It's dark in a cold December [SHAKES! <33]

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[atrb=background,http://i47.tinypic.com/2h51hs2.jpg] OOC;; Sorry for the huge wait with this - I was just so tired with school ending and everything! x.x <33 The wind had picked up a little, enough for it to howl eerily through the trees as the young feline picked his way towards the pine forest, traveling as fast as he dared. Small, and with not much of a tail, (meaning it was hard for him to stay balanced) it wouldn't be hard to trip over in the powdery white snow - and he wasn't sure he'd have enough energy to pick himself up again. It had happened several times already, despite his best efforts. He really needed to find shelter, though - twilight was coming on quickly, and the sky was darker than usual with ominous clouds, promising more snow than the gentle flurry of flakes already drifting to the earth. Sneezing violently as one landed on his nose, the small tomcat fell face-first into a snowdrift, managing to pull himself up as it began to melt into his fur, causing him to shiver. As Rami neared the fringe of the trees, the overwhelming loneliness that had been his only constant companion throughout the journey surged up again, almost chocking him. He was used to the company of his family and the group of other cats he had grown up in; he wasn't accustomed to being so alone. But maybe it was for the best - after all, he hadn't been all that close to any of his siblings except for Nadira. Dear, gentle Nadira, who was dead. And some of them thought he'd killed her. At only ten months old, it was hard for him to comprehend, even with his fairly high level of maturity for his age. He didn't understand the council's reasoning; all he knew was that he was alone, accused of murdering the sister he loved so much. Blinking a haze of white from his eyes, the little Japanese Bobtail peered around him in the gloom, his grief fading slightly as he absorbed the beauty of the place. Snow was so beautiful, even as it was deadly, and the pine trees, coated in the white power, were magical to behold. His sensible side nagged at him to get out of the cold, though; if he didn't find shelter soon, it would be a long, sleepless night - provided he lived through it. And so he pushed onward into the forest, numbed paws crunching on snow as he went. After about ten minutes of trudging slowly through the pines, he espied a large pine with a hollow at the base of it - fine shelter in this weather. The hole was barely big enough for him to squeeze through, but there was more than enough room for him to stretch out comfortably. Curling himself into a ball to keep warm, he licked his paws, front, then back, to thaw them. He had just finished and was about to close his eyes when a noise from somewhere outside caused his ears to prick up on the top of his head, eyes widening from their sleepy state.

[shakes]

A L D A ' A S

3 months • female • feline • toyger

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[atrb=width,240] A new area brought along with it new fears, but also new adventures. Despite the snow, the small orange toyger was bouncing happily through the thick white power that fluttered down onto her fur. She mewled and growled playfully as she swatted at a stick she had found particular interest in, mostly because it was shaped differently than most sticks she had seen, curved into a hook. Whenever the prick of the tip touched her paw, she would yelp fakely and jump over the stick, lowering her torso to the ground and baring her teeth, making a rather cute 'grr' noise, shaking her head before she lunged at it and caught her 'prey' in her mouth. Small, white claws scratched at the dark, dry wood, helping to hold it still as she tried to rip off the 'mean' hook. It had tripped her, and that was all it took to put the kitten into a playful mood. Despite the tragic loss of her siblings and parents, she was still in good spirits. Well, until night time rolled around, and she would call out for them all through the night. It had only been a few days, after all. A few days that she had been without food, except for a small insect she might have found and ate. The three month old kitten was underweight, but she looked able to hold on for another day, maybe two if she had a strong will. But it wouldn't be long before she had to succumb to hunger and give in. But for now, she was focused on breaking that bully of a stick in two. A crack signified her victory, the sound loud in the silence around her, a sound that likely would have woken someone who was on the verge of sleep. "Haha!" The young cat squeaked out in victory, bouncing from left to right excitedly. "I beat ya! Yeah, what are ya gonna do now? You're weapon's all broken, ya bully!" 'Ya' seemed to be her way of saying 'you', and whether that was from not learning better, or if it was how her parents spoke as well, that wasn't determined just yet. Still, it added to her cuteness, gave her a bit of a southern appeal. One "ya'll" and she'd be adorable without comparison. With her win, she found herself with nothing more to do, however. After her excitement wore out, she walked closer to the stick, swatting at it. "Hey, ya done?" She asked it, sighing a bit in disappointment at the stick's lack of cooperation. "Fine, high tail it." She said, swatting it away from her path. Blue eyes searched through the snow to find another object to play with, but during her search she began to realize just how cold she was, and started to whine, this time not out of boredom like she usually did. Her frail body began to shake, and she meowed sadly while wishing someone was around to snuggle with her, offer their warmth.

[atrb=width,100] words ; 500. muse ; 1985~ tags ; Mac with Rami. ooc ; Sorry it's short and horrible. It'll get better.

TEMPLATE BY THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY @ CAUTION 2.0

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[atrb=background,http://i47.tinypic.com/2h51hs2.jpg] The crack that alerted Rami sounded like the breaking of a stick or twig. Shaking his head to clear it of sleep, he peered out of his shelter; he couldn't see anything, but that didn't mean the nose had been nothing. Being the cautious creature he was, he decided to fully investigate before resettling himself; he knew that he wouldn't feel safe to sleep otherwise. Besides, what if it was someone who needed help? Yawning widely, he stepped out into the snow once more, gritting his teeth at the cold. I think I'll let myself sleep well into the day after this, he thought wearily. I can hibernate, like prey. Luckily, the wind had died down, for the most part, leaving the freezing flakes of snow to drift down peacefully. The sky had darkened, twilight almost complete. He stopped for a moment to observe everything.The moon and stars were for the most part hidden behind clouds; the forest was dark and cold, and the little tom couldn't help thinking about how Nadira would act, were she here. Her ever-cheerful nature had always been infectious, and her knowledge of the world around astounding. She would have been charmed and excited about the snow, he knew - she would have been more than ready, even at this hour, to romp and play in it, to enjoy the magic that winter brought. This would have been her first winter, too. Shaking off the somewhat depressing thoughts that only succeeded in made him feel more lonely than ever, he resumed walking, snow crunching crisply beneath his paws as he walked. He was just trying to pinpoint where he thought the initial noise had come from when a heart-breaking mew, obviously that of a young kitten, met his ears, startling him. It sounded extremely close, and, inexplicably, excitement welled up within him as he hurried towards the sound, nearly losing his balance several times. As he rounded a tree into a tiny clearing, he caught sight of a tiny kitten, half invisible in the snow because of her orange-and-white colouring. The small, mostly-white Japanese Bobtail paused for a moment, waiting to see if someone would come for the tiny angel, alone in the snow. He didn't wait for long, though; no-one seemed to be coming, and he couldn't imagine many she-cats who would let their young children wander far from their sides in this weather. Trotting up to the kitten, he could see now that she was terribly thin; too thin even for winter. He looked around one more time - they were alone. Carefully, he crouched down so that his face was level with the little she-cat's, asking gently, "Are you alone, little one? Where are your parents?" Gazing into her wide, blue eyes, he was somehow reminded of Nadira. Longing to take hold of her, to care for her, filled him, but he didn't want to scare her by doing anything unannounced.

[shakes]

A L D A ' A S

3 months • female • feline • toyger

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=style,background-image: url('http://i49.tinypic.com/rqwto2.jpg');,true][cs=2] • I lie awake, I miss you •

[atrb=width,240] Meow! The mournful sound was quiet, but still loud enough for any nearby critters to hear. The small paws of the kitten's didn't sink into the snow thanks to her lack of weight, she was able to easily walk over it. Her cried continued as she looked around the area, seeing only dying trees and white snow. Winter was cold, made her want to move around. It made her excited, playful to chase snowflakes; but at times, it was such a sad sight. This was the season of death. The calm had passed, and this was the storm. The young toyger eventually stopped, hanging her head in disappointment. Who was she kidding? No one would be out here, not during this storm. Sure, the wind had died down, but it could start again at any time. Cold and tired, the pauper kitten simply opted to sitting down in the middle of the cold forest, blue eyes searching through the silence, for somewhere to stay or to see someone wandering around she could run to. But it didn't seem like anyone was coming. Alone again, the kitten allowed herself to plop down into the snow, pouting as she rested her head on the ground. Her legs were sprawled out in an odd manner, like someone had dropped her and she had just landed flat on her stomach- almost like a skinned rug. Her ears fell against her head, and her tail twitched ever slightly in irritation. This was no fair! Why were things this way? So... scary. So silent. But just after she had confirmed the area silent, she heard a voice. Pointed ears perked, and the young she-cat lifted her head, turning it slightly to see the odd-looking tom that walked up to her. Where was his tail? It just looked like he had something of a mushroom squished onto his backside. The little kitten gave an odd look, pulling herself up to her wobbly legs, turning herself to face the larger cat. His fur mostly blended in with the snow that fell on their coats, except for the small splashes of orange and black. And those eyes... those piercing blue eyes that looked cold like an icy lake, but also somehow warm. How interesting... The toyger kitten smiled a bit. A friend! Finally, someone to talk to, to cuddle with! Maybe he'd even play! A switch had been flipped, and her spirits were back up already, forgetting that she was cold as she bounced at the male and clung to his leg, nuzzling her head against his fur. "It's cold, ya think?" She asked, looking up at him, her body swaying in her excitement. Jumping back just as quickly, sitting down with her back legs sprawled awkwardly as she got to answering what he had asked. "Yeah." She confirmed, looking back behind her. "My ma, pa, and siblings fell asleep." She was still very naive, hadn't really come to terms with the fact they were dead. Actually, it was likely the young kitten didn't even know what death really was. Her tail thumped once and she said, "They're down by the river. They've been sleeping for days, they must be tired 'cause they're sick." So why had she left? If she truly believed her beloved family was still alive and well, why hadn't she stayed with them? Well, perhaps she knew deep down they wouldn't be waking up, and she needed to move on. Maybe a spark of instinct? Whatever the reason, here she was. "What's ya name, mushroom tail?" The kitten asked, peeking back at his smushed tail. It looked like a mushroom to her, it really did. If that wasn't what it was... that couldn't possibly be his tail. The toyger glanced behind herself, looking at her tail, then back to his backside. "Wow..." She said quietly. "What happened to your tail?" She asked, leaning close, as if worried about him.

[atrb=width,100] words ; 654. muse ; 1985~ tags ; Mac with Rami. ooc ; Lala. My foot's been itching while I did this, it's scabbing. T-T

TEMPLATE BY THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY @ CAUTION 2.0

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[atrb=background,http://i47.tinypic.com/2h51hs2.jpg] As he paused, the little she-cat's head rose, turning to observe him. He blinked in confusion at her strange look she gave him, taking another step closer as she got to her paws (on which she was plainly a little unsteady) and turned to face him. She looked slightly larger, standing up, but she was still plainly tiny. As tiny as Nadira would have been at that age, no doubt. Her blue eyes, of a similar hue to his own, darted curiously as she examined him. From what he could see, she was not injured, nor did she seem to be sick, a considerable feat for any young creature below six months of age. Again, he wondered where her parents were, and her siblings. Rami couldn’t help but grin as the tiny female smiled, pouncing playfully on his leg, rubbing her head against his fur. Only moments ago, she had been wailing piteously, but now, she was as happy as he would have been when Nadira was alive and well. Happiness was infectious, it seemed, as his spirits began to lift in the presence of the lively kitten. She spoke, asking his opinion on the weather; a strong accent was evident in her voice, further endearing her to the scut-tailed tom. She was so adorable! “It is pretty cold,” he agreed, eyes twinkling as she looked up at him. As swiftly as she had jumped up, the little toyger sat back again as she responded to his question. Fell asleep? For a moment he did not understand; then a picture of his sister came to mind – of her just after she took her last breath. She had seemed so peaceful, as if she was merely sleeping, as if in the next instant she would wake up and tell him that she was fine. . . The orange-and-white kitten’s next words only seemed to confirm what he expected, although she didn’t seem to realise that it meant they were dead. Of course, he couldn’t tell her that, not when he didn’t know it for sure. But it still appeared to be highly likely, especially since she’d left them. . . Even at that age, she must have known, somehow, somewhere inside her that they wouldn’t be able to look after her any more. The Japanese bobtail felt rather sorry for her in that moment; even if he couldn’t interact with them any more because of his banishment, he knew that, more or less, his family was alive. For one so young to lose everyone in her family. . . It must have been a disease, from the way she described it. No blood, no attack from other cats or canines, or she would have known, for sure. The small she-cat’s sudden question took him by surprise, wrenching his mind away from his depressing musing. He laughed, a soft, pleasant sound, not harsh like the laugh of his siblings. He was long used to being teased because of his tail – he and Nadira had somehow been the only ones in their litter to have as little tail as they did – their other siblings had had half-tails, with two having full, normal tails. Mushroom tail, now, that was a new one! Much more creative than any of the names his siblings or the other young cats had come with, and much more accurate, he suspected. Rami watched in amusement as she glanced at his tail, then at her own, then back to his again. “I’m Rami,” he told her as he observed her. She certainly was a character, this little girl, and even cheekier than Nadira and him at that age. Glancing around at his scut of a tail, he smiled as she leaned in close to him. “Well, my parents used to tell me it was once far too long, so they bit it off to a normal length, but then most of it fell off in the cold, and so it was like this ever since. Actually, I was born like this.”