The Great Catsby

[Amaris]

- common / murnasian

Amaris smiled at their companion, pleased by his optimism. They had needed a bit of that. The mood was slightly soured, though, at the mention of their home. He likely hadn’t meant in the way it had come off, and he probably wouldn’t notice unless he looked up. Their smile dropped, brows furrowed as they leaned back. The last person to be in their home had been less than favorable. And the mixed blood had only known the man for a few bits. While he had a good point about the cats becoming less comfortable, there was still that paranoia of the absolute worst.

They tried another smile - shaky, at best, but mostly forced - before turning away. “We can try for one more, give it a few bits and then I can take them back home. I don’t want to hold you from your wandering.” Their steps might have been slightly faster than before, trying to distract themselves from the small voice that was getting louder in the back of their mind. A quiet street was not something it wanted, but they were intent on defying it. Rowan couldn’t have meant what he said as the way it was worded; they’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

They needed to turn the conversation to something else. Something the two of them would be comfortable with. “Do you like it so far - Scalvoris? You said we were kind enough people, but that doesn’t always suit everyone.” They put their mind on the track of thinking up more questions to fuel the conversation. Anything that could come to mind would work, they figured. “Have you seen some of our wildlife? They’re quite something; we had a strange little - well, not little - incident with an egg. Quite interesting.”

The mixed blood found they were feeling a little better, focusing on something they cared for. They kept their eyes out for their pets, gaze shifting over street.

[Rowan]

Sometimes, Rowan wondered if he only ever opened his mouth to change whatever foot was currently in there. He had a way of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, or phrasing it in such a manner that he managed to cause offence or upset without him meaning to do so. He happened to glance sideways to see their expression change, the smile falter only to return after a few moments, albeit considerably more wan than before.

"Sorry that sounded creepy as fek, didn't it? I didn't mean it like that. I mean... even if I was some weirdo who was gonna try to jump you, I'd need a ladder and the element of surprise, you know? You know, not much surprise going on if I have to say, 'Hold still a tick, lemme just get something to stand on' and then I'm sure that your cats would probably swarm me and scratch my eyes out. I'd have to be an idiot or mad, or probably both," he told them, chuckling to himself. It was a very odd sort of joke to make, the kind that could send Amaris running from him, unwilling to remain in his presence any longer or it could be the most effective icebreaker of all time. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck as he inspected the cats with sudden intense interest.

"But yeah, like I said, it's up to you. This is just as good as wandering around aimlessly, not knowing my arse from my elbow. I know the idea is to be able to find both my arse and my elbow so I can compare them, find out that they're pretty different but at least, if I do get hopelessly lost, I can save my self some stress because you can just, you know... point me."

Awkwardness had developed, awkwardness and a tense sort of silence. Of course, such a situation called for the need for him to talk incessantly, making zero effort to filter the utter shit that was coming out of his mouth. The more he talked, the more likely he was to dig his own grave and thus, when Amaris spoke up, trying to make small talk, he jumped on the question gratefully. It was good to know that he wouldn't simply continue to spout nonsense.

"Yeah, Scalvoris seems nice enough. A little bit familiar but also different in a lot of ways. More diverse, maybe more accepting of a bit of difference, even if somewhere else might hold it against you. I really haven't been here long but... yeah, I think I like it," Rowan admitted, the ghost of a smile on his lips, the young man almost sad as he continued to talk. "The kindness thing... yeah, a lot of people don't get that, they think if a person's being nice and generous to you then what's the problem? Kind people have lots of good intentions but it also means that they sort of... insert themselves into your business. They pry a little too much, care a little too much, maybe especially because they mean well. I guess, they're the unintrusive sort. Don't get too nosy, just offer help if you happen to ask for it."

He shrugged. He thought he'd answered their question pretty thoroughly, providing that he'd interpreted the mixed race individual's words correctly. However, if certain talk of kind people sounded a little obscure, the mention of wildlife particularly the "egg incident" made him wonder if he was missing out on some really elaboate joke or if things were just very, very bizarre on this island.

"I... I really haven't been here long, Amaris. I've been here in Scalvoris Town so I haven't seen a great deal of the island but still... I don't know if I want to meet this wildlife. You make it sound a bit ominous to be honest," the blond admitted, laughing goodnaturedly.

[Amaris]

- common / murnasian

They wanted, in a way, to comfort Rowan and assure him that they weren’t entirely put off by his choice of words. The fact alone that he could see that it had come off as...less than favorable was enough to placate them. And it would only be polite to return the favor, wouldn’t it? But, one again, wording would be important. Gaze flickering back over to the street as the man continued talking, they thought about how best to let him know that they weren’t offended by his words (anymore, at least).

Brows furrowed in obvious concentration, they missed sight of the sleek tail underfoot and was rewarded with a hearty yowl and a quick scratch to the pants. Jerking back, they hissed softly as the feline returned the favor before realizing who it was. At this point, Amaris had to wonder if some of their pets might have seen them as no more of a lumbering oaf. The cat in question was small and easy enough to miss, and could only have been Zeth by his trademark stars. Their wandering was beginning to prove fruitful and they were feeling optimistic once more.

“Ah, well, sometimes they get a little close to town and set people off a bit. Or you might have seen some of the turtles out at shore. It’s not something to worry about, I would say. Most are harmless until you get too far out in the water or head back towards the Scaltoth Jungles.” While the mixed blood had not been subject to growing up in the comfort of an apartment much like the one they owned, they wouldn’t trade the shade of the trees they lived under for anything else. And, maybe, they were speaking a little from personal experience.

They couldn’t quite find it in themselves anymore to simply leave Rowan alone to his own devices. Cradling Zeth almost like a child, they turned to their much shorter companion with a small smile. “I really wouldn’t mind showing you around when we’ve caught them all. And you’re right; it’d probably be best to drop them off at my home. I don’t live too far, so it won’t take too long to get back.”

[Rowan]

If the silence between them was a little awkward, Rowan knew that he only had himself to blame. After all, he was the one who'd managed to sound like a total creep. Even if it had been a mistake and he'd blathered on in a way that probably explained that it had been unintentional - while also probably sounding even more creepy - he couldn't take back the stupid things he'd allowed to escape from his mouth. True, the young man had always been good at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time or in entirely the wrong way, sometimes all of the above, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be irritated with himself for doing it yet again. It was particularly irritating because this Amaris appeared like they'd be good to have on side. The blond might be able to use his fists but there were obvious advantages to having someone as tall and intimidating as his companion. Also they might be a very, very bad individual to have as an enemy for all he knew.

Unfortunately, given the situation that his mouth had gotten him into thus far, he was reluctant to say anything further. If he broke the silence, he might say something a lot worse and alienate them permanently or even make them his enemy by accident. If that happened then he was fairly sure that it would suck. The cat that the giant almost squashed served as a good way of breaking the ice that had developed between them though, its yowl of surprise and annoyance making him jump and provoking Amaris out of their silence. They scooped the cat up, small enough for them to handle without passing it off on Rowan, resuming talk of the wildlife of the island as they walked on. The blond kept a better watch for cats, glancing at the ground every other moment so that no more felines would find themselves under foot.

"When I say that I haven't been here very long, I mean it. This is only my third full trial here. I got here on the 10th and by the time I actually got here and got settled... well, it hardly counts is what I'm saying," he explained with a shrug, adjusting the straps of his bag so that they sat more comfortably on his shoulders. "As for when we were coming in... well, let's just say that I wasn't exactly focused on what was swimming past. If I was up on deck, I was a little distracted. I get really seasick; it's awful and exhausting and doesn't really make you want to get a lay of the land or the uh, sea." He smiled a little sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck as he sighed.

The blond found himself dipping a hand into the bag that he held, tickling the bodies of the cats, making them all wriggle a bit as they tried to shift themselves to take full advantage of his touch while basically tangling up in one another. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind a guide. You can point out any interesting wildlife, show me the good spots to visit and which ones I should avoid, that kind of thing. I wouldn't say that it'll take long to gather up the rest of these guys anyway and then you won't have anything to worry about," the young man reassured them with a smile. "It'll be good to get rid of these guys though. They're nice and all, I guess but they are getting to feel a bit heavy, haha. You're welcome to play Cat Mother when we get to your place, get them all settled and that before we go to get the rest."

He laughed softly, the sound perhaps a bit higher in pitch than he would have liked, as he entertained himself with the animals, earning a light nip. "Oi! No biting, you! I'm warning you now. Don't go nipping at my knuckles or you're going to the bottom of the bag," he warned one playful one, wagging his finger in joking disapproval. "What on Idalos are you doing with all these cats? I don't mean where did you get them, I mean more... well, what are you doing with them? They must be difficult to cope with, too many I would have thought. Does nobody want to take any of them off your hands or are you just too attached?"

[Amaris]

- common / murnasian

If it weren't evident, Amaris was not the best with small talk. Matters of intense discussion were only a little better, and that was dependent on how well they knew the subject to begin with. As Rowan spoke of how long he had been on the island and boat ride in, they merely nodded, not entirely sure what to say. They could have mentioned their brother and his boat, but given Rowan's admittance to seasickness - that wouldn't be a great idea. Instead, they sought something else to latch onto to keep the conversation going.

They watched him a moment, brows raised as he stuck a hand in the bag. Seemed he was talking well to the cats and them to him. Being a guide was an easy enough job, they supposed. They suspected that the places the mixed blood would avoid might be where he would like to be, if the slightly crooked angle of his nose was anything to go by. They donned a smile at Rowan's calling them "cat mother". "Mother...doesn't quite work. I think Cat Guardian would be more fitting. Or parent." Their brows furrowed, glancing down once more at the bag. They had already begun to lead the way back to their apartment, an idea of what next to do formulating in their head. The best possible way to drop the cats in the bag off; they'd have to make sure the back window was locked. They always did.

Amaris had not expected his laugh to be as high pitched as it was, but they thought nothing of it. Simply gave their own soft giggle at the reaction to a playful nip before Rowan asked another question they weren't entirely sure how to answer. They could easily say that the cats lived with them as pets. But it was not a matter of being attached - they'd already given one away to Rynata at the start of the season. There were plenty of reasons for them to hold on to the felines, but also plenty for why they could have just as easily let them go.

"I keep them all as pets, and they're good company." They shrugged before continuing. "Some of them don't do too well with people, though, so I keep them with me. They were...not in the best condition when I found them." In a hole in the ground, they didn't add. No need to embarrass themselves further after having cried in front of Rowan already.

[Rowan]

Rowan played quite contentedly with the cats, looking up with a bemused look on his face when he was told that Cat Mother didn't suit. He'd been distracted and so he was quite puzzled by their words although even when they had his full attention, he was slow to work out the significance. He wasn't to use mother but he could use parent? A mother was a type of parent but the only difference was that it was gendered whereas parent was neutral. He blinked, staring at his companion for a moment as wheels seemed to visibly turn in his head.

"You... don't mind being called Cat Parent but you do have an issue with uh... female-gendered terms, is that right?" he asked, choosing his words slowly. Rowan hadn't had the luxury of encountering other trans people when he'd been in Rynmere or at least... not that he knew of. Most of the time, he couldn't even make sense of what he was exactly, not really having a frame of reference to work off of so if he had to explain it to someone else, it was difficult. However, he didn't have a conceptualisation of a genderfluid individual or the use of gender neutral terms and so he was struggling to grasp why Amaris was against female-gendered terms. Looking at them, they didn't appear to go out of their way to appear masculine so he wondered if they were questioning or if it was something else that he didn't understand. Rubbing at the back of his neck, he decided to leave it alone for the time being. Presumably they'd explain it in their own time if he just left it with them.

At least they were both able to laugh together, both deriving entertainment from the antics of the creatures. Amaris seemed like a good person to be around, even if he had initially laughed at them. Things had been a little awkward but for the most part, they appeared to get along quite well. It was possible that they could be friends although he was a little wary about allowing himself to get close to someone here, especially too early. From experience, he knew that people could be... unkind and he was inclined to be cynical. However, the gender thing... if it was what he suspected, if they were different like he was then he knew he wouldn't be able to help himself; kinship was a powerful thing. For the time being, they had the cats as common ground.

Their explanation about why they still held onto so many of the felines made him nod slowly in understanding. "I get you. They... don't trust most people, I take it?" he murmured, peering down at the little creatures. "They need a special sort of care then, just need someone to be good to them. I feel that," Rowan added, reaching down to scratch one of the cats between the ears.

It wasn't long before they reached what seemed to be where the other lived. He paused outside the door, holding the bag carefully so that the wriggling creatures wouldn't escape on him when he brought them inside, trying to work out the best way to tip them out when they got indoors that would stop them potentially getting out again.

"All right, what's the plan of action, Amaris?"