#as the caw of a crow came moments before the call of the mourning dove

[prettyiwa]

It starts with the low call of the mourning doves.

The day is the coolest it will be and the shadows creep along the street as they run from the sun. It's always a distinct smell that lingers in the air, but one that can only be described as summer. Harkening back to the days of your youth, to long days spent doing nothing while complaining about the heat, to laughs shared with your friends while doing stupid shit, to tears shed because of sunburns and exhaustion.

Your body carries with it memories that you have since forgotten, memories that can return at the drop of a hat thanks to the specific combination of the sun on your skin and the call of the doves and the intro to that hit song from years ago. The particular sound of ice clinking against your cup or the feel of juice dripping down your chin after biting into a piece of your favorite fruit or the smell of chlorine or salt or dirt, mixing into a body of water that hits you just right.

It starts with the low call of the mourning doves, piercing your heart with stunning precision, knocking the breath from your lungs, even if just for a moment.

[weirdassstoryshit]

Blue Chap 1. Final Part

Hey everyone! So here is the final part of the first chapter of Blue!! I’m excited and I hope you are as well. I am going to start making posts with information about the world and characters. I’ll even include the scenes where new characters are introduced if you want to read those. I’d love to hear any questions you may have or what you would like to learn more about. Hope you enjoy!!

Missed the first parts? 

Previous Part

First Part

Cato took a deep breath as he stepped through the doors. The night air was warm, a light breeze ruffling his hair. He kept his footsteps as quiet as possible on the cobblestones of the courtyard. Leaves rustled above him from the canopy of oak branches. The soft trickle of water alerted him that he was nearing the main fountain. From between the trunks, he could see the massive stone lion amidst a pool of water. Cato knew he shouldn’t stop but he couldn’t help himself. Memories of years past flitted through his head as he stared up at the lion. He and his sibling had often snuck out to come sit on the ledge and stare up at the stars. Castor would spin stories of heroes immortalized in the white dots and villains caged for eternity. Stories of the Phoenix King and the fearsome battles against the White Malikorian. Now, clouds covered the stars. The realization he would never hear his brother tell the stories again hit him hard. His throat felt tight and his eyes burned. Soft chuffing came from the tiger and Cato felt as if it was nudging him, a phantom sensation on his shoulder. A tear fell down his cheek, his hand rubbing it away. “Hey!” A sharp voice called out startling Cato from his thoughts. He turned and saw one of the guards walking towards him. The guard’s forehead creased once he recognized Cato. “Young Lord, shouldn’t you be inside?” “Ah, um, well you see-” Cato started not sure exactly what to say. The tiger growled as the guard came closer. “You shouldn’t be out, I’ll take you back.” “No! Ah, no-it’s fine, I’m fine.” Cato winced at the suspicious look on the man’s face. “You’re unstable right now Young Lord, there is no reason for me not to take you to the room.” No reason indeed. Cato couldn’t come up with anything to refute his words, but he knew he could not go back. The guard reached for his shirt sleeve and the tiger snapped. Cato stepped back, a snarl tearing from his throat as the tiger attempted to gain control. The man backed away, staring at Cato’s now slit pupils. His eyes flashed, the only warning before a dark-furred lion was standing in his place, clothes shredded around him. The tiger snapped at the threat, clawing control away from Cato. He found himself thrown back, once more trapped in his mind. The lion in front of them seemed to shrink before their massive form. A moment of hesitation passed between them, then the lion let out a roar as he darted away. The entire manor would be aware there was a tiger on the grounds within minutes. They took a step forward as if to follow. We have to get to the woods. Cato said moving to the sleeping tiger’s side, hoping it could hear him. Their head swung away, and then they were running. A warm wind whipped through their fur as they bounded through the gardens. Growls and roars filled the night behind them. The lions were ready to hunt. Cato urged the tiger to run faster. They leaped over the hedge and landed on the open plain. It far too open and exposed. There was nowhere to hide and the white fur made blending in impossible. Paws sent tremors through the ground. This was not a hunt of stealth, but of pure power. Cato could feel the vibrations growing closer. A buzzing in their ears, a feeling beneath their paws. The tiger threw everything it had into running. Dark woods rose up in front of them, hot breath from behind touching their tail. They passed the line of trees and dove into the shadowy shelter. The tiger seemed to sigh as they wove through the trunks, throwing off their pursuers. Cato could hear the furious snarls and hisses as the lions and lionesses became entangled in the thick underbrush. They were on the tiger's turf now. Cato let out the breath he had been holding as the lion behind them fell farther behind. They would make it, they would actually escape. The idea filled him with fear tinged relief, in its brief moment of existence. From the left came a blur, hitting them on the side and knocking them to the ground. Cato winced at the aching pain in his side as a lion pinned them down. Cato’s breath hitched as he recognized the light gold mane he used to cling to. Cathair Czar, head of the Czar Pride and Cato’s father stared down at them with his teeth bared. He growled, claws sinking into white fur. The tiger swiped at him, using its larger body to escape Cathair’s hold. Lion and tiger stood facing each other. If they ran, Cathair would no doubt catch them. To stay and fight would give the other lions and lionesses time to come to his aid. Either way, they wouldn’t make it out. Cato shuddered looking at his father’s massive lion form. Never had he seemed to deadly, and to have it directed at him made Cato’s blood freeze. He wondered if his father knew he was the tiger. Most likely not, the alarm wouldn’t have been very specific. Though Cato doubted his father would mourn when the truth came out. Cato was a monster now. Monsters didn’t deserve people mourning them. A crow cawed from the treetops. The tiger didn't know what to do. It wanted to fight and kill those who threatened it and Cato, but they wouldn’t live if they stayed. With that, they turned and dashed away, Cathair in hot pursuit. He was about to catch them once more when a sudden flurry of crows swooped down, blinding both of them. Their caws and shrieks filled the air. Their black feathers creating a disorienting whirlwind. A sound like roaring fire came from behind them, a wave of freezing air blowing through their fur. Cato wanted to look but the tiger took the opportunity and bolted. There weren't any sounds of pursuers. Cato lost track of how much time had passed. They were running at a slower pace but he could still feel the exhaustion weighing on their muscles. Their side burned from the fall and every inch of them ached. But still, they carried on. Cato felt the adrenaline and overwhelming fear begin to fade, leaving him tired to the bone. He found the steady rhythm of their run to be soothing and his eyelids started to droop. The tiger next to him made a rumbling sound and shifted. Cato didn’t care, his head falling to rest on its side, eyes sliding closed. There was a jolt, a brief moment of darkness, then Cato was crashing forwards in his own body. He hit the ground with a jarring thud, the tiger hissing at the sudden switch. Cato groaned as he lay in a small ditch, too tired to move even though he knew he should. Against his will, his eyes closed once more and he fell into the bliss of sleep.