Odette: *peeks around, being far more nervous than her usual self* ....... >> << >> life at the facility was hard, I hope there aren't any humans around. /talking to self.

Elijah: *Holds back a whimper as he keeps to the shadows, head inched bwards into his shoulders as much as he could without the collar's sipkes driving too hard into his fur. He had no idea where he was, though his sharp hearing made up for his lack of sight: a girl muttering to herself. He presses himself even further into the darkness, hoping to be avoided*

Odette: *could have sworn she heard something, but couldn't be sure---since she lost her hearing in her one ear at the facility life had become a little more difficult* *sniffs at the air-someone's there* h-hello? *puffs up trying to be brave* sh-show yourself. *waves her umbrella-weapon at the shadows, using it to point at Elijah*

Elijah: *He couldn't see the weapon, but he could feel something disturb the air - like the swish of a very thick, very stiff tail. A soft whimper escapes him on accident, and immediately he hopes it hadn't been heard, now statue-esque and rooted in his fear. Not another one, please not another one, please God, please . . .*

Khloe: -wanders around with her fingers stuffed in the pockets of her shorts, head down and ears pinned back, tail lashing back and forth as she worked off a mood-

Odette: *can barely hear the sounds of Elijah, but registers that someone's there, but it isn't human* *deep sigh, she relaxes a bit* you're not a human....who are you? *she calls out seeing the form of a cat register in the darkness* *suddenly realizes she might be a tad intimidating* I'm just being paranoid. My name is Odette. *opens her umbrella, no longer seeing the other cat as a threat--twirls it and rests it on her shoulder* You can come out now....

Elijah: *Shifts slightly, the soft glint of the gold cross catching some of the light. What if she was lying? What if he'd just be taken again if he moved out of the dark? What if it started to rain when he did too? It'd just be his luck . . . Something seems to be coming to them, a different - third - scent of cat. The mood was . . . warm, irritable. He presses himself further against the wall in immediate fear*

Odette: *wonders why the other cat isn't coming out of the shadows--was she really that scary?* ....it's really okay. *sees the glint of something that the other cat is holding* what is that you have there? *tries to make casual conversation to coax the other cat out when another cat shows up nearby, looking slightly peeved for some reason* eh?

Elijah: *Maybe it was okay . . . Maybe? The angry cloud didn't seem to be growing closer, and she wasn't holding a hostile stance like he thought. The air wasn't tense - just him. Slowly puts one paw forward . . . then another . . . His muscles were stiff from being so locked. The kitten's ears were pricked for any other sound - in case she had "friends". The cross's ribbon remains wrapped about a limb, dragged softly on the concrete*

Khloe: -spots an odd umbrella-wielding female and freezes, lip upturned in a nervous scowl, although she slowly crept forwards- Who're you? -sniffs the air, senses overload and she knows another cat is nearby-

Odette: *watches slowly in surprise as the other kitten comes out of the shadows* *first she noticed all-too-familiar gaze of a blind cat* ".....just like Ammy," she whispered. *she also noticed the collar digging into the cat's neck, and the cross that he was dragging along.* *she was perplexed, but the cat's nervousness was warranted. "...did humans do that?" she found herself asking before quickly cupping her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. She shouldn't stare, and yet she found herself staring anyway. "Um.... my name is Odette. I-I don't hear too well. But if you just speak up a little... well I just got away from the Facility...and um..." she mumbled, unsure of what to say, or where to start. She was on egg shells, trying not to offend or scare the new cat.

She answers the other cat that has appeared, "It's Odette. Do you know this other new cat?" she asked gesturing toward Elijah. "He looks like he could use help."

Khloe: Odette... -offers a hasty smile, tugging on her braids again- I don't know him, no. -glances to the other cat, looking more fearful than Khloe herself ever had been, and offers a small shrug. She bends down, taking a deep breath to cleanse herself from her earlier mood and offers the new male a timid smile- Hello there... -blind...he was blind. She winced, turning away. Blind and Odette was deaf. The world was so unkind...-

Elijah: *Probably would have answered if it weren't for the third cat's return. He could practically hear the scowl in her voice and immediately wished he hadn't stepped out at all, regardless of whether the second cat was nice or not, this . . . Odette. The kitten begins to quickly mutter* Please don't hurt, please don't hurt, please don't hurt . . . ! *His tail tucked itself between his legs, and he lowered himself to the ground at the girl's approach*

Odette looked disheartened when Elijah seemed to shy away at Khloe's approach. He sure was a nervous wreck. Poor guy. "We're not going to hurt you. I promise, cross my heart," she replied, visibly crossing her heart, even though Elijah couldn't see it. "What are your names?" she questioned, listening closely. She wanted to be polite, and didn't want to miss their introductions.

Khloe: -wrinkles her nose a little and sighs; the girl was trying to be nice, why was she being such an a**? Maybe it was just her nature- I'm Khloe. -eyes the nervous boy again, then sits down on the sidewalk, knees to her chest-

Elijah: *Too close! Third cat too close! He skitters back with a soft mewl, nearly tripping over himself in his haste, the two irregular masses of fur on his back trailing tips on the ground. He was a freak! A blind, "winged" freak! What was he doing here at all? Trembling a little, he begins to inch away, keeping the cross close* Nobody . . .

Odette wasn't used to dealing with cats that hadn't come out of their shell's. And she wasn't herself anymore either. "To think humans are responsible.." she muttered watching the others. She clenched her fists tightly around the handle of her umbrella till her knuckles were white, with anger. And why was Khloe so care free? At least she seemed so. The way Odette used to be, she was slightly jealous.

Elijah: *One resentful, the other insulted; he didn't need this right now . . . Mumbles* Sorry. *Then turns and attempts to leave . . . hitting a pole in the process headon. He yelps and staggers back, flopping on his bottom and leaning forward ot hold his head, eyes welling up with tears from the pain*

Khloe: -watches as the male turns to leave, put off by something, and she feels her heart leap into her chest as he walks headlong into a pole. Quickly she was on her feet, moving towards him slowly and looking down at him without touching, as if he were a diseased animal and she didn't want germs- Are...you okay?

Odette: "Oh don't leave," Odette protested, moving after him. She winced as Elijah hit the pole. She would have reached out to touch him, to wipe the tears away, but that probably would have made him more uncomfortable. "Listen, I have someone I think you should meet. Her name is Amaranth and she's like you. At least she was. She's the leader at Gokinu now. Even though she can't see, she rose up and became a strong cat. You should talk to her sometime..."

She watched Khloe's reaction to Elijah and frowned. She acted like the other cat was diseased or something. But she was being....polite? Was that the right word?

Elijah: *just whines and curls up, the cross in the crook of his arm. He didn't care that the spikes on his collar were painful, he just dug his arms closer to his face and cried for more than being hit by a pole* M-Make it s-s-stop . . . ! *He didn't care how or where, he just wanted things to stop completely - everything! Their words were gibberish to him now*

Odette: *panics* Hell I wish she was here. She'd know what to do. I mean that collar should really be lost, that was the first step if I remember right... it just looks so painful, uh *mutterings* She knew Elijah wasn't really listening. She was tempted to get out her cell phone and give Amaranth a call. She couldn't be too far. Gokinu wasn't that far away.....

Elijah: *If it meant getting rid of it all, maybe . . . maybe so.* P-Please . . . *Practically a squeak, paws still covering his face, shoulder hunched as he holds back more tears. Boys weren't supposed to cry!*

Odette tried calling for Ammy but there was no answer. "Crap," Odette muttered. "Well I remember the first step to rebelling is losing the collar. In your case, I would do that soon. Then you can be free like the rest of us. Like Wild Cat." *eyes sparkle* Elijah probably had no idea who she was talking about though or why she was telling him all this. But Odette rambled on. She could smell the dried blood from where the other cat's collar was digging in. It was a sorry sight to see. "Moving around must be difficult...but I won't force it on you. You lose the collar when you're good and ready." She watched Elijah for a moment, transfixed on the cross she wondered if he was religious at all.

Elijah: *The . . . collar?* Wild C-Cat? *The kitten begins to wipe at his eyes hastily, slowly sitting up and upon his haunches, looking in Odette's direction with a hint of curiosity. She must have been joking about the collar. All cats wore collars; it was not questioned.*

Odette gave a sigh of relief now that she has Elijah's attention. He seemed to have calmed down a bit. Maybe if I tell him a story, my favorite story. "Yes Wild Cat. He's a hero. He lived around here at one time. He was an expert fighter. And legend has it that his collar is somewhere near NyanMan's Mansion and that it has a special power. I took off my collar so I could be free like Wild Cat. I have a scar on my neck that it left which is the symbol of a free cat. Lots of cats have that mark. Truth be told, I saved my collar though to remember my owner. I used to think humans were nice, but do to recent events, and what happened to my friend...well... I've changed my mind on the matter."

Elijah: Hero . . . *That was a new one. "Savior" he had heard before, as well as "Messiah". But "hero"? Was it something like either of those words? He wondered what it was like to be an expert fighter, but it must have been nice. Able to defend himself, to fend off enemies . . . maybe even humans! He sits up a little straighter, looking more attentive even as he sniffles* Wh-What happened to your friend?

Odette: Well she was abused by an old lady who had a lot of cats. Their living conditions were a mess. And one day out of desperation, she needed water, she tried drinking out of the sink and her owner got mad at threw a glass bottle at her. It shattered and did a lot of damage. She can't see anymore. Then her owner got made cause she got blood everywhere and picked her up and dumped her in the bath tub. *pauses* ..... Later some other humans appeared and dragged her out of the house by the neck and put her in a cage. (the SPCA---due to Ammy being violent they had to use a the loop leash/collar to pick her up and drop her in a crate which she saw as unpleasant and unnecessary xD) My other friend saw her on a SPCA television special and went to rescue her. Then she trained and trained and now she can hold her own even against humans. Her name is Amaranth. I think you'd like her.

Elijah: Wow . . . *tilts head curiously, awed at the cat's spirit . . . and now a tad wary. She sounded like she could hold her own obviously, but did that make her a nice cat? Then again, he had nowhere else to go, and he was barely fending for himself, so at length he nods to Odette* O-Okay. Let's go.

Odette: sure, we can go to her place. It's called Gokinu Warehouse. If you want, I can hold your paw to lead the way, if that's ok. It's not too far from here.