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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Jun 15, 2019 1:06:47 GMT 1
A hard right hook connected with his side. Cato dropped to one knee, winded. The next hit was right to the face and the world spun in a blur of colors. He hit the ground dazed. The sweat drenched male lay on the ground, his ears ringing and his head throbbing. He could vaguely hear the crowd roaring with enthusiam as the shadow of his opponent circled him. He could lay here and lose the round or he could get back up and keep fighting it out. The way his side was feeling, he was willing to lose the round. He could use a break. It just meant he had to come back twice as hard next round. Cato slowly got to his feet, gloves up to defend himself. He didn't have much choice but to go on the defense as an onslaught of punches came his way; hard and heavy. His opponent had clearly realized that he couldn't defend his right side properly, and each blow that landed left Cato less and less enthusiastic about this fight. It had always been a problem, even when he was boxing back in Washington.
The jaguar dunked under one left hook and got struck with a right in the ribs again. The force alone made him want to crumple to the ground, but then his opponent went for a knockout. Cato raised his arm to block the blow and then came back with a mean left. Silence filled the room. Cato stepped back, gloves still raised. The last thing he wanted was to let his guard down when he was already hurting. Then the room erupted in cheers, the bell rung, and the ref came over to declare his victory after the knockout punch. The blue eyed male was stunned for a moment, his expression said it all, but then he smiled. He'd won the match.
He made his way back to his corner for water and to clean up a bit because he was bloodied, but that was fine. He'd heal. When everything was declared done and the next contenders were announced, he made his way to the back to gather his things. Cato couldn't help but feel stoked as he was congradulated on the way back to the locker room. So many people, all new faces, and yet they were proud of him. He'd been hesitant to compete in a new country, but it was one of the things that made him feel completely at home, and the decision had been a wise one. The jaguar had been glad to get permission, so long as a staff accompanied him, which he didn't mind at all.
Once in the locker room, the black haired male sat on the bench to rest and look himself over. His side was already bruising over. He was going to feel this in the morning, more so than he did right now. He leaned his head against the back wall and let out a small breath. It was a bit difficult to catch air, but it was price worth paying. He'd showed his face, put his name out there, and now he could finally start making contacts. It was one of the only ways he knew how to interact. A lot of the friends he'd made back in Washington had been through competing. A knock on the door made him look to his left. "It's open," he called. He wasn't sure if it was his staff member, someone that had watched the match and wanted to personally say hello, or someone who wasn't pleased with his victory. Whoever it was, he had no qualms with talking, so long as it didn't result in anymore fighting for the night.
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Jun 26, 2019 13:16:39 GMT 1
It had been a long time since she had trained with her husband, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t developed an interest for it as a sport. Honestly, if she could’ve gotten away with being a little bruised at work without all sorts of questions, she probably would’ve tried to find a way to fight for fun in her spare time. Right now, however, she had been asked by another staff member if she wanted to tag along to watch a resident fight. Of course, it hadn’t been what she’d had in mind for the evening, but it sure was more interesting than a book so she’d agreed to meet them there. Cato had skills and it was great fun to watch him in action. It made her think that maybe more residents should be allowed outings like this one to feel more normal, but that was a question for someone else. Since the Jaguar wasn’t dangerous, she figured she could always pick his brains a little once the fight was over and ventured to the locker room. When she was told it was open after knocking, she took that as an invitation to venture inside. “That’s some skill you’ve got there,” she said, smiling slightly at him as she found a locker to lean against. “Mind if I take over for your escort back? I’d like to pick your brains a little over some food, if you’re not in a hurry to get back.”
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Jun 27, 2019 2:36:48 GMT 1
Cato was looking forward to shifting in the backseat of the guard's car and sleeping the entire way back to Manson. For all his enthusiasm when it came to boxing, he'd never been a fan of the aftermath. He could never find a position of comfort while sleeping once he'd been in the ring. Both sides were usually bruised, sleeping on his stomach meant stretching out and further agitating his injuries, and laying on his back was just uncomfortable. Tonight he'd favor his left side. He often tried to avoid doing so, but it was either make that sacrifice or get no sleep at all. The jaguar didn't fancy not sleeping.
He sat up a bit as a woman walked into the locker room. Cato reached across the bench and grabbed his hoodie, slipping it on in one smooth motion. "Thank you," he spoke with a small nod. He didn't know this woman, but he felt no reason to send her away. She didn't scream danger. She smelled faintly of dog, but not like a were or shifter. No, maybe a pet. Two? He breathe in the air again. And there was a fresh, yet faint scent of his guard lingering on her clothes. It would explain why she was offering to escort him back.
"Food sounds good," he said after a moment. "Do you mind if I take a quick shower to clean up?" He was sweaty and bloody and a cold shower was well overdue. It'd help him relax and maybe ease some of the aches and pains. Cato had done well not to ask what she meant by picking his brain. He didn't know what that meant in the slightest. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and shot a quick text to his guard to confirm that this woman wasn't an imposter. He received a speedy reply that she was a friend and that was enough for the jaguar. He still wanted a shower though.
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Jun 30, 2019 9:58:47 GMT 1
Ana liked meeting all sorts of creatures that called Manson home. Particularly the friendly ones and from what she understood, Cato fit right into that category. She didn’t have any difficult questions for him, it was more to satisfy her own curiosity than anything. Offering to take him for food just seemed like a decent thing to do, both so he got some good food in him after the fight, and so she wouldn’t eat alone. While she was comfortable on her own and would like to pretend like she could spend the rest of her life that way, she did crave company from time to time. Especially with her family split up like it currently was. “Go ahead,” she said when he asked if he could shower first. “I’ll be right outside.” It didn’t really seem prudent to wait in the locker room if he was going to shower. Besides, she wasn’t in any kind of hurry and it gave her the opportunity to inform the guard that she’d bring Cato back soon enough. Besides, what use did she have for a jaguar aside from a friendly chat? Ana took the opportunity while he was getting cleaned up to call her daughter. It seemed like as good a time as an to check in on the woman and Ana was pleased she had a few minutes to chat. Even if that was all she had. “Call me this weekend? Doesn’t matter if you wake me up, I want to see your face,” she told her, smiling slightly as they hung up. It was for the best that Emilia got to reach out when she had an opening in her schedule regardless of what time it was for Ana, besides, she didn’t have work on the weekends anyway so it wasn’t like losing a little sleep was the end of the world.
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Jul 3, 2019 2:32:48 GMT 1
Cato didn't have a mean bone in his body. Boxing was just a hobby, and while his goal was to win, he never fought to the point where he'd actually injure someone beyond repair. That wasn't the man he was, nor the type of person he ever wished to be. As for food, as long as his staff was okay with, he wasn't going to turn down a meal. Boxing usually made his appetite spike anyway. That and a good run. He missed the days where he could take off into the woods and hunt rabbits and deer behind the property. It always made for good exercise and a fresh meal. It wasn't like Florence had been feeding him cat food from the market, she'd always given him things like lamb and steaks from her fridge, but fresh food was the best food. He acknowledged her words with a nod and moved on towards the shower as the door closed behind her. The jaguar finished showering fifteen or so minutes later, his already short hair damp, but his blue eyes were full of energy. He was tired, but could honestly probably fun a few laps in the forest. He'd dressed in a pair of black joggers and a silver hoodie. Hoodies were about the only thing he ever wore to cover the top half of his body. It had been suggested that he make a trip to town and buy more shirts to complete his wardrobe. He had yet to follow through with it. "I'm done," he spoke, peeking past the door.
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Jul 4, 2019 20:17:08 GMT 1
It was always nice to speak to her daughter, no matter how short of a time it turned out to be. So Ana was a little lost in thought when Cato reappeared and said he was done. Shaking off the train of thought that it’d be nice to take a mini-vacation to see the woman again, she smiled at the shifter. “I’m Ana, by the way,” she said, offering him her hand to shake. “I teach horticulture.” She figured introductions were probably in order before they headed out to eat, or at least she should introduce herself because she already knew his name. “Anything in particular you like to eat?” she asked, thinking it might be good to go somewhere that had something he enjoyed since she wasn’t picky. Not that she was saying he was, she just didn’t know what he enjoyed was all. Besides, she was the one inviting him, so probably best to make sure there was something he enjoyed. Starting to walk towards the exit so she could head to her car, she assumed he was following. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” she asked, as it seemed like a safe question. And would give her an opening into what she really wanted to know about his fighting. One thing at a time though.
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Aug 1, 2019 14:54:35 GMT 1
He closed the distance to shake her hand. "Cato." She probably already knew as much due to the announcer, but all the same, it felt right to properly introduce himself. He was unsure as to what horticulture was but figured he could find out along the way. He imagined they'd have to walk through the parking lot to her vehicle, so now was as good a time as ever. "What's horticulture," he asked. His classes were currently being arranged, so if it was something useful, he'd gladly attend. Taking runs through the forest was an excellent time killer, but he needed to learn new things as well.
Cato opened his mouth to speak when she inquired about what foods he liked, but stopped and shook his head. "I'm not picky." He'd almost told her ham sandwiches were his preferred meal, next to anything he could manage to catch in the forest. He gently ran his hand along his right side as they started towards the exit. His blue eyes glancing over his shoulder as someone entered the locker room. Admittedly, it was a bit strange not to stick around and watch the remainder of the fights, or to not clean up the gym afterward. Albeit, this was a nice change of pace.
"In Washington," he answered. "I lived at the gym, so the owner taught me." He didn't have anything else to do at the time, so he'd put all of his attention into it.
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Aug 7, 2019 13:43:46 GMT 1
Ana smiled when he said his name, even though she already knew it. He had manners, she liked that. “I teach garden cultivation and management,” she clarified when asked what horticulture was. “I have a background in natural medicine, seemed like a useful thing to teach people how to grow their own medicine when a lot of conventional medicine doesn’t work as well on some people.” She didn’t want to go into too many details in public like this, but that seemed like a safe way of putting it. If over the counter things didn’t work because of someone’s physiology, there was usually a natural remedy for something that worked wonders. Not a picky eater. Well, that certainly meant they could go anywhere. Though Ana figured it was probably safest to go somewhere with both meat and fish on the menu just so he’d have options. She knew just the place though so she merely nodded at his words. She genuinely was looking forward to having a meal with someone who wasn’t sat at the end of the table hoping she’d drop something on the floor. “That was nice of him,” she said, when she learned the owner had taught him to box. “I imagine you’d have a lot of natural instincts to rely on as well?” Maybe not for fighting in general, but for reacting to things. When they reached the car, she leaned on it for a moment, wanting to say something before she unlocked it. “I’m sorry about the dog smell, my dogs like to go to the beach,” she offered by way of explanation before she unlocked the doors to get in.
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Sept 12, 2019 21:39:56 GMT 1
He'd picked up his manners from the way that Florence treated everyone she'd ever come into contact with. Her quiet yet friendly demeanor had been reflected in his own actions and thoughts. Then there had been all of the children and grandchildren and grandchildren's children. They'd visited enough times for him to learn the differences between right and wrong, at least in a family setting. Some of the lessons were interchangeable; like not taking food off the table. He'd done that as cub once and it'd resulted in a scolding that had left him feeling about as cross as Victoria when her father had smacked her hand taking cake off the counter. The world was filled with endless information and he was a sponge, but Cato often found himself overwhelmed with it all.
"Florence had a garden," he said offhandedly, mostly as an afterthought. She'd had corn and tomatoes and potatoes and peas and squash and a myriad of other veggies, and of course flowers. He'd sometimes swat at the stems, dodging out of the way as they swung back and forth. He'd had so many ways to entertain himself back then. A background in natural medicine? Like a home remedy? Cato found things easier to understand when he could relate them to events or things that he'd crossed in life. "Does conventional medicine not work for people like us," he asked. He'd assumed that Ana was gifted or some sort of supernatural because she was employed at Manson. He'd used the word 'us' because this wasn't a proper place to be specific.
Cato ould have agreed. Meat was excellent, as was fish. Either worked for him. He'd grown accustomed to eating vegetables and things of the sort, but it wasn't necessary. He wasn't falling head over heels for them either. If he'd been allowed to hang around as a jaguar, he might just have waited for her to drop a scrap or two. His blue eyes brightened a bit. "I do."
He'd smelled the dogs long before they'd gotten to the car. He had a sensitive nose. He shook his head lightly. "No apologies necessary. I like dogs." They didn't always like him, but that was another discussion for another time. He waited for her to get into the car and then followed suit. "Is the beach far from here?"
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Sept 18, 2019 17:08:21 GMT 1
If she hadn’t been raised by her grandmother, Ana probably wouldn’t have developed such an interest for plants. Sure, she had kind of given up on having a massive garden for a while, but it was nice to be back to her roots, even if it was just a greenhouse. It gave her something to focus on at home, when she just needed to take her mind off of things. It was also a nice reminder of Cal. Sure, Ana was trying to move on with her life, but that didn’t mean the end goal wasn’t to be back in their home with him and the greenhouse he’d built her as a wedding gift. “It works for most of us, most of the time,” she said. “At least that’s my understanding of it. But it’s good to have alternatives for when it doesn’t. And for people who don’t like to trust the big pharmaceutical companies.” If she was being honest, most of her customers for remedies had always been humans. When she’d sold her services for good or bad. These days it was more of a curiosity or if someone needed something specific. A way to keep busy and keep from worrying too much about the things she could do nothing about. It had been absolutely amazing watching him fight and Ana was glad she had come out tonight to see him. “If you need a sparring partner on the grounds, I wouldn’t mind lending a hand,” she offered. “I’m not a boxer, or stronger than I look, but I can probably help with those pad things if need be.” Ana hadn’t really kept up her fight training in recent years, it could be good for her. Not that she was planning on needing to fight anyway, it would just be good exercise if Cato needed a hand. Ana nodded at his words, glad he didn’t mind. “I hadn’t had one in a lifetime when we adopted the first one, the second one was a surprise from my husband.” The dogs were getting old, however, and Ana was worried she’d soon need to siphon people to give her dogs more life as well so Cal would have a chance to say his goodbyes, because she’d be all alone here without them and the thought of that kind of scared her. “It’s about an hour’s drive from here, depending on traffic and weather conditions,” she replied, thinking it wasn’t the worst kind of information to share. Starting up the engine, she fastened her seatbelt and looked over to make sure Cato was as well before she started driving to a nearby food place. “I’m sure there’s plenty of staff that’d be willing to drive you though if you want to go. I’d offer to drive you myself, but Max and Rem might get jealous of you and act up.” Ana genuinely wouldn’t have minded driving the shifter to the beach, she just couldn’t justify going somewhere she knew the dogs loved to go without them.
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Oct 9, 2019 21:02:08 GMT 1
Big pharmaceutical companies went right over Cato's head. The jaguar didn't have a clue what that was, nor did he want to ask. Talking to his counselor about things he didn't understand was one thing. Talking to a complete stranger about them was embarrassing. Cato was going to fake it until he made it. He simply gave a nod in response. "Always good to have a backup." He understood that much, just not what the second half of the conversation had to the do with the current one. It wasn't that he didn't know about medicine and prescriptions, he'd just never heard those words being used to describe it.
Cato looked a bit sheepish as Ana offered to spar with him sometimes. That would be a nice change of pace. He hadn't met anyone that was willing to practice with him. He surely wasn't going to assume that just because she was female that she had no fighting skills. He'd met plenty of females at the gym, a good handful of them had taught him a lot of things that some of the male boxers wouldn't have even considered. Cato liked his skills to be well rounded. "Alright," he finally said. "I'd appreciate that."
He looked out the window as she spoke of her dogs. "What are their names? Your dogs." Cato knew the inappropriate thing to say was that he could run to the beach, so long as he stayed clear of watchful eyes. The jaguar would have enjoyed such a far run, giving him a chance to really stretch his muscles, although his paws were bound to be sore afterward. The water would help sooth that problem though. He put his seatbelt and looked at the teacher. "I'm used to animals acting a bit funny around me," he informed her. "It's okay. Besides, I'm working on learning the transportation systems here. Thanks for the offer though." He sat back in the seat. "How long have you been teaching?" Most of the questions had been directed to him, which seemed a bit one-sided, so he figured he'd ask some of his own.
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Oct 12, 2019 13:48:02 GMT 1
Ana enjoyed using her abilities to help people. It was nice to use them for something other than poisons after all. Whenever she got sick, however rarely, she would make something to help her feel better. In her case, it was just more efficient than things made in a laboratory. “Options are always good,” she agreed. “I know colds and such are rare for us, but for things like morning sickness or other pregnancy related issues, natural is better in my experience. Burns too.” Ana was glad that her daughter was all grown up, but she’d be there in a heartbeat if Emilia needed her for something. It had been decades since Cal had taught her how to fight, but Ana would gladly help Cato out if he wanted to train with something other than a punching bag. She might just learn something new herself, because when she’d learned how to fight it had been with blades and a crossbow. Mind you, Cal had tried to teach her how to use a gun, but she just hadn’t taken to them at all. Boxing though, that was new to her. “Happy to help,” she said, smiling at him when he accepted her offer. “Max and Remington, but we call her Rem. My husband had a thing for guns, and dogs, so it seemed natural to mix them like that. They’re getting on in years and overprotectiveness.” The dogs seemed to have gotten a little protective over her when it was just the three of them after all, but Ana loved them to pieces anyway. She was determined to cherish every moment with them, even if she knew she would probably lose them soon. “Must be strange though,” she commented when he said he was used to animals acting weird around him. She hadn’t appreciated the way her dogs had acted whenever they met someone she knew was a shifter in town, that was for sure. “Oh, almost a year now?” she replied, which seemed about right for when she’d first arrived at Manson. “I taught my daughter when she was little, but she’s since gone on to become a doctor, so I can only hope she remembers some of what I taught her before she went to med-school. Starting to wonder if I’m making any kind of difference, but I guess that’s just part of life?” She wasn’t sure what to make out of all it really, because aside from helping Sage she didn’t think she’d done anything good. She was focusing on the road and not looking at Cato, but she was frowning slightly. She was worried about what more she had to do.
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Oct 31, 2019 1:40:42 GMT 1
Cato couldn't recall a time where he'd ever been sick. Born blind in one eye didn't necessarily count as sick to him. As for pregnancy, he was a male and didn't have to worry about such things, plus Florence had already given birth to all her kids by the time he'd been dropped on her doorstep. Sure he'd been around when the grandchildren like Isabella had been pregnant with Victoria and Michael's wife Carol had been pregnant with Bethany, but it wasn't something he'd actively paid attention to. Reproduction just hadn't been a priority at the time, still wasn't. With that being said, anything that could help make the process easier was a kind gesture. "That's very kind of you." Cato stopped looking out the window when Ana explained that her dogs had been named after guns. He didn't remember much of his past before Florence, just brief flashes of memory here and there, but her words had triggered some deep underlying memory. He could smell the scent of cold steel and the intoxicating scent of gunpowder. There was the tiniest whisper that sounded more like a booming echo, 'They've got guns.' Cato blinked a bit confused. Had that been a memory, or was he just making things up again to fill in the blanks as to why he'd been raised by humans instead of his own kind. He sniffed the air lightly. No trace of guns, no gunpowder, nothing. He had to have been imagining things. He did notice one thing though. There wasn't any masculine scent in the car. Strange. Ana had talked about her husband, but had he never been in her car before? "Sometimes," he answered. "When I lived on the far, it wasn't as bad. The city is different. Animals can't be fulled by the illusion. I've gotten used to it. Most of the time I just try to avoid them. I don't like upsetting the peace if I can manage it." Owners tended to scold their animals or apologize profusely about how their pets weren't usually aggressive. Cato had caught on quick and adjusted to keep things less troublesome. "Medicine runs in the family then?" Cato couldn't put any personal input on making a difference. He hadn't done much with his life. He hadn't helped anyone or proved to be useful in any life changing manner that he could recall. All he could offer was, "If you're helping people, then you're making a difference, even if you don't see it." When he saw her frowning he decided to strike up another conversation. "You're a teacher, your daughter's a doctor. Is your husband in the medical field as well? Or does he do something else?"
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Post by ANA MARIE EDWARDS on Nov 3, 2019 19:24:48 GMT 1
Whether or not it was kind to help make pregnancy a little easier when she could was lost on Ana. It was practical and useful as far as she was concerned. It was something she could do that didn’t take a lot of effort or thought and she needed more things like that in her life. More simple choices between right and wrong. So she merely smiled at Cato’s words. It was kind of him to think so. “That’s very responsible of you,” she said when she learned he tried to avoid pets to avoid upsetting them. “I’m sure if they’d just been pups still, the dogs would’ve been able to get used to it. They were fearless as puppies. Sadly, they’ve probably only got a couple good years left.” She had hoped to get Cal back before that happened, but she was starting to doubt she’d ever make enough of a difference by that time. Manson hadn’t really been all she’d hoped it’d be in that regards. Not that she wasn’t enjoying the work, she just wasn’t feeling like she made much of a difference. “Witchcraft runs in the family,” she replied, chuckling slightly. “Making use of nature’s offerings to make remedies is the one thing most of us have been able to do, but our magic usually differed from generation to generation.” Ana didn’t really know what kind her mother had had, it just hadn’t been something they’d talked about, but her grandma had said it was different from her own. “Thank you,” she said, meaning it too. It did mean something that a stranger thought she was making a difference even if she couldn’t see it herself. “My husband is... was a ferryman of sorts. He brought souls to the afterlife. Healing isn’t something he enjoyed doing, but it’s part of his powers. We weren’t very good people before we met each other, and even if we made each other better, we’re both paying for that now. Our daughter made a mistake and he took the fall for her. He’s locked away in Heaven and I’m trying to do enough good to earn back his freedom.” Maybe that was too much information, but it was the truth, and why she didn’t feel like she was making enough of a difference. “Good thing we all stopped aging, so at least there’s a chance we can be a family again someday.” She figured she needed to clarify a little, because it was a complicated situation as it was. Pulling up outside the place she’d had in mind, Ana turned the ignition off. “Here we are,” she said, smiling at the shifter. They had options in this place, both seafood and meat, so it was good. They would surely have something Cato would like.
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Post by CATO NIKOLAOS GREY on Dec 6, 2019 4:20:16 GMT 1
Cato wouldn't call it responsible. He'd say it was more of a common courtesy thing, even though the people around him weren't aware. It wasn't like he was walking through a dog park. It'd be a bit too obvious to have every single dog barking at him and him alone. Cato would have been happy to just play with a few of them, but he imagined that the real turnout would be a vicious fight, animal control being called, and mass panic at the sight of a jaguar in a public park. He really did wish there were more feline shifters about. He'd have to settle for finding his peace in the boxing gym.
He felt bad when Ana spoke of how her dogs wouldn't be around for much longer. It reminded him of Florence. He hadn't even noticed that she was getting older. Yes, there'd been her brunette hair turning white and grey, and the wrinkles in her skin, but as far as he could remember, no one had ever died in his life until her. Well, Gunther had, but he'd been young and he'd died in the war. Cato had never seen the body either. Florence was different because she'd raised him, they'd done everything together, and then she wasn't there. It had left an awful void in his heart. Just thinking about her at this very moment as Ana spoke of her aging dogs made his chest feel tight and his eyes burn. He desperately wanted a change of subject. Cato was definitely not okay with the topic of death.
"Fearless is a good thing," he said quietly. "Plenty of adventures to have when you're not afraid. Plenty of endless possibilities to be had." He'd been the same way as a cub. Nothing scared him. He was the bravest of the brave. He'd climbed trees and swam in the rivers and the pond and chased chickens and huntered deer and when it was all said and done he had a warm home to return to. Cato hadn't known fear until he'd been slapped in the face with the death of the one person that meant the world to him. It had been a very frightening and confusing time in his life. It still was. He was more or less just trying to stay afloat at this point. Truthfully, he was feeling scared and alone, even in a place that allowed him to be him, he just didn't feel at home.
Cato was sorry he'd asked. While he had been working on his social skills, he wasn't a shoulder to cry on. He hadn't had enough interactions with others to provide emotional support. The shifter was quiet, unsure of what he should say because he wasn't sure what Ana wanted him to say. He was treading lightly, but silence seemed almost as bad as saying the wrong thing. It made him uncomfortable. He continued to look out the window, wishing he knew how to operate the buttons so he could get some fresh air because he was feeling a little suffocated. When the car finally stopped Cato felt relieved. He happily got out the car and stretched. He could already feel the soreness setting in. He was looking forward to curling up in his bed tonight and sleeping until noon the following day.
He sniffed the air and stifled a purr. Something smelled wonderful. Fresh meat and seafood hit his nose. He looked over in Ana's direction, nodding lightly as he saw her smiling at him. He then surveyed the area. People were milling about, mostly minding their own business, waiting for business partners, waving friends over, things of the sort. Cato found it all peaceful. Where he had grown up, most of the people he'd ever seen were family and the occasional guest. When he'd moved to the city it had been busy, busy, and more busy. Here though, it was busy but not nearly chaotic. He liked it.
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