What a beautiful day~ {Riven/Leif}

[Howlkitty]

Silent, very silent her pawsteps were as the tan she-cat padded across the sandy lands of the Jasper Beach. Her cloak had been taken off, as well her bow seemed to be left home - the only thing Riven was carrying seemed to be the belt with a knife and a money purse - well, just in case. The she-cat always enjoyed buying things - although she couldn't afford spending money here or there all the time - but hey, why not? She still had things the she-cat was planning to sell, and it's not that they were worth nothing.

Seemingly lost in thoughts, Riven continued walking, her head held high - oh yes, it was a beautiful day indeed, and the weather wasn't bad either - no matter how much she actually loved the cold and snow, some sun wasn't that bad either. And it had been raining for the past few days - so why not take a walk outside while it was still sunny, and maybe take a swim in the sea?

A few minutes had passed since she'd began walking through the beach - and considering she had been oh so lost in thoughts all this time, Riven hadn't noticed the clouds that covered the sun by now - actually, the wanderer noticed it only by the time a large raindrop landed right on her nose.

"What!?" Of course, she did love the rain - but this had been such a sunny day, and she was actually rarely in such a good mood - why, just why did the rain have to ruin it all?

With an angry snort the she-cat sat down right there in the sand - nah, she wasn't going to run all the way to her home, and seeking shelter right here was just stupid, for she saw no way to hide from the rain. But again, why hide from the rain? She had wanted to take a swim anyways - well, here it goes.

[FeliKal]

The biggest problem Leif had with the beach, aside from the general 'that-is-too-much-water-too-close-to-soaking-me' and 'what-if-another-albino-sea-monster-comes-up-to-grab-me', was the sand. The way it stuck to your fur, got between your paw pads, and made you feel gritty and dusty all over. Dry sand he was more okay with, but it got so hot sitting out in the sun it hurt to just run across. (Not that you could really run on sand without falling on your face.) And the only cool sand was the wet stuff, which stuck even worse and took hours to dry out and fall off.

But, despite all this, the wanderer did have a particular soft spot for a good panoramic view. From nearly anywhere along the beach, you could see all the way to what might be the edge of the world, for all he knew. Where the water touched the sky, and on hazy days, seemed to melt right into it. Perched in a tree (a rather familiar tree at that), he had watched the storm clouds roll in from the distance, dark and silent, like massive wagons making a slow and stately journey to land.

As the first few droplets of rain began to make their appearance, Leif noticed a figure coming down the beach towards where he was, head high. Suddenly they stopped, not too far off, paused for a moment, and then simply sat down. Puzzled, the male hopped down from his branch and trotted over. Now he could see that this was a she-cat, though a stranger to him, and as he went he shifted onto his back paws and unwrapped his scarf. "Something the matter, hun? I wouldn't pick the middle of the beach as a good place to sit during a storm." He shook out the blue cloth between his paws and draped it over the female's head, offering a charming smile. "There, that oughta keep your ears dry, at the very least."

[Howlkitty]

Riven might have noticed the light rain that had started to fall from the sky, but little did she know of the dark storm clouds that seemed to be closing in, for the wanderer was busy with angrily pawing at the sand. Neither did the she-cat notice the tom closing in to her.

blinking in surprise, she looked up at the tom's words, then chuckled. "Of course - I happened not to notice the storm closing in," She huffed out a small breath, taking a look at the darkening sky, then shifted her glance back at the fellow feline. "Although I see that you did - then why do you happen to be here when a storm's coming, may I inquire?" The she-cat voiced with a slight smile, just out of curiosity.

A great surprise it was as the tom unwrapped his scarf and draped it over Riven's head. "Ah thank-you," The she-cat grinned - oh yes, she seemed to like this attitude for sure.

[FeliKal]

Leaning back on his heels, the wanderer tipped his head to gesture out at the ocean. "I like a bit of storm-watching once in a while. Ya don't often get one coming in this perfect." For a moment he contemplated the gray sky, and then turned back to mirror the she-cats smile. Feeling quite pleased that his little into had gone so well, Leif demurely waved away the female's thanks. "Now, what kinda gentleman would I be to leave such a lovely lady out to the whims of the weather?" With an offered paw, he added, "That bein' said, perhaps you'd like to join me under the modest shelter of yonder tree?"

Now that he was closer, Leif took a moment to absorb the she-cat's appearance, processing all the small details, and building a rough picture of her in his mind. Pale like the sand, with no apparent belongings save for a small belt with a pouch and knife attached. So, she must own a house, or owned no real valuables. Her shoulder muscles looked strong and supple beneath her fur, perhaps accustomed to heavy lifting? But her paws were not scraped and bruised as one would expect, rather, callused but otherwise delicate. She didn't really look like the lifting type either.

Well, it didn't particularly matter either way. She was a nice she-cat that he had not yet met, and that was all there was too it. He really needed to break the habit of trying to analyze everyone.

[Howlkitty]

Taking a look at the darkening sky, Riven gave a small nod. "Storm-watching is certainly better than sitting in the middle of the beach and getting soaked to death," She laughed quietly and soon got to her paws, giving her backside a small shake to get rid of the sand.

Noticing the tom's analyzing look, Riven raised an eyebrow. "I'm not actually that fat, just fluffy, 'kay?" She said jokingly with another small laugh, and flicked away the rest of the sand off her tail with a paw - the sand was indeed annoying at times, especially when it refused to leave the she-cat's pelt.

"I'd be more than pleased to," Riven replied to his offer with a smile, taking a small glance at the tree - the wanderer was truly glad that she wouldn't have to sit in the rain during a storm. "Hm, how rude of me not to introduce myself - the name's Riven, I'm a wanderer."

[FeliKal]

Adopting a look of exaggerated consteration, Leif placed a paw over his heart and exclaimed, "My dear! I'd <i>never</i> let such a crude assumption cross my mind! A lady's size is never any a' my business." He let his paw fall and added with a wink, " 'Sides, a little weight makes a heathy cat, and if you don't mind me saying so, is plenty attractive in it's own right." With a small bow, he led the way over beneath the canopy of the tree. It wouldn't be much shelter in a gale, but for this shower, it would suffice. A few stray drips was still better than getting soaked.

As the female introdiced herself, Leif made a mental facepalm. Of course, what had he been thinking? How rude of him to waltz up to the she-cat, drop his belongings on her, and then drag her off without even having the grace to provide his name. And <i>she</i> was the one apologizing. Tsk.

"Pleased to make your 'quaintance, miss Riven," he purred, keeping his voice light nd untroubled. "What a coincidence, I happen to be of the same occupation." He chuckled. "If you can call it that." Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, he thought that it certainly explained the down-to-earth quality she seemed to possess, the lithe strength in her arms. No cat living the comfortable life down in Gweillan could ever look so hardy.

[Howlkitty]

Riven raised an eyebrow at the tom's shocked expression. "Pff, I was just joking~" She voiced with a chuckle, following him over to the tree. There seemed to be a canopy beneath the tree, which for sure made it a great shelter from the rain - well, if not the best out of all places, it was still much better than nothing.

The she-cat settled down and glanced outside - the sky was still darkening, the storm was quickly closing in - the sand seemed completely soaked in the rain, and the she-cat couldn't help herself but imagine the sand stuck between her paw pads when she finally got home. Oh how she hated the feeling.

[FeliKal]

Humming softly, tunelessly to himself, Leif raised his face to gaze up through the branches, letting the sound of raindrops hitting the greenery sooth away any lingering tension he carried. Funny, how he could dislike being wet so much and yet be perfectly okay with rain. He supposed it came from spending so much time up in Rithengar Forests, and wondered idly if the she-cat beside him felt similarly, being a wanderer as well.

Voicing his thoughts aloud, Leif asked, "So 're you Gweillan native, or come in from someplace else? Seems to be a bit of a toss-up with wanderers." Rather thoughtfully, he went on to add, "I was born 'n raised here myself. Spent 'bout a year up top," he jerked his chin up to indicate the land above them, "came back t' see what this festival buisness was, when I heard the rumor." Realizing he was probably running over Riven's opportunity to respond, he hastily backtracked. "...But I digress here, my own story can't be nearly so int'resting I'm sure."

[Howlkitty]

"I spend quite a lot of time up in Rithengar as well - you know, searching for treasure and such," Riven voiced with a chuckle. "But I've never stayed up there for a longer period, for Gweillan is my home and I'm pree' satisfied with my life here." She explained, but didn't go in much detail - the wanderer wasn't really willing to tell her story of life to a complete stranger - and even thinking of her kithood bothered the she-cat, so she shifted her gaze back over to the beach to watch the dark clouds slowly closing in.

Only rarely a raindrop actually made it through the branches, so the two were quite safe under the tree - and Riven seemed to have come to the same realization, as well the fact that Leif's scarf was still on her head. She quickly tilted a paw up and pulled the blue cloth off - it seemed soft and warm as it slipped through the she-cat's paws. "Here," She handed him the scarf with a little smile. "I don't think I need it anymore, thanks."