07-22-2020, 03:33 AM
Tender. It's the only way Paola can describe the way the sea breeze touches her face and sifts through her fur, cooling the skin underneath. Of the seemingly endless lands that she had walked during her time on earth, those that hug the rippling blue oceans are by far her favorites—the wind, the sand, the sound of waves gurgling across the vast expanse of its shoreline in a spray of seafoam and salt. As she stands where the gurgling water meets her toes in rhythmic intervals, she couldn't help but wonder how many lifetimes she must have spent staring at the infinity beyond the beach, at the fine line that separates the water from the sky. She would love to know the exact number, if only she could recall beyond the beginning of the current decade.
The black cat stretches forward, dipping further into the water before stepping back and shaking herself, casting droplets all around her. It may have made her long pelt bunch up in disarray, but the satisfied smile that dances on her face is enough indication that she doesn't mind. In fact, it seems like she enjoys it, and she strays closer and closer to the territory's border, looking completely at ease.
She follows the tracks—why, she couldn't quite fathom—until she comes across a stylistic gate that looks like a portion had been cut cleanly from it. To add onto such oddity, she finds a bell, likely made from iron but she isn't too sure, old but seemingly still functional, calling for her to use it. For a split second, her eyes are filled with flashes of others who have come before, striking at the bell once, summoning others from past the gates, but it's gone when she blinks again, leaving only the lingering taste of salt in her mouth.
Populated. The island must be populated, she decides, and she can't quite contain her excitement at the prospect of finally being able to be in the presence of others. She has spent such a long time walking alone that the anticipation sends electricity racing through her veins, humming through her bones, and crackling on her fur before disappearing into the afternoon, as if they had never been there.
She doesn't even realize that it had happened. The only thing she can think about is company and the sea and everything else fades away into the recesses of her mind, where they will likely stay until the decade ends.
With a deep breath, Paola steps forward and rings the bell.
The black cat stretches forward, dipping further into the water before stepping back and shaking herself, casting droplets all around her. It may have made her long pelt bunch up in disarray, but the satisfied smile that dances on her face is enough indication that she doesn't mind. In fact, it seems like she enjoys it, and she strays closer and closer to the territory's border, looking completely at ease.
She follows the tracks—why, she couldn't quite fathom—until she comes across a stylistic gate that looks like a portion had been cut cleanly from it. To add onto such oddity, she finds a bell, likely made from iron but she isn't too sure, old but seemingly still functional, calling for her to use it. For a split second, her eyes are filled with flashes of others who have come before, striking at the bell once, summoning others from past the gates, but it's gone when she blinks again, leaving only the lingering taste of salt in her mouth.
Populated. The island must be populated, she decides, and she can't quite contain her excitement at the prospect of finally being able to be in the presence of others. She has spent such a long time walking alone that the anticipation sends electricity racing through her veins, humming through her bones, and crackling on her fur before disappearing into the afternoon, as if they had never been there.
She doesn't even realize that it had happened. The only thing she can think about is company and the sea and everything else fades away into the recesses of her mind, where they will likely stay until the decade ends.
With a deep breath, Paola steps forward and rings the bell.