Never Trust Appearances

[Kaleb Morrington]

Kaleb cocked an eyebrow at her growling, saw her go as though she meant to bite, but stopped, though she hissed at him.

"Seriously pissed then... gotcha." Kaleb sighed. "Look it was just a suggestion Safyra, enough with the pissy mood." And down he set her, rolling over on the couch so his back faced her, his turn to now be wounded. It wasn't like he was telling her, he was just suggesting, not his fault his life turned out like this... okay maybe it was but still. He shifted to hide his face in his cloak. Doesn't mean he was a bad guy, he tried to make up for his thieving, doesn't mean he wasn't allowed to have living friends.

Amyrea chose the moment to flit back, looking excited before she paused, looking at the obviously sulking Kaleb. "What did you do this time." "You ask her." Kaleb grumbled back. Amyrea sighed and sat on her beloved's hip. "I don't speak polerat." "Well neither do I, but apparently she's pissed." "She can't exactly appreciate being stuck int he form, it's enough to drive anyone mad." Amyrea murmured, stroking her beloved's hair. "doesn't mean she can't take 10 seconds to try and see my side of the coin." He mutters under his breath.

[Fyra]

Enough with the pissy mood?! Oh, I really ought to bite you! Let you try being stuck like this! She made a single, high pitched squeak as he rolled over to sulk, and she made her way to sit by his feet, sulking in her own manner. It was only moments later that he was muttering, seemingly to himself. Ghost must be back again. Maybe now we can get on with things? If nothing else, I'd prefer scolding him in a way that he could understand. She climbed back up to the back of the couch, where the list still lay where it had been left.

Hooking a corner with a tooth she moved forward a bit and then dropped it, angling as best she could so that it fluttered near his face. She didn't know where the ghost was, but he didn't seem to talk to himself without one supposedly nearby. She crouched down, ears flattened sideways in an apologetic manner. Maybe I'll try to rein in my temper a bit more. As much as I hate it, I need him, and he does have a point that he doesn't steal just from anybody. We did bump into more rich people...

She leaned over and slid down into the small space that was between Kaleb's chest and the back of the couch, picking the paper up and dragging it towards his face.

[Kaleb Morrington]

He felt her move, saw the paper being dragged towards him. The paper he bought with jewels that he stole. Hypocritical little rat. His eyes have gone forest green now, dark from irritation. "So now thieving isn't so bad, huh? Now that you have some need of it, it's not so bad." And up he got, a movement that was fast and furious. He whirled, eyes almost black with rage.

"Yeah, screw that I help people, screw that I steal because some assholes really don't deserve the good life. I get you a slip of paper with scribbles on it and all of a sudden, I'm not such a bad, crazy guy. You were likely some high bred little woman, taught to read and write by living people. You don't have to have the dead scream at you for redemption, have family of living people beg you to help, only to watch helplessly as their living relatives scream at you that you're insane. You can shift to hide from the guard, I have to run. I can't have a home, you have that chance." He shudders.

"If they catch me, they'll use me or kill me. I've got a kind of magic that is scary dangerous." He moves away now, climbing up the stairs. "You wanna find yourself a way out of this shithole, you do it yourself." He stopped to snarl at her. "I won't be fucking used."

[Fyra]

She flinched away at his first question, looking as contrite as a weasel could. But as he moved, and shouted and snarled, she flinched back even more. As it ended, she was pushed back, shivering in a bundle of brown and cream fur, beady eyes looking at him from within their dark mask. And he stormed off and away towards the upstairs.

She felt angry, but knew a little about the way he was feeling at the same time. Shouldn't have expected anything different, really. They all turn on you, in the end. She slowly shifted from being bunched up, shaking out her fur and sighing. She moved and looked at the paper.

Bradich Mong
Neelah Shakil
Adrian Milan


She stopped reading and didn't bother looking at the last three. She already knew that she didn't know the people that were listed. She might have, if she had gone and declared herself in the very beginning. But I couldn't... he doesn't understand that. Yea, maybe I could have a home, but I can't, because I have no where to start.. and he could have a home, if he gave up his thieving... He doesn't have to listen to the ghosts who want to talk to their families. She got off the couch and moved back towards the door. She was halfway there when she realized that she couldn't go out that way. No hands. Dark eyes found windows, but those too were in good repair. She huffed. There was no way to help herself. Not like this. She moved back to sit on the couch and think for a while. It didn't matter how much time had passed by the time she decided that there was nothing for it. She could only go after him and try to calm him down.

It was a slow journey up the stairs. What was one step for him, was a full bodied spring for her. It took a good five minutes for her to reach the top of the stairs alone. At least he fed me. I doubt I would have been able to do this, otherwise." She searched through the upper portion of the house to find him. When she finally, it was with a good amount of caution that she approached, prepared to just curl up next to him for a nap, if he didn't want to talk.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Amyrea had followed him upstairs, and when he'd curled up in his corner, she laid so that she was curled around him, trying to comfort him. It took a long time before he trusted himself to speak. "No one ever understands Amyrea... well no one alive. Ya think they do for a bit, then they turn on you at the first sign of trouble. Just when ye think ye can get close... a breath huffed from his chest, stirring the dust around him.

"It's like the family all over again." He whispered. He didn't hear the claws skitter, didn't see the small creature skitter into the room. Amyrea did though. "Maybe she just doesn't understand, because she hasn't had any issues like that before." She was watching the small rodent, and not for the first time, wished someone else besides Kaleb could see her.

"Well of course no one else is stupid enough to run from family. Of course no one bloody well lives on the streets for 10 fuckin' years and lives through wit and stealing. Of course no one else is shunned by everyone else because he sees dead people." Kaleb snapped at her. "Suuuuuure being a mini fuzzball is tough, but at least you've got a chance of some sort of family. Shifters like each other. I'm all alone."

[Fyra]

Fyra peeked around the corner, and slipped into the room. He was curled up in a corner. After a moment, she cautiously made her way across the floor. He was muttering. To Amyrea I suppose. She winced at the way he said "mini fuzzball" and then made herself continue forward. She had to convince him to help her, if for no other reason than to return the favor at least once. She owed him a little. He probably had saved her life the night before. When most people would have shoved her away for being a shifter, he had welcomed her despite it. But he was right. Most people, even her, had a chance at some sort of family. But not like I had it before. Her heart melted a little as she came up behind him.

Her cold nose poked against the back of his neck, and she moved carefully to bound over his neck, landing in front of him. She doubled back on herself to look at him, dark eyes meeting bright. Her cold nose bumped his nose as she sniffed at him again.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Something cold poked the back of his neck and he was about to swat at it when a familiar looking polecat landed in front of his face, her eyes bright. She poked his nose with her own and he scowled, fighting the urge to roll over.

"What?" And all of a sudden, he felt like an idiot. Lying there, scowling at a polecat who he's only made assumptions about. For all he knew, she could've just been pissed off at not being able to talk, and took it out on him like a typical woman. He sighed, flapping his hand. "Never mind, love." Dark eyes steadily returned to their emerald quality, though not before he snagged her ans just held her gently against his cheek.

"Sorry for being such a girl." He apologized without thinking. "Guess it's just been awhile since I've had any proper people contact... even if you are a little fuzzy at the moment."

[Fyra]

He was scowling at her as he snapped the question, and then he flapped his hand dismissively. Just as well. I can't answer anyways. She didn't object to him holding her against his cheek. There was little point. Besides, she couldn't work with him while he was angry. Fyra moved a bit, rubbing her cheek against his, chirping quietly.

She could forgive him, if he could forgive her. Pulling out of his grasp she took a moment to shake a paw at him, much in the manner a mother would shake her finger while "tsking" at a child. But between the knowledge that she was doing this as a polecat, and the fact that she wasn't being serious at this point, it dissolved rather quickly into a polecat grin and a bump of her head against his chin.

Still not sure whether she was bringing a lasting smile to his face, she continued to rub against his jaw, similar in manner to a cat, and chirping every once in a while. She couldn't purr, but the chirp was a happy sound.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Kaleb couldn't stop the grin the crossed his face while being chastised by a small rodent. He returned the bump, gently, smiling at her little chirps. She was about as moody as he was, he guessed, before he sighed and moved upwards suddenly, scooping her up.

"Sorry, more manhandling, but you're gonna hafta deal love. We're out!" And with that she was around his shoulders, he was all but bounding down the stairs, bending to scoop the chewed letter as he moved. "We are going to find those shifters, we're going to get you human again so we can have this argument I can totally feel rising, then maybe, just maybe, get this whole damn mess resolved." Kaleb growled as he stretched his long legs to cover a hell of a lot of ground.

"Amyrea! Where's Adrian Milan?" Kaleb barked, vaguely amused when she grinned. "Follow me!" And off they went, weaving through the crowd as if they were ghosts themselves.

[Fyra]

Squeaking as he picked her up once more, she huffed a little as she groped for purchase on his shoulders. It didn't take her too long to settle, but then she had to constantly shift with his movements. This is far more work than one would assume! But hope was springing forth in her, even as it had despaired earlier that day. He would help her, and perhaps one of these shifters could help her learn how to control herself. She needn't be ruled by fear.

She forced herself to stay firm around his shoulders, tail moving slightly for balance as she looked ahead, in the direction they were going. Bring it on! She squeaked a little, with newfound determination.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Through the ally ways, down the stairs. He kept his eyes intent on Amyrea's familiar form, ignoring the cries of the dead who'd lived here in poverty, following her every movement. He easily strode over a dead body, fighting the reflex to scream. Not gonna help them now. He grit his teeth and moved onwards.

He slid down an alleyway, stopping before a cat eating out of a trashcan. "Uhm... Amyrea? Where's Adrian?" The cat looked up at the mention of its name. "Oh... never mind then." Down he crouched.

"Hey, Adrian, look I know what ya are mate, and was wondering if you'd give my friend here a lesson or two on shifting in exchange for a decent roof over your head and a couple of actual meals." Kaleb asked bluntly, passing the cat some dried jerky he had left as an incentive. The cat shifted before Kaleb's eyes, turning into a ragged boy, barely out of his childhood, who grabbed the meat up and ate it ravenously.

"Where's th'shifter then, ey?" The kid asked around a mouthful of jerky. Kaleb cocked an eyebrow. "You agree then?" "I'm not stupid enuff to turn down bloody food and a roof, where's the bloody idiot." Kaleb looked to his shoulder.

"That's your cue, love." He murmured, stretching out an arm so she could climb down.

[Fyra]

Safyra clung to him, hiding more underneath his hair as they came into the poorer sections of town, where crime was far more rampant and there were few people that cleaned up the streets. As he stepped over the dead body, she swallowed, squeaking involuntarily. Finally they came to a halt in front of a cat.

The exchange was quick enough. Decent meals must be hard to come by here... She swallowed, and then glared as the boy, younger than herself, referenced the "bloody idiot". She grumbled though, and as Kaleb prompted her, she balanced herself carefully on his arm, and walked down until she sat, crouched on her haunches, to look up at the boy.

She felt very small. Between the two regular sized humans, she was small. Dark eyes peered at the boy, and she squeaked at him.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Please note this is yet another joint post <3

The boy wrinkled his nose before looking up at Kaleb, clearly annoyed. "I don't understand no squeaks." He looked back down at the polecat. "Lookie miss, ya talk or I can't help ya."

Fyra huffed in annoyance, and glared up at the boy before chittering irritably at him. She looked helplessly back at Kaleb and wrinkled her nose.

"Give it a shot, try actually talking." Kaleb suggested, shrugging. "I've heard shifters understand each other." And with the, the cat-boy shifted, driecting his attention on the polecat. This help, missy?

Great, because rodent mouths are perfect for- She turned to find the boy back as a cat behind her, and squeaked as she heard him. How, she wasn't sure. I can hear you! She stepped a little closer to the scrawny cat shifter. Can you hear me? She could hear herself squeaking a little, and knew that half the language of a animal's language was just body movement, so how was it that she could understand what this boy was saying so easily?

The cat rolled its eyes Yeah, yeah, I hear ya, rodent. Look, why duncha just shift back?

Fyra seemed to shrink in on herself a little, her ears flattening out. I don't know how. She looked away, feeling as though she had just failed majorly in some fashion. That's the problem see... If I could shift back, I would. You think I like being unable to talk?! It's only been a short time, and it's already caused some misunderstandings. And Theogios! I am already tired of being picked up like a- a common pet!

The cat scowled. At least you got someone who seems ta care. Look miss, just concentrate on growin. Works for me. You dun wanna be small, grow. Remember yer fingers 'n shit. Remember how dey feels. By now Kaleb was just crouching, baffled as the cat meowed and Fyra squeaked. Hopefully they got each other

She stared with a slight amount of despair at the cat. How was that supposed to help her anymore than the ghost's advice of "sinking" back into her human self? But with a sigh, she complied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Maybe if she mixed the two pieces of advice together...
She focused on being bigger, of seeing things from the height that she had for most of her life, and then pulled upon the memories of her life, beginning with the night before.

The feelings rushed in on her, of clutching the bread and cheese to her chest, scrambling over rocks. Too similar to being a polecat. She went back farther bumping into people on the street and looking down at a group of children, the feeling of her ratty clothing under her hands. Her skin started to itch a little, and for a moment she started to get bigger. But the sensation broke her concentration and she moved, batting at her neck with a hindpaw Oh, drat!

"You got bigger." Commented Kaleb before looking at the cat. "Looks like you're good enough to help, you get to stay. If you wanna keep that form, I don't mind carrying ya back to my place, make it look like I'm taking a pet home." The cat sneezed before moving over to Kaleb. Guess he's keeping his word, few do these days. Dun see whatcha got against being a pet, least ya get fed. Adrian commented as he allowed himself to be scooped up and cradled in an arm. Kaleb stretched out his free hand, waiting for Fyra to climb in it so he could put her on his shoulder.

She turned with a sigh and moved to climb up to Kaleb's shoulder, draping herself so that she was able to speak with the cat. Indeed, fed, that's true enough. But communication is so frustrating! And he knows I'm a shifter. If it were someone who didn't know, I might have less of a problem playing dumb... but really, who would take me as a pet? I'm far to strange. They'd suspect right off! She sat a little primly, head raised. Then she chuckled lightly. How many strange looks will he get, I wonder. Carrying a cat and a rodent.

Kaleb was grinning from ear to ear as he moved through the streets, taking the long way home so he had a chance to buy some extra food for his new... pet. Fyra and Adrian chatted the whole way, and it was true he earned quite a few looks, but shrugged them off. With a full bag of groceries under his arm, Kaleb made his way home, occasionally dropping a loaf or two on some needy person. He might have let himself get pick-pocketed as well, only because it was one of the small pouches. The cat noticed. Your lad, he's a decent one. Doesn't seem to care about much really. Bit of an idiot though, dropping good food. The cat stopped grumbling when Kaleb offered him some jerky to munch on on the way home, amused.

Her conversation with the cat was decent enough, for somebody who lived on the streets. Fyra fell silent at the mention of Kaleb as her lad though. She shifted her vantage point sightly, looking at him discreetly from the corner of her eye. He was certainly cute, handsome even, if roguish and unkempt. She didn't notice him getting pick pocketed, but she had hardly learned to look for others doing such things. The polecat sighed as they came back to the house. To be honest, I don't know if he cares about much at all... I may just be a pity case for him. I only ran into him last night. And then got stuck like this... She continued her careful study of his profile.

He stepped through the hidden door of his "home" as he jokingly thought of it, and slid the bag onto the table he'd half-heartedly restored. He's thought about being a carpenter, make some real money, but where's the fun in that? He set Adrian on the ground, lifting Fyra off his shoulders and setting her down next to the cat.

"You two have fun, I'm going to go cook up a proper dinner. No coming in and peeking... I wanna see you human again, Fyra. Your clothes are on the couch." At the he pointed to the bundle. "If she turns back and you try anything, Adrian, you're out on your ass, ya hear me?" The cat sneezed before nodding. Off Kaleb went, though not before he winked at Fyra.

With Kaleb gone and noises being made in the kitchen, Adrian turned back to the rodent and sighed. Righ', so, why the fuck did you stop growin'?

She covered up her disappointment over no longer being on his shoulders by shaking herself, fur puffing a little as she did so. She rolled her eyes at Kaleb's now familiar flirting wink, and sighed, left alone with the street-boy shifter.

Wrinkling her whispers, Fyra replied. It itched. I always feel itchy when I shift. Usually, I didn't bother with it, but it broke my concentration... I've never actually done it one purpose, see? I didn't choose this, wasn't born to it... Nineteen years I was just another normal person! She was still not at ease with her life as it was.

But she didn't wait for the cat to tell her what to do, she sat herself down, and followed the process again. It was a little easier now. Bigger, she focused on, and then added memories of fingers, clever fingers, and herself, laughing, walking, even running away from guards and thugs.

Her skin started to itch again.

The cat was about to comment that maybe a werewolf would be better to help her when she started to grow again. He turned his back, just in case, and waited to hear the familiar sounds of shapeshifting.

It itched. As though she had fleas running all over her body. She pushed forward,focusing though it. Then the itch moved, inside, under her skin, through her body. Fyra squeaked with the discomfort, but held onto the feelings, letting herself continue to just feel the itch. Other feelings joined the itchiness; stretching and a strange feeling as though her fur was all falling out.

Slowly, in an awkwardly painful sight, she shifted from polecat to human. It wasn't a pretty process. Her teeth were too big as her jaw sank into her normal proportions. Claws lengthened to fingers, her tail shrank into her spine, and her legs grew until she finally sat, naked, with her knees bent up to her chest, on the floor. Lank blond and black hair hung to her shoulders. She raised her head cautiously, breathing slowly, and stood. Her clothes were on the couch, and she was human again.Excitement exploded through her. "YES!"

It wasn't a loud shout, but it was enough to carry through the house. She moved towards her clothes, shoulders hunched with embarrassment for her too-thin body, but her grin was perfectly happy.

The cat heard the human yell of happiness and quickly scampered to the kitchen, now human. "Didn't want ya thinking I was gonna attack th'girl." Adrian muttered to the cooking Kaleb as he ducked into a corner. Kaleb raised an eyebrow, wearing a frill apron he'd found in the kitchen cupboard.

"So it worked then? Sweet!" He grinned, turning back to the almost-done steaks and potatoes. They hadn't been cheap, and were likely of poor quality, but the store keeper had needed the coin. Hell he was going soft. "Just in time for dinner. Safyra, get your human ass in here when you're done changing, aye? Got some food for you that's nearly done cooking and I could use another set of hands!"

[Kaleb Morrington]

Annnnd another joint post (on a roll <3)

She had slipped into her clothing already, tying up the worn bodice with clumsy fingers. Her feet got stuffed into boots, and she ran her hands through her hair as she walked towards the kitchen. Happy for the moment, her lips were curved in a grin that made her face light up, turning her from plain to pretty. Her movements were still furtive and cautious, but that wouldn't change in less than a day. "Whatcha need an extra pair of hands for?" Gosh, he's so tall... even when I'm not a rodent...

Kaleb turned and forced himself to remember how to breathe. Changers she was a lovely thing when she was human. He cleared his throat before pointing up to a cupboard. "There's some dishes and shit up there, gonna get you to set that." He said, pointing at the table at which the cat sat. "Adrian there's just gonna chill, he's a guest after all."

She made her way over to the cupboard, pushing up onto her tiptoes to reach the dishes he spoke of. It was strange, setting a table. She hadn't done so for so long. It was short work. Her body remembered, even it wasn't so recent. Her nose lifted to take in the scent of the food. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she blushed slightly.

Kaleb was just stirring the stir-fry when he looked to see how she was faring... and she was faring rather well he'd say. Emerald eyes took in her scrawny figure, but he could see where the curves would be once she started gaining weight. He watched her moved and had to look away, face flushed slightly. Changers, he hadn't felt like this in a very, very long time. But, he reminded himself as he poured the food into serving bowls, gotta be careful, take it slow, don't want her running off. She's the first decent company I've had in a dog's age. He looked up to Amyrea's happy grin and scowled. "You stop giving me that smug look Amyrea, why don't you go find yourself a ghost boyfriend for a bit?" Amyrea stuck her tongue out, as this was often a joke between the two, and floated off.

Still wearing his ridicules frilly apron, Kaleb brought the food over, gesturing at Fyra and Adrian to dig in as he moved away to take off the stupid apron.

Even as she sat and he dished out the food, Fyra couldn't hold back a slight giggle at the sight of the frilly apron on the dark-haired thief. She paid more attention to the plate full of food, more than she had seen at once for quite a while, than the man speaking to the ghost. She figured that if she was going to be around him for any longer than just a few days, she could get used to him randomly speaking to this Amyrea person. Carefully, she started eating, not wanting to burn her tongue

Kaleb turned, watching the two eat, Adrian more ravenously than Fyra, though that was to be expected. Silently he made his way over, a small plate of sliced bread in hand, which he set between the two, grinning when Adrian reached instantly and grabbed a slice, dipping it into the remaining slice.

"Keep eating, I made a ton." With that he turned to grab a couple glasses and pour some drinking water into a jug, which he also set in front of the two before sitting down himself and digging in cheerfully.

Old habits were still there, even after a year on the streets. Put her in front of a laden table, and she was perfectly happy to stuff herself, but she still ate without leaving elbows on the table, and used a slice of bread to wipe up the extra sauces from her plate. As it was, she could only fit a single full plate into her stomach, and felt lethargic with that. She had received more food in the last day than she had for weeks in one sitting. She didn't speak much through the meal, focusing instead on the food, and towards the end, broke her manners, to lean her head on a palm, trailing a last piece of bread over her plate, picking up any last streaks. Her eyes were half-closed with comfortable lethargy, and she kept dark eyes averted from looking at anyone in particular, though she wanted to look over at Kaleb. He looked different from this perspective. She still had to look up to see his face, but he didn't seem quite so big.

She let out an extremely large yawn, unsure what to do. Her immediate needs were met. What now?

Kaleb stood when everyone was finished, smiling softly when Safyra yawned. "I believe it's time for our little polecat to get some shuteye, aye? The bed's upstairs, where ye found me last... just on the actual piece of furniture, not the corner." He joked, moving away with the dirty dishes to dump them in the wash basin.

"Adrian, you can have the couch, I've got a couple more things to do before I hit the hay." He smiled at Fyra. "And no, I won't be joining you this evening unless you ask. There are blankets though, so enjoy." With that, he began to clean up the kitchen, feeling rather content himself.

Fyra couldn't even think to put out a verbal reply. She just nodded at him, and pushed her way up the stairs to make her way to the bed that was up there. As she curled in it's center, kicking her boots off the side, she blinked, and felt strangely lonely. She was perfectly warm, but as she lay there, not quite able to sleep, stomach rumbling as it digested the huge amount of food she had stuffed it with, green eyes and the black hair that fell into them came to mind. She smiled slightly. He really was quite sweet, if rough around the edges.

Kaleb had just finished washing the dishes to the tune of Adrian's snoring, when Amyrea appeared out of no-where. "She wants you." Amyrea sighed, pouting. "Can't say I blame her, really, you're just so amazing my love." Kaleb cocked an eyebrow at Amyrea. She hadn't pouted like this in a very long time.

"Almost sounds as if you're jealous Amyrea." Kaleb teased, flicking water at the ghost-girl. Of course the beads of water went harmlessly through her, but she still squealed indignantly.

"So what if I am! You've been paying special attention to that scrawny little rat!" Kaleb cocked an eyebrow. "You mean Fyra? She's a polecat Amyrea, not a rat. And so what if I pay special attention to her, I like her and she's alive." Kaleb turned to put the now-dry dishes away, not even having to bother with going up on his tip-toes. Changers she'd been so cute when she did that.

[Fyra]

She tossed and turned a little, trying to sleep. But for all that she was exhausted, she couldn't seem to find the peace she sought. After what seemed like ages, she finally swung her feet off of the bed, and in bare feet, padded gently over the old, semi-squeaky floor. Fyra made it to the doorway before she stopped. Her eyes fell through the dim lighting to the long, lean form that was stretched out on the floor. A small smile whispered over her lips. You're in trouble lass, yes you are. She carefully stepped over to him, wincing with every tiny sound she made. She didn't want to wake him up.

The small girl finally reached his form, and knelt beside him. With a soft sigh, she slid her own body, so many inches shorter than his, onto the ground, and then very carefully, scooted herself along the floor until her back pressed against him. She tucked her arm under her head as a pillow and sighed. This floor was more comfortable than some of the niches she had had to sleep in before. And with warmth against her back, she felt rather comfortable.

Whatever had been keeping her awake was no longer disturbing her. Her eyes blinked, once, twice, and then fluttered shut, her breathing evening out.