Chapter 6
Taciturnitas the red Eyrie collapsed beside the back porch of an apartment. She'd been wandering around after she had dealt with the strange yellow Techo, and didn't even realize how tired she was until she lay down. Nestling her head into her thick mane of fur, she felt the necklace pendent - it was warm and it seemed to be throbbing, like a heartbeat.
The moon was high above the city as the kit's saffron eyes closed, feeling for the first time completely safe and content since she'd left Faerieland.
Sora sat up in bed, and stretched. She was a fairly normal Neopian citizen - she and her three pets resided in a apartment as they saved up money for a Neohome, paintbrushes, and other things, she had a moderately good amount of neopoints, and her pets were happy and well-fed.
What was not normal about her was her appearance. Her entire body was swathed in short, silky lavender fur, and in place of normal ears, two large, cat-like ones, one pierced with a gold ring, were set atop her head, also lavender. Her hair, usually pulled back into a loose ponytail, but currently free, was long, and of a deep violet color, whisking about her face. She blinked her apple-green eyes, and reached for the round-rimmed glasses at her bedside. The golden star-locket that dangled from her neck swang back and forth, her long, lavender tail twitched back and forth. Both ears and tail were striped with black. Sora - officially known as ZBGotheWindthe2nd - was an anthropomorphic tigeress.
She yawned again and clambered out of bed, almost tripping over the long ankles of her pajamas. Exiting her room, she mechanically went down the stairs, into the kitchen, and to the back porch to get the milk.
Not really looking where she was going, she stepped outside and heard an angry, screeching voice in her head.
~SCRAAAAW!! GET OFFA MY TAIL YOU FOOL!~
"GAAH!" Sora shrieked and jumped back to see a young red Eyrie sitting at her doorstep, clutching her tail. The pet wore a beautifully carved medallion in the shape of an Eyrie, that glowed red angrily, and two weapons, dagger and sling. Blinking, Sora stepped back again.
"Omigosh! I'm sorry! What are you doing here?"
The Eyrie cocked her head at her. ~Do you have four pets?~
". . .No. . ."
~Do you want another?~
". . .Maybe. . ."
~Can I be your pet?~
The anthro blinked. "That was abrupt. Well, you should come in, anyway."
Taciturnitas trotted cautiously inside. The strange tiger-human asked her to sit down, so she jumped up on one of the chairs.
The tiger-human sat down across from her and looked curiously at her. "Well. I guess I'm supposed to ask you what you name is."
~I'm Taciturnitas,~ Tak said proudly. ~Uh,~ she stuttered, trying to recall what Syphin had said to do when meeting people. ~. . .What's your name?~
"ZBGotheWindthe2nd. But you can call me Sora. How the heck do you do that?"
~Do what?~
"That. The telepathic thingy."
~Oh. Um. . .~
Tak sighed and launched into her story - how she had come from the Kasakasookaookashazamwyerkatcha tribe in the Haunted Woods, her capture by Von Roo, the faeries rescuing her, Fyora granting her her powers, right up to the Techo and her tail getting stepped on. Sora seemed fascinated.
"That's SO COOL!" she practically yelled. "So. . .why do you have to get an owner?" The Eyrie shrugged. "Well, that works for me. Let me get the others." Jumping up, the anthro rushed to the stairs. "YAMIIKARATU! NIEVAEL! ZEFYRN!! GET THE FISH NEGG DOWN HERE!!!" Tak blinked, then grinned. She was beginning to like this hyperactive cat-person.
A few minutes later, three creatures trudged down the stairs, a yellow Shoyru, a blue Kougra, and a Christmas Zafara, the last of which had a foot-long horn, raven-black and spiral, protruding from her forehead. "Sooraaa!! Why'dja wake us up?! It's Saturday!!" complained the Kougra. Sora turned to Tak. "Taciturnitas, this is Nievael. . ." The Kougra glanced up at his name. His fur was icy-blue, and his green eyes were bright and playful. He was very young.
"Oh. Hi."
Sora motioned to the Zafara, who hadn't yet noticed the Eyrie, as she was rubbing her eyes to help herself wake up. ". . .this is Yamiikaratu - just Yammer, to everyone."
Yammer froze and looked up. "Eh?"
". . .and this is Zefyrn." The Shoyru had plopped down on a bean bag chair and stared at everyone rather nonchalantly. His face and body were marred with scars, and he wore a black leather collar with silver spikes on it.
"Yo."
"Everyone, this is Taciturnitas."
"So what's she doin' here?" questioned Nievael, bounding up the Eyrie and shoving his face in hers. Tak blinked.
"I'm adopting her."
There was a chorus of "HUH?s" from the other pets, except Zefyrn, who lifted an eyebrow, then shrugged nonchalantly. Yammer stared at Sora. "That was fast. Hi Taciturnitas! Okay. Stay away from Zefyrn. He's a grouch. And Nievael's a brat. Sora is the main source of food. Don't bite her. Never bite the hand that feeds you. Spyr will. . ."
Yammer began leading a bewildered Tak up the stairs, with Zefyrn and Nievael following close behind, shouting protests. Sora watched as them until they disappeared around the corner, then, unable to contain herself any longer, fell backwards into the bean bag chair, laughing helplessly.
Taciturnitas the red Eyrie collapsed beside the back porch of an apartment. She'd been wandering around after she had dealt with the strange yellow Techo, and didn't even realize how tired she was until she lay down. Nestling her head into her thick mane of fur, she felt the necklace pendent - it was warm and it seemed to be throbbing, like a heartbeat.
The moon was high above the city as the kit's saffron eyes closed, feeling for the first time completely safe and content since she'd left Faerieland.
Sora sat up in bed, and stretched. She was a fairly normal Neopian citizen - she and her three pets resided in a apartment as they saved up money for a Neohome, paintbrushes, and other things, she had a moderately good amount of neopoints, and her pets were happy and well-fed.
What was not normal about her was her appearance. Her entire body was swathed in short, silky lavender fur, and in place of normal ears, two large, cat-like ones, one pierced with a gold ring, were set atop her head, also lavender. Her hair, usually pulled back into a loose ponytail, but currently free, was long, and of a deep violet color, whisking about her face. She blinked her apple-green eyes, and reached for the round-rimmed glasses at her bedside. The golden star-locket that dangled from her neck swang back and forth, her long, lavender tail twitched back and forth. Both ears and tail were striped with black. Sora - officially known as ZBGotheWindthe2nd - was an anthropomorphic tigeress.
She yawned again and clambered out of bed, almost tripping over the long ankles of her pajamas. Exiting her room, she mechanically went down the stairs, into the kitchen, and to the back porch to get the milk.
Not really looking where she was going, she stepped outside and heard an angry, screeching voice in her head.
~SCRAAAAW!! GET OFFA MY TAIL YOU FOOL!~
"GAAH!" Sora shrieked and jumped back to see a young red Eyrie sitting at her doorstep, clutching her tail. The pet wore a beautifully carved medallion in the shape of an Eyrie, that glowed red angrily, and two weapons, dagger and sling. Blinking, Sora stepped back again.
"Omigosh! I'm sorry! What are you doing here?"
The Eyrie cocked her head at her. ~Do you have four pets?~
". . .No. . ."
~Do you want another?~
". . .Maybe. . ."
~Can I be your pet?~
The anthro blinked. "That was abrupt. Well, you should come in, anyway."
Taciturnitas trotted cautiously inside. The strange tiger-human asked her to sit down, so she jumped up on one of the chairs.
The tiger-human sat down across from her and looked curiously at her. "Well. I guess I'm supposed to ask you what you name is."
~I'm Taciturnitas,~ Tak said proudly. ~Uh,~ she stuttered, trying to recall what Syphin had said to do when meeting people. ~. . .What's your name?~
"ZBGotheWindthe2nd. But you can call me Sora. How the heck do you do that?"
~Do what?~
"That. The telepathic thingy."
~Oh. Um. . .~
Tak sighed and launched into her story - how she had come from the Kasakasookaookashazamwyerkatcha tribe in the Haunted Woods, her capture by Von Roo, the faeries rescuing her, Fyora granting her her powers, right up to the Techo and her tail getting stepped on. Sora seemed fascinated.
"That's SO COOL!" she practically yelled. "So. . .why do you have to get an owner?" The Eyrie shrugged. "Well, that works for me. Let me get the others." Jumping up, the anthro rushed to the stairs. "YAMIIKARATU! NIEVAEL! ZEFYRN!! GET THE FISH NEGG DOWN HERE!!!" Tak blinked, then grinned. She was beginning to like this hyperactive cat-person.
A few minutes later, three creatures trudged down the stairs, a yellow Shoyru, a blue Kougra, and a Christmas Zafara, the last of which had a foot-long horn, raven-black and spiral, protruding from her forehead. "Sooraaa!! Why'dja wake us up?! It's Saturday!!" complained the Kougra. Sora turned to Tak. "Taciturnitas, this is Nievael. . ." The Kougra glanced up at his name. His fur was icy-blue, and his green eyes were bright and playful. He was very young.
"Oh. Hi."
Sora motioned to the Zafara, who hadn't yet noticed the Eyrie, as she was rubbing her eyes to help herself wake up. ". . .this is Yamiikaratu - just Yammer, to everyone."
Yammer froze and looked up. "Eh?"
". . .and this is Zefyrn." The Shoyru had plopped down on a bean bag chair and stared at everyone rather nonchalantly. His face and body were marred with scars, and he wore a black leather collar with silver spikes on it.
"Yo."
"Everyone, this is Taciturnitas."
"So what's she doin' here?" questioned Nievael, bounding up the Eyrie and shoving his face in hers. Tak blinked.
"I'm adopting her."
There was a chorus of "HUH?s" from the other pets, except Zefyrn, who lifted an eyebrow, then shrugged nonchalantly. Yammer stared at Sora. "That was fast. Hi Taciturnitas! Okay. Stay away from Zefyrn. He's a grouch. And Nievael's a brat. Sora is the main source of food. Don't bite her. Never bite the hand that feeds you. Spyr will. . ."
Yammer began leading a bewildered Tak up the stairs, with Zefyrn and Nievael following close behind, shouting protests. Sora watched as them until they disappeared around the corner, then, unable to contain herself any longer, fell backwards into the bean bag chair, laughing helplessly.