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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Mar 30, 2009 20:49:48 GMT -5
Gaara was startled by the voice. His instincts kicked in and he whirled around to face her, but infortunately the fence was too thin and the effort sent him toppling over into the garden. He grunted as he hit the ground on his side, the breath driven from his lungs. He staggered to his paws and shook himself, but as soon as he saw the she-cat he relaxed. Embarrassed, Gaara shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly, unaccustomed to making such a fool of himself. I guess perhaps I can enjoy it a little more now. He thought, smiling a little to himself.
"Sorry about that. Uh... hello to you, too." He meowed, shifting from paw to paw. He wasn't sure what to do, what to say, how to act. But at least he didn't seem to be feeling his bloodlust as much. It made thinking much easier. He liked it better that way. It made him feel like less of a monster...
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Post by Brambleclaw on Mar 31, 2009 20:22:43 GMT -5
Princess realized that he was the type who answered questions, never asked them.
"I am Princess. What is your name?" The she-cat smiled bright and vivid. She was certain she had seen the tom before, but wasn't sure where. She caught familiar scents with him. One was her daughter, but light. The other was a she-cat familiar, but not nameable. Princess sat down, licking her paw and waiting for a reply.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Mar 31, 2009 21:10:48 GMT -5
Gaara thought about the name. Princess. He knew little of Twoleg names, but he thought that her name must have something to do with higher status or something treasured, but he wasn't positive. His own name meant... something much less pleasant, he was sure. The Demon who loves only himself...
"I am Gaara. It is... a pleasure, Princess." He meowed, his voice still deep and monontone but with a lighter note to it. He was truly pleased, though. It was only getting easier to be around cats, even though he could still taste that bitter desire, but he didn't care as much anymore. Perhaps the bloodlust in only in my mind. He thought, smiling slightly.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Mar 31, 2009 21:15:17 GMT -5
Princess sensed his thought pattern, a strange one. It dipped and twisted. She was out with it.
"What are you thinking?" Maybe she could help. The brown and white she-cat smiled encouragingly, hoping she could be of assistance.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Mar 31, 2009 21:19:16 GMT -5
Gaara's face was pretty much expressionless besides a slight frown. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.
"It's just been a wild few moons. I'm trying to change from what I was before, trying to... make amends for past wrong deeds. I owe it to someone... very precious to me. But I don't really know where to start." he meowed with a sigh.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Mar 31, 2009 21:23:41 GMT -5
"You hurt a she-cat? Mmmm... That is tough. Well, emotional or not all you can do is try. If she doesn't forgive you, then that is the best you can do." Princess nodded, wondering what exactly the tom meant. But she wasn't nosey. And she wasn't about to pry. She just hoped the tom understood what she meant.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Mar 31, 2009 21:27:45 GMT -5
Gaara shook his head gravely.
"I'm afraid I'll never see her again. But I must become a better cat, for her sake." He nodded decisively. He was surprised how good it felt to have someone to confide in. Gaara felt a certain peace, a somewhat familiar feeling, settling over his heart.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 1, 2009 22:00:46 GMT -5
Princess felt herself listening intently. Who could the she-cat be? What had Gaara done? Could he fix it?
"You may not. But that does not mean she hates you, you know. She isn't for you if she can't forgive you." Princess added, realizing the tom might be of help to her. After all, he seemed better now. Maybe telling him about her kits would help. Maybe.
"I had a litter, and the twolegs adopted them away. Then a strange dark tabby tom brought kits to me. He said to care for them. Then he left. I named them Lychee, Longan and Rambutan. Rambutan and Lychee ran off when twolegs came after them, but Longan was caught. I don't know where they are." Princess broke down, sobbing softly. Sometimes she felt like she was more attached to those kits than he real ones.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Apr 3, 2009 23:15:47 GMT -5
Gaara felt a strange sensation as he saw the other cat cry. Before he had met Ashfire, he probably would have snarled mercilessly and cared hardly at all. Now, a soft stinging pierced at the edges of his heart, making his chest ache. Was this what it felt to care? Was this how his mother had felt, faced with death and the desctruction of all she held dear? Gaara closed his eyes, trying to ease the stiffling pain he felt for the she-cat. He didn't know what to do. So he did what he thought he should.
"I'm sure they're safe. Kits are resourceful. I know I was." He meowed with a slightly bitter smile. His parents had been murdered when he was young, and he had been forced to flee on his own, with only his minimal survival skills. Gaara was glad he had made it here, though. Made it here to learn the true meaning of life.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 4, 2009 11:41:44 GMT -5
"You're right. Maybe you could be of assistance?" Princess said, soaking up his words warmly. He was definitely not ordinary cat, she knew. He was sort of like Majani, but a little less nice and loving. It was probably why she did not feel love, but gratitude to the tomcat. She nodded, smiling at him. All her kits gone and what? What had she gotten out of it? Nothing. Nothing but pain and sadness and sorrow. But if she could know they were okay... Suddenly, twoleg voices could be heard.
"Hide!" Princess said, knocking the tom into some brush where he was invisible. Being seen with another tom might make her twolegs angry, and that was never good. She smiled, running up and rubbing between their legs. They said something softly, sadly, as if they felt bad. She suddenly saw one was carrying a box. Inside was a very sad and sick-looking kitten, gold and very familiar. Princess gasped. It was Longan! She ran up to the cage, meowing. They let Longan out, though he was too sleepy to do much. Then the twolegs went upstairs, the door left open for Princess. She beckoned to Gaara, for him to come inside and meet her adopted son.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Apr 4, 2009 14:11:16 GMT -5
Gaara was startled by Princess's sudden reaction and grunted as he was shoved - with surprising force - into a bush. He scented the Twolegs, then, and stiffened. Oh, that'd explain it. He thought, angry at himself for not detecting them sooner. He waited, watching, as Princess approached something her Twolegs set down. When they had gone she motioned to him. He slowly, cautiously emerged. He was wary, but he padded after her and approached. He saw a kit and his ears flicked forward in surprise.
"Is this one of the kits you were mentioning?" He asked, surprised to see one here.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 4, 2009 15:08:41 GMT -5
"This is Longan." She sniffed the kit. He smelled different, and rolled over lazily.
"Momma..." He said sleepily, and Princess gasped as she noticed the scar on his belly. "Cutters..." She muttered in disbelief.
"Wah..." He asked, confused. He felt so dizzy...
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Apr 4, 2009 20:00:53 GMT -5
Gaara shuddered a little, feeling his gut clench. So the kit had been taken... there. He'd heard about that terrible fate, taking away a tom's right to have kits and making them lazy and fat. He shook his head and stepped back, fearful. He didn't want anything to do with the Twolegs. They only brought on pain and suffering.
"But why?" He breathed, confused. What had Longan ever done to upset the Twolegs? Or had they done this for their own enjoyment? He thought it was a sick pleasure but then hissed inwardly at himself. You've always murdered other cats for enjoyment. Isn't it the same thing, or nearly?
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 4, 2009 20:10:24 GMT -5
Princess could not believe what she was seeing. It was a horrible, sickening thought. How could her twoelgs do this? Longan seemed to be coming to, and blinked warmly at her.
"Sweetheart..." She reassured him. "Why so young?" She asked Gaara in horror. Longan silenced her with a flick of his tail.
"Before you all go crazy, listen. I have to tell you what happened." The tom took a deep breath of air and began.
"Princess, you know how I thought I was useless? How I wanted to die?" His adoptive mother nodded sadly. That had been so hard for him. So hard.
"Well," Longan interrupted her thoughts, "I was snatched pretty fast. The twolegs looked me over and then took me into their monster in your cage. When I got to the Cutters, they brought out a needly and stole my blood. Then they stuck another needle in me, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was in a cage with a scar across my belly. Several sunrises later your twolegs came and got me, guilty they seemed. But, hear me out. Cats must die all the time, as cutting a cat open sure seems like a way to kill them. The twolegs wanted to kill me. And the stars could've easily taken my life. Like Firestar says, StarClan controls my life and death. So why did they make me suffer and not take me? I have some importance here. I don't want to die. I want to fulfill my purpose." Longan said with a sigh. "I want to join the forest to find it." Princess gasped, frozen in terror. He would do no such thing!
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Apr 4, 2009 20:21:58 GMT -5
Gaara looked into the once-tom's eyes, wondering what he could be feeling. But then he thought about it deeply and understood. He's just like me. He lost something precious to him and realized what he was meant to do. The thought was strange. Gaara had never felt that he understood any other cat - or any cat understood him. But maybe Ashfire... He mentally shook himself, trying to get a grip. His bloodlust was rising a little with the tom's nearness - something about tom scents drove him insane - but he was able to cope because of the sickly odor of whatever the Twolegs had put on the young kit. He stared at him intently and wondered if he could help him somehow.
"If you like," he said gently, but unsurely, "I could take him there. I know my way around pretty well, and you needn't fear he'll be hurt. I'll protect him." Gaara meowed.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 4, 2009 20:25:33 GMT -5
Princess turned to glare at Gaara disapprovingly, but then nodded. Her kit needed to do what he felt right.
"I'm still a tomcat, you know." Longan meowed to his mother. "And I'm still your Longan. It won't change." He meowed with a grin. Standing, he stretched weakly. His body protested against too much motion, and he felt almost no motive to go. But that was what made him different from the other cats who had seen the Cutter. He felt almost no motive. But still some motive. Longan felt slightly weaker, pained, and knew he could never have a family, but other than that he was the same cat. And he always would be.
"Thanks, errr...." Longan meowed at the golden tomcat whom he did not know in the least.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Apr 4, 2009 20:37:47 GMT -5
Gaara turned and watched the kitten. He seemed independent, determined - Gaara admired that. He wasn't ready to give up, and that was admirable.
"I am Gaara of DesertClan - or I suppose just Gaara now." He meowed with a sigh. It would be hard to forget his old ways, but he would have to learn to look past him. I will not be the demon who loves himself... I will be the cat who fights for others. He thought determinedly.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 4, 2009 20:43:33 GMT -5
"Ah. I'm Longan of The Kittypets, or just Longan now." Longan teased with a twinkle of amusement. He walked out the door and into his new life with much enthusiasm. Princess was sad once more, but for a better reason. She watched her son reach the fence, and instead of leaping it he slipped under a hole that his sisters had escaped through. Now he could really start his adventure, and he was eager to get going.
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Post by .:-Aikoa-:. on Apr 4, 2009 20:50:40 GMT -5
Gaara turned to Princess and saw the sorrow on her face.
"Don't worry," he meowed, smiling brightly - though that felt so strange to him, "I will look after him with my life. You can be sure of that." He padded after Longan eagerly, surprised at himself for feeling so excited. He didn't know why, but the thought of having a traveling companion after so long made him feel... happy. He leaped over the fence and landed gently on the other side, straightening himself to turn and look intently at Longan.
"Alright then, so where to?" He asked, smiling in a friendly way. Whatever small tints of bloodlust he had felt before, they were gone now. He hadn't felt so relaxed around another tom for... well, seasons.
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Post by Brambleclaw on Apr 4, 2009 20:55:34 GMT -5
"Wherever fate takes us!" Longan said, dropping into a sprint off to nowhere. He was glad to have such a fun tom with him, to help him feel free and like life was worth living. No matter what happened, Longan swore to never be a lazy, fat kittypet ever!
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