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 Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:10 am
Nalani prowled quietly through the University campus. She was a little bored and looking around for something to occupy her. Feeling slightly apart from her surroundings, she made her way towards a burned building, water glinting behind it in the light of the setting sun. She had meet cats here and there, ranging from rude to respectful to downright crazy. All were very interesting, yes, and engaging for a time, but nothing seemed to feel very human, nothing that might begin a lasting connection. She tugged at the purple collar around her neck, trying to ease the tightness a little. Even with her owner, there had been no overt affection, just respect and proper behavior, a sort of mutual existence together. Nalani felt this way towards the rest of the world, too; it was there and so was she. As long as she was given respect, she would return it in kind. Reaching the manmade lake, she sat down at the water’s edge, staring out over the shimmering surface and thinking nothing in particular, just a little weighted down with a general sense of dissatisfaction. She would have to find… something. Something more than amusement or danger, something with more purpose… Nalani sighed, gazing into the middle distance.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:44 am
The Ruins weren't exactly what Achilles expected them to be. In his mind he pictured a loving family with 'good mornings' and 'how do you dos' everywhere and yet, he was lucky if he was up in time to catch them leaving. Poor, Achilles. He was always up at odd hours, random hours. However, that was his own fault. It wasn't Tempo's, nor any of the other cats who used this facility as a home. Achilles just had to be more, consistent with a sleeping schedule. Hopefully, learn to get up earlier than he was now.
He rose out of his little bed of blankets all curled up in the corner of his new room. Like he expected, when he left the building all the cats were already out and about. The sun was setting, so the Tonkinese already knew he was in for a long night. Stepping out of the building he figured he might as well go to the lake. It was always such a gorgeous sight to see at this time of day. Just as the sun was reaching down to kiss the water the blue eyed boy came to notice a pretty little thing sitting by the waters edge. He shrugged slightly, already feeling his stomach twist with nervousness.
His mind raced with thoughts, 'Should I stay? Maybe I should just leave? Would she like me? What does it matter? It does, it does matter. Ugh!' He fought with himself in his head before finally letting his shoulders drop back down, sticking out his chest slightly from the dramatic inhale of hope and he took his time to stroll over before sitting quite a good distance from the other. He tried to make it casual but his eyes betrayed him by often glancing over at her and turning away timidly.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 4:29 pm
Nalani’s ear flicked to the side as she smelled someone approach her, but other than that she didn’t move from where she sat. She caught the over-dramatic intake of breath and a ghost smile flitted across her face, her eyes gazing out over the lake. Behind her across the university, she heard the slight crackle and hum as the lamps came to life, lighting the concrete walkways and planters between the buildings.
Letting her gaze slide unhurriedly over to where the stranger now sat. Tilting her head slightly, she caught his eye out of the corner of hers. He looked away, but she continued to observe him. He wasn’t that bad looking, if a little plain in attire compared to some cats. He wore no collar but she could see the scar around his neck where a collar might have been, once. Again, her paw strayed up to her own collar. She didn’t really have much in the way of feelings towards it, nor off those cats who called themselves free-collars, but she knew eventually she would have to take her own collar off before she got any bigger or risk suffocation. Looking into the middle ground with these thoughts, her head drifted a little more towards the strange male. Blinking, she focused more on him, again catching his eye as he looked towards her. Her faint smile widened a little more with amusement and she called over to him, her strong voice edged with quiet amusement. “I don’t bite.” not without cause, anyway.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:36 pm
As the lamps sparked on and the low humming of the lights vibrated through him, poor Achilles gave a mild jump. He had been so focused upon this silent girl that he didn't feel his surroundings anymore. Not as much as he should anyway. When he calmed himself back down, realizing that it wasn't any threat, he glanced at her again. Oh, why couldn't he just say hello? His vocals were being pinched shut by this nervous sensation engulfing him. It was always like this. He wasn't a social fellow at all. Not in the least.
A rather amused tone came from the stranger all of a sudden. An announcement to him that she wouldn't bite. Well, he would sure hope so. All he was doing was sitting down by the lake, like any other cat was allowed to do. "I..." he was at lost for words. Man, he shouldn't have opened his mouth at all. Now he looked like an idiot, at a loss for words. He tripped over his own thoughts, trying to come up with anything for a reply. Finally, he decided on staying polite. "I'm Achilles," his voice was soft and gentle, just like his appearance. He was not for violence in any form, so hopefully she wouldn't go back on her word.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 7:07 pm
Nalani continued to gaze over at the male, an amused smile lingering on her lips. While it seemed like he was having a time of it mastering his thoughts, at least he had been polite and respected her space to begin with, rather than invading her thoughts. That decision there had earned him some of her respect and direct attention, if anything. She continued to watch him with polite interest while he seemed to struggle with his words. Finally he introduced himself and she inclined her head, returning his greeting. Even in voice he was polite, and rather unassuming. A few more brownie points. “Good evening, Achilles.” She smiled politely, her eyes still twinkling with some amusement and interest behind her manners. Musing whether or not she would give her name just yet, she turned out to look over the water again. “Do you often sit out here in the evenings? I’ve only just come and I find the light on the water quite pleasing.” She turned her head towards Achilles again. “Wouldn’t you agree?” She was being a Queen, polite and full of manners. He seemed polite so far, so she had decided to play with him.
politely.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:45 pm
The young Tonkinese teenager let the words she spoke so smoothly sink into his system. She had greeted him, but there wasn't a name to go along with her face. He figured she would tell him when the time became appropriate. He let his eyes lazily drift back to the sparkling, shimmering surface of the water. The question that flowed through his hears made his lips curl into a faint smile. "Well, I do try to catch the sunset. It depends what sort of sleeping schedule I'm on." He turned his blue orbs back on her, admiring her beauty.
When she spoke of the beauty of the scenery he couldn't help but give a definite nod. The lady was right. This was one of his favorite things to stare at. It was just so, enchanting, even if the light did hurt his eyes a little. He just couldn't bring himself to look away. "It is... really, it is." The young brunette found himself at a loss for words again. Oh, this always seemed to happen to him. Why him? He stayed in the awkward silence for a moment or two longer before opening his mouth and spilling out the question that was bugging him, "So, can I know your name? Please?" He didn't want to appear rude, but it was killing him not knowing.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:30 pm
Nalani smiled slightly, watching the Tonkinese gaze out over the lake’s surface. As he stare out over the water, she got up and made her way lazily towards him, cutting the distance between them by half, if only so she didn’t have to raise her voice so much. She smiled again as he stumbled over his thoughts once more, her polite amusement quite pronounced. She let him stew in his awkwardness as long as he wanted until out tumbled the question of her name. She laughed, a rich chuckle, not disdainful or arrogant, but just quite entertained. “Well only because you said please.” She replied. “And because you’re cute when you’re flustered.” Nalani inclined her head regally, coming up to met his blue eyes with her yellow ones. “You may call me Nalani. It is a pleasure to met you, Achilles, and quite amusing, too.” Her eyes twinkled again. Sobering a little, if only to not run off her evening’s company, she added politely, “I do not mean to offend, only to be honest. You are rather funny.” Her smile returned and she turned out to face the lake again, feeling slightly less dissatisfied, if only because she was distracting herself. He wasn’t that bad looking, but Nalani had yet to really connect with any one cat, so she wouldn’t know what to look to as a sign of fondness, anyways.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:45 pm
When he heard the girl's chuckle he quickly became aware of how close she had gotten. It wasn't like she was sitting right beside him now but she was far closer than a scoot. She wanted to be closer? This brought out a slight confidence boost. When Havana finally spoke her name he couldn't help but feel his lips twist just right to give a sincere smile. He was thankful she had shared it with him instead of keeping it all to herself. However, when she mentioned how cute he was when he was flustered and how he entertained her he felt his cheeks blushing furiously. "O-oh... I... w-well..." he stumbled over his words and gave short pauses after each one. The youthful cat told of how she didn't mean to offend and this let his heart rest a bit easier. Plus, the way that she smiled and seemed to enjoy his presence really brought a smile to his own face. He really adored making people smile. "Pleasure to meet you to, Nalani. Heh, and I don't mind. Honestly. I'm glad I can amuse you." He wasn't being a smart a** about it at all. Making other cats feel good was what Achilles loved most of all.
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Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:58 am
Nalani smiled; glad the polite and flustered Tonkanese wasn’t going to take offense and bolt. That just wouldn’t be very much fun, would it? At the moment her mind was on his entertainment value, and some on his looks, but in honesty, she did not what him to leave because of her. This was partially because she was being polite, if a little teasing, and for the sake of her honor she would hate for him to take offense at her behavior. She nodded her head again in response to his reassurance. “Good. Then I should like for you to continue to do so.” She declared. Nalani didn’t mean that Achilles should continue to be flustered intentionally. That would get old if it was forced unnecessarily. However, she had made her way into this unfamiliar territory out of boredom, and anyone who didn’t mind being a fool for her should not be passed over. Especially one with good manners. “So you mentioned that your sleeping schedule varies from day to day? What might one be doing to cause such a thing?” She asked, as thought the concept of waking up at a different time each day was something foreign and unusual. Nalani herself woke up about the same time each day and went to bed when she felt like it, depending on how many naps she had taken that day.
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:18 pm
When she told him to continue being himself he felt his lips curl into a slightly more enthusiastic smile. Sure, the little Havana didn't exactly come out and say it but in a way she did. He was naturally striving to amuse people. Knowing that he could make others smile made him feel complete in a way. "Oh, trust me. I will try my best." He leaned back, propping himself on his elbows as he continued to look out over the lake. The sun was dipping down against the horizon now, starting to hide away for the night.
When the whole sleeping condition got brought up again the young Tonk began to feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Well, yeah. I don't know why, but ... I just... I like to stay up late sometimes and watch the stars, but other times I like to go for walks on nice days. It's hard to explain. I just wish my body would allow me to stay up twenty-four seven." He hoped that it was a decent explanation. Sleeping was such a waste of time to him, and yet, he loved it. Dreaming let his mind flow over with wonderful thoughts. Sometimes he needed to dream to escape his loneliness.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:56 am
Nalani tilted her head to the side slightly, looking at the Tonkinese more closely. He seemed to have relaxed more after her declaration and looked like he was behaving somewhat more naturally. And then of course, as if to prove her wrong, he blushed again when she questioned him. She smiled a ghost smile again, exhaling a little through her nose in a single silent chuckle. Watching him ponder over his habits, he seemed to drift into his comfortable zone again, as though he was thinking about something peaceful but at the same time he seemed a little forlorn somehow.
Nalani looked out across the lake in the same direction Achilles was gazing and watched the last dying rays of light from the sun fleck across the water; sighing a little out loud. All of a sudden, she felt her previous dissatisfaction come bubbling up from within her again. Everybody seemed so natural, so… real, and all she ever did was watch everything, hardly ever making real contact with one person or another. She exhaled again, stretching her legs out in front of her and lying back, staring up at the dark sky with her hands behind her head. Blinking up at the few stars that had appeared in the twilight, she frowned slightly, feeling rather blank inside.
"What would you do then?" Nalani asked, her voice somewhat flatter than before. "If you didn't have to sleep."
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:13 am
Once the last few rays of sunlight were cut off only the horizon was left aglow. The sky much darker than it had been moments before. It was amazing watching a sunset and how it changed the surroundings so quickly. It surely sent shivers up Achilles spine just thinking about it. The Tonk had been so lost in the scenery that he didn't even feel the eyes that had been on him. When he took a moment to glance out of the corner of his eyes at the girl he noticed she too was admiring the lack of light now. Silence was nice, and yet it was torture. What was going through that head of hers?
Suddenly, she shifted so that her legs were out in front of her. He quickly looked back at the water, not wanting to be caught staring. It wasn't polite. When he heard the flop he looked back over, feeling a bit of concern jump up inside of him. Once he saw that she was only laying back he decided that was a good idea. It was sort of tiring to sit up constantly. He crawled over so that he could lay on his belly, facing towards her. His chin propped up on his fist, looking her over. Where did that fear of being impolite go to? Who knows? He figured if she openly knew he was looking then it'd be alright.
As she looked up at the stars he looked at her, smile plastered on his face. She really was a pretty girl, but of course, she was nothing compared to Maria. Then again, who was he kidding. He could never win the heart of such a beauty. When Nala asked him about what he did at night he bit his lip, taking a moment to think about this. What did he do exactly? "Uh, sometimes I just, wander around. There's really nobody else out at this time, so that's ... comforting. I don't mind being alone... but sometimes I do." He was so nervous around strangers, but he didn't like being alone either. He didn't have any really close close friends he could hang out with either. He needed some of those.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:14 am
Nalani kept her eyes on the hand full of stars, not really paying attention what Achilles was doing at the moment. The grass rustled neared to her and she flicked an ear towards the sound. The tom must have moved closer to her on the grass. “Decided to stop being so nervous?” She commented quietly. She still felt blank, but it didn’t drain her as it had before. She felt quiet neutral, as if she was filled with a white space that neither hurt nor pulled at her. She breathed slowly, filling her nose with the scents of the grass, the air, and of the tonkenese beside her. She lay still for a few beats, just quietly taking in the world around her. She could hear the grass crinkle slightly underneath them and she could practically hear Achilles smiling at her. When he spoke again, she listened to his voice; a little unsure, caused by his introspection and probably from that same nervousness that continued to make him blush, somewhat serene, as he spoke of the comfort, but then again slightly forlorn at the end. Nalani focused on the last emotion, probing a little into his motivations. “So is that why you came out here?” She inquired, still in a slightly flat tone of voice.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:31 am
She was just laying there. He wasn't sure what her emotions were at the moment, but he was sure curious about them. He could never just bluntly ask such questions though. What if they made her feel uncomfortable? Then again, he doubted that something as simple as that could ever make this girl uncomfortable. She seemed rather comfortable with a lot of things that actually made him nervous. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from this girl. When she spoke about his nervousness he cracked a smile and nodded, "Ya, I suppose so. You're a nice girl. I don't believe I have anything to worry about." He rolled over so that he to was on his back, looking up at the tinkling stars floating in the sky. There weren't many, but that's cause the sky wasn't dark enough yet.
He took a deep breathe, filling his lungs up with air holding it all in for a moment before exhaling through his nose. "Maybe. I don't know why I come out here. I mean, most of the time I only end up getting scared. But I guess being scared is better than being alone, right?" He didn't seem to be so positive about this. He tilted his head back and looked over at her, trying to catch a slight expression change. He couldn't tell if he was boring her or not. That definitely wouldn't be a good thing. He would feel guilty for causing her to stay still and listen to him. "I'm sorry if I'm so.... blah. Heh, I uh... I'm not used to talking to people for long periods of time. I don't really... get to know people to often." He decided to stop staring again and returned his eyes back to the sky, noticing how a star or two would appear as time passed by.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:52 am
Nalani heard the grass crinkle as Achilles rolled over again. Watching the sky turn darker, she thought about his confident statement about her, a statement based off hardly very much time at all spent her presence. Granted she hadn’t been rude or anything, but it still felt odd to hear. “Thank you for honoring me with your trust.” She murmured with slightly more emotion in her voice; astonished and gratified, not much, but enough not to sound so dead. His comment about preferring not to be alone bothered her somewhat, hitting rather close to home with her current mood. She felt rather lonely at the moment, now that she thought about it. She didn’t exactly see herself as alone, per say, but her distanced view of the world didn’t really engender much fondness in any one person or another. Nalani couldn’t really think of anyone she counted as a friend. “I suppose you’re right.” She said quietly, her blank expression sagging a little in a frown. Glancing over at him she sat up, crossing her legs underneath her and turned towards him. “I don’t mind. I don’t really either.” She glanced down before looking at him again. “Get to know people, I mean.”
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