[Action] But muh cat naps

[keepitcatty]

[All around the Rose Estate. Or maybe around the city in general. Therr is something large and blue laying in a tree.

Wonderful camouflage there. 10/10.

It was Ranulf in cat form, just trying to be lazy after a hearty meal. But suddenly, a tap. Ranulf's ears twitch.

Tap.

He scans around for what that is.

Boof! A rock hit his hide!]

What the hell?

[Thunk! A rock hits him in the head. There were a couple of kids on the ground throwing rocks. The laguz was not going to have this. He jumps down, startling the kids as he shifts back to humanoid form.]

I wouldn't bother a hungry beast if I were you.

[The kids ran away, clearly not in the mood to be snacks. Ranulf chuckled, but stopped and frowned.

How long has this person been here?]


What? Think I overdid it?

Comments

[keymemory]

[ Sora was oblivious to what was going on up ahead until a large blue cat jumped on the ground. He was still about five feet away, frozen still, as he watches the cat morph into a human. It was the weirdest thing he ever saw; except that time when Donald changed them all into fish people, or that time Donald changed them to fit into Halloween Town… or that time … Maybe it wasn’t that strange after all. ]

Huh?

[fierybluebird]

No.

[Nonchalant shrug with his arms behind his head.] In my world they'd just be snacks by now. Unless they were strong enough to fight back.

[uccellodifuoco]

More like the opposite.

[Says the guy that actually jumped through the kitchen's window holding a knife. Not that he was going to use that but he still was going to punch the brats at the very least.]

Sorry I didn't notice them sooner. You're not hurt, are you?

[keepitcatty]

[This. Ranulf has seen this look before. He offers a slight smile.]

Don't worry about it.

[He thumbs in the direction the other kids ran.]

Not friends of yours, I hope?

[keepitcatty]

As in mine.

But we had to play that politics stuff just to live in peace, you know?

[Too bad it didn't work out.]

[keepitcatty]

[That knife has him worried. He wanted to scare the kids, not traumatize them.]

Yeah, I'm fine. It takes more than sticks and stones to hurt a laguz.

[There is a bump hidden under the hat, though.]

[uccellodifuoco]

[He wasn't going to use the knife, and he puts it away for now. He would still have probably traumatized the kids with just punching, though.]

You mean a laguz from the beast tribe, I suppose. Because I've seen Leanne get hurt by a strong wind and from what she has told me, I'm pretty sure that all the herons have the same physical prowess.

[keepitcatty]

That's right. Cats with wings would look weird.
All bird laguz are powerful flyers, though. Some more than others. Each tribe have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Herons, like Leanne and her brothers, for example, are great vocalists. But I'm sure you knew that already.

[A sly smile there.]

[uccellodifuoco]

[He turns slightly red at that last part as it takes a new meaning ever since he and Leanne talked about having kids.]

[Coughing and willing the redness away now.]

Leanne's galdrar have helped me enough times to know that, even when she wasn't using her magic. She also mentioned that the hawks are the strongest physically among bird laguz.

Unfortunately I'm not as familiar with beast tribes. What are your strengths?

[Besides trolling.]

[keepitcatty]

And that is so. Tibarn, leader of the hawk tribe, is a beast on the battlefield.

[Pun sort of intended.]

As for my strengths? What do you think about when you think of cats? Agility, right?

[uccellodifuoco]

Leanne mentioned so, though I admit that hearing you say that gives it a whole new perspective. Though I think your own leader doesn't fall short in comparition.

[Ikki makes a face at that.]

Honestly? When I think of cats what comes to mind is them trying to steal my brother's milk. Luna wasn't like that but she wasn't like normal cats.

[Shrug.]

I've never really had to fight a cat, the closest would be tigers or lions and in their cases rather than agility it was brute force what they had going for them. So you're the type that runs until the opponent is tired and then delivers the finishing blow?

[Despite the wording, Ikki's tone is far from dismissive. Evading and taking advantage of an opponent who wastes his energy is a fighting tactic as valid as any other in a war.]

[keepitcatty]

Without a doubt. Caineghis is the greatest one of us all. That's why he's King of all Gallia.

[Treating his fighting style to mere cats' play? That earns a chuckle.]

Oh, my friend, you are only half right.

What we do is evade strikes and then go for the throat at the earliest opening. I think some beorcs call it "Rushdown" or something like that.

[uccellodifuoco]

[He arches an eyebrow at the name. That wasn't the one Leanne had told him was leader of the beast tribe, then again probably Ranulf is from a different time.]

So you're fast and lethal, then. What do you do when the opponent is in full armor without openings to their throat?

[keepitcatty]

[Full armor with no visible openings? His duel with General Zelgius comes to mind.]

I either make one, or just see what they are made of and rethink strategy.

[uccellodifuoco]

You mean like breaking their armor or making them lose parts of it?

[His mind is on the Gold Saints, specially Saga and Kanon with their Cloths that covered their whole bodies.]

[keepitcatty]

That's right.

Or we could, you know, get a good enough grip on their helmets and snap their necks.

[Not a preferred method for land-based laguz, but... as long as it gives them that primal thrill.]

[uccellodifuoco]

True, I suppose that could work with a slow target. A slow target that didn't even move or notice when you climbed on their shoulders to get a grip of their helmets, because I suppose you mainly fight in your beast forms.

Can you even fight in your humanoid form?

[keepitcatty]

You'd be surprised. I know some beorc generals who can move like they're not wearing such heavy armor.

[He hesitates, just a bit. He feels Ikki can be trusted, at least.]

We can, but not very well.

[uccellodifuoco]

Actually, I wouldn't. All of the people I've fought against and alongside of, wear armors and move at sound speed, minimun. Still, I doubt that is common among the beorc generals in your world, and even if it is, it reaffirms that fighting against those types of enemies isn't easy for you.

[He hums.]

Is it simple lack of training or that you're directly just not comfortable in those forms? Actually, forget that, it's not as if you would ever need to fight in this form anyway.

[And if it ever was needed... All that Ikki has to do is ensure that he's able to go help Ranulf or his people.]

How have you been settling down? Getting used to the place yet?

[keepitcatty]

If you saw the armor on these generals, I think you'd still be surprised. But then again, I've never seen the armor on your allies to really compare.

[Eww, Ikki, never utter that T-word in front of Ranulf. But he's pleased he gets it so quickly.]

It has a smell that I find difficult getting used to, but at least I can blend in a little better than, well, anywhere else. It's nice enough here.

[uccellodifuoco]

[Ikki chuckles at that.]

Touché. Saying that they wear full armor with basically no gaps still doesn't cut it, I've seen enough types of armor to know that.

[He waves a hand dismissively, unless any of them come it's not as if Ranulf would ever have to face one of Ikki's old allies or enemies. And he's confident enough to face any of the generals Ranulf has ever come across, not because he's sure he would win but because he's sure that they can't be worse than an actual deity, and he has faced that already.]

Is the smell just here in the Estate or in all the places in Genessia? Because if it's the first there's a chance that we will move somewhere else which may work better for you lot.

[keymemory]

Oh! Nope! Nuh-uh!

No idea what was even happening, still... really kind of don't!

[fierybluebird]

Same. Not that it works.