Calia's Garden [Private]

[lone]

The black tom's green eyes flashed as he heard a familiar voice calling. He hadn't heard Calia's voice in several moons... several long moons...and he missed her more then he had thought. He missed her far more then he had thought. At the sound of Calia's voice, Obsidian's expression changed and became softer. Sunshine. Yes, he still remembered the nickname he had given her. And he still remembered how hesitant he had been to use it. But it stuck in his head just as she had, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake either of them. They were both incredibly special to him. More special then he would... ever admit. "Calia?" The tom's ears priced up in wonder as he saw the ginger cat emerging. The tom's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything for a minute. He just stood there.

He really hadn't ever seen himself coming back here, not to this place with her, and yet here he was now. Standing with her right in front of him. He didn't want to break the illusion that, for right now, he was actually there and everything was fine. His paws shifted anxiously, and he looked down at the ground. "I... just wanted to let you know I'm okay." He didn't mention the Dusk Syndicate, not wanting to lie and speak of them in the present tense (although he would if he had to) and not wanting to speak of them in the past tense because he knew that it would bring back unpleasant memories. And the reminder that he was alone once again. Alone and trying to survive here. "I thought you might want to know." He added after a moment of awkward silence, and then looking back down at the ground.

Right now he was avoiding making eye contact with her. He didn't want to see the expression on her face. He was afraid it would show that she cared, and like he had told her before, he would prefer not to know if anyone cared. But she had been right, too... the idea of someone who cared whether he lived or died had kept him alive in that place. It had been the one thing that carried him through day to day life, making sure that he did stay alive if even just for a moment. If he was staying alive for one thing, it was the thought that Calia had cared. About him. But he wouldn't mention that, either. He was afraid to, partly, and embarrassed to as well. That was an awfully personal thing to say to someone he'd only stayed a couple of days with before.

His territory was only a couple of miles from the border of hers, a stretch of unclaimed land laying in between the two being the only thing that separated them. A stretch of unclaimed land that Obsidian had come all the way across to tell her that he was okay. Did he care? There must have been a chance, otherwise he never would have done that. Maybe he thought because she cared, he needed to care some. Or maybe there was just enough feeling left in his broken and guarded heart to care about the one cat who had shown him kindness in a very long time.

Calia remained the only cat who had shown him kindness since he had first met her, and for that, he was grateful. But for that - he also feared her. It was terrifying, to know that there was a cat out there who had shown him this kindness and that she wanted nothing in return. And what was even more terrifying was that Obsidian wanted to trust her.

@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@Lonestar23

Calia stood a few fox-lengths in front of Obsidian, gazing warmly upon the dark-pelted tomcat she considered a friend. However, shock kept her from rushing towards him and tightly, affectionately embracing him. And the fact that he didn't seem very excited to see her - would he be okay with her acting like a kit just out of the nursery? Or would she scare him away, all the way back to the Dusk Syndicate? Speaking of, why was Obsidian so far from the Dusk Syndicate? Calia would ask later, maybe when they were talking over a meal or carefully watching the twoleg tend to the herbs. She expected Obsidian to stay for a while, not leave right away.

Finally, Obsidian spoke and broke the silence. Calia was relieved to hear his reassuring statements, and she even released a sigh to express her relief. A cheerful smile slowly stretched across her muzzle, her vibrant blue eyes glowing even brighter as happy tears began to line her eyelids. She sobbed loudly, her entire body convulsing under the power of her cries. ``You're back!`` Calia wailed, rushing towards Obsidian. Her paws, digging firmly into the ground, kicked up earth behind her. She was almost frightened Obsidian would disappear from sight, like an illusion of the mind. She didn't want that to happen - she couldn't let that happen. No way would she let the reserved tom leave her again. In her own way she was selfish, as she was determined to keep the tomcat in her life and not let him leave.

She barely left time for Obsidian to registered what happened and was on him in a heartbeat. Calia wailed her joy out loud with no sound limits at all. She forcefully nuzzled him and brushed against him and almost drowned him in affectionate licks. Finally, when her frantic sobs dried out and she had no energy left for tears she reluctantly pulled away from the dark-pelted tom, the whites of her eyes red due to hardcore crying. She laughed softly at herself, shaking her head in disbelief. ``I'm sorry; I just can't believe you're here. Come, I'm sure there's a lot to share.`` She turned away from Obsidian, stepping towards the direction she came, the direction of the cabin and the bridge, before looking over her shoulder at the tom. She was scared to let him out of her sight, like she had last time when he left. Calia didn't want to lose him again.

[lone]

When Calia burst into tears, Obsidian flinched, his ears going back slightly. Was this a mistake? Was she upset that he was back, should he not have come? The tom shifted his weight, unsure what to do, until he felt Calia up against him. Obsidian wasn't used to this kind of physical contact, not affectionately. The way she nuzzled him and brushed up against him made him feel unsure of how to respond, and he stood there completely still, ears relaxed yet his body still tense, the fur on the back of his neck going back and forth between bristling and laying flat. "I'm... back." He echoed her, his words almost flat. What was to be done in this situation? Obsidian shifted his weight again, looking down at the ground as she stepped away from him.

Yet there was a slight smile on his maw and eventually he looked back up, green eyes meeting her blue ones and sparkling with genuine happiness. He hadn't always been the happiest cat. Real, true smiles were about as rare as it got with this tom. He just didn't have a lot to smile about. Especially not in the Dusk Syndicate - that place had been hardwired to drain the happiness out of you, he was pretty sure. Not like he had a lot of it left. He'd actually fit in perfectly with the other cats there, the cats who had been brainwashed to follow along. "I - I was just stopping by... I mean, I just-" He stopped. Obsidian didn't have the heart to tell her that he was leaving now, and he bit his lip in an attempt to drown out the guilt.

It didn't work. He couldn't find the words to tell Calia that he hadn't been planning on staying, and that he would be going back to his own territory now, and so bit by bit he relaxed and then finally sighed. "But you're right. There is a lot to catch up on." Maybe he could keep the conversation strictly to her side of events. If he could, that would be great. If he couldn't, well... then his answers would be vague and short. He didn't want to tell her everything that had happened there. He didn't want her to know the details about the battle. About having to fight to survive sometimes in... that place.

Where he belonged. He had belonged there, whether he had liked it or not. Cats like him? The loners who had problems? They always ended up in a place like that. Calia didn't need to know the details about how awful it had been - she deserved to stay with a pure mind, untainted by horrible thoughts like that. Left by nightmares. Untouched by thoughts of the Dusk Syndicate. Obsidian slowly followed after Calia, looking back over his shoulder briefly as though he were leaving something very important behind.

@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@Lonestar23


Calia didn't even notice Obsidian trying to tell her he was only stopping by. She was much to excited to even make sense of `I said hi, and now I'm saying bye`. Besides, if she was even close to capable of registering Obsidian's goodbye, she wouldn't of accepted it. She would've cried a kit-tantrum, screaming and pounding her paws against the earth. Anything to keep Obsidian beside her, even if just for a small meal, or even until nightfall. Calia was incredibly happy when the dark-pelted tom followed after her, and she silently guided him through the forest in the direction of her home.

She couldn't even imagine what Obsidian's been through since leaving her seasons ago. He must've made it to the Dusk Syndicate, as he seemed so determined to make it there, and Calia had a difficult time believing that he would just dismiss that goal. She couldn't see him limping, and she certainly could not see any severe, visible injuries. She assumed the tomcat was physically okay, though she also expected to see a few scars and scratches decorating his pelt that hadn't been there last time. However, it was the mental injuries that truly bothered Calia. Was Obsidian suffering from the inside?

The wooden cabin came into view. Calia purred lightly at the sight of the place she called her home. She raised her head, a bright smile crossing her muzzle. ``There it is, Obsidian! Don't you remember it?`` Without waiting for a response, Calia broke into an excited trot. She didn't dare run, not with the fear that Obsidian might just disappear. She felt a kit-like excitement flood her, probably fueled by her joy that came with Obsidian's miraculous return. She lead the way along the path, her thick ginger pelt bouncing with every step. She stopped beside the bench, staring ahead at the cabin.

Just then, Herb rounded the corner of the small wooden house. Remembering Obsidian wasn't exactly very soft on twolegs, Calia meowed, ``He's no threat. He's just fixing the garden up. Stay here; I'll be right back.`` Once again, without waiting for Obsidian's response, Calia left the dark-furred tom beside the stone bench while she approached the bridge where the twoleg stood with his forearms folded against his chest. She brushed against the twoleg's legs as she slipped beneath the bridge where she stored her catches. This time, she had put away two voles, one for a snack and one for nighttime. However, she was very willing to share. As she carried the voles past the twoleg, he leaned down to run his palm along Calia's spine before rising and heading off. Calia purred at his touch, and watched as he headed towards the monster resting just a little way off. She then continued her way to Obsidian, one vole tucked firmly between her chest and her chin, the other held carefully in her jaws. She dropped one vole at Obsidian's paws, taking a few steps back until she was about a tail-length away from him, and then she lowered herself to her belly and set her own meal between her forepaws. Calia rest her welcoming gaze on Obsidian, that same excited smile still across her muzzle. ``So? Where have you been?``

[lone]

Obsidian's green eyes twinkled with amusement at Calia's excitement. She seemed really happy to have him back. So how was she going to react when he told her he wasn't planning on staying long? Maybe he wouldn't tell her, maybe he would just leave when he decided it had been long enough. Except, that hadn't exactly gone over very well last time. He wished he hadn't come across this place in the first place sometimes. It had changed his mindset - for the better or worse, he wasn't yet sure. "I remember it," He told her, padding along behind with a sigh. Yes, he certainly did remember the wooden cabin. He remembered the two days he had spent here, with Calia, and how hard they had been. Those had been some of the hardest days for him, surprisingly... it was almost like he hadn't been able to function properly.

Now that he was just here for a visit, things should be easier. He could run if it got too hard. And he knew where he was going, so it wouldn't be aimless running. He would be going back to his own territory, back to somewhere that was more familiar. Where he was at least partly alone. Jinx was there at the moment, but she wouldn't bother anything - she was a former Dusk Syndicate cat too, she had some amount of discipline, and she shouldn't mess things up. That was Obsidian's hope, anyways. As the twoleg came around the corner, Obsidian's whole body tensed. His claws slid out and ears went back in a hostile position, anger and fear gleaming in his green eyes. He did not want to deal with a twoleg right now. Why would Calia bring him here? Run. Run. Run. He watched Calia pad fearlessly towards the twoleg, and it left her alone - just standing there. He froze as she came back out, waiting with his heart thumping quickly in his chest, fear apparent on his expression and the anger melting away to make room for it.

The twoleg actually touched Calia - and Obsidian's muscles tensed, ready to spring away from or towards the twoleg if he tried to hurt his friend at all. But, the twoleg left the she cat alone, and the tom breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her return, his green eyes fixed on her with a cautious gleam in them. Currently, the tom was unsure whether she was "safe" to touch. He worried the twoleg might have contaminated her. But, the excited smile was still on her maw and Obsidian was having a hard time saying or doing anything he thought might make it fade away. He liked that smile. There weren't a lot of truly excited smiles in the Dusk Syndicate, or the show home that he was previously from, and her smile was quite pretty.

He'd heard a smile made natural beauty greater. He hadn't believed it. Now? Sure, maybe it was true. "The Dusk Syndicate." He answered, with a huff at her question. Hadn't they been over this before? But, thinking over his words, Obsidian relaxed a little and gently lowered himself down to Calia's position, moving his vole so that it was sitting between his forepaws as hers was. His position was exactly the same as hers.

"It's not as bad as you were telling me, Calia. It's not sunshine and rainbows, and it's not very welcoming, but you get used to it." He spoke of it as though it were still a thing. Maybe to him, it was still there. Or it could be there again.


@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@Lonestar23


Sunshine. Calia suddenly remembered the nickname Obsidian used to refer to her, and a warm feeling flowed through her. She didn't want the warm feeling to go away; she wanted it to stay, forever. She wanted Obsidian to stay, forever. However, she highly doubted that the dark-pelted tomcat would feel comfortable living alongside Calia. The ginger she-cat had great difficulty seeing Obsidian living with another living organism, which is perhaps one of the reasons why it was so challenging to imagine him among Dusk Syndicate members. Also, Calia saw the kind, almost shy side of Obsidian that she assumed almost no other saw. In truth, she believed Obsidian could be an intimidating figure even without trying. He carried a sort of dark air with him, and his reserved nature was a mystery. All these signs pointed to a negative past that had shaped him into the tom he is today, a history he preferred to forget rather than confront.


``Don't be so vague, Obsidian,`` Calia almost scolded, but there was also a lighthearted streak in her tone. She was eager to hear about what happened to her friend out in the `big world`. Calia didn't travel. She's been from her former housefolk's home which is close to the Syndicate and the clans. The next place she's been is her older garden, which had plants that grew tall overhead, nearly forming a dome. It was slightly further from the groups of felines. And now she was here, in her current garden, the garden she planned to live the rest of her life in. It was the furthest she's ever been from the clans, and she didn't get as many visitors, but she learned to love it and accept it as her home. ``Tell me; what happened when you left my garden?``


She wished Obsidian had visited the clans rather than the Syndicate. Sure, he was still alive and appeared to be well, but Calia still believed he would've fared better among clan cats. There was so much she still had yet to learn about Obsidian! Now she'd have to catch up on his most recent journey and maybe, eventually, he'd feel comfortable enough to tell her about his past, just as she'd told him about her own tragic backstory. Calia was a fairly patient feline, and she was willing to wait until Obsidian trusted her and was ready to share. Some cats simply weren't as trusting as Calia was, which she can understand just fine.

[lone]

The tom sighed, his green eyes suddenly averting from the ginger feline. He could have guessed she would push him to tell her. And, honestly, he was tempted to tell her about the Dusk Syndicate. About everything that had occured there, and how they no longer existed, and how much he missed his old familiar home. How he was on his own again. How he almost wanted to be a part of a group. But instead of talking about these things, he gave her a small smile. "I headed to the Dusk Syndicate, stayed there for a while. Met a few cats - some of them were nice, some weren't so nice. I got into a couple fights." He didn't want to give her the details of these. They had been nasty fights, and Obsidian's scars were now covered by his fur, the parts where his fur had been ripped out now growing over, not quite as long as his longer fur, but it wasn't a very noticeable difference.

Even the scars from the recent disbanding of the Syndicate were covered now, at least partly. "I thought I might as well let you know I was okay. So, I got up one morning and headed back this way. Found a piece of territory that hasn't been claimed yet. I'm staying there." The tom mewed. He skillfully left out the whole piece of history with the disbanding. Everything else was true - maybe he got into more fights then he let on, but he was too stubborn to talk about them. Obsidian was embarrassed, to be truthful. He'd been too weak to win every fight. And in the Dusk Syndicate, losing a fight wasn't necessarily a good thing. He was just lucky that he hadn't been considered too weak to be useful.

He was still a functioning member of the Syndicate- or no, make that ex member. Now that it no longer existed, he couldn't be a part of it. And that honestly did make Obsidian a little frustrated. "Now, what about you? I hope you've been okay?" He tried to turn the conversation away from himself. He was afraid Calia would talk him into giving away some more of the fierce details. As before, the dark tom was determined to keep her from knowing just how difficult life could be there. He might as well tell her the good things, though. Late night hunting and afternoon lounging... and, not all of the fights had been bad. Obsidian's green eyes gleamed with pleasure as he remembered the fights he had won. Those had been amazing - so to speak.

@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@Lonestar23


Calia was horrified that fights broke out in the Dusk Syndicate, and based off the way Obsidian referred to them, they must happen often. Uneasily, the innocent feline began to play with her vole, pawing at it with a distinct frown on her face. ``I don't like that you had to fight there,`` Calia mumbled, folding her ears back. She looked at Obsidian in a mixture of disappointment and worry, disappointment because he chose a place where fighting was common and worry because he had to fight. She shook her head to further express her disapproval and she meowed in a concerned tone, ``Did they hurt you? Did they heal you after? Why do they have to fight? Can't they just live together in peace?``

She hadn't noticed Obsidian's uneven fur and his scars were hidden beneath his pelt which made them invisible to the eye. As far as Calia was aware, he hadn't been hurt too badly during his time with the Dusk Syndicate. Obsidian said some cats were kind in the Syndicate, and Calia did not doubt that. She knew that just because a feline lived someplace, their living space did not define them. She knew this from experience. But, of course, the Syndicate was known for its heartless nature, and for sure a majority of the felines within it were coldhearted, which is why it was stereotyped the way it was. No cat can live in peace while the Dusk Syndicate is still up and running.

As a rather observant she-cat, Calia did notice Obsidian's clear uncertainty. When he directed the conversation to her, she decided he wasn't exactly ready to talk about his own experiences. ``Oh, It's really peaceful around here and not much bothers me. I usually hunt, sunbathe, same old, same old. The only downside of this place is that I don't get as many visitors. Nobody wants to stay near a twoleg nest.`` Calia's tone was almost sad as she grieved for her former home where visitors were abundant. She brightened with what she said next, ``But you say you found a territory for your own? So you aren't with the Syndicate anymore? Oh, I'm so proud of you for leaving that horrid place behind!``

[lone]

The way Calia was looking at him reminded Obsidian of a mother who was disappointed in her kit. He didn't like that look at all - and shifted his weight, his ears going back in displeasure. "It's just a part of life," The tom mumbled, like he thought she might not be able to hear him. Obsidian really didn't want the ginger cat to hear him. He had mainly been talking to himself, anyways - besides, while fighting was a part of his life, maybe it wasn't part of hers. He hadn't seen her fight when he had last been here (except for their spar, which he had definitely won) and she didn't seem afraid of the twoleg, so she must not fight them either. Her onslaught of questions had Obsidian overwhelmed for a minute. He wasn't sure whether he should answer or not - and so stayed silent for a moment, thinking over his answers before he did so.

"I'm fine. Yes, they did heal me after-" when I asked for it- "-and like I said, fighting's just part of life there. You can't live in peace when there's someone you don't like around." He spoke of it like he had seen it. If there was someone you didn't like, you wanted them gone - and you weren't going to "ask nicely" or "just wait around" for them to leave. You were going to fight them until you could get them to leave, take out your anger on them, or hope that they died when you did fight them. And it wasn't like Halite had done a lot about it. Fighting had just been natural there. They still lived by a code, from what Obsidian could pick up. He hadn't been an "official" member for very long, but he had still thought of that place as his home. When she talked about her home, the tom's ears slowly pricked back up and he gave her a look that was semi-worried. "But you're doing okay on your own, right?"

As far as he had known, Calia was a social cat. Someone who thrived when she was around others. If she wasn't getting many visitors, wouldn't that depress her? Obsidian didn't like the thought of that. Some cats just... shouldn't be depressed. Just like some cats honestly shouldn't be happy. It was a dark thought, but one that was true. "Yeah, I found my own territory. And no, I'm - not." But something about her praise bothered him. He didn't really deserve it. He hadn't left the Dusk Syndicate by choice. Instead of giving this confession, the tom weakly smiled and struggled to keep a more pleasant expression on his features.

@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@Lonestar23

Calia appreciated Obsidian's concern, but he needn't worry about her. It was himself he should be worried about. Calia was not an idiot - she could see the obvious signs her friend was putting down. His weak, forced smile only convinced her further that he needed support but was not willing to ask for it. Perhaps he feared burdening others with his issues? Maybe it was due to his trust issues? Calia would certainly help him, whether she invited her to or not. She just hated it, despised it, when others were struggling alone. And she couldn't understand why they wouldn't ask for help. Surely someone out there wants to help? Calia does and she always will; it was in her nature.

She did not hide her own problems from Obsidian, believing it to be a better lifestyle when she was honest and friendly. Calia would not lie to Obsidian, but if she felt she had to, she would slightly alter the truth by not telling him something. This way she wouldn't be lying, but she wouldn't be sharing everything. However, Calia didn't think it would ever come to that. ``Oh, I suppose. I'm quite depressed, however, without company. It's always been that way for me, without a guest here to care for, but I'm still here, aren't I? I tolerate it.`` She shrugged as if it were no biggie, as if being alone in a period of extreme self-abuse was fine. Her bright blue eyes did not lose their kindness and eagerness, however.

``Are you staying someplace near here? Then we could visit each other every now and then and not feel so alone,`` Calia stated, lowering her head to rip a morsel off her vole. As she chewed, she looked over to the side, observing the forest surrounding them. Everything was so peaceful... Calia wished it would always stay this way.