Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

It was concerning to Kotton that the trials were already so cold. Yes, he understood the changes of the seasons. Yes, he knew that warmth was followed with chill. And yes, he could comprehend that as time passed, the season went on and on further into what made it that season, hence why Vhalar was Vhalar and not Ymiden or Saun. Still, he would rather still be in Saun, even through the heatwaves and the sweat and the grime that came from working in a place that had terrible air flow.

He had bundled up for his walk through town and was now holding himself tight, arms crossed over his midsection as though he were giving himself a big hug just to keep the heat in. He gazed casually at the sky and how cloudy it had become. The sun had seemed it was time to quit for the trial even though it was still high-noon. It was when he was looking up at the sky that he managed to make contact with something unusual in the face of simply walking down the streets of Scalvoris.

He cried out as his foot connected with something both fleshy but entirely not. By instinct, the young man had retracted his first most foot, taking several steps back and bringing his arms up in defense? Offense? Surrender? He wouldn’t know until he caught sight of exactly what he had collided with.

It took Kotton two blinks of an eye to register what he was seeing. His head was still in the clouds- quite literally- his eyes slowly readjusting from what had once been clouds and blooms of sun attempting to shine through to the gravel underfoot and what stood there. And there, underfoot (though he would make no joke lest he finalize good companionship with the fellow) was a Cadouri, blabbering and gabbing about curses or swear words or uncles with strange private parts.

“I-I’m sor- Oh, my apologies,” Kotton stuttered, lowered his hands so they were in a position that meant less surrender and more “let me help you”, then stopped abruptly as he realised his mistake. This was no helpless animal, but someone who was independent and in full control of what it was like to be living trial to trial in a place such as Scalvoris.

Kotton noticed the Cadouri’s distraction and hazarded a look at where they had their gaze last. Was that a flick of a furry tail or just a fabrication of his imagination?

“No, no, I should be looking more closely to where I am going. Pardon me… sir.” He concluded his sentence without so much as a blip of a question mark. He was still trying to assess the genders of the Cadouri but was ninety-two percent confident he knew how to correctly.

He assessed the little creature by bringing up his distracted demeanor and lack of attention, his inability to focus on Kotton and instead look off into the wayside where wooden corner met alleyway.

“Are you lost, perhaps? Or have you lost something?” he asked with furrowed brows.

Should he kneel so he was eye level with the guy or would that be offensive? He had only met one Cadouri in all his life and that had been more recent than when he had shaved his chin, so this was all new territory for him.

“Please allow me the courtesy of knowing your name,” the young man continued as he tried to find his new aquaintaince’s line of sight. “If you’ve lost something, I have time to spare to help you find it. You see, I’m just taking a walk through town to clear my head. Could really use the company if you’re so inclined.”

Kotton scrounged away in his left pocket, where a mid-sized hole had started to accumulate from the very same movements he was doing now. Out of it he pulled a singular piece of papyrus. Between his forefinger and middle finger was a pencil no greater than the width of an apple. He quickly set the pencil to the paper and began to write down this encounter of his with hopes of it becoming more than a simple ‘run in’ that amounted to nothing more than a ‘get out of my way, sonny’ or ‘watch where you’re going, prick’.

The young man turned and looked down at the Cadouri and gave him a tiny smile. “I think I saw it head that way,” he announced after a flick of his wrist and a point of his index finger.