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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 7, 2012 14:39:30 GMT -8
Pouncival walked around the town. It was a nice place, really, if a little lacking in family.
And friends.
And anyone he knew.
Pounce sighed and sat down on the sidewalk, leaning against a building and watching the world go by. It ignored him for the most part, though more than a few odd looks were sent his way and he supposed it was a little odd- sitting on the cold ground in not-very-warm clothes.
A cat walked by suddenly, tripping over his feet and he giggled at their shocked and confused expression before they hurried off to somewhere surely important.
And warm.
What had possessed him to sit down outside in winter? Pounce still didn't moved. It was nice to feel a little numb- literally not figuratively- but he didn't want to lose all feeling everywhere and so took to drawing on the ground with his claw. Silly little drawings of flowers and faces and sunshine. He beamed- even a little sketched sun made him feel better.
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 7, 2012 15:00:56 GMT -8
Plato clutched the jacket around him tightly as a gust of cold wind bit into him. He hated winter, hated the cold, and hated the outdoors for that matter. He just needed to make a quick run and head back to the hotel. That was it.
The calico's tail twitched in annoyance as he bustled down the street. One paw wrapped his coat tightly around his shoulders and the other hand clentched the list of supplies needed for whatever reason. Though his face remained stoic as always, he let out a sharp hiss as wind gusted into his eyes. Well this was just-
His eyes shot open in surprise as he tripped over something on the side walk. At the speed Plato was going, it was impossible to stop him from the inevitable fall. With a small woof of air rushing out of his lungs, the tall tom fell.
Wincing, the tom reopened his eyes, which had closed in midfall, and looked behind him to see what he tripped over. A midly surprised look crossed his face, something that would be hardly apparent but very out-of-the-ordinay for the calico, as he found his legs tangled up in another cat's legs.
"W-what?" He was currently turned away from the cat in his current position, so he rolled onto his back, knocking off his cap in the process, and blinked at the tom he now faced.
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 7, 2012 15:15:26 GMT -8
Pounce laughed, startled. There was a tom. He appeared to be trying his best to tie their legs together. Pounce winced as the tom accidentally twisted his ankle, pulling away and he carefully untangled their legs. 'Sorry!' Pounce chuckled, picking up the tom's hat and holding it out for him. 'I don't suppose you were expecting that were you?' He grinned at the other tom. 'I'm Pouncival, Pouncival Cartwright. Where were you hurrying off too that had you going at such a pace, my friend?'
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 7, 2012 15:38:10 GMT -8
Plato looked at the hat offered to him and hesitatantly reached for it. After clasping it in his hands, he placed it back onto his head and gave the other tom a skeptical look, not yet moving from his fallen position on the pavement. "Plato Heister," He said, his voice not betraying any inner emotions. "I was heading to get out of this blasted cold." At this he began to gather himself back up into a standing position. After rising to his full height of 6'1", he brushed off the dirt from his jacket with a soft sigh, his tail flickering in annoyance. This coat wasn't even a week old... Oh well..
Plato's eyes flickered back to the other tom with a quizzical look. "What were you doing?" He gestured around him with a white paw. "The street is hardly anywhere to recline."
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 8, 2012 7:48:01 GMT -8
Pouncival laughed. 'Oh yes- the cold.' He stood as well, almost a whole head shorter than the other tom.
'What was I doin'? Well- I'm not really sure, to be honest! I just thought if I was going to sit and watch people pass me by I ought to make it interestin'! And then I got numb and distracted and I forgot to stand up again.' He grinned. He was having an actual conversation with an actual cat he didn't know.
Pounce held his hand out for shaking and noticed traces of dirt on the other tom's coat sleeve. He jumped forwards, brushing at it. 'I'm sorry! I didn't realise you'd got all mucky just from falling over me...' He bit his lip in apology, trailing off and watching the other tom for his reaction.
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 8, 2012 14:01:14 GMT -8
The calico was just reaching his paw out to shake the other's paw when the tom suddenly got a lot closer. Looking down at the other cat, Plato blinked in mild surprise.
"It's hardly anything to worry about," He said modestly, brushing of Pouncival's hands politely. Plato told himself, as he took a small step backward, that it was alright to be warey of close contact; It was perfectly normal... Absentmindly on hand reached up to run through what hair was exposed from underneath his hat.
With a small shake of his head, Plato looked back down at the tom. "I'm sure I couldn't have been the only one who didn't see you there at first."
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 12, 2012 16:08:21 GMT -8
Pounce's forehead creased minutely as the other tom moved away from him. Had he been standing inappropriately close? Maybe he'd been doing something wrong in helping Plato with his coat? He shrugged it off.
'Actually no- you aren't the first. Someone tripped earlier, but they didn't have the decency to fall over and talk to me- just ran off.' He smiled lopsidedly. 'Are you alright?' he asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 12, 2012 17:17:25 GMT -8
"I'm fine," He answered autmatically; he didn't need any strangers worrying over him. As he hesitated his tail flickered behind him and paused to wrap around his right ankle. "Just leery as all." His tail unlatched from his ankle and wrapped around the other one. "Close contact makes me nervous."
'Really?' He thought to himself. 'That's all you could think of? Now he's going to think you're a nervous wreck.' Agitatedly his tail flickered behind him and he made a conscious effort to keep it still.
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 14, 2012 12:53:51 GMT -8
Pounce nodded once. 'Oh alright then. You sure you're alright though? I suppose I must've given you a shock...' He bit his lip but couldn't contain the next question. 'Is there a reason for it?' you're being rude! the wise side of his mind told him; watch his tail- he's worried supplied the not-so-clever side.
He smiled nervously, hoping he hadn't overstepped any lines with the other tom and hadn't been caught watching Plato's tail swing and curl - he seemed fairly reasonable and was clearly friendly enough to stand out here talking to him. Who knew? Perhaps he was actually making a friend in Felidae...
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 14, 2012 13:56:32 GMT -8
Plato did catch the other watching his tail and pointedly pressed it up against his right leg, denying it any further movement. "I'm sure there is," He said, forming the lie right off the tip of his tongue. "I just don't remember. It's probably something from my childhood." It was partially true, only the calico did remember. He could remember very clearly why he shied away from the other's contact. It was a subject he would rather not delve into; just thinking about it made the switch blade tucked into his vest feel hot against his body.
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 19, 2012 13:09:28 GMT -8
Pounce twitched his whiskers apologetically as Plato stilled his tail. He thought over what Plato had revealed- childhood trauma? 'Oh yes- I've had that. See this scar?' he pointed at his face, 'My uncle gave it to me when I was younger. By accident of course, but still. It took me a while before seeing him or a hoe didn't make me bolt for the nearest exit.' He rubbed his chin, looking down at his back paws thoughtfully. 'I'm sure there's a funny story in there if I tell it right...' Pounce trailed off. 'Anyway- they told me the best way to cure myself was to expose, or something. So they sent me off to stay with my uncle at his farm for a week. Didn't sleep the whole time I was there but made me very grateful and helpful when my parents brought me back! I did all the chores for the whole family for three whole days!' He snorted softly. He really would have to find the time to make a funny story out of that incident...
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 19, 2012 13:54:20 GMT -8
Plato watched the other for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I don't think that can work the same way for me," He said by way of explaination. Something about this talkative tom made him want to say more but he curbed his tongue and lapsed into silence. He also fought the knee-jerk reaction to bring his hand up to his head, but he only succeeded in slowing the proccess. Leisurely his hand went up to the side of his head to pause for the briefest of moments before he combed it through his jelled back hair. As Plato's arm fell back down to his side he took mental note to really work on his nervous ticks.
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 20, 2012 6:28:32 GMT -8
Pounce's smile faltered, his ears drooping in sympathy for the other tom. He tried to think of something to say, some idea of what to do to help Plato in some small way.
He almost patted the other tom's arm, lifting it but pausing when he remembered the reaction he'd caused last time and letting it drop, instead he flicked his tail up and fiddled with the end of it. It occurred to him, watching the tom's movements, that the combing of his hair was too stiff to be entirely natural, but he shrugged it off- Pounce himself had numerous quirks which he was glad people didn't point out (notably a tendency to gently run a claw around the outside of his scar) and tried very hard to subdue. This tom was just nervous, but for the life of him Pounce couldn't work out why- he was hardly threatening. He was shorter slighter and clearly softer than Plato. He shrugged mentally. It was really none of his business.
But he was just too curious.
'Um, are you,' He chickened out. 'Aren't you going to be late? For whatever it was you were in a hurry to get to, I mean?' He didn't want to seem as if he was trying to get Plato to go- he was enjoying talking to another tom and yes- he didn't find him intriguing. Maybe he could walk with Plato to his destination? It wasn't like he had anything better to do!
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Post by Tsughi on Feb 20, 2012 6:51:08 GMT -8
Plato turned his head and looked down the road he was running down just a few minutes ago and blinked. "Oh," He said smartly. "I was just hurrying to get out of the cold." Why do you have to be so awkward? Pounce is just a normal cat. Plato let out a sigh and made a pretense of offering the shorter tom a small smile. "My emergency was just picking some things up from the general store.
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Post by cloudninelives on Feb 26, 2012 8:44:01 GMT -8
'Oh right.' Pounce smiled. He allowed that smile to widen further when Plato's own lips twitched somewhat. That was the first properly positive response he'd got out of the other cat and he was inwardly celebrating it. 'Well, I'm new so I don't actually know where that is. Don't suppose you could show me, could you? Give me a tour or something?'
He suggested, eyes bright and excited, tail flicking from side to side as he contained the urge to bounce on his paws at his genius-level idea. He could finally learn his way around the town and keep talking to his new friend!
Friend- well only if Plato would allow him to be, but Pounce had always had high hopes and (generally) unwavering optimism.
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