[Vask Ivanov] Silent paws slipped over the rock's face as the giant of a cat traversed the landscape of his newly claimed home. He had yet to scout the perfect piece of land for himself, he preferred to at least see all his possible options. Today he climbed the thrusting mountain, it's peak held great allure to him. A challenge for the young prince, its height beckoned him climb. The slightest hint of a smile would tug at the corners of his lips, a twinkle of determination bright in his aqua yellow eyes. With slow determined movements his hindquarters gathered themselves together, forming a spring in which would set of a grand chain of events. He swiveled his shoulders back, nearly bringing his front paws from the floor, his crown would gain height as those crystal orbs aimed for his target. With a slightly agape jaw and completely focused mind the behemoth cat pushed himself into the air. His body would find itself almost 20 feet from his original perch, with only 60 left until the summit. As quickly as he had reach that point he was poised for the next extravagant leap. Three more times he would coil and spring as he was thrust higher into the air, his mammoth paws finding their grip with incredible ease. He pushed his body onto the small look out, bringing himself into a picturesque pose. His royal skull held in the air pridefully as he displayed his beauty to the world. Jaws parted as he let a roar of triumph echo from his bellowing lungs. He would be an Emperor of incredible magnitude, he was sure. Speech,

. . .

Silverback had been dreaming as she lay stretched out upon the conifer broughs. The side of her broad head was rested against the bark, with one paw beneath it while the rest of her limbs hang limply over the sides. Her tail, far longer than any of them, twitched and coiled in her sleep, now growing quicker as she ran through a pretend hunt, now slowing as her unconscious thoughts turned to calmer things. She was content for the first time in a while. She had found herself a nice collection of pretty playthings, and they were more or less growing used to her. Canttina, the foremost of them, adored her, Kypsis tolerated her, knowing that submission was his best option, and as for the other two - they were still learning.

She had done nicely for herself since her journey from her birth lands - she was a traveler now with the world for a bed. She had seen many things and met any creatures, not to mention, done things she never thought she ever would have. She was still the empress she always known herself to be - but this queen had far more sides than first appeared.

Whatever dream the ruler was blessed with this day, it was doomed to be bent and broken by a strange sound. Only... only the sound wasn't that strange. The screech like roar was not anything that a snow leopard could make - but it sounded somehow...feline? Mayhaps some little bobcat getting his what was left of his tail ripped off? No, no, it didn't sound like pain. It sounded like power.

Silver slipped like liquid silver from her perch. She was a good three-quarters up the mountain - as far as any wolf could go, and yet the noise seemed to have come from above her. Curiosity burned within her icey pelt, making her giant paws itch as they sought to climb upwards. She was out of side of the falls, not quite he same side of the mountain - here things were less sheer and a creature with jumping abilities like hers had plenty of shelves and boulders and outcroppings to leap to. Plenty were wide enough to fall asleep comfortably on. But sleep was the last thing on the she-cat's mind.

It was almost at the peak when she saw him. The wind changed and brought his scent to her as well so that all at once she was assaulted with the stark reality that she was not the last of the cat lords. For a minute she was too startled to move, too startled to call out. All she could do was look at the coiled tower of muscle. He was huge! Even bigger than her! And though he had similar spots, his pelt, was not the color of the moon, but the color of the sun! Gods above... he was lovely...

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[Vask Ivanov] His long golden tail would twitch at his heels, the sun's early morning rays would be hitting him soon. The morning was becoming lighter. As he turned to descend from his elegant perch, the first bits brightness touched his elegant pelt and he was lit with fire. Golden fur was set ablaze as the day was born, his gargantuan form was stopped as his attention was caught by the light. A prideful look took its place over his features as his visage greeted the day. The small smirk found his jaws again as he once again relived his accomplishment. All of his kingdom lay before him, along with a key piece of his puzzle. Vask's attention was drawn to the most slight of movements, only one that could belong to a cat. His gaze was found upon her moon colored coat, its beauty and oddity entrapping his mind. He had not seen a cat of such a hue. Curiosity burned in his gold rimmed eyes, he would be meeting another of noble blood. An eager chuff left his powerful jaws as he greeted the gorgeous feline. Vell, hello my queen. His deep voice danced from black lips, his Russian lineage ever so slightly revealed. Speech,

. . .


Sliverback felt her heart hammering away inside her chest. This was-this was ridiculous! She never lost her cool! She hadn't felt like this - well - not since Bane. But that was different. Of course that would always be different. - This times the feelings were accompanied by a sort of shyness and pricklepaw wariness was that completely unlike her. And all of that - buried underneath a mountain of surprise and relief and shock that couldn't rivaled that very peak in height. Her chest rose and fell visibly with the power of all these crazed emotions, but somehow, somehow her face remained cat-like and serene. Her grey-green eyes were the only truth-tellers, shining bright enough to rival the blossoming of the dawn.

As her eyes basked in his glowing form, her ears drank in his words and her soft pink nose brought her his scent. It was feline. Purely feline. Like her - and yet, very different. He too smelled of ice and pine, but it was a different land and a different life. Was he her equal in emotion and soul and experience? Or, perhaps, was he more? She stared at him with open curiosity, unable at first to answer his purred question. No wait. He hadn't asked a question. He'd just said hello. Yes yes. that was it. What was she thinking?

"Hello yourself," she purred, coming off smoothly enough, but with that surprise and curiosity still glinting in her eyes and making her voice even softer than usual. "You're so casual, oh King of the Mountain, is it not a surprise to you to see one such as yourself?" She blinked in shyness that was half sincere. "Here I had begun to think myself the last of the leopards." Had that all been just an exaggeration? An unwarranted fear? A nightmare now to be forgotten?

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Her voice was as smooth as the sun as it gracefully flew from past the horizon. It was indeed good to hear the whisper of another feline's voice. The surprise that was only visible through her choice of words, he took her in like he'd seen more than one cat in his experience. The rather odd place he hailed from would explain his lack of complete bewilderment. Leopards lived much more like lions, they had to work together to avoid extinction. After the humans disappeared their empire was established. He was raised to work with other cats as well as alone. He pushed his body forward elegantly, bringing his front paws down to join her on the precipice right before the peak. Their bodies were now closer than ever, though not quite close enough to touch. He then let an excited smile fall on his lips then, in reality quite pleased to see her silvery face. Actually, it's Prince Vask Ivanov formerly of Yury Ivanov's Siberian Empire. King of the Mountain vorks too though. A low chuckle rumbled through his giant frame, No, lovely moon's ray you are not the last. His rumbling purr would pulse from his body, he pleasant to have found another cat in these new lands. But your name, my fair lady? He dipped his head politely. Speech,

. . .


Silverback felt her heartbeat flicker as the male came closer. So close... but not close enough to touch. And yet her internal reaction was not as violent as it could have been, simply for the reason that she couldn't believe this was happening. It couldn't be flesh and blood that moved before her - it had to be some sort of phantom. Perhaps she was becoming like that annoying little black dog she had met who said he had delusions. Well if it that was so... then she had a very skilled imagination. But no. She knew herself - or thought she did. She couldn't come up with this - especially not that accent of his. The sharp, drawling one that lent itself beautifully to his purr. He couldn't asked her anything and she would've answered. But for the moment he just desired her name.

"It is Silverback," she said obligingly enough. How hard had she yearned to finally be able to give her name to another cat? But that was just it - she'd wanted a meeting such as this so badly she'd begun to see it in her dreams. Was that all this was? A dream? A vision to be shattered what that sun climbed too high? It couldn't be - and yet the impossibilities kept stacking up. Now she was being told there were more? "You must forgive me, Sweet Prince-" she said, regaining the usual silky sarcasm to her voice that made it playful, "-if I have trouble taking you at your word." She gave a slight shake of her head. "I have lived four years and never seen another cat besides my own mother. I have left my birth mountains in search of others and until you I had found neither hide nor hair. And now you tell me that off somewhere there is a kingdom's worth?"

She did not want to be appear doubting, but it was incredible. She had begun to resign herself to be the last of the leopards. She had even made plans for her comfort - in the form of several caged birds. Everything had seemed so forlorn, so hopeless - but - but now...

She dropped her eyes to her paws. How was it that she was finding it hard to hold his gaze? Was she really that shy of a creature around her own kind? How curious. She was the boldest thing alive when it came to prey and dogs, for she knew those to be below her. But among cats... well perhaps her personality took a little more time to show. It was all so different and strange. She had no idea what to expect from herself or the male. All she knew was that he was the most handsome thing she'd ever seen, and his voice the sweetest she'd ever heard. After a moment she looked back up. "Is this really real?"

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His breaths would come in and out slowly, taking in the sweet scent of another cat. He was enjoying her presence, the pleasure it brought him was indescribable. She was so different from the cats of his clan, though he would admit to hearing of the silver clan. Not that there was another clan of cats like his, they had knowledge of their existence. Amber ears would droop ever so slightly as she was honest enough to admit her disbelief in him. It was a unique place to have come from, but in the end it had been for the good of the species. For that, I can not fault you. I come from a rather odd sort of lineage, most cats dislike the more social setting. The golden lords of my lineage vere all but lost, but vhen the tvo-legs disappeared ve once again had a chance of survival. Ve but had to learn to cooperate. He paused his story as she had looked away, he wondered why she would not hold his gaze. Her visage found him again, the look in her eye almost desperate. She really had never seen another cat. On my Royal honor, every moment I've enjoyed with you is factual. His behemoth crown drew closer to her own, his emerald gaze finding her own. His exhilarated smile still resting on ink lips. Vould you like to physically see I am real? The same massive mask would tilt ever so slightly, his nose only inches from her own. Speech,

. . .



In the Prince's words she found all the invitation she needed. Her whiskers bowed forward, twitching against his, sending a rainstorm of shivers down her spine.

The reaction within her was growing too strong to ignore - to push aside as dream or fiction. The male's strange voice rang again, assuring her that all he appeared to be was fact. But how can one believe a ghost? Silverback managed to raise her eyes, but among the many different emotions that swam therein, curiosity and wariness were among the list. Again he shifted forward, and the she-cat found the idea of pulling away beyond all shadow of thought. She wanted to feel his touch, but this was no prey creature she could control or silly wolf she could play with - this was another cat as real and powerful and volatile as herself. Did she dare let fire and ice touch? No, the first move would not be hers. As she gazed into those eyes so like her own, she simply melted. "Show me," she purred, half demand, half beg.

(ooc: sorry for shortness!)

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Her words were like the slight breath she could scarcely hold. It was as though if she breathed he would suddenly be gone from her sight. That was hardly so, he was as real as she had ever been and he intended on showing her. With her permission granted he would slowly lower his head to beneath her chin, then gently pushing forward and around her neck so his shoulders would rest under her silvery tiara. They were now in a more feline embrace, a deep rumble of a purr would be heard rumbling through his gargantuan chest. There, Icy Queen. Am I still such a dream? Deep voice would blend seamlessly with his thunderous purring. Speech,

. . .

Now she had to ask herself, What had she expected? She hadn't thought too far into the future - to guess at it only meant more disappointment when it didn't come true. For all the girl knew, her one find of another cat would be a broken down old elder, or a spiteful female who wanted nothing to do with her. But this... A handsome male, who was royalty among a noble breed? Well, it was easy to see why she believed it to be fantasy. But it wasn't any such thing. He proved it with by shifting forward to rub his head neath her own. From the first touch, Silverback felt the stray snowflakes on her fur melt away. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, gentle nudging him as he ran his neck and then his shoulders by her. And best of all he stopped. He didn't pull away from her, he let her remain basking in his body heat, lulled by the cavernous reverberations of his purring. It was so natural, so real. The only word that the she-cat's mind could conjure to explain it was "home".

She heard his question perfectly. Pressed as she was - with her fluffy chest against his ribcage, the words seemed to echo through her. She returned a purr in answer. "Good enough to be one," she murmured, still leaning into him, eyes closed - totally trusting of this one so like her. It was real. And as for what happened, now that that was settled, the girl had a few ideas. "Spotted Prince, if I am a queen, it is not because of followers or heralded pedigree, or the agreement of others - it is merely because of the prowess I was created with and the fact that one such as I exists. If that is enough, will you let me show you around this little corner of my kingdom?" Silverback was aware of how things were supposed to work among cats. A female would claim a goodly size of land which she wandered in, and a male would choose several female territories and a little of his own which he called his. Her paws took her whereever the winds the picked, but she perfectly willing to bend those winds towards the male's will. At least for now.

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He could feel the weight of her body pressing into his own, the reaction of seeing one's own kind for the first time seemed an experience. He could feel and hear as a rumbling of her own harmoniously joined his own. As she spoke she would not claim the royal title as easily as himself, but even though she bore no subjects he knew she was just as worthy a title as he. Maybe even an empress, but that would take some time. Empire's were never easy to build. The prospect of seeing the new lands by her side was an incredibly tempting one to be sure. He would nuzzle the shoulder of the beautiful she cat, grateful for the offer of a tour. I'd be honored if you vould show me your home. he rumbled, quite pleased with the days events thus far. And, my sweet queen, don't ever think you are less than just that. Thoroughly royal. an odd smile would find its way to his face as he ever so slightly pulled away from her, the excitement still building within his gargantuan form. The sun was making its stoic way into the sky. Silently he wondered what other surprises he was in for that day. Speech,

. . .



At his affirmative to her offer, she couldn't wait to take him away. To spirit him off through the woods and slopes and loose themselves in the glorious wilderness. He did look quite handsome though, as he was, standing up here upon his throne. A Prince, he had called himself. Silverback was inclined to think that all cats were something close to royalty, but if she had to pick out a strain of noble blood from it's peers, she could see herself selecting him. She bowed her head forward, rubbing the top of her skull along his side and shoulder as she turned so that she was paralell with him. The fur of their sides, mingled and brushed - the gold of the sun, touched the silver mountains of the moon - but the sweet burning was only for an instinct, and then Silverback was pulling foward - prowling in the slow, swaying movements of predator. She came to the brink of their little shelf and looked back over her shoulder longingly. Her tail, as though with a mind of it's own, brushed against his side, curled past his foreleg and dragged itself along his belly. "Coming, Ivanov?" she purred.

The next few hours or so were spent in what Silverback considered close to heaven. She had led a winding way down the far side of the mountain - sometimes taking grand, challenging leaps just to show off her skill and to tempt the male into doing the same. One gap of stone - more like a canyon than anything else - was taken in a soaring, angled jump that would've made an eagle proud. Thirty five feet across, and some fifteen feet down - a leap of fifty feet in total, as far as any recorded display of feline grace. She landed with power and force, but played it off as feather soft, continuing a single, running stride, and kneading her claws into the ground.

About halfway down the mountain though, was the grand forest which sprung up thanks to the local river. In this early morning - the mist arose and the heavens seemed to lower so that the two cats were walking through a cloud forest. What a land of enchantment it was. Silverback was smiling, enjoying herself. Now and then she asked questions of the male about his home. Such as when a yellow-gold butterfly winged it's way past her nose. "Tell me truly, Ivanov - do you have some magic treasures where you came from? - What is it that you think of this land?"

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He would gladly oblige her invitation and follow her over leaps and bounds he hadn't made in an incredible amount of time. She made him work for his time with her, though it was time well spent. They raced down the side of the steep slope, their pace becoming slower as they enjoyed the beauty of the day. A butterfly would dance across her facade, with her words trailing behind it. "Tell me truly, Ivanov - do you have some magic treasures where you came from? - What is it that you think of this land?" His emerald gaze would fall back to her own. His right lip would tug in a delighted half smile before he would let his answer rumble from his chest. There are many similarities between this land and my home. He took a sweeping glance at the beauty of his surroundings, the feel of home all around him. I don't know about magic, but it was incredibly enchanting. I vould be happy to live the rest of my days here. He would bring his leafy colored eyes back to the she cat. Are there magic trinkets here you could show to me? His excitement showed through his voice pristinely. Speech,