NATURE BOY / joiner

[WALTER]

He could feel his claws growing in their sheaths.

The feeling was absolutely disgusting. The skin beneath his fur seemed to be infested with cockroaches. He was shivering. And yet, he knew he couldn't stop it. No one could simply stop their nails growing- when they stopped their nails growing, they stopped being real. So, he did what anyone else would naturally do. He struck his claws on a rock until they seemed dull again. There was no real science to it, other than once it started hurting he'd stop. And, once he stopped, he continued on with his day as he had before.

There was not a specific reason he had left his home, other than he had simply... gotten bored. His mother and father were old. They loved him in... difficult ways, but they loved him, and he appreciated that. He could understand the value of love, though he never seemed to really feel it.

The blonde tabby cat had been wandering for a while. Only now did he actually smell anything that indicated life outside of himself. The feline's ears twitched as it got stronger until, eventually, he intuited that this was a border. Hm.

Perhaps he could start a new... peaceful life here.

He waited. His claws itched.

actions "speech"

[arcy]

Link would probably find the concept of being self-aware of your body in such small ways absolutely bizarre. He barely even noticed his injuries, how would Kira be able to be so aware of his fur and claws? For Link, all that was there was the outside world. It was easier that way, when he knew so little about himself. It made it easier to find people, too. Like here. Ears pricking, he considers the newcomer carefully long before he approaches. Just a feline, clearly waiting. Acceptable. Link would not be able to communicate properly, of course, unwilling to speak as he was, but it was better than waiting so long they wandered off.
So, he approaches. His gaze is fixed on Kira with an uncomfortable sort of focus in them, and he stops a little too soon. He's still getting used to understanding personal space, and he forgets sometimes. He's trying, though. And so, the amnesiac simply yips softly in greeting. He tries to keep his body language non-threatening(he's not very good at body language, though. he forgot so much ..), and simply tilts his head. He makes another noise in attempt to prompt the other for an answer or .. something. Hopefully they understood. Not that Link would be surprised if they didn't.

➵ NOW I BEAR LITTLE RESEMBLANCE
TO THE KING I ONCE WAS

[ORPHEUS]

[align=center][div style="max-width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 1.4;letter-spacing:.1px"]In a way, he could relate to feeling his body too closely. There were times when he was painfully aware of the shortness of his mane, or the slimness to his shoulders. He thought about the color of his fur and how the wind brushed it around. He felt things intensely, sure. But he'd never felt his own claws. As a big cat, there were certainly times that he needed to scratch them. File them down and sharpen them again. It wasn't unpleasant, really. Just a bit of a ritual, something normal. So while he could relate to the sensation, overall he has to agree with Link. The constant sensation of too much all over would have driven him to the edge a long time ago. Perhaps he's the abnormality here — like Link said, the stranger in front of them seems perfectly average. Tiny, compared to him (which is still new and uncomfortable) but... normal.

Seeing as Link can't quite communicate clearly, he steps up with a fond nudge at the canine's shoulder. "We need to know what you're doing here, he means. And your name, if you don't mind."

[WALTER]

The ground crunched somewhere away from him. Someone was coming. Finally! He felt as though he'd been waiting here for ages in the winter's cold, though it must have been simply ten minutes or less. But the awareness of his claws... how they were growing at such a fast rate... he shivered again. It made everything feel much more intense. Time, feelings, pain, desires. Still, he had never felt... not normal. His perspective was the only one he'd ever known. Did others not feel their claws growing? Their muscles moving? Did they not notice when their fur got even a sliver longer? He could never seem to stop thinking about it. But, it was normal for him. It was a lot to bear, but he had bore it all his life, and he would continue to bear it until he took it to the grave.

First there was a dog. Dogs had never scared him, despite the size difference and the whole taboo between their species. He was seldom intimidated by other creatures, though. As long as Kira avoided them, they'd avoid him too, and it would all be fine. Of course, he was not avoiding Link right now, but he was still calm. As he read the other, it seemed like it's trying to be kind. Which is... strange, almost. Not to mention how awkward it looked. But there was an attempt, and that was all Kira needed. However, the intelligence seemed lacking. The only sounds it made were yips and barks- jargon for feral creatures. His lip quirked a bit. Obviously there was nothing there- he'd have to wait for someone else.

The pale blonde feline picked at his fur until Orpheus arrived. Kira honestly wasn't sure he had ever seen that sort of creature before- though, he knew it was a lion, from the books he had read as a child. He'd always loved big cats, but living where he had, he'd never gotten to encounter any. Still, seeing a beast so large, so close... he couldn't help but forget his claws for a moment. His blue eyes simply traced the feline's movements, noting the brush against Link's shoulder, listening closely to the words spoken. It seemed that the stranger was a sort of interpreter for the imbecile. Interesting. So they needed his name and his purpose for being there? That was simple enough.

"My name is Yoshikage Kira. I am here to join, and live a peaceful, quiet life."
He punctuated his sentence with a flick of his ear, listening for anyone else that might come by.

actions "speech"