Storms and Sweet-meats

[Zane]

Kris did not like coming to Hyoite village, everyone was always suspicious of Tain. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Presently, Kris and Tain were caught in a storm, slowly making their way to Hyoite because it was closer then their igloo. Kris huddled against Tain for warmth as they made quietly into the village. The two came to a building that was larger then the others, Kris looked up at the sign, it was a tavern.

'Wait here Tain, I will be right back.', the tiger huddled himself against the wall as she went in. It was several times warmer in the tavern then it was outside, Kris quickly made her way to the tavern keeper. When she had her attention Kris extended her thumb and pinky, thumb pointed at her chest as she drew a circle over her heart.

"My name? It's Juniper."

'Please Juniper, allow me to bring my friend inside. He is gentle and won't bother anyone. And he will freeze out there.', the tavern keeper nodded her agreement, amazed by the telepathy and not realizing that the girl's friend was a tiger. Everyone collectively gasped when Tain entered the building, he just shrugged and went with Kris to sit next to the fire. Kris called out to Juniper telepathically, 'Can we have some sweet meat if you have any?'

[Rhindeer]

Tikaani was among those that gasped when the large white cat entered, the mug of mead in her hands forgotten. She stared with wide eyes, for a moment going very tense and still, for on first glance she had almost mistaken it for a small and strangely colored polar bear. When she saw it clearly, however, she let out a breath and finished the sip she'd started taking before the creature had entered.

Even here among people, with her seal skin shed, old instincts died hard.

Then she tensed again when the two started for the fire, for her table was located near it and that meant the cat would be close. She watched them as they sat by the fire, eyes on the cat all the while in a combination of nervousness and curiosity and, after several long moments of hesitation, she spoke up.

"Excuse me, is that...dangerous?"

Better safe than sorry!

[Zane]

Kris looked over at the woman who spoke up, and if she could speak she would be at a loss for words. The woman wore heavy furs much like Kris did, but the woman filled them much, much better then Kris could ever, her umber skin did little to draw away from that fact too. Tain lazily looked over at the woman then back at Kris, then nuzzled into her ribs. Kris looked down at him, his message clear, she needed to focus.

Kris looked over to the woman again and shook her head, she then brought her fist over her heart and extended her pinky then with her other hand drew an "X" over her mouth. I Cannot speak. Next she crossed her wrists outward from her body then brought one hand to her chest and the other to her temple. But if I know. Finally she pointed to to the woman and drew a circle over her heart with her thumb and pinky extended and with her other hand traced up her neck and extended it to the woman palm up. Know your name, we can speak.

Kris could do little more than sign language if she didn't know someone's name. She just so happened to come up with Tain's name, and while he couldn't talk back, yet, he normally listened to what she said. But he had his own way of communicating with Kris, one that they had built over years of friendship.

[Rhindeer]

[Whoops! Sorry! xD Umber, not amber. :3 Like dark brown!]

Tikaani blinked large black eyes at the woman as she made her strange hand signals. She knew they meant something, and she understood from the gesturing that she couldn't speak--otherwise why wouldn't she just do that?--but the rest was lost to her. Which was frustrating! Body language was a huge part of her own society back home and words were rarely necessary when so much could be said with a chirp or a gesture. In fact, when she had been discovered by the villagers, she hadn't known the language at all and had had to learn it. Still was learning it.

Those gestures had such a ritualized feel to them, it felt a shame she didn't know how to interpret them!

At a loss, she looked about at the other patrons for help. Luckily, Juniper caught her eye and shrugged. "She means to ask for your name, lass."

"Oh." Looking back to the woman, Tikaani tilted her head curiously. "Tikaani. My name is Tikaani."

[Zane]

Kris deflated as the woman started looking around. Not many people knew sign language in Hyoite, mutism was rare just about anywhere, here it was near non-existent. But alas there was hope, Juniper had been watching. Now that Kris had the woman's name, she could properly introduce herself and answer the her question.

"Hello Tikaani, my name is Kris. And to answer your question, no. My friend is very tame less you get on his bad side and there are only two ways to do that so no one here has anything to worry about." that was when Juniper brought out a plate of sweet-meats on skewers, it was a generous helping. Kris promised to bring something that she and Tain caught before she took a piece off for herself then another for Tain. He placed it in her palm and held it out to him. He gently ate it out of her hand and looked over to the plate then over at Tikaani, broadcasting an idea to Kris.

Kris took one of the skewers of meat and held it out to her. "Do you want some? There is plenty here to share."

[Sorry! It's been fixed.]

[Rhindeer]

Tikaani gave the tiger another wary look. Well...if this woman said it was okay, then she supposed she could trust her. And so far, the creature had done nothing to warrant concern, even if she didn't yet feel comfortable enough to relax completely around it.

He did seem gentle enough, though, judging by the way he took the meat from Kris's palm.

Distracted by that, she completely forgot her manners, forgot to respond to Kris's greeting, and it was only when Kris "spoke" that she remembered herself. Blinking rapidly, she startled as she snapped back to the present and tore her eyes away from the tiger.

"Oh! My apologies! You are being so polite and me, I forget myself sometimes!" she said with a laugh, and leaned forward to sniff curiously at the food, a habit of hers that she had never managed to break. She peered back up at Kris. "What is it? What kind?"

She always asked as a precaution. In Hyoite, as she had learned, the people here often ate seal.

[Zane]

Kris's eyebrow scrunched and she went to inspect the meat, Tain had taught her how to distinguish between varying meats, that had been a good hunting trip. The meat was was definitely mammal, obvious by the coloration. Took a piece off of her skewer and chewed it thoughtfully, the salt content suggested that it was from a marine mammal, but it was too salty to warrant the thought that it was a land based marine animal. Perhaps it was whale. She looked to Tain, who she had been broadcasting her thought process. The tiger nodded and Kris turned to Tikaani. "I believe that is it whale meat."

[Rhindeer]

Tikaani let out a sigh of relief. Even if she didn't plan on eating it if it turned out to be seal, it would have still been...disturbing, to say the very least, to have cooked seal corpse on a plate before her, watching someone eat a creature she may have once known. She'd seen the humans eat seal before and it was always difficult to stay quiet, so she wound up leaving the room instead, claiming it was the smell. That was the risk of mingling with people.

Pushing the gruesome thoughts away, she picked a chunk of meat off of one of the skewers. "Whale. Ah, alright, that's okay, then," she said, but sniffed it again--just in case--before popping it into her mouth.

The meat was chewy, thick with fat, and she watched the large cat as she worked on it, still a little wary of it. "What is it?" she asked around her mouthful. "Your animal, I mean. I've never seen one such as that."

[Zane]

Kris was giving Tain another piece of meat when Tikaani spoke up again. Tain graciously accepted the meat then nuzzled into her hand. "He is a tiger, a large predatory cat though he is larger then most, but he is very friendly. Take a piece of meat and hold it out to him, you'll see." to demonstrate the safety of what she had suggested, Kris once again fed Tain out of her hand.

[Rhindeer]

Tikaani flicked her eyes to the meat and back to the tiger. "He really won't bite?" she asked, before realizing that was a silly question.

Wasn't that what she just said? Hadn't she just fed the cat a bit of meat? She still wasn't too keen on getting her hand that close to those sharp teeth, but at the same time she didn't want to look foolish and cowardly for nothing. She had survived sharks and orcas and even human hunters. What was this to her, this creature she was being assured wouldn't hurt her?

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a piece of meat and held it out to the tiger, palm up and fingers together. "If he bites me, I bite back," she muttered under her breath, watching the cat intently.

[Zane]

Tain seemed to chuckle at the Selkie's comment. He padded over to sit in front of the woman, looking up at her then back at the meat in her hand. Bringing his muzzle to her hand, he took a long sniff, coming to understand her scent, and in a way her. Finally, her took the meat from her hand very gently before rubbing the side of his face against her hand.

Kris's face lit up "See? That wasn't so bad." she spoke into Tikaani's mind as she put another piece of meat into he mouth.

[Rhindeer]

Tikaani could breathe again when the meat was out of her hand and into the tiger's mouth, and even though the cat was gentle, she snatched her hand away immediately after.

She let out a breath, and then a nervous giggle. "Well! That was an experience!" she said, and added, "I wouldn't have bitten him, though. I promise."

[Zane]

Kris Smiled, she enjoyed Tikaani's company and was very impressed by the fact that she actually fed Tain. Most people gave the tiger a huge berth. If not running and getting weapons, it was running and hiding. It made for somewhat of a lonely life filled with eyed that did little more than gaze from a distance, even now, all the other occupants of the tavern were just start at them.

Kris shifted uncomfortably, she didn't like to be stared at from afar, like something to be weary of. "Hey, um Tikaani, could you not talk so loud? I don't really like it when other stare. I know I shouldn't care because it's always going to happen since I'm with Tain but it really bothers me."

[Rhindeer]

"Hmm?" Tikaani said, then clapped a hand over her mouth when that questioning hum came out a little loud. She lowered her voice.

"Sorry. Ah..." She looked around the tavern, now very aware that their table was getting an awful lot of stares. Odd. "Sorry. Do you want to go somewhere else?"