[Nicolay]

Nicolay took his time to get off the floor, keeping her fondest toy in his hand while he dusted his clothes with his left and eventually pulled his scarf off him. “Let me just set this aside,” he said to the cat as he went to one of the tables Kiel had and tossed it there, letting it hang limply, subtle enough to blend with the environment. He kept a mental note to retrieve it before he left -- but how helpful that note was going to be, he was yet to know.

“So how does Kiel do this?” he asked both of them as he lifted the ball of yarn high over his head and let the fish hang in the air, spinning while it found its proper position. “Like this?” Goodness, did he wish Shane talked. Hanging out with the cat would be so much funner if the cat talked. Even if that was going to be just downright creepy.

He swayed the fish a little, as if to taunt Shane, and in the last minute, he decided he wasn't going to make it easy for the cat and when opportunity found itself, he pulled the toy away from the kin.

[NPC]

((Shane the shadowkin played by Emma))

Yes, yes, like that! Like that!

Shane made great fun out of sitting on her haunches with her front paws waving in the air, jumping up from time to time in an effort to grab the dangling fish. Kiel could spend hours taunting her with it. He never got bored of playing with her, and she never got bored of trying to catch the fish - even knowing that she could easily snatch it by transforming into another shape to either climb up Kiel's (or in this case, Nicolay's) chest and arm to reach it, or even by flying if she could focus long enough on an avian. She just liked batting at the air, really, and it was more fun to play in her natural shape.

Hrm. Maybe Nic would take her outside to play in the fields. She liked biting the heads off of wheat stalks. But she was plenty content to stay here and purr at her fishy.

[Nicolay]

At that time, Nicolay had decided to let the cat have what she want while he sat on the arm of Kiel's couch and let the fish dangle low enough for her to paw on two feet -- almost as though he was fishing. He was content with the idle time and he was resting -- after that first dangle, he practically spent the whole time getting the kin to move in ways he needed to see someone like her would. He tried to make her leap, run, walk, turn...he did his best to watch intently but whether or not he was going to remember those movements in time for his training, he didn't know...

And then his COM rang. By then, the fish would be low enough for Shane to grab on.

Nicolay arched his brows curiously at the sudden sound as he slipped the COM out of his pocket and spun it to read the caller's name on the screen, thinking it was Kiel asking him how things were but no, it wasn't -- it was his good friend Adie. A small sigh slipped out of his nose as he twitched his lips a bit to a side and answered the call. He placed the COM on his ear. “Adie,” he said. “Yeah, I'm out of the house right now,” he continued as he glanced down to the fish and lifted it up a little, all the while listening to his friend talk. “Oh that? Well, it was all right. They said they'll get back to me...” Nicolay watched Shane's movements as well as the fish's -- then feeling a little mischievous, he slid her back by his right foot and he grinned while he watched her. “Oh, I'm at a friend's house. Don't worry, I'm not backing out yet. I'll be there at six.” He poked at Shane with his toes. “All right, I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you later, Adie. Thanks for the buns.” He ended the call.

A sigh came out of him as he slipped his COM out and tossed the fish lazily towards Shane's direction. “Is that true, though? Red bean bun helps with softening the bones? I hope it does...it's going to be really painful, isn't it, Shane?” While he remained playing with the feline friend, he looked out to Kiel's windows to see how the day had progressed. He still had time before he had to go and get ready for his first practice, but time was definitely running...

“Hey, it's a nice day out. Let's go outside,” he said suddenly as he stood up to his feet and left the ball of yarn and the fish on the couch while he approached his scarf. It would be sad to spend the rest of his free time inside, after all. “Think we should bring something to eat along?”

[NPC]

Kiel always included her in his phone calls if they were together, brandishing his COM at her so she could mew and purr at whoever was on the other end of the call. She liked to bat at the glowing screen, too, but her Chosen had learned to shield the keys when she did that since she'd accidentally ended and blocked calls a couple of times.

She didn't expect Nicolay to do the same, though, despite her curiosity over who this Adie two-leg was. Nicolay didn't seem entirely comfortable talking to her, like there was a tension in his voice or something, but it seemed like he had some affection for the other person as well. Maybe they were like Kiel and Zephyr? The giant always had that kind of tension/softness in his voice when he was talking to her Chosen, too.

When Nicolay poked at her with his foot, Shane lost all interest in both the dangling fish and his conversation, instead focusing all her attention on pouncing at his shoe laces. She arched her back and hissed a bit, let out her claws to drag them on the carpet and try to catch the elusive laces, and then lowered her belly over his foot to claim her prize. She would have quite happily spent the rest of the week sitting on his foot with his laces between her teeth, until he mentioned "outside" and got up. Shane was unceremoniously dumped on the carpet, where she rolled over and immediately zoomed to the door to bat at it, mewling. Outside, outside! Let's go, let's go! She didn't care about food. Out, out, out!

Once outside, she would race around the back of the house to the wheat fields and immediately start chomping. That, or she'd chase the ducks that sometimes waddled in from the river. Or maybe Nicolay would play chase with her?

[Nicolay]

Nicolay let Shane abuse the door while he tossed his scarf around him, fixed his shoe and then welcomed himself into Kiel's kitchen as he began to open cupboard doors. His eyes passed through bread spreads, breakfast meals, seasonings and things before he finally found something he thought he could snack on -- dried chips! Of what, he didn't know, but he had been craving for the junk type since whoknowswhen and had been constantly looking for alternatives -- healthier ones, it seems -- just to satisfy his yearning. Sometimes, he even made his own. The chips were all in a jar so he took the whole thing, left a note for Kiel indicating that he'd stolen it, grabbed the keys and left with Shane.

“Shane!” he called the cat in alarm when she disappeared as soon as he'd locked the door behind him and he made a quick dash to follow her path, slowing down when he found her playing amongst the wheat fields and giving a breath of relief through his nose as he uncovered the jar he had brought along. “Don't move out of my sight, I can't pay for you,” he called to her while he approached her slowly, nibbling on the slightly salted chip. It was pretty good! He made sure to ask Kiel about it soon -- and hope it wasn't like, Taroch kidney or something equally "exotic".

It was his first time walking in that side of Kiel's house so he spent a good time taking in the scenery with his eyes. It was a good place Kiel lived in -- a lovely place. It made him miss space and freedom, both of which his current residence lacked...

“Shane, where are you?” he called out again as he broke into the wheat fields, eating his third chip.

[NPC]

Shane didn't understand what Nicolay meant by "pay for you". Didn't he know she wasn't some pet that couldn't be bought anyway? She was a Shadowkin, Shadowkin! Only she could choose her master.

And perhaps to prove she had a mind of her own and was no simple pet cat, she wandered off out of his sight. She didn't go far because she wasn't mean and didn't want to worry him, but she wasn't about to obey him completely either. Even her Chosen didn't get to tell her what to do; she obeyed Kiel's wishes because she wanted him to be happy, but he never acted like her master anyway. They shared.

So she was nibbling on wheat heads, having pulled the stalks down with her claws to meet her mouth, when she heard him calling her. She yowled a reply but didn't go to meet him, instead letting the wheat stalk twang upright to beat its neighbours. In the ensuing shower of wheat and grass chips, she sat back on her haunches and clapped her claws together, attempting to capture them (although it probably looked like she was clapping for real).

Look! she yowled for Nicolay's attention. Look at the pretty shower! I made it, aren't I awesome?

[Nicolay]

Riiiiight, let the new guy look for the lost cat.

There was a chip on his lips as he dusted his fingers off the crumbs and started carefully towards the direction of the puddle of movement and yowling. The wind was colder in that part and he shuddered a little to himself as he looked at the sun, noted its cooled color, a sign that time was moving in spite of what the wheat field might have him think.

“Are you having fun?” he asked Shane as soon as his chip was down his throat but it took him a few more steps before he could find the cat swatting at some bead of wheat or grass or whatever, as if her paws were good for that.

Taking another chip to bite in his lips, he slipped out his COM and opened up the camera again, before he pointed it to Shane and took a couple of pictures. She was like Kiel's child, after all -- and a proud, loving father-figure would only want to be there at every part of his loved one's day.

“Are you getting anything?” he asked Shane again, later. “Maybe when I can finally become something like you, I can help...” then shrugging with a small smirk, he added, “We could play together, I guess. It'd be more fun, maybe.” Idle thoughts. He took another picture.

[NPC]

Shane was bored with the wheat stalks, and let the new one she'd been gnawing on twang upright in answer to Nicolay's question, deliberately posing for the camera as soon as she realised what he was doing. There were teeth marks in the battered wheat head, so she hoped the farmer who owned this field didn't get mad at Kiel again for letting her "pilfer his goods".

We can play now, now! She wound herself around Nic's legs, rubbing her face against his trousers in a sign of affection and also to mark him as her friend so other felines would know not to mess with him. The scent of a shadowkin could put off even spiny-tails. Not that Shane thought Nicolay was the type to go near those wild fangs anyway.

Play, play! But I'm hungry for real now. She abandoned his feet and stalked back towards the house a little ways, pausing to look back at him. This way, this way. Get me food! She could go ratting or imping or something but her Chosen always kept fish in the fridge. Technically it was for him but he liked sharing with her (or anyone, really) and he had told his friend to help himself. Get me fishy, fishy!

[Nicolay]

“Already?” Nicolay called back to her as he kept his COM and ate a chip. The chance that he was going to finish it before he went home was increasing by the moment and now, he was just really hoping it wasn't expensive or some rare good. Because that would be sad for both Kiel and him as it meant that he won't be able to find it in the local market. “But we just got here,” he continued. “Let's stay a while longer, all right? We'll step inside before it gets too cold.” He, of course, had no idea that the cat was already hungry the way Kiel might be right now, so he took her stomach for granted.

He climbed up to the first row of wheat, where he came from and began walking further from there, calling to Shane to make sure she followed and even offering her the jar of snacks he had brought along. He didn't know if she was allowed to them, though -- but he figured she was if she could eat stir-fried chicken but cats do prey on birds. Not potato or whatever it is this thing is made of.

“This is a nice place, don't you think?” Nicolay talked to Shane as he watched the horizon, one step taking its time to follow the other. “I wish I could have walked my dog in a place like this...like right now, with you and me.” He glanced behind him to the cat. “I wish you guys could have seen each other. He loves cats, that weirdo.” He laughed, looking ahead of him. “He was a really big fellow, too! I got him when he was three-years old. His name was Nigel. I don't remember why I named him that, though. I only had him for a year, though.” Twitching his lips to a sober angle, he looked again to Shane. “It's sad.”

[NPC]

Chosen-friend is sad? Don't be sad, don't be sad! I'll make it better for you. As Nicolay looked down at her, Shane pressed her body against his leg. It made it tougher to keep up with him, but she thought he needed the comfort. She always knew with her Chosen when he needed her touch. Actually, that was pretty much all the time, because he was a natural toucher, like shadowkittens when they were young needing the touch of their mother to know they were safe. It wasn't as easy to read Nicolay because she didn't share a bond with him like she did with Kiel, but he had this way of looking sad and lonely that made her want to let him pet her.

She'd followed him when he said he wanted to stay outside, instead of insisting on going home for fishy. She was normally well-behaved anyway, although Kiel didn't mind doing what she wanted, but how she treated Nicolay would reflect on his relationship with Kiel and she didn't want to upset her Chosen. Or to offend their friend.

But she'd turned down the offer of chips. She'd learned a long time ago that they hurt her throat because she couldn't chew them properly, and that the flavour dust on some made her sneeze. Even Kiel wouldn't eat food she'd sneezed on.

Walking was boring, though, especially since she couldn't make him understand her. The bond she shared with Kiel made it so that they could at least guess what the other was feeling most of the time, which made interactions much more two-way than she could share with most two-legs, but Nic didn't seem to be getting any of what she was saying to him. It wasn't his fault, though, so she'd forgive him, but it made her want to find a new game.

Stick, stick! She wasn't a dog but for some reason Kiel really liked throwing things for her to catch and bring back, and that made her like it too. She liked seeing her Chosen happy. Here's a stick, she told Nicolay, swiping a claw at a windswept dead branch that was probably as long as Nicolay's arm, though not as wide. It looked heavy but Shane was strong enough to pick it up, she'd just have to be careful to keep to the shadows - which she sometimes forgot when she was chasing around - since the sun was still up a little bit. Throw it, throw it!

[Nicolay]

Nicolay actually took the time to kneel so he could scratch her lightly on her side when she came up to his leg. “It's all right. I just missed having someone to play with. Like you. Kiel's a lucky guy.” He stood up after and ate another chip -- and as he pincered it by his lips, he actually returned the lid to the jar. Look at that! An impressive display of self-control.

The scent of wheat, the wind and winter made for a wonderful combination that was both light and crisp to him. He liked to breathe it in when the breeze blew. It reminded him of something homey and close to the heart although this was beyond what his house in Earth smelled like...

He stopped in his steps when something close to him skittered away and he turned to see Shane take a lost branch hostage and bring it back to him with a strength that was awesome for a cat. Nicolay beamed at the sight of it. “Hey, you found a stick!” he said with pleasure as he dropped to his knee again and took the new toy from Shane before he ruffled the fur on her head a little by his fist. “Good job, Shane!” he went on to say.

Standing up, he looked around in search for a good spot to toss it in -- then pointing the branch over to some nondescript patch in the wheat field, Nicolay said to the cat, “Let's see how fast you can bring this back to me, all right? If you're really fast, I'll buy you a new toy.” And stretching his arm back, he heaved the weightless thing towards his indicated direction, his force pushing him to lean forward.

[NPC]

Really fast, eh?

I'll show you really fast!

And with that, Shane took off like a shot from a cannon. She was no where near as fast as her Chosen, but she'd learned how to keep up. It helped that she could zip from shadow to shadow and that this field was full of them, so that she didn't so much run after the tossed stick as make a series of short "jumps" while racing at top speed. She didn't need to turn either, because she could flip herself around during one of her phasings, which meant she wasn't slowed down at all the way her Chosen was when he made a turn.

Nicolay couldn't throw this stick far enough for her to be slow in returning, and her pride was in full display as she dropped it back at the Therian's feet, her tail and head up like she'd just saved the world instead.

[Nicolay]

The one thing that he found odd -- unsettling, even -- as he counted her time in his head was that when Shane charged into the field was the lack of movements among the stalks that would betray her position to him. Normally when someone her size attacked them the way she had, there would be a solid trail of swaying and even some rustling but such wasn't the case with her. There were a few times when a stalk danced or moved but they happened after a moment of stillness -- towards the stick and back.

So it was just to his surprise when Shane exploded out of the wheat field, treasure in tow, and he laughed -- amazed -- as the kin placed it rightfully on his feet. “Hey, you're really good!” he said to her as he fell to a knee and gave her a good scrubbing his hands, setting the jar aside. “That didn't even take a minute. Maybe I underestimated you, hm? Hm?” he ruffled her up even more.

Picking up the stick, he stood up again and looked to his far left. He pointed the stick towards it. “What about there? If you can make it faster, I'll get you that toy.” And as before, he swung the branch back and tossed it forward, letting it spin a little in its flight and land within the field, its distance boosted a little by a recent breeze. Nicolay slipped his free hand into his pocket as he watched the cat, unaware of the approaching figure at his back...

[NPC]

((Waugh, I'm sorry! I totally spaced on it being my turn. Sorry!))

Shane wazoomed after the stick's second toss, but pulled an immediate 360-degree turn to land with all four legs braced so she could growl at the figure creeping up behind her friend. She had heard him coming and planned to get to him before he got so close to Nic, but the stick had distracted her. Bad Shane, bad!

As he stepped closer, Shane recognised his scent. Oops. He was the man who'd told her Chosen off a few times for letting her eat his wheat heads. Kiel usually offered to help out around the farm or something to pay for the minimal damage (and 'cause sometimes, he just got bored), but Nicolay wouldn't know that. So to show that she knew she was in the wrong - 'cause the guy knew she could understand his conversations with her Chosen - she skulked behind Nicolay's legs with her head and tail down and made like she was part of the furniture.

[Nicolay]

The grated “Hey!!” only amplified Nicolay's confusion when the hyperactive Shane had suddenly decided to attach herself to his legs and he knelt rightfully, to hold her -- left on her back, right by her chest area as though to protect her from the irritated boogieman coming in from the background. "Shane, what is it?" he wanted to ask her, but he was already looking at the "it" and his eyes were round as he watched the farmer shuffle closer.

He must have been around his mid-60s, already, if he were human and he was sporting a knitted bonnet, a thick vest, an old, warm sweatshirt and a pair of faded jumpers-turned-pants and some heavy work boots to polish his hard-laborer's fashion. Wrinkles decorated his face almost like etched drawings on clay pots and his eyebrows were bulky and heavy, as though Hel's age had forced them evolve into permanent roofs for his eyes.

He pointed a slender finger to the wide-eyed Nicolay. “She with you?”

“She--” Oh goodness, how was he going to say this? “Yes! She's with me, Sir. Is there a problem?” He stood up to his feet, a good wind blowing to his right from the sunset -- the farmer's left.

“You tell me, son. She been playing around in my fields?”

"Your fields?" Nicolay nearly blurted out but he wrinkled his brows and shook his head uncertainly, “N, no, I don't think so...” he pointed to his back with his left hand, “We were just taking a walk from there. We came from there, we were just taking a walk.”

“A walk's nice,” the farmer said before he pointed to the direction of the stick, “But I saw you toss that thing at my wheat! Say yer still walking?”

“Well, it's true,” Nicolay shrugged. “We really were walking.”

The farmer didn't speak for a time, and Nicolay swore he could make out a sighing growl -- whatever that is -- coming from the man's lips if he just listened carefully. Soon enough, older eyes moved down to his feet where Shane was and he asked her, “Hey, didn't Kiel tell ya ta keep off?”

“Kiel?” Nicolay spat out before he looked down to Shane. “What does Kiel have to do with this?”

[NPC]

“Kiel, aye. The lad what lives there,” the farmer pointed, eyeing Nic as if he were a simpleton. “Her Chosen.” He pointed again, this time at Shane. “If I've told him once, I've told him a million times to keep her off my wheat. Can't sell wheat at market if it's got teeth marks in it. Xanth-damned imps are bad enough.”

Shane knew she'd been bad. She hadn't really forgotten that Kiel didn't want her playing in the field. It wasn't even that he'd told her not to. He'd just asked her not to damage the farmer's crops and there she went chowing down. Ooooooops. Bad Shane, bad.

But the farmer was a nice man, and she did help him out. Hadn't Kiel told him about the imps she'd caught trying to steal his wheat? Hadn't he? She knew he had! Imps are bad, Shane is good! she called, bouncing out from behind Nicolay to land in the soil at the farmer's feet with her legs splayed again and her head down, but her tail up and a waiting-for-play look on her face. I help, I help! Chosen helps too. What was one or two wheat heads here or there between friends?

“Aye, but you're too cute to stay mad atcha for long, missy. Chosens're meant to be good luck too.” The farmer gave that odd growling sigh again, one that sounded kind of like a purr to Shane, and rubbed her head where she pressed her ears into his hand. “Just keep her off the wheat, aye? Cost of living's sky-rocketed this past six months, I can't be losing crops even to a 'kin. And don't you be tossing those sticks about, either, 'less'n you want to be helping out like Kiel. That kid's used to farm work. You... Not so sure about you.”

The way he eyed Nicolay, assessing him like he was prime rib, made Shane's hackles rise. He was her and her Chosen's friend, she was meant to protect him, even against old men's insults. So she abandoned the petting to sit in front of Nicolay's legs, looking very much the haughty cat.

[Nicolay]

Nicolay had very nearly wrinkled his brows to frown at the farmer's comment -- he made it sound bad! -- but a smile was on before he knew it and he nodded. “We understand, sir. We'll keep out. It was just that your field was very scenic, we couldn't help but play around a little.”

“Ha!” the farmer said of his words. Nicolay was proud of them, though -- a farmer he may not be but he knew how to make an effort and to end conversations in a good note! It might have worked, the lad thought, as their friend said to them, “Just remember what I said, 'right? Say hi to Kiel fer me.” And he turned around and shuffled away...

“Have a good evening, sir,” Nicolay called to him as he waved to his back and watched his already shrunken figure recede in the pace of a turtle. With a sigh to himself through his nose, he slipped his hands inside his pockets, another wind blowing before he turned to Shane and he knelt on one knee to trace some vague shape on her head with his trigger finger. “That was a close one. I shouldn't have let you play out there, after all. Well it's not my fault. Kiel didn't tell me.” He stood up again and turned to look at the sober sun.

“Well I guess it's getting late,” he said on to Shane before he grunted as he snatched his jar of snacks up and started back to Kiel's house. “Come on, let's go back. I don't wanna catch a cold before my practice begins.”

[NPC]

Since she didn't need to be on her guard any more, Shane went right back to playing by weaving herself between Nicolay's legs as he walked.

It was true what they said about Shadowkin evolving to be like their Chosen. Shane was only young, too, so it was natural that she was playful, but she was proud of her bond with Kiel. She couldn't wait for him to get home so she could hug him and let him pet her.

Once inside, she immediately hopped up onto the sofa and curled up on one of the cushions, claiming it as hers. She was sleepy after playing and had forgotten about food, instead wanting to claim Nicolay's lap as soon as he was sitting down. Nap time now, okay? Nap, nap!

[Nicolay]

As Shane leapt onto the couch, Nicolay played the part of the good guest and returned the jar in the kitchen, exactly in the cupboard he had taken it from. He spent a few more moments washing his hands and getting himself a glass of water to drink. He would have prepared a bowl of milk for the gray cat to lap, but he wasn't sure of her dinner schedule and would rather not mess up her diet in case Kiel was taking all sorts of trouble just to keep it as far away from his.

So he came out instead undoing his scarf and letting its two ends hang by his shoulders as he called to Shane and joined her in the couch, he had to think of something else to do with her but really, what other options were there? He was not a good pet owner.

And that was possibly the reason why his pet dog Nigel died. Damn.

“You hungry?” he asked her instead but her paws were immediately upon his thigh as soon as he's made himself comfortable in the couch and at the next moment, he would have a whole cat curled up on his lap and asleep. Oh dear, he thought to himself. Whatever was he going to do? He had to leave soon for practice...

...well, maybe she'd be awake by then, anyway.

Nicolay had to satisfy himself with that so he did the only thing he knew to do -- run his hand down Shane's fur, smooth her back in a rhythmic motion. People tend to do that to their animals, don't they?

A few seconds later, though, that hand would still and Nicolay's head would be propped comfortably against the back of the couch, himself asleep. The couch felt wonderful and the silence was nauseating...

Before the sun completely disappeared, he woke up -- and found that long beams of shadows had trespassed into the house and it would not be long until he would be completely engulfed by them. He gasped a little as he sat up, looking around.

“I've got to go,” he said to no one in particular and turned to Shane's form to ease her out. “Shane, I've got to go. I can't be late,” he whispered to her.

As soon as the kin was off, he got up, brushed his pants down and spun his scarf around him again. He also gave the cat one last ruffle as he bade her goodbye and started out the door, locking it upon his exit. He made sure to do as Kiel told him to, as well -- leave the key by the letterbox. He stared at it for a while -- and when he was convinced he had done a good job, had turned and left.

On his way home, walking against the wind, he slipped his left hand inside his pocket, right hand busy texting Kiel as he climbed down a slope:

Shane and I had fun. Thanks for letting me borrow her. It was really great seeing you again, too. I hope we'll meet again soon. Thanks for everything.

Nicolay Armitage has left the thread.