Kitty in the Belfry (Riley)

[Jarred McCallister]

Jarred was gettign tired of all his hiding places being found. Honestly he just wanted a good nap and no one would allow him a moments rest. From having to look after other students, including his fellow prefects, to ensuring that Nenet was taking her medicine, and listening to waitresses troubles he sometimes felt that he was not getting enough of his "nap time". He was up in the raftors of the observatory, checking out the beams to see if they were able to support a sleeping kitty. Every so often he lept from beam to the next because some were oddly spaced. He was evadign any heavy thinking so he would be able to sleep should the opportunity arrise. But he was considering the structual integrity of the entire room. He found one of the beams squeaked beneath his weight. He looked down at the beam and as he did he looked the 20ft down to see a new student entering the observatory. a girl he didnt know, and he was sure she didnt know. He stayed up high in his orange Tabby form with his messed up hair. Observing for the moment.

[Riley Callaghan]

Riley, like Jarred, was feeling fed up. Unlike Jarred however, it wasn't too much activity that was getting her down--it was the lack of it and the consequent vacuume in her diary. She just wasn't used to relaxing. It chaffed her to have this afternoon free and she was too wired to read ahead in class or do something constructive: so she needed movement, excitement, somebody to talk to who she didn't have to be polite or charming to because she was new and needed the friend capital. What she needed was a familiar voice, which is what led Ry to the higher tower... she desperately wanted to make an overseas call but her reception was absolutely shoddy on the south side of the castle.

Large aquamarine eyes took in the beautiful classroom for a small moment, appreciating the windows that let in the natural light of spring and the colors that were both soothing and warm. What Ry appreciated more, though, was the solitude. Expectantly, and with that smile that could slay dragons, Riley flipped open her cellphone. And frowned.

"Rats. What is this place? the bermuda triangle?"

She hissed under her breath, moving to all corners of the room in case she got lucky. Today the long-legged witch was decked out in earthy colors: a dark russet colored shirt, a long green/purple/brown skirt and flirty zimmerman wedges in a soft green. She'd read somewhere that green was supposed to alleviate homesickness but so far all they'd given her was a compliment of two. Thich never hurt, of course. The search didn't yield any results so Riley stood on a chair, and when that didn't work she got up onto a table. dammit nothing was working. lake-colored eyes glared up into the rafters and spied a cat staring lazily down at her, no doubt confused as to the humans hectic movements. Ah, what it would be to be a cat!

"Any reception up there kitty?"

Ry asked wryly as she hitched up her skirt, took off her wedges (god forbid they get scuffed in her attempts to get reception) and whipped out her wand, the expression on her face calm, collected and determined. But this was so not a good idea. She didn't need reception this bad.....right? wrong.

"wingardium leviosa"

She muttered, pointing the wand at herself. Like a soul being thrust up into the heavens, Riley rose gently up into the rafters, her bare feet with the bright purple nail polish on its toes touching the wood almost reverently. For now it seemed to hold her weight.

"Mister Cat, this was a brilliant idea--look! two bars... perfect now if I just---"

And her cellphone promptly fell out of her hand and smashed on the floor. Bollocks.

"This is not my day"

Riley breathed, covering her eyes as though the pieces of metal were body limbs and she was squeamish.

[Jarred McCallister]

Jarred titled his kitty head as the girl was fumbling with something in her hand. When she finally came up to the raftors, it seemed she was holding a muggle device known as a cell phone. How weird. Usually magical devices and Technological devices didnt function around each other, each of them canceling the others powers out in some odd fashion unless made to work in such an environment, but he guessed that the cellphone that would work like that would cost her a couple pretty galleons. But then she dropped it. He looked down all the way to the floor, the whole twenty feet. How splendid.

mrrow?

one of his ears kicked up while the other was down slighlty with his tilted head. the look of confusion upon his face. Though his hair was heavily mussed, like he was improperly groomed, he did look the part of the fussy cat. He laid upon his belly on the raftors and idly pawed at her hair.

[Riley Callaghan]

Green-blue irises peeked down in horror, like a spectator to a car accident. This wasn't happening. Things like this didn't happen to her: she was used to everything being ordered correctly (by her) and having reception and having a host of friends to call on.... but they were all on the other side of the world. And she was homesick. It was galling to admit you had weaknesses, that easy independence didn't translate into being happy when left alone--but ever the optimist, Riley turned to the furry creature beside her who was cutely playing with her hair. Awww. adorable.

"Thanks buddy, appreciate the bright side of the situation...at least my hair looks good"

The witch reached over and gently scratched his stomach, a smile curling irresistibly when she got into contact with the baby soft fluff. She'd always wanted a pet, but her father had forbidden it... that didn't mean she couldn't pretend right? And hell, if she was stranded here she might as well have an imaginary conversation like a crazy person. It was fitting to the situation she currently found herself in.

"You know, if I had a cat like you; I'd name you Coco after mothers favorite brand of perfume. You would sit in my lap while I read the aspiring classics like Wuthering Heights and To Kill A Mockingbird, by a window in a scottish castle, where the rain poured down and only candlelight would be my guide. And witches and wizards would come from all over the world to get me to cure their ails and aches...and when asked why I was such a mysterious figure I would reply that no one could know.... it would be between my cat and I"

Ry shook her head as though to dispell such whimsical thoughts, since she rarely allowed herself such flights of fancy and the like--she dealt in reality. And she excelled at it. Usually. When her phone wasn't in peices and her life thousands of miles away.

"Coco, I really am a sorry sight. Enough about me, tell me about you; a stray? someones pet? male? female? Don't worry I wont check, I don't even know you--lets at least get to know each other first"

She teased, stroking his stomach and choking on a gurgle of laughter.

[Jarred McCallister]

The condition of her hair wasnt exactly what he had intended to give away. He was just bored and sometimes his cat instincts took over in this form. He saw something shiny and dangly it was common sense to paw at it. But when she reached and started rubbing his belly he turned over and purred. He never knew why this felt so good. It wasnt awesome when he was in human form, there must have been some sort of kitty glands in the belly area that made it feel so good.

It was all going well until she named him. Coco? Really? She began fantazing about him being with her on some sort of cruise, and sitting in her lap as if she were some evil bond villian or something of the sort. Well she went off and asked him a series of questions. He thought it a bit rude not to answer when she was going to ask so many. He rolled over and fell the twenty feet, landing on his feet before shifting into his human form. He sat back looking back up to her. He had messed up hair like he just got out of bed. His school uniform was messed up like he hadnt pressed it, it was all wrinkly, and it wasnt even buttoned up all the way. His prefect badge even hung at an uneven level. He yawned before speaking.

Actually, My names Jarred. Though Coco was a good guess. And Im a boy. And....I dont think Im anyones pet. despite the attempts.

He glanced upward to her before remembering that she was wearing a skirt, and looked back down. A bit embarrassed at the situation from tha point.

[Riley Callaghan]

Jarreds intention when playing with Riley's hair was hardly the point; as long as it had the same effect. And if he seemed to enjoy the tummy-scratch then all the better, who didn't like making a kitty happy? There were limits though. Riley was quite happy to sit up in the rafters and chat nattily to herself as if her (yes, in her fantasy Coco was her cat) pet could understand everyword, completely unaware of the accuracy of her fantasy, but felt a fierce jolt of fear when the feline suddenly rolled over and plummeted to the floor. Oh god, it was her iphone all over again. The dismay was irrational ,she knew that in the back of her mind, after all cats had nine lives and whatnot, plus the adage of always landing on their feet.. but you could not have been able to tell from the way the cajun american lurched forward to see the cats touch-down. And it was rather flawless, so she could expell a breath in relief. Until something incredible happened. Not something incredible, as much as appalling.. slash completely mortifying. The cat was not a cat at all! Why... that sneak.

"Just perfect"

Ry muttered darkly as wide blue-green eyes narrowed accusingly on Jarreds innocent face, unaccountably annoyed by his subterfuge and the consequent publicizing of her fanciful rants. Lord. Color scored her cheeks in embarrassment and anger. Ugh, and he should look down! ashamed he should be! oh wait.... she was in a skirt...

"Coco, i liked you much better as cat; just thought I'd throw that out there"

The long-legged witch called down acerbically, bunching her skirt more securely to her limbs as she searched the floor for a safe place to land--it would take more magic for her to get down so fluidly. On the pretext of looking for this spot, Riley shot the top of Jarred's head some covert looks under dusky lashes: not getting a very good impression of him from his clothes. Someone needed to brush that hair and iron those clothes and re-button that shirt. He needed to bring his mother to school with him, she thought waspishly, finding her spot and floating herself down easily enough. With studied casualness, Riley straightened her simple dark chocolate tank-top and smoothed down the colorful gypsy skirt, taking her time before meeting Jarred's eyes once more, the pink having faded from her cheeks.

"Well.... this is sort of awkward"

Her lips quirked at that: her actually saying that made things more awkward...she should have said something charming and funny to break the ice.. but you know what? being charming and cute was getting a bit old, so instead she whipped out her wand and summoned the pieces of her iphone towards her, sighing at the amount of stray pieces. Not good.

[Jarred McCallister]

He didnt look back up to respond to her comments. His eyes were diverted the second he had noticed she was wearing a skirt. He was no pervert, the idea of that sort of thing disgusted and embaressed him.

Prefect actually. Its pernounced prefect.

But then she began calling him Coco, again. was she intending to call him Coco for all of time. That would be splendid. He could get a collar, and his disguise as a cat would be complete. Humans and animungus dont wear collars. He rolled his eyes at the thought.

I can always go back if you prefer. You have swift fingers.

He still hadnt looked back toward her, though she had come back down to the ground. Her observation about the awkwardness of the situation was astute and not nessecary. He didnt respond, thinking it better then responding.

[Riley Callaghan]

The problem with being a nice person, Riley thought, was that it made it really hard to ignore Jarred's down-turned head and consequent silence. Sure his prefect comment had made her pause to check out his askew badge, and his 'swift fingers' reference give him a quick suspicious look to see if he was teasing her (afterall, he could be talking about her dropping her phone) but the ensuing stretch of quiet unsettled her. Stupid inability to stay prickly, Ry instantly wanted to soothe the larkstone prefect. What if he was incredibly shy? Perhaps she'd been harsh...its not as if she could be angry at him for just being an animagus... or for her own humiliating rants. She was actually finding herself inordinately prone to ranting in this godforsaken place. Scotland would drive her mental.

Riley blew softly through pink lips, the slow sigh quickly followed by a sweet smile the likes of which was supposed to be conciliatory, warm and easy-going all rolled into one. Whether she achieved this or not was uncertain, but she hoped to at least have managed warm.

"Hey, sorry about before: you startled me is all"

Ry proffered her hand, the other was still clutching the broken pieces of her iphone.

"I'm Riley, or just Ry. Pretty much the queen of good first impressions"

The witch gave him a small smile at that, her voice turning ironic towards the end of her sentence. Today had not been her day, but that was no reason to be snappy, she resolved.

[Jarred McCallister]

his swift fingers had refered to her petting his belly, but heaven forbid she think about her running her fingers over him as a refrence to the celerity of her fingers. He wasnt shy, well, lazy is far more an appropriate description of him. If the effort was too much for him, he wouldnt talk.

S'alright,

He looked over to her, making sure she wasnt still flashing him incidently. Seeing that she wasnt, and attempting to look sociable.

It seems your failing at your duties your highness. But thats just fine, as you already know, my name is Coco, at least I feel youll call me that no matter what my name is.

He shrugged a look of useless attempts, it was far too much trouble to try and get her to say his name right, honestly, half the girls at this school called him by names other then his own.

[Riley Callaghan]

One could appreciate the humor of Riley's situation if you were privy to it. The seventeen year-old had come to the observatory for some reception and some time to herself, so she could bemoan her homesickness to her mother, and instead she had a broken phone (which meant no instant internet access, no calling home, no daily reminders), no shoes (what was she doing just standing there without her shoes?) and saddled with a silent larkstone (oxymoron there?) prefect who looked as though he'd may have slept in his clothes.  Really, it was horror the likes of a monday, not the casual friday afternoon it presently was. Looking for something to do, Ry moved towards her zimmerman wedges and stepped back into them, well-maintained hands inescapably beginning to fidget with the expensive pandora bracelet on her wrist. At least Coco seemed to have some sense of humor, so there was still salvaging the situation... right?

"How remiss of me"

Riley parried with another swift smile and an expressive wave of her hand, referring to her duties as 'queen of the *cough* good *cough* first impression'. Glancing towards the door, where there seemed to be stragglers wandering in for a chance to set up their fancy wizarding telescopes, Ry made up her mind on how she might solve this little situation.

"Let me make it up to you Coco: want to grab some sushi? I haven't had any lunch yet"

And if he declined and wanted to resume his nap, well, at least she would have made an attempt to rectify her first impression. But honestly, if he didn't like the snappy, clumsy side of her... he was privileged by being the very few who got to witness it. Riley made a note to herself to appear the utmost in composed efficiency the next possible opportunity. She was slipping up. And maybe someone had to set Jarred an example in neatness?

[Jarred McCallister]

He raised an eyebrow when she spoke about being remiss in her duties, oh my, a comeback of humor to boot, how grandure. And to kick it in the grave, She called him Coco anyway. He raised his eyebrows at the mention of sushi. Now not to discredit the school elves, but they had little talent in the way of sushi. He had tried, he was half japanese, and a cat, two things that loved sushi. He yawned, not showng any real interest though.

I guess if your paying, I could let you treat me to a place that makes real sushi in town.

He stood up stretching out much like a cat might. He still hadnt determined her personality in whole yet, because most people were thrown off by the cat thing, all it did was let him peek at their inner selfs that no one saw when they were alone. It was sort of jarreds way of seeing what people were really like.

[Riley Callaghan]

Riley shrugged off the larkstone's apathetic response, reminding herself gently that she could ill afford to roll her eyes in Jarreds direction. He was a prefect for one, so he knew a lot of people.. and she wasn't rude. Just easily exasperated. And it wasn't that she was averse to paying (afterall, this was her treat) but her few days here had already exposed her to a lot of european gallantry, which didn't usually allow for alow the woman to pay--so the dark-haired animagus before her was all the more disconcerting. Perhaps a worthwhile one? She hadn't quite decided yet.

"Alright, I don't know too many places yet but I was told about this little place in the city center.. follow me"

The witch invited carelessly, suppressing a mental sigh at her own words: they sounded so submissive when she probably should call the guy up on assuming he 'let' her do anything. But arguing was tiresome when it wasn't important. It was a good thing none of this was showing on her face, Riley was pretty good at that.

((I'll go posties))