The temporary Chirr'T'Thar camp outside of Haven has grown to a decent size. With the city council's notion to give them a permanent base on a rocky island off shore, some of the tents have been put up with less care than others. When Brenda and Jenora arrived last night, Copernicus was busy spending quality time with his mates, and decided to wait to meet her old friend. This morning, the camp is relatively quiet. Seems Chirr'T'Thar are not early risers if they can help it.
Brenda wakes up from her first night of sleep with others around her. She 'smyles to herself, not realizing how much she had missed the social presence. After streeeetching out and creaking around in circles for a bit, she decides to pad around camp to check things out.
Around the camp, in tents and out, felitaurs are in sleeping piles, or sleeping in piles that had nothing to do with sleep at first. Amazingly flexible, aren't they?
> Melora, probably the earliest riser in this bunch, has already
wriggled free of her family's sleeping pile (with the complaint of poor
Ceres, not a morning 'taur). She quietly prepares for her morning nearby.
Brenda pokes her head inside some tents that have open flaps, taking care not to disturb the privacy of anyone with a closed tent. She wanders towards the middle of camp, peeking here and there.
One group even seems to be 'sleeping' on a blanket with rows of differently colored circles. How odd.
>The young female felitaur slips into a leather harness, clipping
it at her waist and letting two silver knives hang. One looks quite intricate
in style, the other is plain. She glances back towards the pile
then ducks beneath the tent's flap and out.
Brenda continues further into the camp until she finds what seems to be the main area. She sniffs the air lightly and looks around for any tents different from main body of the group.
The sun is just barely up, as if it too wants to stay in bed. But it is a lovely late fall morning, if a little cool. A few birds sing out their territory, and a few smart squirrel like creatures pillage some scraps by the fire, knowing the felitaurs won't be up for a while.
> Melora eyeballs the squirrel like being for a moment then dismisses
it. Too scrawny in any case. Once out she begins a series of stretches,
letting her body take over and warm up. Wings caress the air and
in graceful moves her shoulders, haunches and flank muscles begin to
loosen.
> Back inside the Skygazer tent, even Ceres loses patience in her
sleep and fwumps down on Copernicus' face, as he's 'purring' in his sleep
again. Mmmph!
Brenda decides that nobody is going to be getting up soon from the looks of things and that she'd better look for some breakfast. She heads over to the far side of camp where she'd seen a stream on her way in.
Copernicus hmmphs a bit and is finally woken up. Having his mate Ceres muffle his purring with her haunches is getting to be annoying. He shifts and rolls a bit as he figures it's too late to try and go back to sleep...just before nodding off.
Brenda wanders up to the stream and takes a drink from the clear cool water. After satisfying her thirst she perches on the edge of a rock and watches the stream carefully, waiting for a fish to swim by.
> With a final Stretch, one that only a cat can do, Melora pads off
and away from the tent. An empty pack can now be seen hanging from
the back of the harness. She looks rather ruffled from sleep.
The stream is a bit bare this time of year, though some tiny minnows do go by, along with a frog that keeps out of reach and a multitude of odd beetles that dance on the surface. Finally, what looks like a lazy trout swims into view.
Brenda waits until the trout gets within swatting distance, then with a flash of fur and a quiet 'myrrp' escaping her lips, she attempts to bat the fish onto the bank next to the stream.
The 'fish' does get batted out of the water, but the two foot appendage that trails off from where the fish would normally end pulls it back into the water, and the REALLY big turtle critter that was using it's tongue as bait surfaces, and doesn't look happy.
Brenda gyggles and apologizes profusely to the turtle critter, regardless of whether it can understand her or not.
> The large felitaur herself begins to head towards the stream, for
a morning drink before hunting. Her paws pad across the worn grasses
of camp from the farthest side, careless for the moment of her sounds.
The turtle just hisses and lunges at the much too quick feline, mainly to be grumpy, knowing she's too fast to catch.
Brenda's ears perk as she hears someone approaching from camp. Nervous reflexes from the previous weeks kick in and she bounds across the stream using some rocks and the turtle's shell as jumping points. She ducks into the grass on the other side and watches carefully..
Melora pauses, hearing the turtle's splash then continues her padding to the stream. Far enough down not to bother the animal, she lowers herself to the ground and creeps her forepaws into the stream a bit for the freshest water.
Copernicus finally wakes up, and after giving his mates a gentle morning kiss while they sleep, he pads out to stretch, and maybe catch up with Melora.
Melora slides her knives back on the harness and leans forward to dip her hands into the water and drink. Her wings spread for balance, making a rainbow of color through the water.
Brenda pokes her nose out of the grasses to the point that just her head is visible opposite from Melora, "Good morning."
Melora flicks both ears forward and looks up abruptly. She's surprised and her wings twitch against taking her upward. "Uh, G'mornin t'ye."
Copernicus rolls on his back a few times in the grass, wings folded, then gets back up on all fours and stretches, noting with a sigh he's changed to his non 'taur form again.
Brenda purrs up at the felitaur, "Hi there..it seems I'm not the only early riser around here."
Copernicus flares his nostrils and catches Melora's scent. He notes that, thankfully, the cubs are still sleeping. With a grin, the winged snowleopard pads off towards Melora.
Melora steps back, out of the water, with a shake of her paws. "Best time t'be huntin, fer meself. Did ye jus' arrive t'camp?" Obvious is the curiosity. Not so obvious is that the question isn't the one she wants to ask.
Brenda studies her new acquaintance for a moment, then decides to join her on the other bank. She bounds across on a different set of rocks, losing her footing for a moment, causing her right hind foot to get dipped into the stream. She makes it the rest of the way across without any problems. "I just got here last night, actually," she purrrs. She decides to keep details to herself until she gets to know the 'taur better, "Met up with Jenora yesterday on the way to..uhmm..town."
Brenda mutters quietly and shakityshakes her hind paw, getting most of the water off it.
Melora blinks again. Yet another morning of odd happenings. "Jenora's arrived? I hadna heard a word. Course I was scoutin an trainin th'children mosta yesterday." Another glance and she nods her head, "Me name's Melora."
Brenda nods at the felitaur, "I ran into her on the road to the city; she was going to get some supplies and do some trading. It's nice meeting you, Melora..I'm Brenda. I'm a little new here, so don't mind me if I'm a little cautious."
Copernicus slinks rather quietly towards Melora. Being upwind, and not really paying attention, he only notices his mate as he prepares to pounce.
Melora purrs, "s'understandable. It's prolly not everaday yer down in this area an meetin up wi'tall hunters slung up wi'knives 'n such. Welcome t'camp."
Melora doesn't even notice Coper, her attentions split with the mystery of a talking mountain cat and prospects of breakfast.
A white furball with wings launches itself from behind a bush at Melora, giving itself away with a giggle.
Melora turns and crouches then lets herself get tackled as she recognizes that ball of fur. Only Coper would give up the hunt for a mischievous giggle.
Copernicus fwumps playfully against his mate, and hugs with his forelegs, not having hands right now. He purrs, "Are you ALWAYS going to get up this early when you don't have to? ;)"
Brenda catches a familiar scent on the wind..she quiets down suddenly and sniffs the air, her whiskers twitch with anticipation. Her ears swivel forward, trying to catch some sound. She scrambles backwards in shock as the furball launches itself from the bush. Unfortunately, backwards was right into the stream. *sploosh!*
Melora chuckles, "I bring back th'plumpest breakfasts, don't I?" She frowns and looks over her shoulder towards the now wet cat. "Uh...utoh?"
Copernicus nods with a hungry feline grin, then blinks, "What, did I knock breakfast into the stream?"
Brenda 'mrrowwwrs!' and flounders in the stream, trying to get ahold of the bank or a rock while fending off a snippish turtle that seems to be holding a grudge.
Melora shakes her head and untangles herself from her mate. "It's one o'them mountain cats. Y'never said they coul' talk." She pads over there, to help pull the guest from the water.
Copernicus blinks, "But they can't talk. They do have a reasonable level of sapience apparently, but no mechanism for complex speech. Sorry about the dunking, can I help?"
Melora purrs, "this one was talkin... I tell ye that. Said she recently got here."
Copernicus nods, "I believe you Melora, just wonder how. Maybe she's not a true mountain cat, or a subgroup can talk." He flicks a wingspur in the turtles face, to make him back off.
Brenda sputters a bit, "Skygazer? I should've known..who else'd knock me in here this early in the morning...a helping paw would definitely be appreciated!"
Melora reaches down and gently grasps the wet feline behind the forelegs. Wetter, but possibly more comfortable. One of her paws slips into the water for a moment.
Copernicus blinks, not catching on yet, and purrs, "Do I know you? Oh, and I won't have my arms back for a good hour or two. Sorry about the dunking."
Melora chuckles, "Coper doesn't do verra much early in th'mornin... so dunkin someone else'd have to be it."
Brenda's dead weight from being waterlogged begins to drag Melora into the stream as she's being hauled out.
Copernicus's tail coils around Melora's midsection, helping to brace her.
Melora's other foot slips into the stream, this time with a muddy squelch and her toes start heading deeper. She wrumples her nose up and tries backpeddling with her rear feet.
Copernicus pulls harder with his tail, hoping to keep Melora from getting stuck in the muck.
Brenda dangles wetly, watching the water below her getting closer and closer, her eyes widen a bit, "Oh no..not again."
Melora pulls up the sinking foot and the other one goes into the muck. "Coper, lemme loose. I've gotta idea."
Copernicus nods and let's go, "I might be able to lift her out by the scruff of the neck if that would help?
Melora suddenly bunches her hind legs beneath her and leaps forward. Her wings downbeat once then twice, leaving a trail of gliterry blue flakes then carrying the two of them across the water.
Brenda eeex! and hangs on, well, dangles on, for dear life!
Copernicus chuckles and hmms, "Well, this will teach folks to try and get me up early. Seems I owe our little friend an apology. I wonder how she knows me?"
Melora tacks one wing sail and gently circles to the right, gliding now. She makes it just over the stream and touches down on muddy forepaws.
Brenda watches the ground circling underneath her, then looks up at Melora with a haphazard kytty'gryn, "Nice save."
Melora winks one eye. "Who wants t'get more wet'n paws. Y'should have Coper take ye t'get dried, though. He owes ya one."
Melora puts Brendakitty down and pads over to pat Coper on the rump once. "See?" It happens to be one of those muddy paws, so it leaves a print. ;)
Copernicus chuckles as he's now a 'marked' male. "It's going to be hard to do so without hands Melora. My apologies m'lady, I didn't mean to startle you into an early bath. Now, how is it that you know me?"
Brenda padpads over to Coper and *shakeshakeRUFFLESHAKES!* spraying water in all directions, "Your mischievousness precedes you....arii."
Copernicus blinks at the bedraggled feline and hmms, "Brenda?"
Melora flicks back both ears and looks towards Copernicus, curiously.
Brenda lifts a paw up to her mouth and preens for a moment, "Yes Coperkyttycouch'taur?"
Copernicus smirks and pouncesnugs the lil lynxette with his forelegs. His paws are rather handlike and he purrs, "How did you get here?"
Brenda gyggles at the pouncing and batbats playfully at the 'taur, "I honestly have no ydea..from what I've gathered it was when Distant left Genesis. I was swimming, then I was drowning..the last thought I had was of teleportation to safety..next thing I know, I'm on this planet thinking that I was just lost somewhere on Genesis."
Copernicus ohs, "No, we're a long long long ways from there. I'm glad you're ok though."
Brenda frowns slightly, "That seems to have been the last magical act I'll be able to perform. I'm just a plain kytty now..I haven't been able to teleport or anything else since I've been here."
Copernicus blinks, "You've never met Melora before, have you? I mean, I rarely got to see you even, and Melora was always out exploring, looking for her home. Melora, this is Brenda, she was Queen of the Oceans for a while. Seems she doesn't like water much now. ;)"
Melora says, "Or at least muddy creeks. Pleased t'be meetin ye Brenda. Have ye had yer breakfast yet?"
Brenda 'gryns, "Nope..I thynk I rather irritated a turtle in there while looking for breakfast, though."
Brenda flops over on her side with a purrs and rollrolls around in the grass, getting as dry as possible while trying to avoid catching a cold.
Melora flicks an ear and looks into the now vacated water. Even the minnows have taken off. "Tell ye what. I'll go check inta findin us something, Coper c'n git ye somewhere t'dry off? Mubbe have Ceres start up a fire?
Brenda nods her head at the gracious felitaur, "I'd rather not get sick on a strange planet. Who knows what else I may catch."
Copernicus nods and purrs, "Follow me Brenda. You can meet the other three ladies who have staked a claim on my hide. Ceres will probably love you to death. ;)"
Melora glances over towards her mate then nods. She leaps over the stream then pads within the forest almost silently, wings folded completely to brace against sound and movement within the greenery. She's gone shortly.
Copernicus chuckles, "And you can meet Melora's and my cubs. They're about 2 or 3 times bigger than you. ;)
Brenda 'smyles, "You had cubs! Congratulations, Copernicus.." She follows the oversized kytty back to camp, winding her way through the grasses.
Copernicus chuckles, "Well, congratulate Melora on the having of them, I didn't contribute much to that. I'm trying my best to put equal effort into raising them, but these foul raiders are keeping me busy. Ah, here's my tent. Let me go wake them, ok? ;)"
Brenda nods and follows Coper into the tent, 'smyling at the sleeping pile of fur.
The winged snowleopard grins and sneaks up behind Aurora and gives her a cold wet nose from behind, then quickly wakes Ceres and Libra this way. The three shrieks are quickly followed by a gang up on Copernicus, who is giggling madly.
Brenda watches the mayhem ensue from a distance, gyggling to herself. It's about time somebody ganged up on Coper..
Copernicus grins as he is playfully trounced by his three mates, finally he gets their attention, and Ceres, a big, bouncy female grabs a taur sized towel and scoops Brenda up like a cub to dry her off.
Brenda myrrps?! as she is tossed around like a kytten..soon after she begins purring up at Ceres..
Aurora and Libra pull Copernicus's ears as they give him a kiss and wander out for the day. Ceres, who has a snowleopard pattern like Coper's, has fluffed Brenda up incredibly, "She is so cute. How big will she be when she's full grown?"
Copernicus smirks.
Brenda gyggles and hrrmphs overdramatically, "I _am_ full grown." She wynx at the big 'taur through the layers of fluff.
Ceres looks a bit disappointed, "Does that mean your males are that small too?"
Copernicus giggles a bit this time.
Copernicus pads over to scritch Brenda's ears a bit, "Sorry to disappoint you Ceres. So, now that you've found some of us Brenda, what are your plans for your stay on Nexus? ;)"
Brenda's brows knit together slightly, "Actually Copernicus, I'm not sure. Since going home isn't an option, I guess that makes me a wanderer. Really the only people I know are you and Jenora at the moment. With my loyalties speaking first, the best I can come up with is to offer my services to you. Of course without my magic, my services don't go much beyond looking ky00t and falling in streams."
Ceres winks at Coper, "Well, looking cute seems to do a lot around here. I'm sure Coper can find something for you to do, and meanwhile, I have another cub sized person to snug. ;)"
Copernicus chuckles and nods to Brenda, "Well, you're welcome to stay around. And we do well enough without magic, in fact we usually regret anything we do do with magic. You'll find something to do."
Brenda nods slowly as if mulling things over, "I suppose I'll need to start earning my way around here, then. What should I do for sleeping space and food?"
Ceres snugs Brenda, "You're welcome to sleep with us, on the nights we sleep anyhow. ;) And we have plenty of food around. I doubt you eat as much as Coper does. "
Copernicus nods, "For now, you're our guest Brenda. So relax a bit."
Copernicus hmms, "I think I've spent enough time like this. Let's see..." and he concentrates, and with a blurr of blue, is a felitaur again. He pats his arms, "Always good to get these back."
Brenda blynx?! at Copernicus..so you DO have your old form! What happened?
Copernicus hmms, "Well, the first time was that weird Le'enle song fest. Started this whole mess. When I tried to use my magic and my uncle's dimensional bag to keep local space from shredding due to the magical war that occurred near there...well, I kinda misplaced our solar system, and destabilized my form again."
Brenda egahs at the 'taur, "So that's the rest of the story. Jenora told me you had transported your entire solar system..but I didn't get a chance to get anymore details. Are you all right, though? It's not painful..just unpredictable, right?"
Ceres hmmfs, "And very inconvenient at times. At least he doesn't let it interfere with his duties as our male. ;)"
Copernicus chuckles, "Never fear. So, sorry about the early morning bath Brenda, it's good to see you again. Would you like to tag along as I do some scouting after breakfast?"
Brenda sures! "I'm starving and could use some exercise, too..."
Copernicus nods and grins as he frees Brenda from Ceres and pads off to get some food, "I wonder how many others will end up here?"