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Post by cerkowah on Nov 18, 2017 7:15:53 GMT
> Valentin <
Soft, gentle wind blew the smaller branches of the massive oak tree, but the much larger, sturdier branches held firm. This was a tree that had withstood the many tests of time and the elements, no simple gust of wind would take this might being to the ground. No, this was a structure that, when it did fall, perhaps a day from now perhaps years from now, it would shake the earth to the very core. On a low branch of the elegant tree sat a small shape, it's body folded nearly as it perched on a branch, yellow eyes ever vigilant as it scanned the horizons. Even from the first branch one could see miles into the surrounding forest, and the creature flexed its paws in excitement.
If you were to take a closer look at the odd creature, you would know it was a cat, but some part of you would be unsure. Could a cat really be that... Round? The creature, with its legs tucked tightly under it, seemed no more than a large ball of fluff with a head and a tail. If one took a closer look, small paws could be seen poking out from under its stomach, but there were no discernible shoulders or even neck. The creature was just... A ball. Suddenly, the odd shape stood up, revealing his back paws and finally showing at least part of his legs, but his elbows were still hidden in the eternal mass of grey fur that covered him. The creature, a cat named Valentin, yawned, his short muzzle opening wide and revealing his tiny white teeth. Licking his lips thoughtfully, Val peered over the branch he was sitting on, seeing the ground far below. He had been amazed to find such a tree, and he was now hoping to catch an unlucky bird as his stomach growled impatiently.
Once over his initial awe at the trees size, Valentin peered upwards into its infinite branches, his small head tilted to the side as he planned his route. Any doubt of his feline-ness would vanish now as he leapt onto the trees trunk, his claws digging into the bark. Because of the trees massive size and old age, the bark was thick and cracked, with deep rivets running up and down it that gave him the perfect paw holds. Strong legs expertly carrying his light body upwards, Val was able to haul himself to the next branch, his breath only slightly increased from the effort.
'You should go to the top,' a calm voice suggested, and Val looked down to see a massive elk staring up at him from the trees base. While slightly surprised at his friends appearance, Val smiled down at the deer, waving his paw in a friendly gesture. While Philly was small enough to balance on the tree branches with Val, Gaston was far to massive. However, this was no problem as Val could easily hear the ungulate's voice from as far away as he needed to.
'I'm going to catch a bird first!' Val explained, not having to shout because he knew Gaston would hear. Gaston nodded his large head, the massive antlers resting on top of it gently grazing the tree's bark. Returning his attention back to the task at hand, Valentin licked his lips, his stomach growling. The sound of bird calls reached his ears and he perked up, his rounded ears tilted forwards as they rotated, trying to find the exact location. After only a couple moments, Val pinpointed what sounded like a Robin a couple branches above him. He could not tell from here, but he was hoping there was a nest.
Latching back onto the trees trunk, Val scooted silently and effortlessly up the tree, skipping several branches until he reached his destination. Sniffing the air, Val stepped onto the branch delicately, glad it was spotted with leafy branches to cover his approach. The feline stalked forward, his fur-covered paws making no noise as he silently moved. The bird appeared in his line of vision now, and he licked his lips at the sight. It was a very plump robin, clearly well off as she fed her babies. Val was sure the mother had tried her best to keep her children hidden, but with their aggressive screeching for food it was not hard to locate the nest.
With the mother distracted, Val took a few more steps forward, a rarely seen wicked grin on his face. While he would have preferred to let the mother and her chicks live, he could not deny his own primal urges. While he would love to observe and never interfere, his anatomy and diet simply did not allow that. With these thoughts in mind, Val leapt forward, clamping the small bird in his jaws as it shrieked in surprise, breaking its neck in one swift bite. He dropped it then, moving his attention to the chicks. He did not enjoy killing infants, but his stomach growled painfully with hunger. Disposing of them as quickly as he could, Val settled down on the branch, looking over the forest below him as he enjoyed his meal.
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Post by mocha on Nov 19, 2017 2:34:03 GMT
cerkowah | 912 words
i loveee val <3 he's such a cutie
Beneath the Monarch Tree, she lay, head resting on her paws as her eyes lazily watched a herd of deer grazing in the field of wheat. For such tasty prey animals, the deer were fascinating creatures to watch, and Naomi was far away enough that she didn’t have to worry about them running in fear at the sight of her. A gentle breeze whipped by and the wheat swayed in a wave as the wind pushed at them. The wolfdog let out a relaxed sigh, soothed by the atmosphere. It had been a difficult day for her so far, only because there were memories troubling her. Most of the time, she would block out upsetting thoughts, but sometimes it got to be too much. Sometimes blocking it out became tiring. That was why she was lounging beneath the great tree: she wanted peace. A few times she caught her eyelids falling, to which she would open them with a start to continue observing the scenery. After some amount of time, however, she succumbed to the drowsiness, her eyelids too heavy to hold open, and she drifted into a deep sleep. It was a welcome sleep, for it was a delightful escape from the turmoil in her mind.
Plop.
The sound of something hitting the ground made her jump up from her slumber, eyes wide in bewilderment. She reeled backwards hastily until her rear touched the tree, at which she calmed down and took a moment to see just what it was that dropped in front of her. She blinked the sleepiness from her eyes and stared down at the bloodied bird before her. Her heart was racing in her chest, though she did not know whether it was because of the victim of murder in front of her or the fact that she was so harshly awoken from her sleep. Confused, she looked around, searching for someone else in the area, but she didn’t see anyone. In fact, even the herd she was watching before had disappeared. The only place she had left to look was up, but before she could even crane her neck upwards, a sticky red substance went splat on her muzzle. She stared at the blood before her eyes, brows furrowed and lips curved in bewilderment. “‘Ey!” she called, looking up accusingly at the tree branches. She struggled to see anything of interest, however, and she couldn’t focus with the hot blood on her nose. The smell of it was overwhelming, far too strong for her to even concentrate on any other smells. Taking a moment, she dipped her head down and used her right paw to shove the substance off, only stopping when nothing but a red stain was left.
With that distraction out of the way, Naomi once again looked up at the branches, clearly determined to find the culprit responsible for her new face paint. Baby blue eyes narrowed as they scanned the foliage, her gaze darting from tree limb to tree limb. Something stirred amongst the branches and her eyes immediately locked onto the movement. Her gaze softened at the sight of it, the smell of feline entering her nostrils as soon as she saw it. As she focused on the animal, it became easier to make out his features. The creature looked like the love child of a cat and an owl—a rotund owl at that. She’d never seen anything remotely like him before, except for a very round rock maybe. From her perspective below him, she could only see a round ball of fluff, and she couldn’t tell where his chest ended and his neck began. His shape was incredibly… uniform for a cat. A few times had she come across a plump, well-fed feline, but never one this spherical. How peculiar.
There was no way she was leaving the scene without talking to this creature. Should she walk away from this opportunity, she would consider herself a fool for the rest of her days. Of course, she had no idea if the cat would be friendly, and she was sure he didn’t want to be bothered during his meal, but she couldn’t help but want to satiate her curiosity. It was eating at her. She took her gaze off of him for a moment as she looked around for a spot that she could better see him from. If only she could climb trees. It looked like her only option was a misshapen grey rock, one that would only give her an extra foot of height, but it was better than nothing. She trotted over to the rock and climbed up on it, claws scraping against the hard surface as she did so. It was clear that stealth wasn’t a concern of hers. She positioned herself so that she faced the direction of the cat, getting a better view of his front half. Still round.
She didn’t know what to say. She’d acted on impulse up until this moment, and now she was at a loss for words. “Hi there. You gave me quite the start,” she finally greeted, a sheepish smile on her face as she pinned her ears back. The fact that her pleasant nap was cut short was disappointing, but it was vastly outweighed by the fact that she was able to meet an interesting new individual. “Nice catch,” she added, “I only wish I could climb trees like you. Seems you have an advantage up there."
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Post by cerkowah on Nov 19, 2017 2:57:56 GMT
> Valentin < Valentin dropped the bird corpses to the ground one at a time, leaving only a single chick to carry down himself. His mouth watered at the taste of fresh blood in his mouth, and he smiled lightly, leaping elegantly from branch to branch. Suddenly, the cry of an unknown creature made him freeze in his tracks, and he sniffed the air. The scent of canine reached his stout nose and he tilted his head to the side, unsure if he should jump down now and protect his kill or figure out exactly what he was facing first. ' Val! It's another dog!' the sudden shrill voice caused Val to jump, rustling the twigs and leaves next to him as he scrambled for a paw hold once more. ' Philly!' Val glared at the tiny white dog that had appeared in front of him, watching him bounce up and down in excitement. Despite his movement, the branch did not move, and Valentin sighed. ' I know, I scented her' Val explained, forcing his voice to calm so he would not offend the delicate terrier. Because of the rustling, Val knew his position had been revealed and he sighed, looking down at the dog below him. Their eyes locked for a moment and he blinked, his round yellow eyes wide, giving him an almost startled appearance. The dog was large, larger than Philly, and based on their markings, seemed to have wolf ancestors. Half-breeds interested Val immensely. How did their mannerisms vary from a dog and a wolf? Val knew he himself was a half-breed, but he knew the difference between a wild cat and a domestic were not as immense as the differences between dogs and wolves. Dogs were often friendly and loyal, while wolves were known for being far more vicious. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Gaston, who had now moved into the bushes at the arrival of the canine. He gave the elk a reassuring nod. Despite his massive size and intimidating antlers, the ungulate was quite skittish. This was perhaps the reason he disliked Philly, who had the tendency to throw himself at any new situations. Speaking of the small dog, Philly was now bouncing around the she-dog, his short tail wagging violently as he circled her, sniffing her legs and pawing at her tail. While he knew the wolf was unaware, he had to bite his tongue to resist scolding the white animal. He knew most creatures did not welcome his odd behaviour towards his imaginary friend, and he didn't want to scare this one off that quickly. Forcing his eyes away from following the rapid movements of Philly, Val shifted his attention to the wolf-dog, tilting his head to the side. " I'm sorry," he mewed down, glad the dog had come closer to him so he could stay in his protected spot in the trees. " For waking you up, I mean." From her disposition and behaviour, this dog seemed friendly, and Val sat upright, licking his chest calmly. He was not sure how to respond to her other words, so he simply shrugged. " Thank you I guess," he looked down at the robin corpses at her paws, " It's a shame I had to kill them though, but such is life I suppose" mocha |
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Post by mocha on Nov 19, 2017 3:36:42 GMT
Her delicate blue eyes met his wild yellow eyes, and she found herself taken aback by his gaze. They were startling, striking, and remarkably different from the eyes of her canine counterparts. Naomi tore away from his stare and looked at the wheat field in the distance, the stalks swaying with the breeze. It did not go unnoticed that the air between them was silent for some time. The fact that it was so quiet made her nervous, as she wondered if she’d upset the cat or ruined his pleasant meal. She turned her gaze back to him just in time to see him nodding towards the bushes. Tilting her head, she looked at the seemingly unsuspecting bushes. Nothing. There wasn’t a stir within them, nor was there a scent on the breeze that told her they weren’t alone. So what was he nodding at? Was there going to be an ambush?
As she once again looked at the cat, she found that he wasn’t looking at her, but rather something around her. His eyes were darting swiftly back-and-forth at something she couldn’t see. Any other time, she would have been uncomfortable, but when she could clearly see that there was nothing there, it was hard to feel threatened. Then, he finally focused that striking gaze on her once again, and she brushed off the previous incident. It was probably just some fly buzzing about that his keen eyes could see better than hers could.
So he was a friendly feline, not one to come hissing and swatting at her. What a relief. She shrugged at his apology, appreciative but nonchalant about the situation. “That’s alright,” she answered with a forgiving tone. “Meeting a new face is much better than taking a nap.” A pause. “Most of the time.” She thought about the day she met the group of males in the desert, and how she would have preferred to have spent that day napping.
When he mentioned the family of robins, she looked down with a softened gaze at their corpses beneath her. The scene was grisly. Was it necessary to have slaughtered them all? She decided that it was much more merciful than leaving them to fall prey to a more vicious predator such as a hawk, more merciful than to let them live out a slow painful death in the form of starvation. What Naomi was more interested in, however, was his concern for his prey. She wondered if all felines were like him or if it was a characteristic unique to him, to express such care towards other beings. From experience, she knew that many canines would have killed the mother robin and her family and greedily tore into them. There would be no expression of sorrow or shame. It made her think. “Very considerate of you to say that,” she mused. “It is a shame, but now her family will feed you. They’ve served a sort of purpose. It’s just the way things are.” Her voice was a bit more thoughtful, more gentle now that the cat was closer and she didn’t have to shout for him to hear her.
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Post by cerkowah on Nov 19, 2017 3:54:05 GMT
> Valentin < Val immediately appreciated the she-dogs pleasant nature, and he smiled, jumping down to the ground next to her rock and placing the last of the chicks next to the bodies of its family. He looked at them for a moment, a hint of an unknown emotion flashing in his eyes. While it was not sadness or regret, there was definitely something negative there. " I agree" Val purred with a nod of his head, finding he already shared many of the dog's opinions. That should make this much simpler now, and he grinned, moving his gaze away from the birds and back to the dog. Now that he was on the ground, Valentin could see just how small he was compared to her, and looked up her long legs before his gaze finally rested on her face. " What kind of world would it be if nothing died?" he mused, his rounded ears perked attentively. Philly, while still hopping around joyously, had quieted now, allowing Val to think of appropriate things to say. While he had no taste for her particular gender, he had to admit she was pretty. At least from what he observed was the standard for canine beauty. The dog was elegant, with beautiful fur and a gentle voice. He noticed a dark shape standing behind the wolf, and since he wanted to avoid startling her he tried to look around her subtly. The outline of antlers quickly revealed who it was, and he smiled re-assuredly at his friend, his yellow eyes twinkling. While he knew canines and dogs typically did not get along, he had always been interested in his much larger 'opposite.' Perhaps it was the result of his father's murder, or just the differences in personality, but Val was often drawn to canines, more so than other species. Canines where social, often living in complex packs with social structures while felines where solitary, often nocturnal. The stark differences where incredible, especially because of the similar anatomy between the two classifications. Shaking himself from these thoughts as he did not want to get lost in them, he returned his attention to the wolf-dog. " I am Valentin, or Val," he thought for a moment before adding, " and as most creatures are puzzled by my appearance, I can assure you that I am feline" mocha
Love the reference to the desert!  |
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Post by mocha on Nov 19, 2017 4:53:16 GMT
cerkowah | 696 words
oh yeah, naomi won't be forgetting that desert meeting for a while xD
The cat landed near her rock throne, giving her the opportunity to get a better look at him. He was smaller than her, short, stout, round, and fluffy. He looked wild, but he wasn’t much bigger than a domestic cat. It was as if a wild big cat had been resized to fit into compact spaces. Naomi watched him situate the final chick among its family, and she tilted her head as he paused to stare at them. She wondered what was going on inside that head of his. One thing was for sure: he looked thoughtful. It only made her more interested in his personality.
The purr that reached her ears caused a warm feeling to well within her chest. She didn’t know much about cats, but she knew that their purring was a display of satisfaction or contentment. It was a pleasant sound, one that made her tail wag ever-so-slightly. She returned his grin with a warm smile, genuinely happy to be in good company. It was days like these that she lived for—days where she could enjoy nonsense banter with another individual, days that she could revel in the company of another no matter how simple the interaction.
As he stared up at her, she wondered if he felt any sort of discomfort due to their size difference. Maybe not, but she knew she would have initially felt awkward had she been in his situation. She climbed down from the rock out of consideration, making sure he felt as comfortable as possible in case he didn’t appreciate a wolfdog looming over him.
“What kind of world would it be if nothing died?” Instead of immediately replying to his question, albeit a rhetorical one, she pondered the answer. The concept of death was a tricky concept to grasp, one that she hadn’t even grasped herself yet. If death did not exist and the creatures of the land were free to live their lives out, it could be a wonderful world. It would only be wonderful if the world were composed of individuals like herself and Valentin, however. Granting immortality to the wrong beings would surely end in destruction. His question made a sore melancholic feeling replace the warmness that filled her chest before. While she did not know the state or whereabouts of her parents and siblings, part of her deep down suspected they didn’t all make it out alive. 'Without death, maybe I’d still have my family,’ she thought dejectedly.
When he spoke, he pulled her back out of the depths of her mind, and she had to remind herself that she was in good company and now was no time to dwell on the past. “I’m Naomi. Nice to meet you, Val.” She was using the nickname already and would likely continue to refer to him in that manner. It felt more friendly, more affectionate to do so. “Well, I know my species isn’t in question,” she replied with an airy chuckle. “I didn’t want to be rude, Val, but I wasn’t sure what you were. If not for the feline scent, I would have had no idea.” She hoped he wouldn’t take her words to offense. It was clear she was already warming up to the feline, and she didn’t want to ruin their interaction. She sensed the potential for a good friendship to form between them. It was unusual for canines and felines to interact, let alone get along, but she was never one to avoid another being just because they weren’t the same species as her.
“Well, I know you’re feline now so that answers that. Are you from around here? I’ve never seen any other animals like you.” Hopefully he wouldn’t mind her question, or her comment about not seeing others like him. As she awaited his answer, she wondered if he was eager to get on his way or if he was willing to chat with her. It had been a while since she’d been in such good company and she only hoped that the sort of evening he had in mind was one spent beneath the great tree and enjoying a meal with a new friend.
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Post by cerkowah on Nov 20, 2017 0:44:27 GMT
> Valentin < While he did not think it was necessary, he did appreciate Noami leaping down from the rock. She had not intimidated him in any way, but it was very considerate of her to do. " Hello Naomi," Val nodded his head at her, smiling. He knew he was an odd sight for most creatures, as he seemed nothing more than a ball of fluff, but he enjoyed her kindness in the matter. " It's alright, I know I can be an odd sight to see in the middle of the woods," he shrugged his shoulders, leaning over and scratching the side of his head with his hind leg. This meeting was quite casual in his opinion, and he hoped he did not mess it up. Interaction with other creatures was often difficult, especially while your friends seemed to attempt to make his life quite hard. Speaking of which, the small dog was now sniffing around the edge of the clearing, occasionally looking back at Val and smiling, his little tail wagging. Val smiled back, as he knew Philly would get offended if he was ignored, and he did not need an upset terrier on his list of things to worry about. Looking back at Naomi, Valentin grinned, shuffling a little awkwardly as he hoped she had not noticed his odd actions. To answer Naomi's second question, Val tilted his head thoughtfully. " While I am not sure, I believe my mother said she was from somewhere cold, much colder than here. There were also rocks I think, she said it was so high up there were places you could see the ocean." Valentin internally sighed at the thought of his mother. While it had been several years since her death, he missed her. She had been the only other creature like him, and it had felt nice to have that familiarity. Shaking his head, Valentin returned to the topic at hand. "My father was a domestic cat however, but as you can see, I inherited more of my mother's traits," Valentin chuckled, any trace of the sadness disappearing as his mind drifted off to other things. mocha
Sorry this was kinda short, my next reply should be longer! |
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