ORIGIN - So Big/So Small

It had been so long since Splashy last saw someone. So long. Cycles upon cycles had passed, or at least, as far as they were aware, anyway. They'd long since lost track of how much time has passed. Not that they knew what to count time passing after. After what? The disappearance of Sky? The holiday party? That had seemed like a lifetime ago. They were almost certain they'd dreamed it. Ever since they wandered off to hunt, they hadn't been able to find it again. Polaris was big, sure, but not that big.

Still, they felt so small in this place. The whole area, all of the caves, were so large. And they were so small. How had they not been able to find someone else? Were they the only one left in the caves? Would they ever find anyone else, ever? Without Sky by their side, everything was so different. So wrong. Maybe, if they had Sky, things wouldn't seem so big. They'd have someone to share the space with. But the black and white cat was nowhere to be seen.

As the cat walked, their eyes wandered around. For a while, the caves had been dark. So, so dark. It made them all the more desperate to find Sky. But they never did, and they were almost certain something terrible had happened to their best friend. They also hadn't seen Zevruu, or anyone else in the party, for that matter. Maybe everyone they met would just..disappear? A scary thought, but maybe it was for the best they hadn't meant any others. They didn't want to be the cause for anyone else disappearing. Perhaps they should just spend their days alone, wandering the caves by themselves. The thought didn't scare them as much as it should've.

Darkness. That was all Kallista had known for cycles. She'd long since lost count of how it lasted, just as she'd already lost count of how many cycles had passed since the lights came back on. She'd lost track of how much time had passed since she saw Imperia again. Her mind drifted back to that moment, the anger of Imperia, the determination of the other cat. Of Aaliyah. Who knew if she was still alive, though? She knew what Imperia could do. They could have killed Aaliyah, for all she knew.

A part of her believed the hybrid had lived, though. She didn't know what it was that made her feel that way, but she clung to it. Clung to the hope that her rescuer was alive. She wondered if she'd ever come across her again. Had she left Imperia? She hoped so. She couldn't imagine living her life next to someone such as the caracal.

At that, her mind drifted to Todd. She hadn't seen the fox in cycles. After she fled Pisces for the second time, she had stayed in the tunnel for a while before eventually moving on to Polaris, where she now resided. She hadn't gone in any other caves since then, instead wandering the area. She'd eat whenever she absolutely needed it, but that was it. She hadn't had a proper hunt in a long time, and she obviously looked it.

Her fur was messy, and she was so, so thin. Her ribs were clearly visible, though she ignored it. She could live without eating too much. She'd done it before, she can do it again. She'd be fine. She just had to find Todd. He'd help her. But no matter where she looked, he was nowhere to be seen. She was worried something had happened to him. Would she ever find her only friend again?

While walking, she heard movement and looked up. Not far from her was another cat, this one very fluffy compared to her own smooth fur. Or, once smooth fur. She hadn't groomed herself in a long time, and so her fur was all over the place. The other's fur didn't look much better. There appeared to be tangles, and it was covered in dirt. They hadn't washed themselves in a long time either. Kallista stayed there for some time, unsure of what to do. Should she make her presence known? Judging from the look of the cat, it wasn't likely they'd attack. Still, she couldn't be too careful. Anyone could attack at any moment. Maybe it was all a trap. Maybe they'd attack as soon as she fully let her guard down. Maybe--

Maybe she should listen to what they were saying.

words:
tagged:
ooc:
muse:

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

Splashy didn't see the other cat until they were just a few feet in front of them. They flicked an ear and watched her as a series of emotions crossed over her face. First and foremost, there was fear. She was tense, and looked like she was going to run at any moment. Looking closer, they noticed her fur seemed just as messy as theirs. They clearly hadn't groomed in a long time, just like them. Her ribs were visible, just like theirs.

They stepped forward slightly, but stopped. They didn't want to scare her away. All previous thoughts of avoiding others were quickly dismissed now that they were faced with someone. They weren't alone! Maybe they could have someone to stick around with. They could help each other! But first, they had to know more about this cat. For one, they could clearly tell she was injured, though it looked like the injury had been inflicted on them cycles ago. Which led to something else. How old was this cat? She looked to be at least a few cycles older than them.

With Sky, they had hatched right next to each other. Hopefully it wouldn't be too different for this. Hopefully they could still be friends! If she even wanted to be friends. There was a very likely chance that she wouldn't want to. And maybe that was for the best. Their previous thoughts came back to them. Would this cat disappear if she became their friend? Would something bad happen to them? Would their eye get ripped out? The thought sent a shiver down their spine, though they ignored it. First, they had to talk to this cat.

"H-hello! Are you a-alright? What happened to your eye?" Their head was tilted, genuine curiosity on their face.