The long stretch of river seemed to go on for miles, which could be doubled in length considering his small size. Every wobbling step he took barely appeared to bring him any closer to his destination — if there was a destination to begin with.  The estuary didn’t seem to have a beginning nor an end, so his journey could be either meaningless or rewarding. After all, Mama always said that if a waterway has a beginning it has an end — where it ends is where he’ll find a stable shelter. Whatever ‘stable’ means. This wasn’t his home. The surrounding area looked absolutely nothing like what he’s familiar with. Every visible inch of the grasslands there were smells, new sounds, a new emotion. What was it? It was a heavy feeling that weighed down in his chest, climbing up in his throat and strangling him. His short legs stumbled to a halt, his small head turning as his eyes observed the spacious area. Where was his mommy? He’d been searching for her ever since he wandered too far from the nest which was... Two sundowns ago. His lower lip trembled, a clear sheet of tears forming over his bright blue eyes. He had no one to protect him or keep him warm. No one to tell him bedtime stories or comfort him when he woke up from a nightmare. Coriander’s legs ached, his stomach empty and grumbling ferociously. This — all of this was so new to him. The lilac point’s head lowered, clenching his eyes closed as a sob shook his tiny frame. ”I want mommy...” he whimpered softly, lowering his belly to the ground with his tail curling around his paws.

ATBASH CIPHER

somebody make me alive,
and shatter me !

bio | female | observer of the ascendants

Coriander’s first few weeks of life were fairly static. His mother never moved him from their warm nest not a single time, only traveling just enough that she could hear his call at a reasonable distance. His attention had shifted to a beetle crawling across the grass to a butterfly, chasing it while his mama’s back was turned. The colorful insect took him so far from his home that he couldn’t even retrace his steps. His eyes were still adjusting so most things were blurry, and his other senses weren’t yet reliable. ”Hey,” The sudden voice caused his muscles to tense up, head inclining to meet his blurred vision with whoever found him. A... Very tall cat. She looked weird. Not like any cat he’s ever seen. He sniffled, swallowing thickly to rid of the lump trapped in his throat. His mother’s name? That’s a strange question. ”It’s-it’s mother. That’s her name.” She had no other name besides for mother, mama, or mommy.

ATBASH CIPHER

somebody make me alive,
and shatter me !

bio | female | observer of the ascendants

[table]
[tr]
[td][/td][td][/td][/tr][/table]

It wasn’t sarcasm but a simple fact — or rather a distorted truth. To Coriander, his mother’s name was nothing besides for what she had told him and it wasn’t much to begin with. His developing mind couldn’t comprehend another identity. Soft, but heavy pawsteps caught his attention, ears twitching and swiveling centimeters to the left. Who was that? Did he just imagine it? As soon as he focused on the sound, it stopped, so after seconds of waiting he pressed himself closer to the ground. More tears flowed down his cheeks, that unfamiliar, unsettling feeling only swelled in his chest. Oh, oh. That was a very big cat. Was it even a cat? He had dark splotches and piercing eyes that were so scary. However, his low voice asked him a simple question, appearing to not be of much harm but he couldn’t be too sure. His mama always told him not to speak to strangers but… What if he couldn’t find her and strangers were all he could speak to? ”M-my name, um, is Cor-Coriander and yes I am, mister…” he murmured, his words followed by a low growl emitting from his stomach. He sniffled, the sound a disgusting slurp as he turned to rub his runny nose on his own tail.

While Agathe lacked warmth and sympathy, he was her exact opposite. He expressed warmth to any living creature he’d come across. Whether it be an insect or a mouse, he thought about its precious life and wanted to treasure it. Maybe he was a bit too empathetic, but he was a child. Would you expect any less from someone as young as him? Mind filled with unwavering optimism and eyes overflowing with wonder. As another large cat — that didn’t look anything like a cat, save for whiskers and a tail — approached, Coriander appeared to relax his tense muscles just a tad, thinking that maybe if the first splotched creature was nice, the next would be. ”Can you take care of it?” A voice, cold and equipped with barbs stabbed his ears, folding them back to press against his head. Did she not like him? Did he do something wrong? Mommy, mommy. I want mommy. The intimidating huntress introduced herself, putting a name to a stoic face.  ”He-hello, miss Agathe. I’m Coriander,” Well, he couldn’t be rude, now could he?

The first odd-looking feline offered to care for him in place of his lost mother. His eyes blinked slowly, watching the female closely with his eyes widening and eyebrows lifting. ”Really?” Slowly, he rose from his lowered position, ears erecting. The Ass-endints? That’s a weird word… Was it even a word? His face scrunched up a little, realizing the first syllable was a swear word and those were bad. Very, very bad. ”That’s a bad word,” He mused aloud, whiskers twitching, ”It’s nice to meet you, miss Attabash.” he whispered, unknowingly butchering her name. It was catchier, anyway. A wave of serenity passed over him that wasn’t his own, banishing the weighted sensation in his chest and finally allowing him to relax. It seemed to appear around the same time a massive… Creature arrived. What was he? He wasn’t as big as the other cats, but… This was definitely not a cat. Surprisingly, his presence didn’t bring up that horrid emotion again, in fact he felt safer around him. The not-cat even smiled at him, so he grinned right back at him, taking an unsteady step toward him to extend his neck out and give his paws a sniff before attempting to brush the top of his head against his arm. The arrival of another member didn’t phase him, in fact he turned a little and lifted a paw to wave at Billie since she didn’t speak.

ATBASH CIPHER

somebody make me alive,
and shatter me !

bio | female | observer of the ascendants