>>6338772Your scream is undignified; not just because you screamed, but also because it came with a split-second delay, as you were so lost in thought.
She was squatting on the railing of your apartment balcony. When she did it, this seemed like the most natural position in the world. You noticed the way her toes curled and gripped the structure with a power and precision that was inhuman. She *was* inhuman. A therian from the Cat Tribe. And a girl... wow. You have to admit that you had only been acquainted with such specimens through pin-ups, calendars in parts shops, and the occasional dirty magazine that a school friend would shove into your hands so that the teacher might find you with it in your possession. Your friends back home would be hooting and hollering, or dead mute. It's hard to say.
Well, for the most part she seems remarkably human... but it's the details that always get you. Apart from her unnatural adroitness, there is something about the way she looks at you--or at anything else--that doesn't fully register as human. Maybe it's her facial expressions. Some would call it contempt or disinterest, but to you it's more like a professional, guarded curiosity. She looks to be in her early twenties, maybe, but with nonhumans it's hard to tell.
A full five seconds transpire before you think of putting something on. You reach for a pair of shorts.
The girl answers with a "Pffft."
"Don't worry, you're not rocking anything I haven't seen before." This is stated matter-of-factly. "I just came her to give you this."
She extends a hand. She's holding... some kind of brochure. Do Guilds do that?
"I'm handing this out to all new lodgers. It's a little primer on how things work around here. Well, there's nothing so arcane to it, either. It's more like a sponsored ad. My Guild does it. We're called the Talons."
You receive the offer and mutter something approximating your thanks. The girl seems unfazed by your behavior, for better or worse.
With a single, graceful motion, the therian kicks her way off the balcony railing and up to the third story of your building. The railing is left vibrating violently from the force of her lift-off, and you're afraid it'll come apart. You wonder if even your apartment isn't a sanctuary. That girl could've killed you in your sleep with no issue. Maybe you shouldn't sleep with the balcony door unlocked... Well, would that make any difference?
The coffee's ready. You pour yourself a mug while the glossy brochure unfurls in your free hand. You feel like you did enough reading yesterday, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to skim over some of this as well. Your eyes dart between the different headers...
>Our Guild>House Rules>Special Offer 