~*~ Such a lovely, haunting place. Now that summer had finally found it's way to the northern fringes, the lake had begun to melt. On a cool morning like this one, with the air still snappy and crisp enough to freeze your eye lashes, the water seemed to be nothing more than a mirror. The spires of the tree tops, like masts of parially sunken ships, stuck out here and there, and seemed to hang in space. They drifted in and out of the mist that rose heavily about the place. It was the thick, mountain fog sort, that sought to cling to your very bones. Out of the white shrouds, came a grey figurine. As the ground-clouds faded from her path, a grey, dappled feline was produced, with eyes like the sea before a storm. She was as silent as the mist itself, coming down to the lip of the water and lowering her rounded muzzle til the whiskers cast the tiniest dance of ripples. A small, rough tongue lapped delicately at the unearthly pool. But the cat was not fooled by the fog. She knew was not alone. There was another here; the stillness of the air and heaviness of the cloud made it nigh impossible to get a clear scent reading, but she heard him moving. Too soft to be anything like a bear or elk, but too loud to be any sort of small game. For the breifest of moments her heart escaped it's silver-barred cage. It did a double-beat, trilling with excitement, with the merest possibility that the unknown was another feline. Snow leopards are usually solitary hunters. But even the loners have chance meetings upon their borders, or lover's encounters during the mating season. Silverback had never had either. Her mother had died early and Silverback had been left alone in the world. Which, for a time, was just how she liked it. But now her curiosity for her kind had flamed from embers to open fire. Her constant searching had brought her large, soft paws over endless miles and mountain ranges. She had met and spoken with many wolves, but no other cats. And not a soul had been able to say they'd ever seen another beast like her. Each time her question was answered with a negative, it had begun to drive a thorn into her heart. What once would not have effected her, now hurt more and more each time. She was four years old. And even though that translated as closer to two for wolves, she ought to know better than to put her hopes up like that. To prove her patience to herself, she didn't call out. Didn't beckon to the unknown. The ice siren merely remained crouched at the water's edge, with her elongated tail flicking over the bank, and her head gazing out over the water. ~*~

Though the warmth and sunshine of summer beckoned happiness from all creatures, depression had instead taken hold of Erebos. It was as though winter never left. The blood running through his veins felt as though it was ice cold, his muscles felt heavy and weak, lids threatening to close over his ice blue eyes at any moment. But he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't sleep, and he wouldn't dare try. What day was it? What time? If he had been content, Erebos would've known without question. His unwavering schedule would've kept him on track, reminded him to keep calm and sane. He hadn't spoken to anyone in so long, though. Obsessive actions could only maintain him for so long, he craved company, he needed company... But who would even entertain him now? Who would want to spend time with a wolf who imagined they were losing their skins, who saw terrifying creatures of legend flying through the sky, who woke in a rage after seeing his own death over and over again? No one would. As his feet landed one after the other on the soft ground below, Erebos wondered how and when he would find someone to talk to. Lost in his thoughts, it was many moments before he saw it. The cat. It sat at the water's edge, a water that rose above the forest ground. It was a peaceful scene, not terribly overwhelming or horrifying, and yet he struggled to believe that it was possible that it was real. The sight, and the questions that came with it, cause him to stop dead in his tracks and stare wide-eyed at the creature before him. He made no sound as he observed the thing, waiting for it to turn and have the face of some sort of devil or monster. Since this wasn't real, it would have to be frightening now, right? "normal. talk. think. you"

~*~ It was hardly the sculpted, whiskered knight she had hoped for. Just another dumb mutt. One of the wolves that seemed to have bred like rabbits and overpopulated this particular corner of the world. This was one was black, like another she'd met. And he looked scared; very scared. She only knew because, after the pawsteps had come close and then stopped, she'd slowly twisted an ear round. Then her face- just enough to be able to glance at him out of the corner of her right eyes. Typical, she thought to herself. And yet... and yet dog company was better than no company sometimes. She'd already warmed up to a couple of canines during her travels. What was the harm in gracing one more with her presence? A slow exhale warped itself from her steely lungs. It blew out over the lake and turned immediately to white. Just another cloud for the sea which surrounded them. "Well?" Silver, purring tones bent the silence rather than broke it; they were much to luxurious and beautiful to do that. "Are you going to stand there til the world stops turning, or are you going to come closer?" Sometimes she really did enjoy playing with fear. She was a huntress after all, and they were right to fear her. In a pack, a wolf was untouchable, but one it's own? There were far more dangerous beasts in the woods. Silverback could play the housecat when she wished. She could be pleasant and genuine and even, on occasion, playful. But she never forgot just how powerful and proud an example of creation she was. At this point, though the morning was young and fresh, her eyes were darkened to it. Bitterness clawed at her. The sight of another mutt instead of a cat had managed to push that barb in just a little deeper. Her mood was perched precariously as a bluebird on a pine needle. To attempt to please her and she would welcome the chance to be soothed, but to go against her whim was to invite danger. She needed something to ease the unrest within her soul. Whether it was companionship or adrenaline and blood made no difference to her. ~*~

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, perhaps because of the fear that gripped his heart. The fear however, was not so much for what he would face, but how he would react to it. At times he simply cowered, like a normal, weak wolf would do, but at others... Well, Erebos simply didn't want to be the monster that deep down he knew he was. He did everything in his power to keep that part of him at bay, but in times like these he had little to no control over what would happen. He was helpless to the beast that lived within his mind. With wide blue eyes he continued to observe the feline as she slowly turned to peer at him from the corners of her eyes and spoke a challenge to him to come forward. Her voice, though beautiful, was laced with a distaste that he couldn't put a finger on but also couldn't blame her for. Or maybe he was imagining it. Either way, her words caused him to take a few steps further, then to stop again. Nothing had changed. She still looked like a cat, the trees still grew from the submerged ground. At the risk of revealing that he was crazy, he knew that there was only one way to know the answer to his question. Are you real? The confusion and fear in his voice was evident, as he had not the energy to even try to cover it up. Enduring his hallucinations as of late had taken every bit of effort he had, and his attempts to discern reality from imagination at this moment were sapping strength from a source that was already depleted. He needed the question answered soon, or he feared that he would collapse and never rise again. "normal. talk. think. you"

~*~ The cat turned her head a little more, watching as the stranger at least began to obey. Rather than stay put or back off, he took a took a few steps forward. Closer, but not close enough. He halted again, and Silverback observed something like disbelief and fear clouding those pale blue eyes of his. Well she wouldn't attack him. Not yet. He hadn't exactly tried to resist her whim. He couldn't help it if he was paralyzed with fear. It gave the girl such a lovely rush, such a sense of pride. Hers was not the vanity that depended on the opinions and affections of others. Far from it. And yet, she did love it when other creatures responded appropriately to her presence. The leopard had turned her head around enough to bring her chin to her shoulder. She was facing him with both eyes. Some say a cat's eyes are unreadable because they are emotionless. But what do they know? they are not cats! Cat's eyes are so puzzling because there is too many emotions all at once. The souls that these eyes are the windows to are too complex. There's too much to read. All at once Silverback's pools swam with bitterness, with humor, with pleasure, with pride, with aggression and, as per usual, with curiosity. "Are you real?" she heard the male ask. That brought a silken smile to her maw. With a flick of her tail, she raised her form from the water's edge. She didn't stand straight up like dogs do, but rather curved herself to the sky, first her hindquarters, and then the bend of her spine, her shoulders, and at least her beautiful beast's head that crowned it all. Her eyes rolled in his direction til they fixed upon those blue daisies with the gravity that only felines can muster. "Oh I'm sure you say that to all the girls, don't you?" She trapsed one foreleg across the other, turning to face the black male, and even to come within a yard's distance. She walked silently enough to be a vision. Perhaps the ghost of some long lost beast. Or the embodiment of the north and the mountains taken mortal form. And it was like enough that he had never seen anything like her. In her mind, that explained his words. But it was another blow, after creature who knew nothing of her kind. For all she knew she was the last. ... the very last. Silverback slid one more step forward, moving with a dreamlike slowness that though, easy enough to back away from, had a haunting ability to capture the observer. Much like the swaying of another predator - the cobra. The she-cat was large for her species, about the male's height when she stretched herself up in lovely fashion. The fear that perfumed around him was quite attractive. For all that she had been raised to dislike wolves, they could look so adorable when they were scared. Being a hunter, weakness meant a call to death, but Silverback took her time. She was in such an extreme of mind that she could see herself either planting a lick upon the male's muzzle - or suddenly flinging herself forward with a caterwhaul that would only be smothered by his throat and blood. "If I am a spirit," she murmuredm "I am one who can breathe." Unless the male had been bold enough to take a step back, her silent exhales would no doubt have found their way to his fur. Bringing an assurance of reality with their warmth. ~*~

The smile the cat gave in response to his question was eerie and ghost-like. It did little to answer him. He watched intently as the figure rose in a curling, hunched motion and slunk - no, more like glided - toward him, enthralled to some degree, but mostly desiring the answer to his question. He listened to her words, but refused to acknowledge them, simply observing and calculating. Erebos needed to know exactly what he was looking at. Her last statement caused his ears to twitch, the only reaction he offered. It brought him comfort though. A spirit that can breathe. He felt it too. A feeling of relief washed through his veins, warming him slightly. He would not lash out in rage. He had nothing to fear for now. It was a pleasant feeling, one he hadn't experience in a few weeks. So you are real then, good, he murmured, ice blue gaze focused on the feline that circled him as though he was prey. May I ask your name? "normal. talk. think. you"

~*~ The male's words were just plain idiotic. He seemed to have calmed himself. What kind of creature in their right mind, fears ghosts and visions more than real killers of flesh and blood? She would've been irritated and disappointed if she hadn't been so surprised. Presented with this new riddle, she swayed her head backwards ever so slightly and met those newly-calmed perwinkle eyes full force. Perhaps she should still just kill him. Oh but then she'd get blood all over her fur and she'd just groomed herself. She'd be restrained... for the moment at least. At the male's polite request, she backed off a step and lifted her nose ever so slightly. "At least you have manners," she mumbled to herself. Out of slanted grey-green eyes she watched him for a minute. Finally, with seeming reluctance, she let fall, "Silverback." Why were names so important to wolves, anyway? Was the identity given by sight and scent not enough? Seemed like every creature she met asked for hers. She was a freaking snow leopard, it wasn't like there were too many to keep track of. ~*~

For a moment, the brute wondered whether the cat would murder him. Something in her disposition said she might, that it was possible that she was as crazy as he, but he pushed the thought away as quickly as it had come. No, if she wanted him dead he'd be there already. It wasn't as though he was capable of defending himself well in his current state. Simply put, Erebos was a mess. Gaze followed the feline carefully as she stepped away from him and looked him over. I do take pride in my manners, miss. Though I don't have much pride right now... He shook his head slightly and narrowed his eyes in her direction as he awaited her answer. Silverback was quite the appropriate name for the silver leopard, he decided with a slight nod. A pleasure, Silverback, he said with a slight bow. I am Erebos, and I apologize for my skepticism earlier. "normal. talk. think. you"

~*~ Silverback let out a muted Hmmph at the male's words on manners. For taking pride in them, they certainly showed up late. But then, she was in a mood where she was just looking for something to irritate her - to drive her over one edge or another. Oh well. She could be in any da?mood she pleased, usually it didn?t matter because there was no other predators around, but since that wasn?t the case today, those that found themselves anywhere near her and best do what they could to appease the less violent side. The cat had taken a step back, and now she sat, even sliding her forelegs forward to bring her body into a perfect, sphinx-like pose, as powerful and lovely as any nile queen. Her rosettes ruffled as she shook out her neck fur. "So tell me, wolf-? she said, keeping a keen, serpent?s eye on him. ?-what is it that clouds your mind so? What troubles you?" It wasn?t that she was genuinely offering any sort of therapeutic listening or even sympathy. She simple wished to know, and her curiosity was not something to be denied. Besides, so long as their was conversation, there was something to distract her from the itch to kill. ~*~

THANK YOU CANTTINA!

The cat's disposition showed that she was still somewhat bothered by his own, but he tried to pay it no heed. Worrying would do nothing to help him now. He eyed her carefully as she moved away from him and seated herself. He chose to mimic the motion, settling gently on his haunches and wrapping his bushy tail about his feet. He would be much more comfortable and safe feeling this way, ironically.



Surprise overcame him as her question fell on his ears. His eyes widened slightly and he took a deep breath while he fought an internal battle over whether or not to share the information which she desired. He pawed impatiently at the ground, nervousness wracking his body. Perhaps it would do him better to tell someone something, at least for now. He sighed before speaking up.



Well, I'm unstable, he stated flatly, steadily focusing on Silverback. I suffer from hallucinogenic depressions, a gift from my mother and father I suppose.

talk, think

. . .


"And you thought I was one of them." The thought seemed entertaining to the she-cat. She smirked; whiskers twitching with the slightest sign of pleasure. It wasn't as though she was truly taking glee from this sickness she did not understand, just so much as she saw it as a compliment to herself. Her vanity was too strong to see it as anything else. Plus, well, it was quite funny.

She was only flesh and bone, like the rest of the creatures bound to this mortal world - but compared to this belly crawling flea-bags, she might have been a goddess. She could scale up mountain peaks, leap canyons of fifty feet in a single flight, drag an adult buck up a tree, and beyond that, her lifspan was twice that of an average wild dog. They were lucky if they hit eight or nine, she had the chance to live to to see twenty. Though she was four now, this was still considered the youthful stage of her life. She'd only been away from her mother's side for about two years now - the old cat having died and left her the family mountain range.

That was her inheritance from her mother.

"Well darling," she murmured, "The whole da-- world is unstable. But at least your kind is thriving amdist the chaos." Like rats in a garbage bin. "

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

THANK YOU CANTTINA!

Well yes, I did, he began with a shrug. It's not often that I find myself in the presence of a snow leopard - combine that with the trees poking out of the water and the fact that you sort of float when you move, I had much trouble discerning reality from fantasy.



He gave her a pointed look, icy orbs focused cautiously on hers. I am glad that you turned out to be real. I find you quite beautiful, and was really hoping to find someone beautiful to talk with. Erebos spoke in earnest truths and they were reflected in his tone. He had been desperate for someone to talk to so that he could get his head back down from the clouds. Having someone who was a treat to the eyes only made him that much more satisfied. This wasn't to say he found the cat attractive, heavens no. However, he admired her much like he would a sunrise or a field of flowers - as a natural work of art.



While manners were of the utmost importance to Erebos, he couldn't help but scoff at her final words. He shook his head with purpose as he responded. I wouldn't call it thriving. We are caught up in so much turmoil - whether it be insanity or war or overpopulation or neglect that ravages us - it is impossible to consider our lives to be thriving. Wolves endured much suffering, and much trouble. While it may have appeared to be a benefit that their population was so strong, it seemed to Erebos that it was instead a curse.



After living a life feeling neglected and crazy, who could blame him for that opinion?

talk, think

. . .


He was cautious, even now as he complemented her, and this caused her eyes to sparkle with amusement. She chuckled -a throaty, pusling, purring sound, "Oh little pup, you needn't be so coy, you're not the first wolf to call me such." Was it just a coincidence, or did her eyes seem to flutter there? She had taken her seat beside the water, but now she slid her front paws forward against the ground. She lowered to let the white silks of her undercoat, brush against the frost and snowdust, lowering her frame to the ground before the male.

It was hard to say whether she was intentionally flirting, or if seduction was simply a part of her ingrained personality. She couldn't help being one of the most beautiful things in creation. Of course, in her current mood she was far more likely to kill than kiss. Her words hinted at a previous encounter, which had turned passionate, but that had been special. The diamond among the rough. It was true her thoughts often flickered away to that scared wolf in his southern home. Bane... What would he be doing now, she wondered. Would he finally have the family he wanted the stability he had craved? She was more than half tempted to seek him out - to take him up on that offer of his. But no, in her current moody state, she was too volatile to be seen by anyone who's opinion she cared about.

While her thoughts danced back and forth, the male was speaking again. Oh she caught a word here and there, but she wasn't really listening. He was gripping about something. About how she'd been wrong about his kind. Idiot. She was never wrong. She managed to add a dash more politeness in her words though. "Hmmm. Well I'm afraid if you wish to keep having someone beautiful to converse with, you'll have to find something more entertaining to talk about than the end of the world." The fluffy black tail tip twitched. "I've had quite enough of that."

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

THANK YOU CANTTINA!

Had Erebos had the energy to be offended, he probably would have. He didn't take appreciatively to be called a 'pup' by anyone. However, it was already evident that his issues had drained him dry of most emotions other than fear and anger. He simply sighed in response to the feline's first response and continued to observe her. She was certainly a sight for the eyes of the wolf. It wasn't typical to see creatures of her kind around Alacritis.



She wanted a more interesting conversation, but no matter how hard he thought Erebos was at a loss for ideas. He rose from his position seated on the ground and shook his head gently. My apologies, miss, but I'm afraid I'm at a loss for something else to talk about. He offered the cat a smile before turning to leave. I'll be taking my leave, but perhaps we will encounter each other again. Farewell.



-exit Erebos-



ooc;;sorry, lost muse :(

talk, think