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Samantha belongs to Marjani ;) love her character! anyways happy reading -wags-", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Chapter 5! Samantha belongs to Marjani ;)  love her character! anyways happy reading -wags-", "writing": "The dictum of the day after high noon which came and went was cloudy although the sun shone through where it could, shimmering a pale sickly color in the pools of water thrown up by cars as they careered down the black top paths mid the labyrinth of buildings. Small rainbows were visible only for fleeting moments if the light hit just right and if you were at the perfect angle to see it, bright transparent colors mixing here and there like ethereal decorations that vanished in a blink when disturbed.\n\n\n\n\nDenali had been so caught up and lost in his feelings and in his rutting with Samantha that he had failed to see any of it, notice any of it at all except for the small things ; such as when the golden water was reflected in her deep eyes or when it added a sheen to both of their pelts as they lay under the cover of the hedge and the trees which dripped small droplets that convoluted and fell to prick the ground, seeping in where it could. Their place in the golden rain spattered hedge felt wonderful and the lush green around them burnished with blues and grays and yellows was almost surreal as if taken from a dream that ranged far from reality. \n\n\n\n\nSamantha lay snoozing now, her sides rising and falling in exhaustion.\n\n\n\n\nShe had hinted at wanting to hunt when she woke whenever that was. \n\n\n\n\nSecretly he admired her as she slept and he set about grooming himself, cleaning away the last visible traces of her from him though he was positive that her scent would linger for a good while yet on his pelt. It cloyed everything else and made his head swim with a lazy elation that blurred along the edges of his world.\n\n\n\n\nBlearily he craned his neck out, poking his head past the hedge of the island at the streets beyond.\n\n\n\n\nThings had become tranquil and near silent again after the initial rush of the morning, scarce activity within any distance no matter which direction he looked. Pie crust, frosting and frothy wafts of both vanilla and chocolate came from a nearby bakery. From up one street he detected a chemical smell, yet another offered something that peaked his interest...he couldn't describe it but somehow he felt drawn to it.\n\n\n\n\nDenali filled his nostrils once again with the smell and tilted his head, his paws combing over his chest as he leaned further out to better catch a hint of what it could be. \n\n\n\n\nJust then a car tore out before him, mere inches away from his nose!\n\n\n\n\nWith a distressed yowl he leapt backward light on his paws, claws extended, the ridge along his back beginning to rise. \n\n\n\n\n\"What's got your fur in a bunch whiskers?\" \n\n\n\n\nSam had been witness to it all and he guessed that she was slightly annoyed that his surprise had disturbed her although he caught the faint twinkle of amusement in her eyes.\n\n\n\n\n\"My face nearly got pummeled and smashed by a car just now!\" he meowed indignantly shaking himself and motioning a paw towards the road around them. \"It was too close for comfort.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Sorry to hear that Denali\" she purred laying her head down again lazily and curling her paws mid stretching so that she looked for all intents and purposes like the most oblivious and peaceful creature in existence.\n\n\n\n\n\"You did stick your head out there however so I don't feel too bad for you ya furball!\"\n\n\n\n\n\"I thought I would be safe with the way this place is\" he growled shaking his head and smiling. \"It was a pretty mouse brained thing for me to do though.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"No worries whiskers\" she said cheerfully tapping her tail against the ground in a slow and hypnotic rhythm, \"you'll soon get used to the city and how it works if ya stick around long enough.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"I definitely will\" he replied once again tempting fate and gazing out along the road. \"Everything is still so new and I know so little of what to expect that I would hate nothing more then trying to start over somewhere else. Besides I've got a lot to explore before I'm familiar with this place. I've no idea what to expect next most times, this part of the city especially has had me on edge now for some time.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"I honestly have trouble believing that you still can't remember anything about your' past\" she admitted rolling onto one of her sides to look at him. \"A day of memories is all you have to show for a lifetime and yet you're very clearly a tom, a grown cat who's had experiences. That burn on your chest....the bump you have, you forgetting everything about yourself and yet telling me about how this place seems familiar, sharing the flashes that you've had when you've remembered tid bits...I don't know what to think.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Trust me, it scares me to think what it could mean. Half of the time I want to know what happened to me, who I am.....the other part of me is content not knowing things, what did come before me on the pier yesterday...\"\n\n\n\n\nLooking down he found himself sub consciously kneading the grass with his claws, scuffling it away and puncturing the soft soil beneath. It felt comforting and altogether pleasant, the pliable substance laid bare and helpless before him. Shaking himself he turned to meet her golden eyes regretfully. \n\n\n\n\n\"I don't expect you to believe me, hell I wouldn't believe me\" he chuckled dryly almost whispering as his ears flicked and his nose again caught the faint smell that sparked his memories in small incomprehensive ways. \"Hopefully someday I'll be able to give you more of an answer to what you want to know.\"\n\n\n\n\nShe blinked in something akin to acceptance at his words her whiskers poised as if weighing his meaning.\n\n\n\n\nHe added; \"I can't share what I don't have myself.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"True that Denali, true that\" she purred yawning. \"I'm just curious is all.\" \n\n\n\n\nShifting her body into a sitting position she flexed her muscles this way and that as she shrugged off the weariness from her limbs and lumbered over to sit beside him. \n\n\n\n\n\"Anyways I do hope that you're not getting any ideas about us together\" she continued crisply touching her nose to his with affection.\n\n\n\n\n\"Ideas?\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Ideas\" she affirmed with amusement. \"I'm not the type to take a mate just yet. Infact I haven't yet met a cat who I'm absolutely positive I want to settle down with.\"\n\n\n\n\nShe smiled kindly but he didn't mistake what she meant. \"I do like you Denali and every once in a while I wouldn't be opposed to an enjoyable romp now and again but for the time being I'd like to think of us perhaps as friends with benefits.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Sounds good to me\" he replied returning her smile and lightly laying his tail on one of her shoulders. \"I've no right to offer anyone mate ship anyway when I know this little about myself. I can tell that we'll get along just fine though.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Agreed\" she asked holding out a forepaw to him?\n\n\n\n\n\"Agreed squared\" Denali said placing one of his own paws on hers touching pads in a sign of friendship. \"Whatever squared means\" he added embarrassed at his strange turn of phrase.\n\n\n\n\nShe chuckled good naturedly letting it slip by.\n\n\n\n\n\"So you coming hunting? I think I'll be heading off here in search of food soon\" she meowed watching him closely.\n\n\n\n\nIt was almost as if she guessed that he wasn't coming before he gave voice to what was on his mind.\n\n\n\n\n\"I'd love to\" he commented distantly scanning that one street that he'd noticed again and again while he'd been on the island with her, \"to be fair though I need to explore. Get around and figure things out for a while on my own.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"You're welcome to come with me if you'd like though if this is goodbye I wish you all of the luck in the world whiskers.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"I swear\" he muttered in a jovial voice, \"everyone new that I meet gives me a new nickname.\"\n\n\n\n\nShe hissed and batted at his head playfully.\n\n\n\n\n\"Maybe it's because it's fun to get your attention with a title you aren't used to.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Perhaps\" he growled giving her a mock scowl before standing and preparing himself for departure. That one street was calling his name, beckoning him to traverse it's winding way.\n\n\n\n\n\"Happy hunting Sam.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Happy hunting Denali\" came her voice. \"Oh and Denali....\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Yeah?\" he meowed waiting inquisitively for what she had to say before they went their separate ways.\n\n\n\n\n\"Stay away from a place called Mirii...\"\n\n\n\n\n\"Mirii? What's Mirii?\"\n\n\n\n\nHowever she had already left before he could ask more.\n\n\n\n\nStriking out he made his way over to the bakery to pick through the black bags behind in a side street. Choosing the remains of a trifle he hide himself in a corner and ate, savoring the crème and the cherries although they were a mess. Didn't take long for it to coat his pelt in places so that while he ate he had to every while halt and clean himself in a simple pattern until he had finished his eyes wondering once again up the one street as he finally padded up it's winding avenue.\n\n\n\n\nIf it were at all possible this part of town seemed even more removed then the rest, silent and still with no life to it's body and no whisper or hint of any movement.\n\n\n\n\nHe shivered inwardly.\n\n\n\n\nIt was haunting place and a cold dread slowly worked it's way through his skin, worming past his fur, snaking past his gut and his organs and into his heart which beat faster, the only sound in the byways he now walked.\n\n\n\n\nIn the sky above the heavenly expanse had ceased holding clouds with bits of blue just visible and now was a solid and foreboding blanket of gray even though Denali couldn't scent ran on the air.\n\n\n\n\nEverything felt like it was holding it's breath as he went on his way, senses straining to their max as the stone of fear grew to a thundering pounding in his ears, a lump in his throat that sucked all of the wetness from his mouth and left him dry and parched as if he hadn't had a drink in while although he had. It beat him down and his paws became even more unsure all the while wishing that he could make the choice to turn back, to forget this path and find Samantha or Bernard and Venger again. For some reason he couldn't. His paws carried him on with a mind of their own against his will, dragging him through the streets that wound around themselves to an older part of uptown. Memories flared in his mind even more vividly now, the same grove from his dreams, a gathering of trees and cats, mist under the moon, voices...\n\n\n\n\nHe shook himself noting that his initial theory held true. The further in he went the larger the estates became growing more mammoth until they towered up higher then he had though buildings could.\n\n\n\n\nThat was where he turned down past a broken stop sign, the houses here harking towards a more country like feeling. The neighborhood had turned onto was more eerie then anything he had encountered yet causing him to shake with a spark of dejavu .\n\n\n\n\nWithout a question or a doubt he knew deep down within himself that he had stood here before, that he had been here before. And whatever had happened here, he had played a part in it.......\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "The dictum of the day after high noon which came and went was cloudy although the sun shone through where it could, shimmering a pale sickly color in the pools of water thrown up by cars as they careered down the black top paths mid the labyrinth of buildings. Small rainbows were visible only for fleeting moments if the light hit just right and if you were at the perfect angle to see it, bright transparent colors mixing here and there like ethereal decorations that vanished in a blink when disturbed.




Denali had been so caught up and lost in his feelings and in his rutting with Samantha that he had failed to see any of it, notice any of it at all except for the small things ; such as when the golden water was reflected in her deep eyes or when it added a sheen to both of their pelts as they lay under the cover of the hedge and the trees which dripped small droplets that convoluted and fell to prick the ground, seeping in where it could. Their place in the golden rain spattered hedge felt wonderful and the lush green around them burnished with blues and grays and yellows was almost surreal as if taken from a dream that ranged far from reality.




Samantha lay snoozing now, her sides rising and falling in exhaustion.




She had hinted at wanting to hunt when she woke whenever that was.




Secretly he admired her as she slept and he set about grooming himself, cleaning away the last visible traces of her from him though he was positive that her scent would linger for a good while yet on his pelt. It cloyed everything else and made his head swim with a lazy elation that blurred along the edges of his world.




Blearily he craned his neck out, poking his head past the hedge of the island at the streets beyond.




Things had become tranquil and near silent again after the initial rush of the morning, scarce activity within any distance no matter which direction he looked. Pie crust, frosting and frothy wafts of both vanilla and chocolate came from a nearby bakery. From up one street he detected a chemical smell, yet another offered something that peaked his interest...he couldn't describe it but somehow he felt drawn to it.




Denali filled his nostrils once again with the smell and tilted his head, his paws combing over his chest as he leaned further out to better catch a hint of what it could be.




Just then a car tore out before him, mere inches away from his nose!




With a distressed yowl he leapt backward light on his paws, claws extended, the ridge along his back beginning to rise.




"What's got your fur in a bunch whiskers?"




Sam had been witness to it all and he guessed that she was slightly annoyed that his surprise had disturbed her although he caught the faint twinkle of amusement in her eyes.




"My face nearly got pummeled and smashed by a car just now!" he meowed indignantly shaking himself and motioning a paw towards the road around them. "It was too close for comfort."




"Sorry to hear that Denali" she purred laying her head down again lazily and curling her paws mid stretching so that she looked for all intents and purposes like the most oblivious and peaceful creature in existence.




"You did stick your head out there however so I don't feel too bad for you ya furball!"




"I thought I would be safe with the way this place is" he growled shaking his head and smiling. "It was a pretty mouse brained thing for me to do though."




"No worries whiskers" she said cheerfully tapping her tail against the ground in a slow and hypnotic rhythm, "you'll soon get used to the city and how it works if ya stick around long enough."




"I definitely will" he replied once again tempting fate and gazing out along the road. "Everything is still so new and I know so little of what to expect that I would hate nothing more then trying to start over somewhere else. Besides I've got a lot to explore before I'm familiar with this place. I've no idea what to expect next most times,  this part of the city especially has had me on edge now for some time."




"I honestly have trouble believing that you still can't remember anything about your' past" she admitted rolling onto one of her sides to look at him. "A day of memories is all you have to show for a lifetime and yet you're very clearly a tom, a grown cat who's had experiences. That burn on your chest....the bump you have, you forgetting everything about yourself and yet telling me about how this place seems familiar, sharing the flashes that you've had when you've remembered tid bits...I don't know what to think."




"Trust me, it scares me to think what it could mean. Half of the time I want to know what happened to me, who I am.....the other part of me is content not knowing things, what did come before me on the pier yesterday..."




Looking down he found himself sub consciously kneading the grass with his claws, scuffling it away and puncturing the soft soil beneath. It felt comforting and altogether pleasant, the pliable substance laid bare and helpless before him. Shaking himself he turned to meet her golden eyes regretfully.




"I don't expect you to believe me, hell I wouldn't believe me" he chuckled dryly almost whispering as his ears flicked and his nose again caught the faint smell that sparked his memories in small incomprehensive ways. "Hopefully someday I'll be able to give you more of an answer to what you want to know."




She blinked in something akin to acceptance at his words her whiskers poised as if weighing his meaning.




He added; "I can't share what I don't have myself."




"True that Denali, true that" she purred yawning. "I'm just curious is all."




Shifting her body into a sitting position she flexed her muscles this way and that as she shrugged off the weariness from her limbs and lumbered over to sit beside him.




"Anyways I do hope that you're not getting any ideas about us together" she continued crisply touching her nose to his with affection.




"Ideas?"




"Ideas" she affirmed with amusement. "I'm not the type to take a mate just yet. Infact I haven't yet met a cat who I'm absolutely positive I want to settle down with."




She smiled kindly but he didn't mistake what she meant. "I do like you Denali and every once in a while I wouldn't be opposed to an enjoyable romp now and again but for the time being I'd like to think of us perhaps as friends with benefits."




"Sounds good to me" he replied returning her smile and lightly laying his tail on one of her shoulders. "I've no right to offer anyone mate ship anyway when I know this little about myself. I can tell that we'll get along just fine though."




"Agreed" she asked holding out a forepaw to him?




"Agreed squared" Denali said placing one of his own paws on hers touching pads in a sign of friendship. "Whatever squared means" he added embarrassed at his strange turn of phrase.




She chuckled good naturedly letting it slip by.




"So you coming hunting? I think I'll be heading off here in search of food soon" she meowed watching him closely.




It was almost as if she guessed that he wasn't coming before he gave voice to what was on his mind.




"I'd love to" he commented distantly scanning that one street that he'd noticed again and again while he'd been on the island with her, "to be fair though I need to explore. Get around and figure things out for a while on my own."




"You're welcome to come with me if you'd like though if this is goodbye I wish you all of the luck in the world whiskers."




"I swear" he muttered in a jovial voice, "everyone new that I meet gives me a new nickname."




She hissed and batted at his head playfully.




"Maybe it's because it's fun to get your attention with a title you aren't used to."




"Perhaps" he growled giving her a mock scowl before standing and preparing himself for departure. That one street was calling his name, beckoning him to traverse it's winding way.




"Happy hunting Sam."




"Happy hunting Denali" came her voice. "Oh and Denali...."




"Yeah?" he meowed waiting inquisitively for what she had to say before they went their separate ways.




"Stay away from a place called Mirii..."




"Mirii? What's Mirii?"




However she had already left before he could ask more.




Striking out he made his way over to the bakery to pick through the black bags behind in a side street. Choosing the remains of a trifle he hide himself in a corner and ate, savoring the crème and the cherries although they were a mess. Didn't take long for it to coat his pelt in places so that while he ate he had to every while halt and clean himself in a simple pattern until he had finished his eyes wondering once again up the one street as he finally padded up it's winding avenue.




If it were at all possible this part of town seemed even more removed then the rest, silent and still with no life to it's body and no whisper or hint of any movement.




He shivered inwardly.




It was haunting place and a cold dread slowly worked it's way through his skin, worming past his fur, snaking past his gut and his organs and into his heart which beat faster, the only sound in the byways he now walked.




In the sky above the heavenly expanse had ceased holding clouds with bits of blue just visible and now was a solid and foreboding blanket of gray even though Denali couldn't scent ran on the air.




Everything felt like it was holding it's breath as he went on his way, senses straining to their max as the stone of fear grew to a thundering pounding in his ears, a lump in his throat that sucked all of the wetness from his mouth and left him dry and parched as if he hadn't had a drink in while although he had. It beat him down and his paws became even more unsure all the while wishing that he could make the choice to turn back, to forget this path and find Samantha or Bernard and Venger again. For some reason he couldn't. His paws carried him on with a mind of their own against his will, dragging him through the streets that wound around themselves to an older part of uptown. Memories flared in his mind even more vividly now, the same grove from his dreams, a gathering of trees and cats, mist under the moon, voices...




He shook himself noting that his initial theory held true. The further in he went the larger the estates became growing more mammoth until they towered up higher then he had though buildings could.




That was where he turned down past a broken stop sign, the houses here harking towards a more country like feeling. The neighborhood had turned onto was more eerie then anything he had encountered yet causing him to shake with a spark of dejavu .




Without a question or a doubt he knew deep down within himself that he had stood here before, that he had been here before. And whatever had happened here, he had played a part in it.......
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