in his ear. As smart as they were, they were cats, for gods sake. So when the larger, quieter cat looked at him directly in the eye and nodded firmly in response to his teasing question, he just about choked and fell over in shock. Startled by his sudden jerking backwards, Miruku dug her claws in for balance and growled her surprise, though the tiny rumble in her throat was about as threatening as a single puff of cloud in the sky threatening rain. Throwing out an arm to balance himself from falling over on his behind, Tao eyed the cat warily, unsure if he had witnesses what he thought he had witnessed. “...I'm sorry, but did you just nod?” He asked of her, his voice coloured with disbelief and surprise. There was only one explanation he could think of for a cat understanding him so clearly, and he had no idea how to deal with the idea that this was a kelvic before him in human form. Kelvics were not uncommon back Syliras; a few had even stopped in at the restaurant from time to time, their wild eyes and usually poor table manners an easy indication of their shapeshifter heritage. He himself had not interacted with many of them; one of the other waiters always took over handling them if they came into his area. “You'll want to be careful of kelvics.” One had warned him, once. “They don't think like we do.” He had never shared that particular sentiment, the same way that he couldn't believe that all Symenestra were evil simply because they had the bad luck of being born with fangs. That said, if the cat sitting before him was indeed a kelvic, he would have no idea how to react, or indeed what she wanted. “... Let's go somewhere quieter.” He suggested finally, as an elderly man bumped into him crouching on the ground and gave him a dirty look for being in the way. “We can talk there. Maybe eat something, because I'm sure Miruku offered.”

[Isette]

Well, he definitely understood her. Isette mewed in amusement as he was startled, though she felt a little guilty for the inconvenience it caused Miruku. She was fine, though. In hindsight, Isette probably should have been a bit more subtle. She hadn’t meant to startle the man, however amusing it was. What if he thought her creepy and denied her food? She was supposed to be acting cute, not acting weird. Isette had been so concerned with communicating that she hadn’t really thought about how he would react to her…well, communicating. At least it was good for a laugh, though. At least he seemed to recover well. She nodded again to confirm that yes, he did just witness her nod. Might as well. It would be mean to let him think he had just imagined it. Isette was too honest. Besides, he was foreign. Foreigners had a tendency to be nicer to her than the average Lhavitian. They didn’t come with the same prejudices against her particular class. Many of them had never even met a kelvic before. She wondered if he had ever met one. Maybe in some places kelvics were common. They didn’t seem to be in Lhavit; she had never met one before. Suddenly, a man bumped into them. Isette emitted a low growl as he gave them a dirty look and headed off. Some people were rude. But she didn’t really have time to think about that since the man—Tao—was speaking to her. From his words, Isette gathered that he figure that she was a kelvic. He, at the very least, seemed to know that she could speak. And the best part? He was still offering food. Isette chirped happily and a purr rumbled in her throat. Miruku was right. He was a nice man! Before they left it would probably be best if she returned to her things. Leaving them unattended for a short while was one thing, but Isette didn’t want to move about without having them with her. Besides, if they were going to talk then she would have to shift anyway. Isette mewed, “Follow me! I need to get my things.” and began trotting back towards her belongings. She paused, though, to make sure he followed because she knew he wouldn’t understand her meow. Isette considered changing then and there, but she was beginning to realize that her being naked made men act strange.

[Tao]

When she nodded again, he felt both a relief that he was not going mad, and concern as to what she could want. A kelvic was a person, after all, even if she was one who could transform into a cat, and people were complicated, even if they didn't mean to be. Though she could just be Miruku's friend. Tao considered, straightening up from the crouching position and pulling a face as his knees creaked a little with protest. On his shoulder, Miruku held her balance, ears perked in the direction of the black cat. They seemed to be friendly, for better or for worse, and he hoped he could trust the kitten's judgement. At the very mention of food, the stranger mewed happily, beginning to purr deep in her throat in what he knew by now was a sign of happiness. He smiled back at her as she meowed again and turned to make her way from the stall, pausing after a few steps to glance back at him. Miruku seemed to understand what was happening even if he didn't speak cat, leaping from his shoulder to chase after her friend. “Am I following?” He asked, adjusting the bag on his back and following after the pair of cats. Even if she was Miruku's friend, it still didn't explain what she wanted with him. He hoped it was just food; he wasn't going to be able to help with any other troubles she might have living on the streets.

[Isette]

Isette was pleased when he seemed to understand her desire. She nodded once more and then continued to trot towards her things. But something wasn’t right. Hey! There was a man digging through her bag. So much for social niceties. Isette let out a low growl before shifting back to human form. “Wait!” she shouted, though why a thief would wait for her to catch up was beyond her. Isette picked up speed. “Stop…Please! I-I…need that…” He was gone, slipped away into the crowd. The kelvic sighed but said nothing. This was more than bad luck, it was embarrassing. Her cheeks flushed. She didn’t even look at Tao as she went to inspect her bag. She didn’t want him to see her vulnerable. Digging through, she realized it was what she expected. All her money was gone. All of it. She sniffed the back, hoping to get a trace of the man’s scent. It was there. Strong and unclean. She could probably follow it. Isette turned towards Tao. Her expression was faintly humorous as she asked, “Do you think he will return my money? I could ask very nicely.” She even tried a smile. But then, Tao didn’t speak much Lhavitian did he? She tried again, switching to common. “Do you still offer food?” She added a light laugh to show she wasn’t being entirely serious. Isette could survive on her own. She didn’t need charity. But a gift of food would definitely help to improve her mood. She’d had more than a few kinos in there.

[Tao]

The cat led him back towards the fountains, Miruku trotting along beside him. Just as he opened his mouth to ask her where they were going, she suddenly shifted, appearing as a young, naked woman with a shout. He had never seen a kelvic change shape before, and it made him jump as she popped out of nowhere. A man, rummaging in a bag by the fountain bolted away as her cry, clutching a handful of coins as his prize. She gave chase for a few steps, but the man was quick and vanished into the crowd. The girl slumped and returned to what he presumed was her things, crouching down and inspecting the damage. Her face was flushed with what he thought was embarrassment. He wished that he had been wearing his cloak or something that he could give her to cover up, but it had been a warm day, and so he settled for looking over her head, a little flustered himself. It made sense that kelvics would be naked when they shifted, but when that shifting happened in the middle of Surya Plaza... She seemed to shake off the theft well, smiling and making a joke. He awkwardly smiled back, still not looking at her directly. She took it as a sign that he did not understand her, and swapped her language. “Of course.” He replied in response to her question, answering in Lhavitian. He smiled a little in return to her laugh, but he was completely serious; human or animal, he had promised her something to eat, and wouldn’t be fair to back out, would it? “You should, uhm, get dressed first, though.”

[Isette]

Isette was distracted by the smell of the thief. Would she be able to track her stuff down? Maybe she should forego the meal and search out her missing stuff. Or maybe she should eat first and then look. Food was guaranteed, finding her missing things was not. Isette was a fan of sureties and instant gratification. She forced herself to tear her attention away from that smell. Later. She would check back later. Right now, she needed to maintain her pride in the face of adversity. And she’d get a meal out of it. Extra incentive never hurt, did it? When he mentioned clothes, she could only stare blankly for a few moments. The shock of having her things taken had made her forget how unseemly it was for her to be naked. It made other people feel awkward. “Y-yes. Yes, I apologize.” It seemed his Lhavitian wasn’t as bad as she had first assumed. Isette smiled awkwardly and turned to grab her clothes off the wall. At least those were still there. Thank goodness for small favors in the light of adversity. Quickly, the Kelvic slipped into her mangy white dress and donned her cloak, her wonderfully comforting cloak. “Thank you for feeding me,” she said as she turned back around, “You are kind.” Isette bowed politely and then slung her bag over her shoulder. Perhaps leaving her things unattended had been unwise, but every decision came with a price. She supposed losing money was better than the guilt she would have felt if she hadn’t helped the kitten. Her gaze traveled to her small friend and she smiled. In the end, money wasn’t important. She could always get more. Isette had accomplished her good deed for the day and had been rewarded with a possible new friend (or two) and a free dinner.

[Tao]

The girl seemed a little distracted, no doubt with the thief. Tao felt a little sorry for her; in her human form, she looked very confused and almost vunerable. He could understand that feeling, even though it was probably for different reasons. He almost wished there was something more he could do, but he was definitely not the person to be looking to for help with a thief. He turned his back politely while she dressed herself, crouching down to pick up Miruku again, smoothing her fur down with his hands. She had been a little startled by Isette's transformation, puffing up her fur in response. He wasn't sure if she was frightened or just trying to mimic the trick; she seemed happy enough after a little petting, either way. The girl had changed quickly enough, though her dress looked messy and torn up. The cloak was thicker, and looked warm, but it still made her a sad sight. Everything about her seemed wild, from her long, tangled black hair to the unnatural shape of her eyes, a clear reminder that she wasn't quite human. She doesn't have anyone to look after her and teach her how to look after herself, does she? He thought, a frown creasing his forehead a moment. He wished he knew how to help someone who needed it, but his people skills weren't exactly up to scratch, were they? Miruku mewed curiously at the apparent newcomer, no doubt hoping that she had some food. At the very moment he thought of that, she bowed to him, thanking him for his offer. Well, at least I can do that. He thought, putting a smile on his face in response. Not much else I'm good for. “It's okay. My name is Tao. Do you... er, have a name?” He said in replied, bowing his head in return. “You're Miruku's friend, right?” After a moment, he couldn't help but add, “Can you talk to her? Like, like a human?”

[Isette]

Her new cat friend mewed at her and Isette realized she had probably startled the poor creature with such a sudden transformation. This may have been the first time the young cat had ever seen a Kelvic. In fact, it was very likely. Isette felt a little bad for causing the confusion, but she would explain it to the kitten once she had the chance. Not yet, though. Tao was talking and Isette thought it would be rude to blow him off in order to converse with the cat. Especially because he was going to feed her. There was nothing better than a free meal. “Tao. My name is Isette.” She wasn’t sure how to answer whether or not she was Miruku’s friend. They had only just met, after all, but Isette liked the idea of new friends. She had the distinct feeling that she was making the question out to be more complicated than it actually was, but such was the curse of her very literal mind. When she answered a question, she wanted to be sure she was answering correctly. So Isette eventually responded with a thoughtful nod. “I helped Miruku in the plaza. The cook, Shiri, is not nice to cats.” His last question actually made her giggle. Isette clamped a hand over her mouth to silence the laughter. She didn’t want to offend the nice mine. Once she had herself under control she removed her hands and smiled good naturedly. “No. I speak to Miruku like a cat. It is different.” Isette could still understand Miruku while in human form, but could not do much in the way of communicating. Most of feline communication depended on having the expressive ears and tail of the animal. A human body was not adequate for communication. Vocal sounds could only get you so far.

[Tao]

OOCJust assume every post I have now has an automatic apology attached for being stupidly late. I'm sorry. Despite her wild and ragged appearance, Isette certainly spoke intelligently, thinking carefully about each response if the long pauses before her replies were any indication. Miruku mewed again as he continued to pet her absently, squirming out of his arms and back onto her usual vantage point on his shoulder. He winced as she dug her claws in for balance. “You... helped her?” He asked in response. Normally, he was not so forward, but he couldn't help but be interested in someone who could actually tell Miruku off in a language that she could understand. “Was she up to no good again?” He didn't recognise the name Shiri, but judging by the way Isette said his name and Miruku's usual ploys for food and attention, he could figure out what probably happened. For whatever reason, the kelvic must have saved the silly kitten from getting another frying pan thrown at her head. It was a relief to know that there had been someone there to look after her; he felt a pang of guilt that it hadn't been him. After all, Miruku was his responsibility. He was like her father, in a very complicated metaphorical fashion, and he should have paid more attention. “Thank you, Isette.” He said, bowing his head to her once more, but this time deeply, as a sign of respect. Miruku dug her claws in again and made a whining sound at the sudden movement. “I appreciate you protecting her. I should really be more careful.” At the very least, Isette took no offence from his curious question, stifling a giggle instead. He didn't know what was so funny about it. Cat humour was apparently quite different to what he was used to. “You speak to her like a cat.” He repeated thoughtfully. Her answer was simple, even if it didn't really explain how that worked. “I suppose she wouldn't really understand if you spoke to her like a human.” He felt surprisingly comfortable talking to Isette. It was nice not to have to watch his words and mannerisms as much as he did in day to day life; the young kelvic seemed less bothered by Lhavitian customs (and clothing, apparently!). “So, uhm, what would you like to eat?” He asked. This would be the best way he could repay her for protecting Miruku, and perhaps he could have her teach him a little bit of 'speaking like a cat'. Preferably the phrases 'no', and 'that food is not yours'.