{OPEN} where is here?

[Maztli]

Despite the soft, almost welcoming whispers of the wind, this foreign, unknown was anything but welcoming. The smells were far from similar to the crisp scents of her mountains. The cold was something she was use to, yes, but the snow was something unfamiliar and unknown of. She had heard of it before, having heard tales of how it fell onto the earth if one wandered far enough up the mountain, but she had never even tried to reach those heights. The closest thing she had ever gotten to seeing snow was seeing the white caps of the cliffs higher above. She had never felt its biting cold on her paws or the lingering chill that settled in, and she hated it. Her breathing was labored as she pushed her way through the snow, occasionally struggling to climb over or force her way through the larger slopes of snow that came across her path. She had been wandering for at least two days now, having only the snow as her source of water, but she needed food.

Since the No-Furs had left her in this foreign, mysterious land, Maztli had not been able to find any source of food that was enough to actually sustain her. She had found what was left of a frozen sparrow during her first evening in that unforgiving place, but she hadn't found any thing more beyond that. And, as much as she tried, she could not hunt. With only another month or so left to carry her cub -- or cubs -- her stomach was too swollen to allow her to efficiently hunt. Her rounded size made her to clumsy and slow for her to be able to catch anything, and the sounds of crunching snow was something that always frightened off prey. She was not use to hunting in such environments and knew nothing of the skills needed to survive. And, it was her lack of food that frightened her.

Maztli did not want her cub to die and without food, not only would her cub die, but so would she. The thought of losing her cub terrified her. She would do everything she possibly could t protect her cub even if it did bring her to her last breath. Shivering faintly from the cold as the snow melted into the fur of her shoulders, the pregnant feline paused in her journey, her whiskers quivering as she tried to catch her breath. Oh, she had to find some way to survive in this land. She just had to...

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[Tai]

He stalked forth, belly low to the ground, limbs tucked closely to his body as he moved across the packed snow. His muscles were taut as he kept his attention focused solely on the unfortunate target before him. His ears twitched at every sound, ever mindful to keep his silent approach a secret. His tail flickered eagerly behind him, brushing the fine powder of loose water crystals this way and that. His amber sights were narrowed on his prey: a foraging squirrel, his sworn enemy out in these woods.

The tree rodent had caused him quite a bit of grief with his “wild” brethren. Though it was apparently a novice catch as far as prey items went—or at least that was what he had come to assume what with the larger creatures the others were able to bring back—Tai found the vermin every bit as difficult as they were infuriating. Even with a few pointers from a certain party-pooper, long-legged feline, he had yet to cleanly kill one. He either lost it, or ended up being bitten by the damnable creature. Thus, the busy-tailed critter had earned a high spot on his kill-list.

This day though, oh, this day, he would do it. He would kill it with one swift bite. He would… ‘Who is that?’ An unfamiliar scent drifted on the wind, temporarily distracting the feline from his quarry. His gaze left the squirrel for but a moment, eyes searching through the barren forest for who it might be. It was feline, he was sure, and a female, but…who could it be? The scent of the pride had not been carried by this stranger. Invisible brows furrowed as he tried to decide what to make of the sudden discovery.

The sudden rush of hurried feet called his attention back to his prey. “Hey!” he growled as he pounced after the fleeing rodent, missing it sorely. It was too late, the predator’s scent on the wind had frightened the creature up a nearby tree. Tai had half the mind to scale after it, his claws already ripping into the dry bark in a frustrated manner. He stretched the length of his body up, causing quite a racket as he tore off loose pieces of wood. The tree rat was long gone though, having scurried beyond any branches that the medium-sized feline could even attempt at climbing.

Knowing a lost cause when he saw one, he drug his claws down the tree’s trunk dramatically, his shoulders sagging slightly as he sat before it, eyes staring up at the mass crisscross of bare branches above him. His tail flicked irritably behind him as he glared at the ball of fluff way up in the tree, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Another gentle winter breeze teased him with that unfamiliar scent once more. Tai glanced at the direction it had come from once more. He stared for a second or two before glancing back up at the perched squirrel. “You win today, vermin, but, mark my words, you will not be so lucky the next time we meet,” he vowed under his breath before setting off to see who it was that was out and about.

The snow became deeper the further out he traveled, and the terrain proved a bit tricky in some places, but it wasn’t long before Tai found the owner of the scent. He heard her before he saw her, his sensitive ears picking up on the tired breaths of another. The Golden Asian cat had slowed his pace at the noise, his large paws doing their best to tread as carefully as they could in the white powder. He had topped the crest of a gradual hill when his amber sights finally alighted on the stranger.

She was a little thing, well, at least, in comparison to the others he was used to seeing. She sported a thick coat of greys. Stripes were woven in to the mixture, but were most visible in that large fluffy tail of hers. He cocked his head to one side as he noted her odd roundness. Was she fat? He had never seen a fat cat before, well, not a “wild” one at least. She didn’t look like any house cat he had seen before though. Her tail and overall structure had thrown off that essence. He studied her for a moment, his brain trying to decide if her added girth was a result from eating too much or if it was a natural thing of her species.

It didn’t register to him that the feline could use a bit of help until he saw a shiver coarse through her. ‘Oh! Maybe she needs help!’ He hefted the rest of his body up the hill. “Hey!” he called in a friendly tone as he bounded towards her. “Are you alright, lady?” He came to a stop a few feet or so in front of the smaller feline, though it was almost as if it were a second thought. Too many times he had made the mistake of simply waltzing up to another feline and having received a nasty hiss or swat for his exuberant troubles. He was still trying to get used to what “cats” did and what was acceptable “cat” behavior when around others.

Tai’s amber eyes looked the stranger up and down. She seemed…cold? “…You don’t look so great,” he commented offhandedly. He meant no harm by it. In his mind, he was simply stating a fact. As his gaze came upon her shoulder, he lifted a paw. “You’ve got some snow on your shoulder there…” He moved his paw in a sweeping motion, silently asking of her permission to sweep it off. Tai had yet to realize that he had probably overwhelmed the poor gal with his forwardness.

[Maztli]

As she sat there, doing her best to keep her limbs close to her, Maztli curled her tail around her paws, trying to keep herself as warm as possible. She couldn't afford to freeze or become slower from the cold. No, she had her cubs to worry about and she could not give up on them. But, sometimes, perhaps giving up would be the best answer. It was clear that this landscape was not kind to those who lived on its surface. Not to mention there was no telling what dangers lurked in the shadow of the trees, waiting for a chance to prey on the week. The mother-to-be did not want that for her cubs. If there came no help, then perhaps that would be the kindest thing to do to her cubs. If she gave up now then they would not be have to suffer from starvation or die from the cold. As the thought continued to engulf her mind, Maztli finally came to her senses. Roughly shaking her head, hissing faintly at herself, she felt a sense of rage boil within her. How could she ever think of such a thing?! Her cubs needed her to be strong.

Flattening her small, rounded ears, her paws shuffled uncomfortably beneath her in the snow, her paw pads tingling as they began to grow numb. She had to keep moving. Staying in one stop would only lower her chances of survive through all of this. Having been so lost in thought, though, the female had failed to sense the being that had been watching her. With a faint grunt, she shakily stood to her paws before finding herself scrambling back into a crouch as a voice suddenly called out. Fur bristling as her eyes widened with fear, a sharp, but trembling hiss slipped through her throat as her gaze fell onto the larger feline. He was not the largest creature she had seen before, but he was still considerably larger than her. It frightened her, really. While she had once been open to meeting others and would've gladly tried to greet this male, the fear of not knowing where she was and the instinct to protect her unborn cubs overwhelmed her.

Though her back arched in warning and her tail fluffed out in aggression, her fear shone brightly in her dark brown eyes. For a time she didn't even realize that she could understand this feline's words. She had met other creatures before when she was a cub, but their words, their language had never made sense to her. She could never converse with another feline or any other creature beside her own kind. So, when it finally sunk in, Maztli felt a new, fresh wave of fear rush through her. Being still considerably young, Maztli was oblivious to the power she held. Her parents had not possessed it and she had no one else to teach her of her shifting abilities.

"Y-You...You spoke...," she stuttered out, not realizing how her own language had instinctively switched to speak to this other retro. But, it did not take long until another thought rushed through her mind. Whether this feline could speak to her or not, he still posed a threat. Not so much to her as to her cubs. Trembling in fear, her voice hardly came out as a whisper. "P-Please...don't hurt me or my cubs..."

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[Tai]

The stranger was obviously not expecting his presence, as she displayed and vocalized her surprise. His loud greeting had served its purpose well enough, though the male was hoping for a more…welcoming response in return. You know, a “hello” or a “hi” type of thing. He hadn’t meant to scare the poor feline by any means. She seemed anything but pleased to have him there. Though he was still in the learning stages of other feline behavior, he recognized her aggressive stance immediately. She did not want to be messed with. Though she was small, it was enough to deter the curious Analoya cat from trekking any closer to her. He knew better, and didn’t particularly want a face full of claws.

Despite her aggressive behavior though, there was an odd edge to those eyes of hers. They didn’t shine with a furious warning, with a promise of pain. No, it was more like she was… ‘Afraid? What’s she afraid of though?’ He retracted his outstretched paw and took a quick look around them, but found nothing that struck him as something to be frightened of. There were trees, snow, and, well, them. As his eyes returned to the stranger, it donned on him. He was nearly twice her size in every dimension, height, length, weight. It would be like if he were to stand before a tiger, or one of the other big cats that roamed around in the pride. Tai’s ears flattened against his cranium as he lowered his body to the snowy ground. ‘Maybe if I seem smaller and less scary, she won’t be so afraid of me.’ He rolled over onto his back and wriggled in the snow, displaying a sort of playful, relaxed appearance.

‘Maybe it’s because she’s a stranger?’ he wondered further, his amber gaze looking at her from his odd angle. He recalled his first time meeting with one of the pride members. He had been a bit intimidated, and had been oh so terribly hungry and confused. Perhaps this feline was the same? Though, some malicious part of him doubted the hunger part. Her plumpness made it seem she was rather well off in that department, and that dark beast of jealousy reared its ugly head. She obviously had no trouble catching prey, unlike him. She was a truly “wild” feline.

He stopped his wriggling in the snow when she made a fumbled observation. He tilted his head and quirked an invisible brow. “…Yeah…?” he replied, a bit confused, “You speak too, it seems.” He wasn’t sure what she was getting at. Couldn’t they all speak? Where was she from? Did other cats not speak there? Or, was she native to this place and hadn’t met one of shifters yet? That would have explained how she was so proficient at hunting… His hypothesizing thoughts were ground to a halt when the stranger whispered out a fearful plea.

A look of confusion and concern washed over his face. Hurt her? “Why would I hurt you?” he questioned as he rolled over onto his belly, his head turning about as he looked for something. “You’ve done nothing wrong, lady. Unless you count scaring off that squirrel I had cornered earlier, but I can forgive you for that.” That was strange. Just like he had thought, it was only the two of them out there. “I think you lost your kids somewhere though. ‘Cause I don’t see as much as a whisker of one of them.” He raised his head to sniff the air. Maybe she had hidden them somewhere? He caught nothing on the wind save this stranger’s scent. Defeated, his amber gaze returned to her small form.

“What are you doing out here anyways? You look like you’re cold,” he inquired curiously. He raised his paw once more and made a sweeping motion. Maybe this time she’d allow him to brush off the white powder that gathered on her pelt. “I think your hitchhiker there might be part of it?”

[Maztli]

Maztli's species was not one who was very sociable, commonly staying to themselves. And, while the female was different from most of her kind and did in fact enjoy the company of others, she had never seen anyone behave in such a way as this male did. Staring blankly at the larger feline as he lowered himself to the ground then begin to roll around in the snow, Maztli was beginning to believe that this feline was simply insane. In her homeland, to expose your underbelly was practically a death wish. It was such a vulnerable spot, one that could easily be cut or injured and result in death. There was only ever one time when you dared to preform such an act and that was when you were submitting to a mate or greeting an old friend. And, Maztli knew perfectly that she fell into neither of these categories. Surely this male didn't trust her enough not to lash out at him in such an exposed state.

But, whatever the reason may be, it did ease her nerves. No, she would not fully trust this male, but surely he would not be able to attack or harm her when he was in such a position. Releasing the tension in her shoulders, her back smoothed out as her tail lowered, though her fur remained bristled simply from nervousness. She still was not sure what to expect and her fear was becoming harder to hide from the outside world. Her whiskers twitched as her muddy brown eyes watched this odd male, her ears pressing forward as he spoke once more. It still seemed like an odd thing to be conversing with a creature that was not of her own kind. There had been times when she had been a younger feline where she had wandered upon cats of a different species, and while they held words similar to her own, they were not always so easily understandable. The felines she had never been able to speak to were those who were not from her land.

During her time in the metal dens with the No-Furs, she had met a small, golden-furred she-cat who had smelled of wind and sand, something she had never thought would go together. When she had tried to speak to the other female the small feline had burst out into a rush of foreign words that she could not understand. She didn't know what had happened to the feline as they were taken to separate destinations, her own being to the hands of the No-Furs with sharp, thin sticks and other strange objects. So, to find a feline that she had never seen before speak as she did was completely strange.

As she continued to silently listen to this new feline, her ears stood erect with surprise at his gentle assurances that he would bring her no harm. Was this not his land? Did he not wish to protect it? Maztli knew of many in her homeland who would be very aggressive and possessive over their territory, not afraid to claw at an intruder. And, this calm, gentle way of speaking to her was something almost foreign to her. But, she did not have a chance to find reason in his behavior before his next words sunk in. Maztli was somewhat taken aback by his statement, confusion clouding her gaze. Could he really not tell that she was carrying cubs? Or, was he simply that stupid? She couldn't quite tell. For a time she stayed silent, trying to decide if it was best to explain to him her situation or keep it to herself. If he did not know of her cubs then perhaps he would leave her be. On the other paw, if he did know then he might be able to assist her with getting food.

Running her tongue over her lips as she thought, she almost missed his next round of words. Lifting her head up, looking at him in a confused manner, she gradually craned her neck around to look at her backside, surprised by the amount of snow that had gathered. "Oh...yes, I suppose it would be," she said softly, shaking herself in an attempt to rid herself of the cold flakes. But, she could only do so much, her rounded stomach preventing her from truly shaking herself. When snow continued to remain on her pelt, a soft sigh passed her lips as she let herself relax, allowing the male to assist if he so wanted to. "Well...I was simply looking for food and shelter. I need to find something before..." she began before trailing off, her gaze lowering before she roughly ran her tongue over her chest, smoothing the fur down in a nervous manner.

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[Tai]

Tai visibly perked up when he saw the female relax a little, showing that his silly antics were not all in vain. She seemed wary of him of him though, as if she were expecting him to suddenly attack her or something. While the idea humored him, some part of him reasoned that it would be a bad idea. She didn’t look like she was in the mood for play, which would have meant that those hidden weapons of hers would likely be raking his face if he made any such attempt. ‘It’s such a shame these guys are all work and no play,’ he inwardly whined. Nobody seemed to know how to have fun out here…

His ears flickered forward when he seemed to have caught her interest when he admitted that he wouldn’t hurt her. Perhaps he had been right all along. That was probably why she was so tense. She had been under the impression that he would attack her! ‘Why would she think that I would do that though?’ The questions brought on many more. Had she been attacked a lot in her past? Was it because she knew she was a stranger on these lands? Or perhaps she just expected the worst regardless? It was a strange thing to think of as he tried to retrace how he had announced himself to her. He had tried to seem friendly. That’s what he had always done in the past. It was easier to gain friends when you showed you could be nice. At least, that was what he had learned when he had been with Claire.

Then again, Claire was a human. These “wild” cats were so different from what he had grown up with. It was a shock to the rather domesticated feline of just how different his truly wild brethren were. They hunted and killed their own food. Most of them lived alone before coming to the dome. They had to fight to survive, live every day like it could be their last. All of which Tai had never had to worry about until he had been dumped here. He had little to no knowledge of what was and what wasn’t acceptable amongst other felines. ‘Maybe I would have acted tough like that one guy who brought me in,’ he mused, ‘Maybe she was actually expecting that?’

The feline’s pondering was put to a stop as he realized the slight look of confusion the stranger held. His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he tried to backtrack everything he had said aloud. He hadn’t said anything to merit the loo…Tai’s amber eyes narrowed on the female’s protruding belly. Wait. Maybe… He hadn’t smelt anyone else’s scent lingering about the area. And if she was confused by his comment… Oh! Two and two came together. What was that word Claire had used…? ‘Pig? Peg? Proctor? No, no. Pro… Pre…? Yeah! It was…I think it was…pre…pregggghh…preg…mmm…preg…mant? Nant? Pregnant? Yeah, that sounds right.’ He blinked and cocked his head to one side. He had never seen a pregnant feline before. He had seen a few zookeepers, but that had been it.

The movement the stranger made out of the corner of his eye, easily re-focused his attention on her face again. Once more, she seemed confused, but was quick to realize what he had said. She spoke in a soft voice before trying in vain to rid herself of the white powder that had collected on her fur. It seemed her added girth prevented her from shaking if all off properly. A twinge of pity shot through Tai. How miserable would that be? To not be able to shake out your own pelt? When she gave him the opportunity to help her, Tai did so without haste. He easily slipped onto his feet again and carefully approached the foreigner, not wanting to spook her. Tai did his best to gently sweep off the collected snow. Claire had always told him that he had to be gentle around the pregnant zookeepers.

The deed finished, Tai backed off and sat himself a comfortable distance away from the stranger as to give her her space. These “wild” cats seemed to be picky about that. The Asian golden cat wrapped his tail around his paws. The stranger answered him before she nervously licked her chest. Invisible brows shot up, “So…you’re new to the dome?” The surprise was evident in his voice. He had never met someone fresh from the Keepers before. There was a pause before he fired off another question, “How far a long are you?” That was the appropriate question to ask right? That’s what the humans did…oh, wait. “Or…uh…” Did other animals keep track of that stuff? “…how long before you’re due?” he tried lamely. His ears flattened against his head in embarrassment, that was, until a realization hit him.

Tai’s ears flew forward and an aura of cheer seemed to radiate from him. “I’m Tai, by the way. What’s your name, lady?” he inquired in a friendly tone. He had almost forgotten to introduce himself! Surely at least that was customary among “wild” felines?

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OOC: Sorry this is late! I hadn’t realized that you had replied! D:

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[Maztli]

Despite the fact that she had indeed gave the stranger her silent permission to help remove the snow that had gathered on her pelt, Maztli instinctively tensed and even flinched faintly as his paw came to brush over her. After having been so cruelly yanked from her natural home and lifestyle, she was finding it difficult to truly adapt and change according to her surroundings. The No-Furs that had handled her and kept her in that metal cavern had made her more wary, more skittish around new faces. But, as was her nature to be open and welcoming, it created somewhat of an internal battle. She felt the want to get to know this new, curious feline that she had managed to stumble upon, but fear for herself and her unborn cubs, she wanted to also simply hide from him as well. But, for the time being, Maztli managed to keep her paws still and planted in the spot where she sat.

As her soft, deep brown eyes continued to watch this male, though, taking in his soft, gentle gestures and movements, the small feline couldn't help but find her interest captured. He didn't behave in a brash manner or hold those rough, quick movements she had seen many times in males of her own kind and of a few others. No, it was like he was trying to comfort her, and after being forced to wander in this cold, unforgiving environment, Maztli found herself suddenly craving for more of the softness. Twitching her ears back for a moment, she softly nodded her head in a gesture of thanks. Her long, highly-furred tail quietly wrapped around her paws as a very small smile slid onto her muzzle. With each passing moment, she found herself relaxing in this male's presence, the sense of being threatened passing as the fur along her shoulders finally flattened back. As he asked her his question of being new in this...'dome', whatever that may be, she gently nodded her head.

"Yes...if that is what this place is called. I am new to 'Dome',", she stated before tilting her head at his next question. Far along? For a moment Maztli was oblivious to the fact that he was referring to her cubs, though even she would not be able to truly answer that question. She did not keep track of such things nor even knew when it had actually begun. Watching him with curious eyes, her ears pressed forward finally in recognition as he re-worded his previous question. So, he had finally noticed of her situation. About time. Shuffling faintly on her paws, her tongue darting out to run over her lips once more, she paused to think about it for a moment before she finally spoke. "I suppose in another moon or so," she answered softly, the tip of her tail twitching. "Tai? That is a very pleasant name." she purred faintly. "My name is Maztli."

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[Tai]

He felt the smaller feline tense slightly shift away from his comparably hefty paw. Some part of him worried that he might have not been gentle enough. He could hear Claire’s nagging voice ringing in his ears. “Be gentle, Tai!” The zookeeper had had to constantly remind of him of his strength, as he often forgot just how strong and rough he actually was. The fact that this stranger didn’t outright say or obviously shy away from his touch though comforted him enough to assume that he had been gentle enough to not hurt her. The last thing he needed was to accidentally break the back of an expectant mother. He would have felt horrible if such an event had occurred. There were no vets out here, and he was almost positive that the Keepers would have rather watched one of them die before lending a helping hand.

When he saw the makings of a feline smile creep across her lips, a feeling of contentment made itself home in Tai. Finally he had found a cat that wasn’t all frowns, sneers, and snarls! This little lady was proving to easily be one of the better companies he had had the pleasure of finding himself in. While he was happy to have finally found a ray of sunshine amongst a sky full of rain clouds, a part of him was also glad that the stranger seemed to have slowly relaxed. It was hard to be the only one putting forth any optimistic feelings into a conversation.

At her confirmation of her recent arrival, Tai couldn’t help but to let out a light chuckle as he shook his head. Though she had seemed to have misunderstood him, his question was answered either way. “No no no no no, this— ” he gestured to the forest around them with his nose, “—is Analoya territory. The dome—” he stood on his back paws and swatted at the sky above them, “is this big world the Keeper-people put us in. It’s like…you know, like a big fancy cage?” He came back down onto all-fours again. His eyes trained on his paws as he played with some snow. He shrugged nonchalantly. “I dunno. That’s what the other guys told me at least. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t believe me though, I’m not sure if I believe it myself. But, then again, I came from a zoo, so I wouldn’t know much about this ‘wild’ stuff like they do.” There was a pause before his amber gaze came up to meet her face again. “Are you…from the wild? Or did you live with humans too?”

He watched as the smaller cat shuffled her paws and licked her lips once more before answering his awkward question. Tai blinked. Wow, that wasn’t very far away. Had he have missed her today, she would have probably wandered up until the day she gave birth to the little babies. Now, while he had never had any actual interaction with baby animals before, Claire had often told him that they were fragile, and that was why she had never allowed him close to Mandy’s baby when she brought it in that one day. He nodded in acknowledgment to the feline’s answer, a smile of his own appearing on his maw. “Well, I guess it’s good I found you then!”

Tai’s ears perked and he sat up a little straighter at her compliment. He had never had someone say that about his name before. “Thanks,” he purred in return quickly, instinctually. Had he been a dog, he would have wagged his tail. He grinned at her as she introduced herself. “Your name is pretty too! I’ve never heard anything quite like it before,” he meowed cheerfully. He motioned to her stomach, “Do you have any names for them yet, Maztli?”

[Maztli]

Being a feline that had been untouched by humans until she had been captured by them for studying and later transportation, Maztli had never heard of their words or of them. Humans were just as foreign to her as sunlight would be to a mole. So, it was easy to understand how everything she had been through had left her confused and lost. She listened as Tai went on to explain exactly what this unnatural world seemed to be, hardly understanding most of the terms he used to describe the land. Cage? People? She knew nothing of what these were or what they were meant for. Were they names of other creatures? Or, perhaps they were names of a plant even that grew in this alien land. Regardless of what they were, the explanation that was no doubt used to help inform her and clear her confusion only left her far more confused than ever before.

Pressing her ears back, Maztli tilted her head to the side as she frowned faintly, trying her best to understand this male. Surely the terms he was using was from his natural home. None of it seemed to make sense. Granted, given that Maztli was raised in a simple home with no human contact of knowledge, she was far from the brightest creature in the woods. It took her time to piece things together and she had to sit there and think for some time before she somewhat understood what he meant by living in the wild. But, what kind of question was that? What creature in their right mind would live anywhere else? But, as she thought more on it, Maztli realized just how little she knew as the fact hit her. There was far more to this world than her homeland and this foreign place. Blinking as she tried to draw herself out of her thoughts, the feline hesitantly nodded her head before giving another much firmer and much more confident nod.

"Yes. Yes, I did live in this wild place," she said with certainty as she raised her ears up once more. "It was because of those deformed No-Furs that I'm here." It was clear by her tone and general body language that the thought of these No-Furs -- or as Tai had called them 'humans' -- brought nothing but a sharp bitterness but also a deep sadness to her. She would never be able to see her mate again and her cubs would never be able to see the beautiful cliffs of the mountains. Her ears twitched irritably at the thought as she turned her head away for a moment, roughly licking her shoulder before turning her attention back to Tai. As he spoke once more of her cubs, Maztli allowed the thoughts of the No-Furs to leave her mind for a time, staring at him curiously before shaking her head. "No, of course not. There is no telling whether they'll be male or female or how many I will have. It is useless to make names if they will never be used."

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[Tai]

He blinked as he saw her ears fall against her skull. Had she not added the additional head twist and frown, Tai would have been worried that he had said something wrong again. The wild sort were rather prickly about things, and they never much seemed to enjoy what he had to say. He had already had a few blunders with offending a few of his wild brethren. The last thing he would have wanted was to irritate the one feline that was friendly to him. Regardless, his worry was still there over what he had said.

It had become obvious to him that she was not following his choice of words for explanation. ‘…how else could I explain it to her?’ He was at a loss. It was times like these that he forgot that many did not come from the same background as he, and, therefore, hadn’t learned the human’s terminology for some things. What else could he use to explain what a cage was though? What was their “wild” term for it? Or did they not have one? He ducked his head down, his amber eyes looking at her before glancing away in an embarrassed manner. “Sorry, uh…this probably doesn’t make any sense to you. I don’t know how else to describe it though, hahah,” he added sheepishly as he returned his gaze to her once more.

Tai’s ears perked up when she appeared to have understood some of what he had rambled about. A part of him was disheartened though to hear her answer, even though he had already suspected as much. He still had hope. One day, maybe, there’d be someone else that’d come from a zoo like him. Though, even with her confirmation, he couldn’t stop the little glimmer of doubt that rose within him. She was so nice compared to the others. How could she have come from the “wild?” ‘Maybe she’s an exception!’ some part of him chimed.

The Asian golden cat sat down onto his haunches and pointed at her with a paw as he heard the equivalent he had been searching for uttered from her lips. “No-Furs!” he announced enthusiastically, “That’s what you…call…them…” The tone of her voice and her words had finally hit him, and his triumphant expression took a drastic turn for a more somber one. His ears fell against his cranium as he looked away from the Maztli. Clearing his throat, he agreed with her, “Yes, the huma—I mean, the, uh, No-Furs that brought us here are the reason I’m here too. They’re the reason we’re all here, actually.” He made sure to clarify the difference between the vet-guys—or Keepers—and other humans. Claire would have never done this to him, to any of them, after all… She was a good human…right?

His amber gaze fell to look at the snow-covered ground. “What did they take from you?” he asked quietly. A moment went by before he quickly amended, “If you…don’t mind me asking, that is?” It was obvious that they had hurt the poor feline in some way. What could they have taken from her? He meant no harm from it. He was simply curious…though some tiny piece of him sought to see if she simply missed her freedom or if, she too, had lost someone dear to her as a result of the Keepers.

Sensing movement out of the corner of his eye, he returned his head to face her once more. She was in the midst of giving her shoulder a vigorous, impromptu cleaning before she finally looked at him again to answer yet another volley of his insistent questions. She shook her head negatively. He let out a nervous chuckle, “Hahahah, I suppose you’re right. It does seem kind of pointless.” He paused and let out a soft, reminiscent sigh before continuing, “The humans—I mean—the No-Furs like to name their babies while they’re still carrying them for some reason. Claire never told me why though…” He looked up for a moment in contemplation before looking down at Maztli again. “So…not even an inkling of what you would name them? Not even for one? Or, do the names just come to you after they’re born?” Curiosity had him rambling again.

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OOC: First off, I would like to sincerely apologize for having left you in limbo for almost two months now. I had some real life things come up that I had to take care of, but, even then, I should have at least given you a heads up that I was busy. For that, I am sorry. It wasn’t fair of me to leave you hanging for so long, especially when it was me that jumped into your thread. If you’ve moved on, or no longer have any muse to continue this thread, I completely understand. Again, I am very sorry that I left without at least sending a warning of some sort.

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[Maztli]

With her deep brown eyes remaining on the light brown male, Maztli tried her best to understand the words he used. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable to not be able to fully understand him, and to top it off she felt a bit dim-witted as well. Did she really not know that much? In her home land she had been on of the wittiest on the cliff side. She had discovered new things and created new paths to find prey. She had been the brains in the family and her curiosity had helped her accomplish it all. But, here...Well, it was obvious that it was a completely different game here. Nothing Tai said made much sense and what did still managed to leave her lost and confused. Was she really that stupid? Whiskers twitching faintly as the male explained that there really wasn't any other way to explain it all to her, the feline turned her head away faintly, her tail curling faintly before she lightly shook her head.

"No, you don't need to apologize," she sighed softly, turning back to the other feline, though she kept her gaze lowered. "I'm sure I'm just making this all frustrating." Nervously running her tongue over her lips, Maztli shuffled lightly on her paws, her eyes finally looking back up at Tai. She listened in silence as he repeated what she was already well aware of. He had made it clear earlier that he wasn't from her either, and though it was clear that she couldn't understand too much, she could put two and two together to get her answer. But, there was something that quickly caught her attention. Blinking, her ears shot up at his last statement, bringing a small frown to her face as she lightly narrowed her eyes. "'All'? Who is 'all'," she questioned as she nervously glanced around them. There were more creatures here in this land? More beings that could be around them? How many were there and were they all as kind as Tai? Or, were they mean and cruel like she had known some to be.

Clambering onto her paws, her tail flicking nervously, she glanced up at the male before looking around them again. "...They aren't here, too, are they," she pushed on, wanting to know if it was even acceptable to let her guard down in this unknown environment. The thought of there being others, though...It once more brought a sense of nervousness in her.

As her eyes refused to truly stay on this new friend she had made in such a short of time, she paused at his rather personal inquiry. Lifting her head up to stare up at Tai with a sad but cold look, Maztli remained silent for the longest time. Despite her previous nervousness, she found herself sitting back onto her haunches as she lowered her head, staring blankly at her paws. "They took everything from me," she eventually answered, though her voice was low and quiet, just barely over a whisper. "I'll never be able to see my mate again...My cubs...they'll never see the endless mountains I grew up with..." Tightly shutting her eyes, a small tremble shook through her before she began again licking at her shoulder. It was something of a nervous habit and something that always helped her relax or take her mind off of things she did not want to particularly think about.

So, when Tai brought up the subject of her cubs and their names once more, the mother-to-be was more than happy for the subject change. "Of course I would only name them afterwards. There is no telling what they may be like. It would be unfair to give them a name that didn't fit them." Lifting her paw up, she lightly brushed it over her swollen midsection, unconscious of her actions before she lifted her paw up higher and began licking at the pads, trying to get rid of the irritating snow that had lodged itself between her paw pads.

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OOC: Hey, no worries, I kinda ended up doing the same to you anyways. Life is just mean that way, I guess. So, call it even then? Heh. But, don't worry about apologizing, either. Shit happens and ya gotta take care of it. I understand. =3 Hope everything is going good.