ORIGIN - A Kitten in the Tiger's den

The little kitten stepped merrily through the tunnel towards the place where, apparently, there would be a tiger and a dog. She had no idea what a tiger was but apparently there was a black dog too, just like Black! That meant that they were probably friendly! Oh, this was going to be so fun! Her tail slowly waved behind her as she walked and her ears were perked for any sound.

She noticed, quickly, the mummified corpses outside of a cave and she paused. They didn't smell very good but she didn't actually know what they were. Interested, she slunk towards and sniffed them softly but reeled back with dusgust, her nose crinkling. They smelled really bad! What were they? And who would live by these?

Turning away from the trophies, she peeked into the cave tilting her head as she softly called out, "Hello? Does Bahamut and Kavish live here?"

@Bahamut @Kavish

The tiger grumbled, clenching his eyes shut as he woke. His stomach was still full with his last meal, the skull of the stag resting against the wall of the cave. Something was coming - he could hear it.

Bringing his paws up under him, he stood, stretching with a rumbling yawn. He took a moment to lick his paws and muzzle clean - no reason to scare away his guest, now, was there?

Hello? Does Bahamut and Kavish live here?

Oh, wasn't that just cute. He chuffed, strolling easily out of his den, coming face to face with the little black kitten. "Well, hello," he purred, leaning in to sniff at the kitten, his breath blowing over their face. He laid down on his stomach to be closer to their height, tail twitching, head resting on his paws. "I am Bahamut, and I do live here. Kavish doesn't, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere. What do you need us for?" he paused, before grinning, "Now, I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage, Kitten. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

@Kavish @Wilder

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Wilder took a step back as the massive feline appeared from the dark cave and his rank breath blew over her. For a second she stood still but then her whiskers twiched and her tail shot straight up. "Uh-wow! You are a big cat! Very big! I'm Wilder! I'm not very big. I came to say hi! I heard you were here and that you were awesome!"

She glanced around, as if expecting to see a dark flash of fur. "When Kavish comes I'll say hi too but I'm good with saying hi to you!"

@Bahamut

The cat took a deep breath, observing Wilder. "I am big," he rumbled a laugh, "perhaps you will be too some day?" although, really, he doubted it. Their paws were not big enough, and he had seen domestic cats around the cave before, and this one looked the same. But, well, why not?

"A pleasure, then, Wilder," he purred, ears twitching at the little cats rambling and wild way of speech. Well, that was trying, wasn't it? "Now, who would say that I'm awesome? I've been called many things, but awesome is definitely not one of them." he observed, unable to stop a sneering laugh.

The tiger tilted his head, humming, "I'll tell Kavish you were looking for him the next time I see him, hmm?" he made an affirmative sound low in his throat, tail tapping lazily. "Well, 'hi' then. Surely you didn't just come to say hello, though, did you?"

@Wilder

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Wilder's tail flicked happily at the thought. She could just see herself. A giant cat! Towering over the world! Amazing, awe inspiring, truly a thing of legends! She purred. "I'd like to be big!"

She giggled at his reaction. "Heehee, yeah, I don't remember exactly what they said but it doesn't matter because I'm sure you are awesome! I mean, you're so big! And a very important cat, I'm totally sure!" Yes, she was completely sure and laughed along with the large tiger, completely missing the message in the sneer.

"Hi!" She responded back, even thought she had just said it before. "No, I wanted to be your friend! I'm the best friend in the caves!" Her tail waved around happily and she glanced around the place, as if trying to understand what the creature was like. Her gaze fell on the corpses and her expression brightened. "Oh! I meant to ask! What is this? It smells really yucky!"

@Bahamut

The kitten seemed quite taken with being big, and so Bahamut entertained it. He grinned, chuffing as he said, "Being big is great, kitten." He winked, rolling his shoulders as though to emphasize what he was saying.

Well, wasn't that frustrating, she couldn't remember what they - they? was it several, or just one? - had said. His tail tapped, but he said "I am awesome, and I'm sure you will be, too. And you'll be just as important as I am, kitten."

His eyes widened - his friend? "My... friend? I've never had a friend before," he chuffed a laugh, "I'd like that." And then the kitten looked over at the carcasses, and his ears flicked, wondering if she would run screaming

but nope. "Oh, those? They're an experiment. They're some Gembounds I found dead, and I didn't want their deaths to be in vain. So I thought - well, is it possible to preserve a Gembound after death?" a load of shit, "And if not, what happens to Gembounds after death? So I did that. I love learning, and didn't want them to just rot alone."

There, he sounded like a good tiger, didn't he? He thought so.

@Wilder

Wilder recoiled for a moment when Bahamut revealed exactly what the bad smelling things were. Her eyes went wide and her ears pressed back. Even if he hadn't been the one to kill them...those were dead bodies. Something flashed in her eyes and a visible shiver went down her body. "Oh."

For a moment she stood there, seemingly struggling with herself before she turned back around, looking exactly as she had before, ears perked and eyes shining, although it almost seemed plastered or fake. "Well, now you have a friend! I like to learn too!" Her whiskers twitched and she stepped forward, forcing a purr to rise in her throat.

She pressed her head against the tiger's leg before she stepped away again towards the exit. "Okay, I just wanted to drop by and say hello! Do you always stay in here? In case I want to come back and say hi again."

@Bahamut

When the tiger didn't respond, Wilder's smile fell. There was something very very wrong with this tiger and something even more wrong with the home he lived in. A shiver went down her spine as she glanced at the corpses once again and realized that she couldn't stay here, not anymore. She had to leave or it would consume her.

She turned and bounded away without a word, making a mental note to steer clear of this particular cave in the future.

*exit due to inactivity

The tiger watched the kitten, waiting to see how she would react. And he wasn't disappointed--she shuddered, eyes going wide. His tail tapped, and he asked, "A friend?"

However, he couldn't help but to stiffen, feeling her head butt against his leg. He had to pause, thinking on his answer for a moment--did he want her to return? He wasn't particularly a fan of visitors, and this kitten would be trying to most. What if she led others to his den?

By the time he had determined what he would say, the kitten had gone, racing away. He chuffed a laugh, and stood, rolling his shoulders before trotting back into his den, intending on taking a well-earned nap.

=exit Bahamut=