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Post by Kaeldra on Sept 8, 2022 5:49:08 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
It was a cold night, the air clear and crisp. The moon hung like a claw in the sky, just the barest sliver of light that would soon be swallowed up by darkness in the days to come.
Cecil stepped outside into the garden, shaking out his fur once he got through the cat flap against the chill. He had extricated himself from the plush bed he and Piper often shared, leaving her sleeping peacefully. There was no need to wake her for this. He stared up at the stars.
Are you really talking to me? Or am I losing my mind?
That was the third strange dream he’d had now. Celestial cats coming to whisper in his ears, half-finished promises of a destiny that would lead him away from his home someday. They always dissipated into trails of starlight before he could get more information, and each time he woke up more confused than the last.
The first time, he could write off as a vivid hallucination induced by too much tuna before bed. The second, a fluke caused by ruminating over the first dream more than was necessary.
But three times? Three times was enough to make him wonder if there was some truth to it after all. Part of him thrilled at the prospect; sure, he’d laughed with Piper when he told her of the first and second dreams and she told him he had bees in his brain. But secretly, he had always wanted more out of life. Not that he wasn’t happy with his current situation, no! He greatly enjoyed his time spent exploring the plants in the garden, and chasing Piper around the house, and lounging in the sun. But still, he sometimes felt as if he had a greater purpose that he was leaving unfulfilled.
And so, he had decided a nice evening stroll might help him think it over. Cecil padded across the yard, leaving delicate pawprints in the snow as he went. He hopped up onto the fence, chose a direction at random, and set off.
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Post by Solaris on Sept 11, 2022 4:09:18 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | @kaeldraThe den was dark, a hollow silence occupying the space, where there once would have been noise.
To say Snowy Owl was shuffling around in xir bedding was an understatement. Rather, it was more of a dance. Xe switched sides constantly, stretched xir neck in odd places and awkward angles, and xir feet kicked at the air. At some point, Snowy Owl gave in to the terrible mites that wouldn’t let xir sleep, and opened xir eyes.
A flash of white appeared from outside the glass opening. Snowy Owl rushed up the chair and on to the desk, pawing at the g,ass with interest. From outside, a snowy owl glided through the sky, a flash of white gracing a dark blue sea. Its feathers were so pristine that its reflection glowed like the moon. Snowy Owl couldn’t tear xir gaze away, transfixed by the movement, the way xir eyes lit up at the sight of a toy mouse.
Oh, but how much better would it be if a mouse wouldn’t just squish, but if the mouse could actually be caught and eaten?
As suddenly as it came, as quickly it was gone. One moment, still in the air. The next, it dove beyond the frame of Snowy Owl’s vision, nowhere to be seen again.
Snowy Owl stood there quietly, drawing in the moment. Questions filled xir head, questions like “Where did it come from? Why was it here? What was it trying to catch?” But the loudest one rang in xir heart, a question Snowy Owl knew the answer to.
“Is this a sign?”
It had to be.
Snowy Owl scaled down the stairs, exiting through the flap large enough for cats to enter and exit the den. Pausing at the step, Snowy Owl gazed at the tall, pale brown building xe had lived in for so many seasons. Perhaps xe should have felt more remorse, more hesitance, or guilt, but Snowy Owl found only a firm certainty in place of despair, a steady stone in the center of a ravaging river.
Xe could only see a path of footprints leading ahead. It took a moment for xir to realize that those footprints were real, not merely a product of an overactive imagination as it often was. And yet, it still begged a question in xir mind.
Could this path be the route Snowy Owl was supposed to take?
Xe offered xir home a final glance, wishing perhaps xe could have bid xir twoleg a goodbye, but the matters that pulled at xir paws were more important. And so Snowy Owl followed the trail of pawprints, tranquility easing whatever nerves there would have been, or should have been. |
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Post by Kaeldra on Oct 2, 2022 22:24:09 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
Cecil wandered along the fence aimlessly for a time, turning left or right based on no particular criteria. He had lived in his nest for many moons now, and knew Twolegplace well, so he wasn’t concerned about getting lost. And even if his paws did get rather tired, he knew a few cats in the area that he could probably convince to let him stay the night.
What sort of destiny did the dreams mean, he wondered? Would it be a good one, leaving him more fulfilled than he was now? Or was it some sort of warning, a taste of tragedy to come?
After a while, the fence came to an end and gave way to a large expanse of snow. It stretched around the back of a long string of twoleg nests, illuminated only by the soft glow of the strange fake suns the twolegs liked to use. He hadn’t been this way in a while, and was curious to see how things were doing on the other side of the nests.
Hopping down from his fence, Cecil began making his way through the snow, leaving a trail of pawprints behind him. It was sort of satisfying in a way, to break the perfect surface of the glistening white snow.
Some time after he turned the corner around the row of nests, he realized he could hear another set of paws crunching behind him. Cecil glanced behind him into the darkness; the fake suns didn’t cast their light here, but little bits of it reflected off the walls of the nests and snow. He couldn’t see anything, but could still hear those footsteps... How odd.
Then suddenly, he saw them: a pure white cat, picking their way through the snow in the same direction Cecil had been heading. Had he met them before? He wasn’t sure.
“Hello!” Cecil called out, his voice bouncing off the buildings around them. “What brings you out here on a night like this?”
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Post by Solaris on Oct 3, 2022 2:59:19 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | @kaeldraThere they were, a stranger with ginger markings on their muzzle, no doubtedly the owner of the footprints, standing a few fox-lengths away. Snowy Owl had not expected to find another cat so quickly. The stranger’s lips moved, but from this distance, xe struggled to read the words that were spoken. Xe could only focus on the cloud of vapor curling up from their mouth.
Xe approached the stranger cautiously, lowering xir tail between xir legs to express xir desire to remain peaceful. When xe came up close, xe dipped xir head slowly. Hello.
Snowy Owl glanced back up to confirm that the stranger understood. Then, xe gestured at xir own ears with a tail and shook xir head. Cannot hear you.
It was hard to indicate xir deafness without the other cat knowing the signs xe used with deaf cats, but hopefully that was enough to explain. There was another anxiety encroaching the back of xir mind aside from the worry of miscommunication, but Snowy Owl decided it was too late to dwell on those thoughts.
Xe nodded at the pawprints that led to the cat. Xe imitated the motion of walking and sniffing the prints in the snow. I saw your pawprints and followed. They nodded at the stranger and tilted xir head, circling above a print with xir tail. Why do you come here?
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Post by Kaeldra on Nov 10, 2022 2:26:53 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
Cecil watched as the stranger walked closer, seemingly cautious despite his friendly greeting. He tried his best to appear non-threatening. There wasn’t much to be done about his coat, fluffed out against the cold and making him look bigger than he was, but he kept his tail lifted and ears held forward.
Silently, the cat dipped xir head in greeting. After a moment’s pause, xe motioned to xir ears and shook xir head, and Cecil’s mind whirred for a moment while trying to make sense of it. Then it clicked. Ears, no.
”Oh, your ears don’t work?” It was perhaps a silly question to say aloud, given that if he was right the other cat wouldn’t be able to hear it. But it slipped out nonetheless.
Rather than confirm or deny directly, the stranger began miming some other actions. Cecil’s head tilted in curiosity, mirroring xir.
“Are you looking for something? Looking for a cat? Might be tough in this snow, but I can try to lend a paw,” he offered, feeling for the stranger. If xe was looking for someone out in this cold, they must be awfully important.
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Post by Solaris on Nov 14, 2022 2:06:43 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | @kaeldraThe cat’s head bobbed up in the familiar way that indicated speech. Snowy Owl drew closer to the cat to read their lips. It was a skill that was hardened into Snowy Owl from an early age; a necessary skill to talk with the other housecats in the neighborhood. Xir comprehension wasn’t perfect, but xe was able to understand the gist of what a hearing cat said.
Snowy Owl quickly shook xir head, unsure of how to articulare what xe saw outside of the window. No amount gestures and body language could convey the sheer majesty of the owl that flew at night. It crested the sky like a phantom, if such beings existed—one moment it was there, visible in the air, and the next, it vanished. But whether or not it was real, Snowy Owl knew it was a sign from the Powers That Be.
Then, xe noticed a large, pale feather sitting at the base of a tree trunk, almost indistinguishable from the snow if it weren’t for curvature of the object and the specks of gray that dotted its body. Rushing over, Snowy Owl lifted the feather with xir teeth, and padded back to the stranger. Xe gently placed the feather down in front of them, nudging it closer. Xe flicked a tail at the sky, and then lowered to sniff the feather, to say, Bird from sky. I want to find.
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Post by Kaeldra on Jan 2, 2023 2:26:14 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
Cecil had barely finished his question when the stranger was shaking xir head. So xe wasn’t looking for a cat, then? The fluffy flame point was impressed with how quickly the stranger seemed to understand what he meant, despite xir lack of hearing. Cecil wished he was as quick on the uptake.
He frowned as the strange cat stood for a moment, as if trying to decide how to get xir message across. Then xe noticed something off to the side and perked up, padding off and quickly bringing back a large feather to set at Cecil’s paws. It took another long moment of puzzling on the tom’s part to figure out what xe was trying to say. He hoped he was right.
“You want to find a bird? But why?”
He knew some cats enjoyed hunting the small birds that landed in their gardens, and a few had even mentioned eating them as a snack. He couldn’t say he hadn’t been tempted to give it a try once or twice, but in this weather? He would happily eat whatever his housefolk gave him, thank you very much. Perhaps this bird was very important, for some reason?
“Do you know which way it went?” Cecil asked, then used a paw to point first one direction and then another, remembering that the stranger couldn’t hear. “That way? This way?”
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Post by Solaris on Jan 5, 2023 4:08:35 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | @kaeldraA smile came upon xir face as xe watched the cat patiently tried to parsing out xir words. Hearing cats often tired of their efforts to communicate with xir, leaving after realizing that Snowy Owl couldn’t hear what they were saying. Other times, they became so frustrated and impatient with xir that xe could almost feel the heat from their huffing breaths.
Yes. Snowy Owl nodded once they figured it out. It would be difficult to explain the significance of the owl—not to mention unbelievable, what housecat would leave xir home to chase a bird that likely did not exist?—so for brevity’s sake, xe would leave the explanation open to the cat’s interpretation.
When asked about where the bird went… Snowy Owl searched the star-flecked sky. By now the bird was long gone, and the only evidence of its passing was this pale feather. But it was also a clue. If the bird flew here, then it must lead elsewhere. A footprint that would lead to where xe was meant to go.
Looking back at where the feather lay before xe took it from the ground, xe nodded at that direction. There. Where feather was.
Then xe turned to the cat, pointing a tail at them. You. Name?
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Post by Kaeldra on Jan 8, 2023 5:01:17 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
The stranger did nothing to explain the why -- though Cecil had a feeling he wouldn’t understand even if xe did -- and simply turned xir face to the sky, as if thinking deeply. After a long moment, xe returned xir gaze to the spot where the feather originally lay on top of the snow, nodding toward it.
“Oh! You’re looking for this bird! Maybe we can...”
Cecil leaned forward, sniffing delicately at the feather. It obviously hadn’t been laying there too long, having fallen since the snow stopped, but the cold and ice still masked most of the scent that otherwise would have been clinging to it. Cecil pulled back again, frowning.
“Hm. I guess we just have to go that way and hope for the best?” He said, referring to the direction in which the feather had fallen. He had no idea what type of bird the feather was from, not having much of an interest himself, so that would be no help.
It never occurred to Cecil that he could just turn around and go home, leaving the stranger to their search. It seemed very important to xir, so it was important to him too. He was about to begin padding off through the snow in the direction they’d both pointed out, when the cat gestured to him again, a questioning look in xir eyes.
Me? What about me?
Cecil glanced around for a moment hesitantly, as if the stranger could be pointing at anyone else, but Cecil was the only one there. He suddenly realized he had never introduced himself, assuming that this cat wouldn’t be able to hear it, but xe seemed quite good at reading lips.
“Oh, my name? I’m Cecil! What’s yours?”
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Post by Solaris on Jan 10, 2023 5:18:59 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | @kaeldraXe nodded in agreement with the cat’s words, glad that they were on the same wavelength, and felt a rush of excitement to see the stranger heading down the direction of the feather. Friend? Snowy Owl hoped, even if it was too soon to call the stranger a friend if xe didn’t even know their name.
Until now.
With furrowed brow and a close eye, Snowy Owl watched the stranger speak their name carefully, studying the vowels and consonants and the syllables, piecing together all of these things to form the semblance of a name. Cecil. That was his name. Cecil.
Eagerly, Snowy Owl cleared xir throat and recited the few words that xe knew how to say aloud, “My name is Snowy Owl.”
The words came out as barely a whisper, and they even scratched xir throat to speak as result of the disuse, but xir parents had taught xir, along time ago, how to say xir name out loud.
With the exchange of introductions between the two cats finished, Snowy Owl believed they were ready to go. Xe padded into the direction of the feather, beckoning with an urgent tail flick to Hurry!, and then xe headed into the forest where silhouettes of trees towered to sky.
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Post by Kaeldra on Jan 24, 2023 2:14:45 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
The stranger seemed to concentrate very hard as Cecil said his own name, as if committing it to memory. He imagined it must be difficult to remember cats’ names when you couldn’t hear them. Then xe cleared xir throat and gave a hushed response with xir own name.
Cecil’s eyes sparkled as he listened to the stranger’s words. They had a slight lilt to them, almost an accent, but different somehow. In any other circumstances he might not have heard xir at all, but the total stillness of the wintry night meant the whispery sounds carried easily.
“Snowy Owl,” he repeated, very softly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
They stood in charged silence for a moment, and Cecil suddenly felt as though perhaps his meeting with this cat had been fate after all.
Then Snowy Owl was off, wasting no time in pursuing xir quarry, and Cecil shook himself out of his trance. Right. They had a bird to find! The longer they stood around, the farther away it would get.
As the feline in front of him disappeared into the trees, Cecil’s pawsteps faltered uneasily. He enjoyed looking at the forest, but he had never been one to adventure there and he feared on a night like this, with everything blanketed in white and looking all the same, he would be swallowed up by the woods never to return.
But Snowy Owl was counting on him. And surely, if xe was heading into the forest with such confidence, xe must know xir way around? He had to trust that his new friend wouldn’t lead him astray. Gathering up his courage, he rushed to catch up with the quickly disappearing figure.
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Post by Solaris on Feb 5, 2023 15:21:30 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | @kaeldraXe knew nothing about the forest outside of the stories xe saw buzzing around twolegplace. It was mostly stories of ancient clans who waged war in the forest. But these were snippets xe picked up from idle gossip or nursery tales used to make kits fall asleep. Back home, cats laughed at xir if xe tried bringing them up for serious discussion and analysis. One cat, nearly keeling from how hard they were laughing, nudged Snowy Owl’s shoulder and gestured, They’re mere myths. Nothing else.
Xe was unconvinced. Surely, those stories must hold a bit of truth to them. Myths draw their origins from somewhere. Xe only needed to find their source.
Peering into the rows of trees stretching infinitely beyond, Snowy Owl felt xirself shrink in their presence. In twolegplace, the dens were a lot bigger than the cats—they were built for twolegs in mind. But the sense of grandeur was nothing compared to the forest. Xe was aware of how small xe was, in contrast to everything else. Though the stars twinkled from above, the jagged shapes of bare trees covered parts of the sky up, casting long shadows over the snow. Walking over those shadows, xe felt chills running along xir fur.
Pushing out the fears of getting lost in this ginormous place, xe reminded xirself of the task at paw. Xe needed to find the bird’s path. And surely… it must have left feathers somewhere…
Turning to xir new traveling companion, xe gestured at the forest with a tail. You see any feathers?
It would be easier if the owl had left pawprints behind, like Snowy Owl and Cecil did. But, alas, the owl moved by flight and not by foot. |
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Post by Kaeldra on Feb 11, 2023 22:10:55 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
Cecil followed close behind Snowy Owl, not wanting to become separated in the wide expanse of the forest. Even if xe knew xir way around, he didn’t, and while his dense coat kept him from freezing at the moment, spending all night in the snowy drifts didn’t sound pleasant in the least.
They walked for a time, until Snowy Owl stopped and gestured with xir tail. Cecil scanned the forest in front of them, but between the shadows and the snow he couldn’t make out any hints of a trail. Lifting his nose to the air, he thought he might try tracking the owl by scent – he was occasionally successful in ferreting out a mouse or bird in their garden – and breathed in deeply.
He immediately regretted his choice, wincing as a cold air burned his nose and throat. The tom’s eyes watered, and he blinked, lowering his muzzle and brushing a paw over it in an attempt to relieve the discomfort.
“Okay, not doing that again,” he murmured quietly. Besides being nearly painful, the icy scent on the breeze masked everything else. Back to hunting for feathers.
Squinting into the darkness, Cecil thought he spotted something at the base of a tree several tail-lengths away. It could be a trick of the shadows again, but…
Turning back to Snowy Owl, he flicked an ear in that direction.
“This way,” he hissed, not wanting to scare the owl if it was nearby. It wasn’t as if being louder would help his companion, anyway. “I think I see something over there.”
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Post by Solaris on Feb 25, 2023 20:49:05 GMT
Frost 21, 2021 | KaeldraWhile nosing around the bushes for the sign of a feather, Snowy Owl saw Cecil turning to look at xir. Was something wrong? His ears flicked in a certain direction, and then understanding dawned on xir. Cecil wasn’t in trouble; no, he found something. Xe hurried over, eager to uncover what he spotted.
Standing beside Cecil, xe peered at the tree’s base, obscured by the shadow cast by moonlight. Xe nodded for Cecil to follow, and then approached the shadow, the anticipation beating in xir chest. The wind’s current picked up, and then the shadow flickered. A movement? Could it possibly be the owl? Xe kept moving, until xe could squint into the darkness, and return with a… slightly disappointing conclusion. No, it was not the owl, but instead, it was a pale and mottled feather. It was the same kind Snowy Owl and Cecil saw before.
Xe dragged the feather out with xir teeth and showed Cecil. Look what I found.
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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 10, 2023 3:09:23 GMT
Cecil || he/him || 24 moons
Snowy Owl approached the base of the tree with little hesitation, and Cecil was impressed at how determined xe was. Cecil himself was still a bit wary, especially of dark corners where he couldn’t be sure he was the only thing lurking about. As Snowy Owl pulled the feather into view, a mix of relief and disappointment washed over him.
Disappointment, because it wasn’t what they were truly looking for. Though they were, apparently, on the right track. Relief, because he realized that once they found the owl, they would have to actually deal with it. What exactly the plan was, he couldn’t be sure.
He had never seen one of the creatures up close, but sometimes heard them when he decided to sit in the garden at night. He had vague memories of older cats in the neighbourhood telling him to be careful as a kit, when he had first come to live with his housefolk. If an owl caught sight of a tasty-looking kit like him, he’d be snatched up in a heartbeat! Logically, he knew he was much too big to have to worry about that now, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
Leaning forward, he sniffed very delicately at the feather. There wasn’t much of a scent on it, and it wasn’t as if he’d be able to track the creature, but he was curious to know what they smelled like all the same.
Cecil took a few more steps into the cover of the trees, though he couldn’t see anything else of interest. What should they do now? He looked back to Snowy Owl, waiting until the other cat was looking at him before he spoke.
“Which way should we go from here? I don’t know the forest that well, so I’ll follow your lead.” The owl could have gotten hundreds of tail-lengths away by now, so he hoped that xe had some inkling of where it might have gone.
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