Coffee Addicts Unite!

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Apparently, it would refresh his memory to go there. "Guess we'll have to go then," Katrine decided quickly. "You'll be under my protection though," she added quickly. It was something Nona always did for outsiders if they were worthy of her protection. "It's less painful than claiming, I guess," she commented at random. Obviously, it had to be, for the other person since there was no back scratching involved which was part of the claiming ceremony but then she had never had her back scratched nor was she technically supposed to be on the receiving end of that act. Mother was, despite not needing to be, which made the union of her parents even more significant but a protection was claim was far simpler.

Things were a little bit different now. Slavery had officially been outlawed, willing servitude had become a thing, which was still in place when Katrine had come into the world. As Nona had said, willing servitude had proven that those accustomed to their life remained in it because it was their way. Still, a stranger was a stranger and they did require protection.

Yes, a date was another excess word, Karna confirmed. When you do something with your friend and lover, he had explained. Her head tilted at the offered example, realizing something. "So, did I invite you out on a date?" It had occurred to her then, listening to the explanation and examples. Was that a date though? Katrine still required clarification.

Karna laughed when she said she didn't lie before claiming a man would hold an honest woman closer than others. "Why?" The curious question shot out almost immediately trying to comprehend why that was.

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

Karna lifted his head to meet eyes with Kat, she said they'd have to go to Dathomir. She added that he'd be under her protection and it'd involve less pain than claiming. He raised his eyebrows when she said the last part. Well... there's a first for everything. he thought jokingly, even though it concerned him a bit. Karna was still new to the beliefs of witches, so he didn't understand everything completely. Claiming was one of those things. "You need not worry about my safety, Gummie Bear." he said smiling. It was nice to know she wanted to protect him. Though he considered that she meant something else after mentioning claiming.

"Huh?" was her invitation a date? That was a good question and he would attempt to give a good answer. He took in a deep breath and breathed out before speaking. This question required some thinking on his end. "The party invitation? Sure. A date can be any social event. Whether it's romantic or not, the goal is to spend time with eachother and further your relationship." he explained to the best of his ability. Karna was glad an actual example came up on this explanation. It made things easier.

She wondered why a man will hold an honest woman closer than others. He couldn't act as if every man was like that, but he definitely felt that way. Karna was an honest man himself so he expected the truth out of his close friends and partner. "Well, we're friends. How would you feel if I constantly lied to you without end? I'm sure you wouldn't trust me anymore and even push me away. It's the same thing. A good man will appreciate those good qualities in you and do everything to not let you go." he hoped that cleared up the confusion.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Didn't she? Katrine looked at Karna just a bit confused. "I do, I do. You're my friend." The young Witch took her friends very seriously though he couldn't have known that yet. Things might have changed much in this era but some traditions remained none the less. Just as old slaves remained as willing servants even when presented the option, some old Witches still liked to claim men and keep them. "Trust me on this, okay?" She insisted.

A date could be any social event, whether it was romantic or not. The goal was to spend time with each other and further the relationship. Katrine nodded slowly as she took all of this in. "Is it romantic or not?" She asked next point blank. There was no actual emotion involved in the question, she was getting additional information. Katrine hadn't fully processed what she'd been told just yet but she did require more to wrap the new lesson into a pretty bow inside her head.

His explanation came with an example. How would she feel if he constantly lied to her? Karna seemed sure she wouldn't trust him anymore. "Depends. Are you any good at it?" Katrine didn't naturally think people lied because she couldn't lie. She didn't outright blindly trust a strange since her childhood was spent with family and Witches who feared and looked down upon her because of how different she was. It was an odd mix most likely, her honesty and mistrust but she made friends for life when she did, which proved even more important.

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

Kat was set on the idea that she had to protect him, giving Karna a confused look. He was confused himself, not understanding why she felt that way. Karna had many years of combat experience and was very capable of defending himself, so he couldn't comprehend why. Kat asked him to trust her on this, though it was more like he didn't have any other choice. They were friends, Karna had to trust his friend. Since he couldn't figure out her reasoning, putting his trust her is all he could do anyways. After a moment and a deep breath, he answered.
"Okay. I'll trust you."

Karna looked at the ceiling for a moment and thought about the question. Romantic or no? Hmm. He shook his head moments later. "I'm not sure myself." he didn't think this particular date was a romantic one. Karna added to his answer after some more thought. "We're only friends right now. It can't be romantic, right?" he was still unsure. Now, he was asking a question.

"Am I good at it?" he repeated what she had said, his eyes widening. Karna was really lost now, more than he'd ever been before. "I worked in espionage for awhile, so I suppose. That doesn't mean I will lie to you however. Karna Ramesha has nothing to hide." he said in reply to her next question. He didn't have any reason to lie to her, he'd gain nothing in doing so. Besides, she'd been open with him this entire time. Kat even told him a little more than he should've heard. Karna's life wasn't as exciting as hers but he'd talk if she wanted to know about it. "I can't lie to someone so adorable even with my work experience." he said trying to tease Kat.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

She nodded once he's agreed to trust her, a small smile on her lips. It was more serious than amazing but Katrine wasn't someone who took in things too seriously. She did know it was serious though even despite it. Katrine had listened to Nona tell her about visitors and guests so many time as a child, watched in a few instances the way they had interacted with them.

Karna seemed to be thinking about her questioning, looking up before shaking her head. He wasn't sure then pointed out they were friends so it couldn't be, right? It was Katrine's turn to think now, narrowing her eyes as she did before she shrugged. "That's because you have a lot of excess words in your vocabulary," Katrine pointed out point blank. He made a mess off the word friend by adding genders to it. Girlfriends and boyfriends, giving it a whole different meaning than it should have been, adding dating to it.

Again, he seemed confused about her question and Katrine was could see he was thinking about it before he mentioned having worked in espionage even though he did say he wouldn't lie to her because he had nothing to hide. "Yeah but I mean, how would I know if someone is good at lying? Anything short of reading their mind won't help me." Katrine didn't make it a habit reading people's minds. Sometimes she picked up on things unintentionally but she didn't really do it on purpose.

It made her giggle though when Karna pointed out he couldn't lie to someone so adorable even with his experience. "I see. Because I'm adorable," she rephrased it, still giggling. "Are you saying that's my secret weapon?" Her question came with a big grin as she joked.

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

She said his uncertainty was due to all the extra words in his vocabulary. Karna thought about what she said for a moment, he exhaled. Your a handful, seriously. he didn't think it in a bad way, a chuckle escaping out of his mouth. "I'm sorry for causing confusion." he felt a little bad but he wasn't too serious with that apology. Karna grabbed the same chair that he'd tripped over earlier and spun it around, sat down and placed his elbows on the back part. He grinned halfway, "Should I speak wookie then?" he jested, hoping that wouldn't make her angry.

Kat was wondering how she could tell if someone was lying to her. He raised his brows when she asked that question, a little surprised. When Karna worked he listened to the person he was spying on carefully and focused on a few things. "A good liar will be consistent in the way they speak, move, cough, etc. Bad liars won't be consistent. They might drop hints of their involvement in the incident while speaking accidentally and the way they move can change too. In some cases body language can help but it can hurt your investigation just as much." he would go into more detail if she was still curious.

Karna's teasing made Kat laugh and after she repeated what he'd said, she asked him if that was her secret weapon. He grinned halfway."Gummie Bear." he paused and let some silence pass for his joke. "You are the embodiment of beauty," he let out a snicker. "and the secret weapon that obliterated my heart." he reached for his chest to add to the act. Karna turned his head and covered his mouth as a laugh came out. It was pretty funny to him, though he had a feeling Kat would think his joking was mockery. He only continued since she went along with it at first. Laughing ceased and he waited for her reaction. This will be interesting.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

He was sorry for causing confusion. Katrine chuckled, watching him take a seat before he asked if he should speak wookie? "I wouldn't understand but can you?" She asked quickly. She'd heard them speak but Katrine had never been around them to actually get enough experience with the language but she didn't mind hearing it when she did, in truth. Kat wasn't against any languages, really, she liked the foreign ones.

An answer came to her question with Karna telling her about the way a good liar behaved while a bad liar wasn't as consistent. Body language could be helpful as well. She nodded. "So I don't have to make a habit of reading minds to make sure?" Katrine asked, wondering about it. The alternative seemed simple enough but not actually a habit she'd considered. Mother didn't like when her mind was read, especially not when it was addressed in front of people. Kat had noticed that more than once.

Laughing ceased and eyes perked when Karna called her by his new nickname for her but then said nothing for a bit, making her impatient for him to continue. The embodiment of beauty, he'd said first, her eyelids fluttering in surprise as he continued, even his hand coming to his chest as he did. Look, it was one thing that Katrine knew she was a beautiful offspring of two beautiful creatures. It was another to be told.

Though he laughed right after and her shoulders felt ever so slightly watching him. "You think you're pretty funny, don't you?" She quickly said. It was a problem, even she was well aware of it. She was mistrusting of strangers but if she was letting someone in to be her friend, the line became a tiny bit blurry, not to mention she really was bad at telling if someone was lying. Though in Karna's case, the laughter with mouth covered was a dead give away. "900-year-old smart ass. I can still claim you and you can laugh it up."

Katrine was oblivious to sometimes. She'd been called naive because of it more than once growing up but as a Witch, she'd been prepared for a great many things even if it was just theory still. She was taught young since Witches were considered to come of age younger than creatures off the planet, especially when you were the descendant of the Clan Mother and thus, had equal opportunity to pick up the mantel.

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

He laughed when she requested that he talk like a wookie. Karna found it amusing because Kat seemed to believe that he could actually speak the wookie language. "I don't know it. I jest." he confessed. Even though he lived for many centuries Karna only knew his native and galactic basic standard. He never thought knowing another language was necessary thanks to galactic basic's predominance. After admitting he couldn't speak wookie, he realized he could've pretended to see her reaction. There were most likely many jokes to be made in the future so he didn't let it get him down.

Kat made sure she didn't have to rely on mind reading to confirm that someone's a liar. He shook his head, "Of course not. I think reading a person's mind is a little overkill in the first place." he didn't realize she literally meant a power before. It wasn't something that surprised him but he's glad she told him. The thought of getting his mind read was an unpleasant feeling, friend or foe. He doubted Kat would do something like that to him though. Trusting others was the hardest part of life for Karna. It was something time couldn't change and he'd never fully trust anyone most likely.

The teasing appeared to work as Kat was surprised by the things that he said. Then... he laughed. He wasn't expecting the things that she would say following it, himself now surprised. Karna nodded to her question, still grinning but he would lose the grin soon. Kat spoke and his face changed instantly. It went from a wide grin to a shocked face. The reaction in his head was did she really just say that? He realized the teasing had gone too far and he should've apologized... but he felt the urge to say something back, keep teasing her basically. Karna wasn't trying to be rude though.

Karna decided to stop the teasing after her reaction to it. Standing up and facing away from Kat, he acted serious now. "You misunderstand, Gummie Bear. I see a very beautiful lady when I look at you. My teasing must've struck a nerve in you, forgive me." he tried to be sincere. Karna turned around to face Kat again, hands moving to his pockets. "Oh, and claim me?" he chuckled. "Catch me if you can."

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]
(I goofed, wasn't thinking and accidentally tagged someone called 'Kat'. Sorry )

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

First Karna laughed, then he said he was joking. "Oh, shame. How come?" She asked with a smirk. "What languages do you know?" He was over 900 years old, he had to have had time to learn some languages, as far as Katrine was concerned so she was curious then, if not Wookie then what.

It was overkill to read someone's mind? "Why overkill?" She asked next, slightly confused by his choice of words. "I'd call it maybe rude but not sure I'd use overkill," Katrine admitted her confusion.

Another thing that was rude was him teasing her the way he did, saying one thing that was great and than laughing it up. Katrine was more sensitive to teasing that she actually let people around her to see her, resulted by the behavior of the many young Witches and Jai who'd teased her and worse on the count of her being so different than she was. In her human form, Katrine looked like everyone else, but she wasn't. She had never been. Born of two Lupines with views like none of them, her own head screwed on different, her teenage body changing and the animal inside her hunting like none of them hunted... it had all caused their reactions and in return had hurt Kat way too much throughout her youth.

Karna wasn't anything like those Witches and Jai though, which Katrine was well aware but she still reacted the way she did. He said then she'd misunderstood, stating she was a very beautiful lady, asking for an apology before he teased again, telling to catch him if she could. She grinned almost immediately to his dare. "Are you daring me? Because I could, you know," she told him before she finished up her second coffee and put the cup to the side.

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

In response to Karna's confession about not knowing the wookie language, Kat said it was a shame and wondered why not. The answer would be simple and he sighed because it was true. "I'm a boring, generic man. It is indeed a shame." he was completely serious when he gave his answer. Karna was aware of his less intriguing traits, the slight growl in his voice for example. Though not everyone was bothered by it as Kat told him that she didn't even notice. His tail usually made peoples' faces go from normal to weirded out real quick. Whether people were okay with it or not he loved his body and would always feel that way. Plus, cutting off a tail would probably hurt more than receiving attention for having one. Kat was curious about how many languages this old man knew. He held up two fingers and nodded a few times, showing he was disappointed in himself. "I speak this, as you can tell, and my people's language." he said before lowering his hand.

Karna was asked why reading someone's mind is overkill. Kat said it was rude rather than overkill. He wasn't sure how to explain this one but he gave it a go like normal. "Well, it is rude but I think mind reading should be a last resort instead of for casual use." he only stated his opinion. Karna tried to avoid criticizing other people's actions, everyone will make mistakes or accomplish a goal using methods considered over the top at some point in their life.

He laughed again when asked if he was daring her, Kat told him that she could catch him. Karna shook his head as the laughter faded, he kept a grin. "Could?" he repeated while watching her set the cup to the side. Karna turned around with his back facing Kat. "Look, you're good at being cute. Catching me? I don't think so. And even if you did somehow get ahold of me, you shouldn't waste that energy on someone such as myself." he was calling himself unsuitable for Kat, but that didn't sound right after he'd said it. Karna remembered she was just messing with him back, or so he thought. The grin gave him that impression. "I know your teasing me but how would you do it? I'm not an easy man to conquer and my Zorren genetics give me a great advantage. A Zorren body is superior to a human body." he didn't forget about her other physical form but a wolf shouldn't be an issue. Hopefully, she wasn't reading his mind when he was thinking that. He continued talking after a pause. "Oh, curiosity strikes me. I have countless scars all over my body, Gummie Bear. How will a little girl like you add on to them?" he was clearly trying to make her angry now. His face looking in the opposite direction of where Kat had sat down was for a reason. Karna was only teasing her again in saying all of this, eye contact would definitely cause him to laugh so he looked away.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Boring, generic man, he'd said, her brows lifting slightly. "At 900?" She asked in confusion. "That's like a lot of time to learn things." Maybe it was just Katrine. She'd taken time to learn, even when she was only twenty but she didn't have long in this galaxy like her Nona had so she couldn't help but try to learn as much as possible in the time she had. "I don't know, if I had that much time ahead of me, I'd learn all I could. I think I'm worse because I don't have as much time as some of my family," she continued, revealing her thoughts unintentionally as she did. It was just a fact, one that she'd been messed with more often than not growing up by the other Witches, that she was different.

He did know his own language though, along with Galactic Basic. Almost immediately, her eyes sparked with a curiocity. "Can you teach me your language?" Did she have an actual need for it? No. Did she want to learn a language? Always. It was just the way Katrine was.

Mind reading should have been the last resort, Karna continued, making her nod. "I see. What if it comes natural to a person?" She asked. It was possibly a trick question since Father couldn't always switch it off, especially not with them, and especially not with their Mother. Sometimes she minded, sometimes she replied and sometimes they'd have conversations nobody else was privy to. Katrine didn't really think too much of it but she figured if someone she didn't know was doing it to her, she'd be upset. Hence, why she thought it rude.

Karna didn't seem too convince she could catch him because appearantly, she was good at being cute. Katrine smirked almost immediately. He really didn't understand what she was, behing the human skin she wore most of the time. Though her face fell when he said she shouldn't have wasted energy on him, not understanding what she was being told. Considering that very confusion, Katrine stayed quiet as he went on to argue whether or not she was teasing and how his body was superior in comparison to that of a human, which was supposed to give him an advantage. Again, she smirked, the confusion temporarily going away, still listening. He didn't know it but the wolf inside her was watching now, debating whether or not he was right. Like, when she hunted, her prey was all too easy, even the fast animals but were Zorrens that interesting? And yet, he'd gone on to talk about his scars, wondering how she could add to him.

Slowly, Katrine slipped off from the counter, leaning into it as she crossed her arms, still watching him. "Don't let my human body trick you, Zorren. If I hunt you, I will catch you. If I catch you, and my claws are out, I will claim you. And it will hurt more than it would hurt far more," she told him slowly, in all seriousness. "I'm a predator. A wolf. Maybe looking cute is my best weapon, hmm," Kat considered for a moment, her eyes diverting to the side as she considered, "As for what I could do to you, I have strength. I have more strength with the right spell. And even more spell when I take my natural form. So, depending on how badly you want it, you should consider not tempting me." There was a seriousness mixed into her humor, one that belonged to the animal rather than the girl though Katrine herself hadn't heard it.

Then she remembered the bit from before, since that thought had still left some questions not yet fully formed, so she'd address them now. "What do you mean about not wasting energy on someone like you? What's wrong with you? Are you not my friend?"

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

He loved gaining more knowledge whenever possible but he seemed to not be interested in learning other languages. Karna was fine with lacking in that department. An extra language would've been helpful in his past but he really preferred to learn about the bizarre things in life. Something such as the reproductive ability of a shapeshifter was an example of what grabbed his attention. Besides, he'd planned to completely devote his life to selling coffee, as ridiculous as it sounds. Well, maybe not 4000 more years of working this job. It'd get old eventually. Kat said if she had a longer life span she'd learn everything that she could. Once upon a time, Karna cared about that stuff. He frowned. "Ya know, I think a century is enough for me. Ungrateful, maybe, but life is one big annoyance." he said that kinda randomly. The age talk made an old feeling resurface.

She asked him to teach his language to her, he shook his head. "Nope." he was curious in seeing how she would react to him saying no. Karna hadn't tried it yet but her reaction would be worth it, assuming she'd get mad and not upset with him.

What if mind reading is natural to the person? He took a minute to think about her question. It didn't take much time for him to reach a conclusion though. "I suppose that person doesn't have a choice then, yes?" he paused and nodded to himself. "But I'm certain there's technology that solves the issue of involuntary mind reading." he said jokingly. Karna would rather not have his mind read but if Kat did do it, she'd probably be disappointed. He tried to be an honest man and rarely lied without a good reason. There were times when he lied for his job but that's exactly why he quit.

Karna heard her get off the counter and stopped breathing for a moment, still facing away. Yes, this old man was a little scared of a young woman. In his defense, she shared some stories of her past and they were far from normal. The grin he wore was lost with his breath. He returned to normal when she spoke, though her words made him feel anxious. Kat was telling Karna how she would go about catching him. Karna almost laughed but she was giving off a serious vibe. Good.. he thought with a grin coming back. Hands clasped behind his back, he turned around with his eyes locking onto Kat immediately. "You'll catch me and claim me with your claws? Very unlikely." he chuckled. "If you were to get that close to me, I'd be careful. I may not be able to control myself when a cute wolf comes near me." he dropped the grin so he would appear serious, even though he was only teasing.

Then she asked why it'd be a waste of energy on him. "I am your friend but claiming is like getting married, right? Don't you think there are guys out there better suited for you than myself?" he was serious when talking until he thought of something. Karna grinned and took a few steps toward Kat, stopping a couple meters away from her. "Yes, a man that you can actually catch." his bright golden eyes unmoved and a grin creeping onto his face.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

A century was enough for him? Katrine frowned, especially hearing him say that life was one big annoyance. "You don't know how to appreciate the gif if your species," Kat decided in all seriousness. Her time in this galaxy was limited, the only ways she could achieve immortality was through cloning or having offspring of her own. And here he was, five thousand years ahead of him and he declared life a big annoyance as if it was somehow in the way.

Her face fell when he rejected teaching her his language, a small pout forming on her face as he did. "Rude," she spat out, the spout still very much present. "Why not?" Katrine asked next, still trying to comprehend why he'd just downright refuse her.

Karna supposed if one had no choice in mind reading that it would be alright but he still suggested that there would be technology that could solve. "Would you use technology to cut off your tail?" Katrine threw out almost immediately, thinking about it right away. He seemed quick to suggest getting rid of something that was natural to a person that she couldn't stop but wonder if he actually went that far.

He seemed to be very entertained by her catching him and claiming him, making her remain serious. And apparently, he might not have been able to control himself if a cute wolf came near him. "Laugh it up," she pointed out. "All you're doing is keep daring me," she pointed out as she grinned. He moved on to reason, relating claiming to marriage and wondering if there were guys out there who were better suited than himself, making her frown again. Karna stepped away, pointing out it was someone whom she could actually catch. "You're reading too much into claiming. Most of them aren't about love at all. Witches claim for a number of reasons. One of them is to find a mate, another is to claim those that belong to them. And besides, I don't have to claim a guy in any of those options." Claiming had nothing to do with gender and it had to do with love only if the Witch doing the claiming chose to. Just because her parents claimed themselves out of love and Nona claimed her Nono Madoc for that same reason, didn't mean she didn't teach her the true meaning of claiming while she was growing up. She, after all, had to explain why other Witches claimed a number of people and yet displayed no affection the way her family members did.

[member="Karna Ramesha"]

 

[Karna Ramesha]

Karna dropped the frown and shook his head. "Maybe not but I don't consider it to be a gift. No, it's nothing more than a bother." he said speaking bluntly. That was how the old man felt. It was truly unfortunate as he really was unappreciative of his species's long lifespan. Karna had his reasons for that feeling however, and he probably wouldn't get rid of it anytime soon. "Sorry. I'm not too enthusiastic about life. It might rub off on you if you hang around me too much." he said almost laughing at himself.

Rude... laughter escaped his mouth. He couldn't stop until a few seconds passed. Karna realized he was being very mean to the girl but it amused him. The pouting especially provided him with some amusement. After his laughter ceased he decided to explain. "Teaching you would be rather pointless I believe. Zorren are pretty rare so there'd be no use for it." the explanation was simple and he should've just said it from the start, but her reaction was worth it.

She caused him to freeze with her next question, literally. Tail... my tail? Cut, off? W-w-what? the mentioning of harming his tail terrified him. A man had attempted to do that long ago and while he didn't succeed, it still scarred him mentally. Karna unfroze and cleared his throat to give an answer. "My tail?" he paused to get his thoughts in order. Then, he stopped and wondered if she meant that his tail was a problem. He basically called her natural born power a problem so maybe she was saying something about him that she didn't like. "Not willingly. Is it weird to have a tail? Should I remove it?" he was both curious and worried.

Kat told him to keep laughing and he was only daring her. She said claiming wasn't only for love but for various reasons. To find a mate and claiming people that belong to them were two reasons. He nodded to show he understood. Karna thought it'd be a waste claiming him still. "Ya see? I am not a suitable partner and I belong to no one. A waste regardless of the reason." he was carrying on with the teasing even after she frowned at what he said before. Karna would stop as he didn't like seeing her make a sad face. "I refuse to be claimed but we're sword friends, for life." he said sincerely with a smile.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]