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 Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:34 pm
 She usually stayed away from the homes of Ikebokuro, content to let the humans revel in whatever it is they enjoyed doing: sticking their fingers in jellies, or feeding fish who laze in the aquarium, or making loud sounds in their gamboling out in the yard - she had never claimed to know what made those two-leggers tick, but whatever it was Elarinya was pretty happy not to be afflicted with as well. She somtimes saw that the families would be content to toy with the newly arrived cat or dog, with such happy faces and delightful sounds, with such glossy coats and bright eyes to the future, with such warmth usually associated only with family - family. The Burmese would always turn her head away when it came to that sensitive subject. She used to be a cat who would bond instantly to any kind face; now . . . now, there was that invisible but constant shield about her heart.
Yet there were times when Elarinya would allow herself to relax, and most often that only happened in the company of music. In this early afternoon hour she padded carefully up to the side of a brick home whose enchanting sounds from within had attracted her. Piano - the humans had a piano! If ever was there an instrument to capture her attentions, her heart, her soul, it was the ivories. Something familiar - perhaps one of Bach's inventions - was being pursued by what she thought must have been a very talented adult, and thus Elarinya quested tosee if she could perhaps get a better view. Before her lay a tall tree that would lend her a perfect view through the window of the second story, but it would leave her quite in the open to see. Oh, how she hated to be spotted by those furless creatures! Thus Elarinya sat on the lawn, tail twitching with indecision as she regarded the towering trunk with thoughtful yellow eyes.
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:56 pm
She had never heard a piano before, but the sound was interesting and pretty, and it wasn't long until she pinpointed the source of it, along with a dual-colored cat. Having met only one cat since she had ventured into this town, the grey-furred korat smiled eagerly and bounded over to her, not thinking for a second that the act in itself might come off a bit threatening. "Hello!!" she chirped brightly, "I'm Natsuki! Who are you? Did you get pulled here by that strange sound too??" her tail waved at an excited pace behind her as she peered at the dark-faced burmese curiously.
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:36 pm
His dark hair was windruffled as he ran, stretching out and just letting his feet pound the pavement, one after the other. He wore ragged jeans, hanging off one hip a little because Patch wore no belt. He didn't believe in them. His shirt was dark, blending him in with the shadows, torn off at the shoulders. His olive skin shone slightly with a sheen of sweat as he slowed to a trot.
Music? His ears perked up, thick Siberian tail flicking this way and that as a content smile rolled onto his lips. Piano... Classical. His Lady had played, a little. The sound was soft and tinkling. For a moment, he felt a pang, missing her for just a moment. However, his ears swiveled up and focused on the two forms standing below the building. His heart went to the collared cat. She hadn't learned the freedom of being Free yet... Patch crouched down, watching them with yellow eyes and a confident smile, waiting to be noticed.
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:49 pm
Caught up in the music, perhaps even swaying a tad to the quick beat, Elarinya was shocked out of her little reverie by the sound of a rather chipper voice. Immediately the Burmese turned and crouched, already on the defensive despite the non-threatening tone, and her yellow eyes narrowed. "That is not a strange sound," she corrected with a hint of haughtyness, "but the glorious tune of the piano being played. You know, it's not very nice to shout, especially near the humans and more especially when the other cat doesn't know you're there. What if the humans heard you mewling your lungs out?" Then they would grab someone's attention, and all hell would break loose - or that was what played out in her mind at least.
When turning to view the Korat (how strange, she had no collar!), Elarinya was also greeted with the ragged form of yet another collarless cat eyeing them with a grin of sorts. Was he amused by her startlement? She huffed at the thought of being made a fool: the worst sort of insult as far as Elarinya was concerned. She took a breath to calm herself down from the initial surprise. "It is a lovely tune, yes, though I can't figure out the composer just yet."
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:57 am
Natsuki hadn't yet realized another cat had padded up quietly to watch them, her focus solely on the Burmese. The grin never left her face as the other cat startled and lashed out at her, and the Korat's grey tail continued to wave back and forth, but at a much more sedated pace. Blinking in mild confusion, one of her ears lopped to the side and she cast a side-long glance at the house in question. "Piiano? I've never heard of it, but if that's what's making this sound then I like it!" She let out a light giggle before regarding the Burmese again, "What makes you so nervous? Are there bad humans playing that piano thing?" The young girl was very much amused by this cat, even if she didn't understand the other's reasons for her attitude.
"I am sorry for surprising you, you know!" She chirped again, grinning and pushing her ears back just slightly, "You're the second cat I've met since I came here. I was really excited to see you! I would very much like to know your name!" Much like a puppy, Natsuki peered at the other girl with imploring green eyes, a pleasant, unwavering smile, and a friendly, wagging tail.
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:11 pm
Patch waited, crouched there in torn jeans and worn-out sneakers, letting them talk. He was merely an observer; as much as he liked company, he liked to be his own cat, too. He watched as the Korat -- a seemingly chipper girl! -- spoke excitedly to the Burmese, who looked a little put off. He noticed the Burmese's glance towards him, recognizing the look in her eye.
He continued to smile, but stood and slowly wound his way over to them. He walked in a lazy stroll, his stride confident. He offered the two cats a wide grin, reaching his arms out in a big shrug and looked up at the window. "Perfect piano skills," he murmured, his voice young but husky. "My Lady used to play, but she wasn't nearly as good." He paused, reaching a hand out first to the Korat. His yellow eyes glittered as he watched her tail wag much like an excited dog's might. "I'm Patch."
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:00 pm
What was it with cats being so sociable? In the least these two seemed even-tempered enough; no reason to be so prickly. Besides, it appeared htat at least one of them was new to town - well, not that Ella knew Ikebokuro very well herself, but she had definitely seen at least more than two cats, from a distance if nothing else. So: Natsuki the somewhat hyper yet eager Korat, and now this Patch the lazily happy guy. The Burmese relaxed some more. "It's, ah, Elarinya," she replied almost flippantly like talking about the weather, never having enjoyed owning such a "fanciful" name. "Nevermind why my old owner called me that. I think he read too many fantasy novels to understand the concept of a normal name. So . . ." She cocked her head at them. "Why aren't you two wearing collars? I thought cats were supposed to wear them."
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:09 pm
Patch felt a chuckle rise up his throat, his heart feeling for the confused little Elarinya who still wore her collar. What a little angel. He smiled, covering his mouth to cover his laugh, and knelt down, rocking back on his heels. He looked almost comfortable, crouching there, grinning like a mad man. He motioned to the Korat -- Natsuki, was her name? -- and then at his own throat and the pale little scar that was left from his old collar. He smiled a little wistfully.
"We're Free Collars," he explained. "We no longer rely on Two-Legs to feed us and care for us. We live the not-so-pampered but oh-so-perfect life of a stray." His head tilted, red hair in his face all of a sudden. "Where are your humans?" He reached for her collar, paused, and decided she was skittish so she might not like the touch and his hand rested on his knee.
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:43 pm
Natsuki made a face at the name offered to her by the Burmese cat; it was a hard one for sure, but she attempted it, "Eeeelarniya?" Yes, it was strange, definitely not Japanese. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, for about the same time, a dark, patchy-furred tom cat strode up to them and offered his paw, and name, to her. Blinking at the gesture only momentarily, the Korat was all too happy to grab the other's paw and give it and excited shake. "Patch! That's an easy name! I'm Natsuki!" One of her ears tilted to capture the last of Elarinya's words, and Natsuki glanced back over to her, swishing her tail as the tom next to her crouched down. "Oh... Well.. It got really painful to wear mine, and it was hard to breathe. My human used to fix that problem for me, but when I left my home, there was noone... so.. it eventually snapped off." She explained, for the moment apparently having the clarity of single-minded thought, "But, um... Why are you wearing a collar?" Bright green eyes settled on the band encircling the other girl's neck, just now noting it's existence, "Doesn't it feel strange?"
The Korat girl tilted her head at Patch's explanation, then. What was a Free Collar? Natsuki didn't understand, she no longer had a collar. Lowering her ears a little and drawing her brows together in confusion, she simply stood and observed the tom. This new town had a lot of new things to get used to it seemed.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:54 am
Indeed the second Patch's hand approached her, she leaned back and stiffened. Ella didn't enjoy being touched, much less from cats - these "Free Collars" - she barely knew. Then again, she used to love the sensation of being pet by her old human, when wrinkled fingers would caress her back and she would raise it just to make sure they always had full contact, the fire crackling merrily to ward off cold, the very concept of time insignificant when he played music in his last hours - Oh, stop it!, she chided herself with an inward frown. No point in thinking about him now. No point in explaining, not even if asked.
Thus the Burmese carefully avoided Patch's inquiry about the still sensitive subject of her humans (or rather, her sole one) by diverting the conversation to focus more on this new term, this new "idea" of being collarless. "That makes sense," Elarinya replied in regards to Natsuki, "since humans are supposed to take care of what they love. Why would you want leave? I wear my collar because it is a symbol of that love." She cocked her head at them. "But you both have scars on your necks. Why is that?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:49 pm
Natsuki tilted her head at the Burmese and pulled her ears back unhappily, as if Elarinya had said something absurd. "Leave them?" She myewed incredulously, letting her tail sink, "My humans abandoned me. I was lost outside, and they didn't even come looking for me!" The Korat's fur bristled at the idea, really, she had liked her humans and would not have simply left them. They did her wrong, that much she had convinced herself of.
Shaking her head vehemently, she continued quietly, glaring through eyes still clear, but wearing the expression of a pouting child, "We have scars... It's what will happen to you if you wander too long with that thing around your neck. Once you leave a human's house, you won't have the loving attention of a person who will take care of it for you." Slowly, the Korat's tail began moving again, lashing sporadically as she huffed and fell back on her haunches next to Patch. That discussion had certainly ruffled her fur.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:51 pm
Patch recognized the hurt tone of Natsuki's voice and he reached out with a hand, touching her shoulder. His yellow eyes gleamed sympathetically. "Indeed... My Lady drove me out to a farm house and left me there. I waited for her to come back..." His voice turned soft, but it didn't bring much sadness. He liked being a stray; he'd come to cherish the freedom. But it had taken awhile. He patted Natsuki's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Humans are fickle, fickle creatures."
He reached up and touched his own throat. His scar was pale, probably because Lady had taken his collar from him before she abandoned him. It never had a chance to grow tight. "So what are you doing all the way out here, with no humans to call your own, little Ella?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:15 am
The Burmese bristled at the nickname, finding it too intimate for cats she had just met. Patch was certainly . . . too affectionate. "Abandoned you?" she asked in reply to Natsuki, frowning. "I guess they weren't worth much then." Mine was, though. Apparantly not everyone is as lucky in this world of two-legged creatures. Patch seemed to think as much too, though why anyone would enjoy being so free was beyond her.
"It's Elarinya. I'm here just to listen to good music," she added, gestureing with a paw up to the second floor where the piano music came down from at intervals. "And then I'll be on my way to who knows where. But why would I get a scar from wearing my collar? It fits very comfortably. I imagine the only way you'd get it is if . . . well, if you tore it off yourself." Was that what they did? Take it off in spite after they were abanoned? Elarinya found she couldn't blame them, though their situations made her somewhat sympathetic. "But my owner didn't abandon me. He just went on to a better place. I keep this on in his memory."
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:06 am
"Well, maybe they weren't worth much." The Korat spat in return, flicking an ear at Patch's touch and glancing over at him briefly, "But you don't have to make it sound like I got this scar on my own. And anyway, I don't care anymore! I like my freedom." It was obvious the girl was lying. While she had come to a place where she could be confident in herself and life on her own, her issue with humans was still a fresh wound it seemed. Still, Natsuki didn't like her current tone of voice, and made an effort to calm herself. She listened to Elarinya talk and stared at her paws for a while. "There is another way. You're not as young as I am... but you're still growing, you know." She murmured quietly, "Your collar doesn't appear to be made of elastic either. You'll see." Behind her, the girl's tail whipped and flicked at the air, and she rocked to the side a bit to rub her head against the multicolored tom's shoulder. Inside, she could still feel outrage bubbling hotly, and she didn't want to let it out against this girl. It wasn't her fault after all. So, Natsuki, leaning on the gentle Patch, peeked up at the Burmese cat from beneath her dark bangs.
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:48 pm
Huffing to herself, Natsuki gave her ear another flick and rocked off of Patch to stand up again. "Whatever you say." She myewed to the Burmese in a low tone, absently rubbing at the scar on her neck. Her ears pricked at the abrupt halting of the music, and the girl looked up to the open window in question. When Elarinya clambered up the tree and turned to speak to them, she tilted her head to the side. Natsuki still wanted to find out what a piano was, and she didn't know what the other girl was going on about anymore, so without saying anything, the Korat lept at the tree and clawed her way up to the branch Elarinya was on with little difficulty. With ears forward and tail holding straight behind her for balance, she peered into the open window curiously.
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