[xvinn]

kotik (he/him) | loner

The weather had started to grow a little cooler, though nothing close to the harsh winter that the foreign tom had once experienced in his homeland, where the snow piled so high that it was easy for a kit to get lost - or, even worse, become buried. In fact, the current cooldown was quite welcome for a cat who wasn't quite as used to the blistering heat that the valley sometimes seemed to beat down. He wasn't entirely sure how the valley cats were so used to it - but it was possible that they had simply grown up in such an environment that they hardly noticed. The tom couldn't help but feel amused when he imagined just how they might react to the coldest season of his home.

In the moons since he'd first arrived in the valley, Kotik had come to know quite a few different cats. He had a hard time understanding the Clan ways, or how the borders worked, but he'd at least learned that there were three Clans: GorgeClan, GaleClan and MistClan, as well as a mystical Clan full of dead cats called StarClan. Kotik had also learned about the Tribe of Rushing Water that lived in the nearby mountains, and had learned that they seemed to be very different from the Clans below. He had a vague understanding of where the Clans were, more or less, though the exact territories were a little bit more vague in Kotik's mind.

He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't usually try and spend a little more time around where he believed the MistClan territory was, looking for a specific calico she-cat he'd met before. That being said, he was still sometimes a little confused, which had been quite evident when a cat went to chase him off, telling him to keep off GorgeClan territory. He'd tried apologizing to the tabby, but they didn't seem all that willing to listen. It was perhaps the first time that he'd been chased off - all during the warmest season, cats never seemed to mind Kotik lazing around, catching some sun and just having a friendly disposition. Maybe the cold was making their spirits colder, although Kotik could hardly imagine that this was cold, even to the most warm-blooded of creatures.

Kotik had tried coming to the lake several times, claiming that it was likely just because he needed to drink fresh water, after all. But it also gave him the opportunity to try and fish some more - he tried to focus on what Koisplash had taught him, making sure his shadow didn't float over the top of the water to alert the fish to his location. He had learned to be patient, though it wasn't as though patience had ever been much of a thing that Kotik lacked. Today though, he was testing his patience in a different way, instead finding himself perched with his paws tucked underneath him on a rock, looking out over the lake. With the mist spilling over the water, he had to imagine this was part of MistClan territory, right? It was a calming sight, nonetheless, almost giving him a chance to meditate to the sounds around him, taking in the scents and touch of his surroundings.

He laid his head on his paws in front of him, closing yellow eyes and feeling almost a hope boil inside of him. What precisely was he hoping for? He told himself that while yes, the truth was that he was hoping to see Koisplash, it was for no reason past enjoying her company. She was friendly to him, and had offered to help teach him more about the ways of the Clans to appease his curiosity. While the slavic cat had no desire to join the Clans, he wanted to know more about the lives of different cats of the worllds he had seen. He knew the worlds that he had grown up in, he knew the worlds of those who lived in lyudi dens, but he still did not know as much about the worlds of those who lived in the valley and the mountains. He wanted to know more about them. He wanted to know more about Koisplash.

Gemini / koisplash ● 709 words

[Gemini]

[attr="class","whatabout"]

[attr="class","angels"]

xvinn

766 words

Life is like water

If you block one side

it takes other turns to continue its journey

So don't stop your journey due to one failure

[attr="class","wbascr"]

From deepest ebony to harmonious umber hues, from cream softened oranges to the greens that ripen into a sea-spun sage - leaf-fall has arrived and is as welcome as a long-remembered song. The kaleidoscopic season was Koisplash's favorite, although she was disheartened by the more frigid temperatures of the water. The aroma of the fall comes in solemn earthen elegance upon umber leaf beneath cloud-coddled skies she gazed upon, settled in MistClan's camp. The deputy was growing jittery, unable to remain still much longer. Koisplash hoisted her lissome physique; the she-cat expanded her forelimbs in a stretch, followed by the back ones as she advanced in long strides. The mademoiselle had recently completed organizing patrols, observing as the border patrol returned. She allowed the group of felines to pass by, remaining at the edge of camp with a placid demeanor, numerous thoughts swamping her crania. They weren't necessarily unwanted, but they weren't reflections she should've been pondering about at the moment. Not allowing another minute to spare, Koisplash continued, pace brisk as she ambulated into the distance, afar from MistClan camp. Where do these legs want to go? She questioned herself, perplexed as to why she'd felt so frenzied the past moon or so, ever since she met that loner; Kotik.

Perhaps that was the thing in question, Kotik; he'd accompanied the damsel in MistClan territory, and she hadn't reacted as she typically did toward trespassers. A lump formed in the deputy's throat, Why do I even like his company? He's a loner, just a likable... jovial tom. She attempted to ease her brain, struggling to comprehend her desire to meet him again. Koisplash endeavored to convince herself that, conceivably, it was because she told him to remain safe and hoped to see him again. It was as if she anticipated seeing the loner again, trying to rid the lump by swallowing. The divine conductor brings the soft serenade of the leaf-fall. Suppose it comes as serene a melody, at first hushed below the heightened reminders of Greenleaf, the ones that dance with a riotous bliss. It wasn't long before Koisplash identified the hazy ambiance dwelling throughout. She recalled the location as the Misted Lake, swole with aromas of prey and even a familiar scent. Pausing, she stood there for a moment, squinting as she scrutinized her surroundings. Kotik, he's got to be here... She extended her appendages, taking a few steps to peer through the misted atmosphere.

Leaf-fall's sweet breath chilled the drowsy motherland: murky air, moor, and glen. Amethyst blossoms wither under gleams of faltering light, hindered by soft-spun cloud. The lingering sun kisses outstretched wings, bound for warmer waters until the sun plunges beneath the horizon. At the same time, berries harken to those that stay, a gift of red, replacing summer petals that curl delicately into the sable earth. A darkened silhouette lingered a few fox-lengths before her, beneath the trees alongside the lake's shoreline, where she identified a white, patched tabby, Kotik. A few leaves wafted from the trees aloft, stirring as the zephyr twirled the leaf in a cyclone, fluttering down to the topography below. She stepped on the crunchy leaf, causing it to crumble beneath her foundation; she assumed the sudden sound may have corrupted Kotik's introspections or slumber. She approached on his backside, unsure if he was conscious of her presence, and if he wasn't, he probably was now. She slowly circled to his flank, gazing at the bachelor perched on a rock. "Kotik," Her vocalizations uttered, soft and pristine, allowing his name to flow smoothly right off her tongue, "It's really nice to see you again, and," She briefly paused, walking around the rock as she scanned over his physique. "Not a single scratch."

Koisplash took a step back to better view the pulchritudinous tomcat. Why did she care to inspect if he acquired any lacerations from the opposing clans or something dangerous? For a moment, the damsel fluttered, silence treading the air. Koisplash shook her cranium, perking her crown toward the bachelor. "Sorry, I, uh, remember telling you to stay safe, so I figured I'd check." She explained, though it was most likely unnecessary. Koisplash grunted, flustering herself further with her own actions, "I guess I may have been hoping to see you again. I never thought to talk to a loner, but you're not typical, I suppose." Another unneeded statement escaped her maw. I should've started with, 'Oh, hi Kotik, how're you?' She wasn't delighted with her greetings, awaiting for Kotik to unclog the undesirable tension in the air. There may not have been tension in Kotik's mind, but there certainly was for the deputy.

► kaigra ◄

[newclass=.whatabout]height:375px;width:500px;border:#eee solid 10px;background:url(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52057741234_e27fcdcbeb.jpg);overflow:hidden;transition:1s linear all;[/newclass][newclass=.whatabout:hover .angels]margin-top:-350px;[/newclass][newclass=.angels]transition:1s ease-out all;[/newclass][newclass=.wbascr::-webkit-scrollbar]width:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.wbascr::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background:#fff;[/newclass][googlefont=Water Brush][googlefont=Zen Loop]

[xvinn]

kotik (he/him) | loner

It was the smell that passed over Kotik before the sound of the crunching leaves. A briny scent mixed with a crisp woodsy air, with just the slightest hint of dewy rose for those who paid close enough attention, a scent that fit her personality just as well. The briny scent, reminiscent of her loyalty towards her Clan, energetic and alluring, knowing where exactly in this valley she would fit into. The crisp woodsy air gave Kotik a feeling of a hard exterior, radiating passion and a strong foundation for other cats to lean onto as their faithful deputy. But underneath was that dewy rose, which did not blossom for everyone, but it was a softer side whose beauty only showed for those who were lucky enough to get close. The tom felt privileged to notice its bloom.

He tried to hide his own pleasure to sensing Koisplash find him, while feeling a little self-indulgent about the fact that it seems that he was right about this area being part of MistClan's territory. Yet, he could only hide so much, his tail being the first to give away his feelings as the tip twitched, before his ears swiveled instinctively to the sound of the leaves under Koisplash's steps.

Realizing he could only get away with his charade of playing-it-cool for so long, he raised his head to bring his gaze to Koisplash. "Privyet, rybka!" Kotik chirped, realizing he was falling into his native tongue in almost a nervous reaction to finally seeing the soft-furred calico. Though, he had found himself using more of his old communication style, as many of the cats he'd met were fascinated by the different ways to greet one another or express emotion. He hoped that at least privyet may come across in its meaning to be a way of greeting another, a term often used informally and one Kotik always preferred. It felt nice to have the cats embrace the uniqueness of his homeland, rather than expect him to formally conform to their ways - or perhaps, they'd simply realized that trying to get Kotik to follow their rules was a dead end at best, so it was easier to try and understand where he came from and how that influenced his seeming disregard for codes.

The tom sat up as Koisplash seemed to go through her examination, finding himself mangling up within the odd feeling that seemed to pass. "I am glad to have passed your inspection. It is true I have no scratches of battles, though I did receive rather nasty peck from spiteful bird I was hunting," he looked over his shoulder, trying to see if he could spot the place where a crow had gotten the upper hand on him. He'd thought he'd managed to hide himself perfectly, but slipped up at the last minute, allowing the bird to fly out of Kotik's reach before plummeting down and taking one final dig at its attacker and getting away. It'd certainly taken a little bit of fur with it on the way, but looking over his pelt, it seems that perhaps it had grown back.

With that, Kotik hopped down from his perch to stand on the same level as Koisplash, immediately feeling better about the balance between them now that their eyes could meet. He couldn't help but give a warm chuckle at the mention that he was not like other loners - that seemed to be a pretty common consensus among nearly everyone he'd met in the valley. "It is good to see you again, too, rybka. I was also hoping to see you again, though I admit that I am not always best at directions," he gave a little purr, clearly amused by his own antics that might have worried a different cat altogether. There was a point when he'd been travelling along the edge of the rift in the valley for a few sunrises, reaching the end of the crack itself before he realized he'd probably left the territories where the cats were all gathered. It was a peaceful time of introspection nonetheless, though admittedly, Kotik probably should have realized earlier that travelling for an entire day meant that he was a bit too far from where he'd intended to go.

He did his best to bring a warmth into the conversation on the chill day, wrapping a feeling of coziness around the pair. "Ah, I should ... translate," he realized, somewhat embarrassed, though he did his best to cover it up with some usual kind charm, "Rybka is nickname, meaning little fish," he said, his whiskers twitching with amusement, "It is like your name - koi - but you are also not typical, enjoying swimming as though you are fish." A little joke about mentioning Kotik being a rather odd duck of a loner, but he enjoyed that, knowing that he was unlike any other.

Of course, he didn't continue the further meaning of the nickname. While sure, it did translate into something along the lines of "little fish", it was also often used as a term of endearment that a tom might call a molly who was particularly dear to him, whether as a friend or something further. It felt like a nickname most suited to Koisplash out of any other cat he'd met, both in its literal and symbolic meaning. On top of that, nicknames were always special in his home. Cats rarely had their own name, but instead, were often called by their relationship to one another. But a relationship could grow to allow for a more personalized nickname, and it wasn't entirely uncommon for a cat to be called a single nickname by many, or for their nicknames to hold a theme of sorts. But it was always a special moment in a relationship when one graduated from simply being called a general name like kitten or stranger to a personalized nickname. Kotik surmised it might not be too different than what he'd heard of warrior ceremonies in the Clans, when a cat would graduate from their apprentice name to their warrior name. Though, he decided against divulging this new information he'd learned about the Clans to Koisplash, preferring to listen to her explain it all, even if he knew the answer.

Gemini / koisplash ● 1049 words

[Gemini]

[attr="class","whatabout"]

[attr="class","angels"]

xvinn

803 words

Life is like water

If you block one side

it takes other turns to continue its journey

So don't stop your journey due to one failure

[attr="class","wbascr"]

The lengthy-furred calico didn't honestly believe she'd see him again, yet her intuition said otherwise. The way her foundations ascended onward, initially pondering about the consequences or questioning where she was going or what she was doing, was now crossing her skeptical mentality once more. Koisplash inhaled softly, allowing herself to decompress at the moment; she needed to remind herself to breathe and relax. She was recently promoted to deputy and felt she was taking advantage of the circumstances. She assumed StarClan wouldn't praise her for such behavior, trailing away from the Camp to greet some loner she'd met approximately a moon ago. Numerous questions struck her crania regarding Cloverstar's opinion if she'd found out she was meeting with a loner; who had virtually zero acuity of boundaries and direction. The sight of Kotik was a warming vision, fulfilling her with multiple sentiments; joy, bewilderment, frustration, and curiosity. She was joyous to see him, relieved to know he was safe and healthy. She was bewildered about her contentment witnessing him, someone beyond the Clans. She felt secure in his presence, unlike she's felt with anyone before. She was frustrated about the consequences of her actions; if she'd gone far enough to break the fragile code. Yet, she was curious about the connections between her emotions and the ignition she felt with Kotik.

A smile decorated her countenance upon hearing the strange expressions flow from his mandibles; a soft giggle escaped her maw as she gazed up at the slightly larger feline she recalled as Kotik. She assumed it was a nickname for someone or a term that had meaning. Koisplash's auditories turned outward, appearing like the wings on an airplane as she met his gaze. "Privyet, Rybka?" She inquired, a bit inaudibly, curious as to what the phrase meant and how the bachelor interpreted it. Either way, she enjoyed the bachelor's accent and how his words snaked off his tongue so effortlessly. Koisplash was examining Kotik's physique, marveling at his structure and pelage. She adored the patches of tabby markings on his figure, seeing as most of his pelt is alabaster in color. Koisplash's smile was one of happiness growing as a spring flower blossoms. It could be seen how it came from deep inside to light her eyes and spread into every part of her. An individual typically smiles with more than their mouth; it's heard in their voice, their choice of words, and how they relax. Seeing someone smiling, who an individual cares for, was a beautiful sight. "Birds are malicious...all prey who walk the earth is!" She rebutted, with a snort escaping her nostrils. "I mean, uh, I prefer to keep to the water, you see? I fail almost every time I hunt; without my other skills-- I would have failed my assessment."

She was alleviated when Kotik leaped down from his perch and met her gaze in much closer range. The mademoiselle nodded, "Hoping to see me again?" She whispered in question, hoping Kotik hadn't heard her. She wondered what he meant by those words, fumbling over her process of formulating sentences. There were mixtures of warmth and tenderness, bitter and sour. Perhaps this feeling was a slight crush on the fellow before she is akin to crushed velvet, soft and reflective of the light. She wanted to let it be an updraft beneath her wings. And wherever she went, whether with him or not, she'd be content with the thought of his presence and the comfort she felt. It was a quick connection that she didn't expect, especially with someone outside the Clan. She wanted to believe that this was a test or some other excuse. Koisplash presumed that if this fondness grew too deep, she'd endeavor to suspend this bliss. "I was looking for you, too, Kotik." She admitted in a hushed utterance, failing to swallow her pride as she desired to remain loyal to MistClan. She was paranoid about stepping an inch over the line of the warrior code. She viewed the code as a line, delicate and thin. She expected to remain fox-lengths away.

The embarrassment in Kotik's visage and body language was quite visible; Koisplash flicked her tail toward the opposing feline, informing him that it wasn't a big deal that he didn't previously translate. As she listened to the translation, her ears perked up, feathery plume coiled before her frontal appendages. "What a lovely nickname, Kotik!" She chimed, visage closed with joy, "It's perfect." A soft purr rumbled from her trachea, reopening her sea-green eyes to meet his. "I wish I had a special nickname for you." She grumbled, a huff escaping her mandibles. "But...anyway-- were you hungry? I hope you've eaten; I wouldn't want you to be starving."

► kaigra ◄

[newclass=.whatabout]height:375px;width:500px;border:#eee solid 10px;background:url(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52057741234_e27fcdcbeb.jpg);overflow:hidden;transition:1s linear all;[/newclass][newclass=.whatabout:hover .angels]margin-top:-350px;[/newclass][newclass=.angels]transition:1s ease-out all;[/newclass][newclass=.wbascr::-webkit-scrollbar]width:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.wbascr::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background:#fff;[/newclass][googlefont=Water Brush][googlefont=Zen Loop]