OPEN — there was a cat that really was gone

[Atticus Roux]

In the wake of his mother's death, the boy found himself lost and shut himself away. Survivor's guilt tormented him endlessly, eating away at his thoughts. The comfort of home was no more. He needed to run. To get out of there. With no home to hide away in or a stable family member to consult, he felt lost. So the kitten went off. The escapism of The Pitt provided him the consultation Atticus needed. Sweeney successfully consoled him during the wrath of his emotions. Needless to say, the world hadn't treated him nicely, but their presence helped sooth his mind.

Finally feeling enough to roam without someone accompanying him, the former Tanglewooder breached through the jungle's underbrush and out into the desert. Unconsciously, his body led him towards the border of his former home. Wandering towards the edge of the neutral grounds, he stared longingly out into the distance. In the horizon, the trees of the swamp dotted the sky. Atticus missed his home, but he knew only foundation and debris was left. If only he knew there was more to that...

As he approached the border closer, a silhouette appeared in range. The blinding sun of the desert prevented him from looking closer, but his questions were soon answered. A furious growl filled his ears. 'Ivan,' his thoughts echoed. His familiar voice was no longer subtle or sweet, but full of rage. Atticus' delinquency and negligence to be there was at fault apparently. Dearly, he wanted to just ignore his call and go elsewhere, but he knew Ivan was dealing with this too. Perhaps they could rejoice over memories together. Maybe even cry on one another's shoulder. His optimistic hope were going to fall flat.

Atticus' ears pinned to the back of his head as he grow closer, traveling to his brother and his namesake's call. His gaze grazed the floor momentarily, noticing his brother's unsheathed claws digging into the ground. Yellow eyes returned promptly to Ivan, greeting him with a half-hearted smile. Introductions seemed to glazed over. "I... I did, yes," he muttered. "What's wrong with that?" He hoped his brother's ignorance wouldn't overcome his intelligence and would allow Ivan to see his reasoning.