if I die young...

[Silver ❤]

Mason

Oh my God, how freaking busy this week had been. Newborn kits were hard work; sure Mason knew it was going to be hard, but he didn't think he would go days with no sleep. It was probably harder on Sofie, since she was the one who had to actually feed them, but Mason was constantly kept awake by their squealing, their longing to be comforted. He'd had to lick little Fallon for hours on end when the little guy had a bellyache from nursing too quickly.
They were finally a month old now. Their eyes were open and they were starting to walk farther and farther. They could speak, small sentences but still sentences, and they were actually sleeping most of the night though. And, thankfully, Anastasia had offered to watch the kittens tonight, and so Mason and Sofie were given the night off.
They were walking down the street now, Mason feeling a little bit anxious about leaving his kits with his sister. "Do you think Asia is gonna be okay?" He asked. He had grown comfortable talking to Sofie now, and he didn't stutter or pause hardly ever anymore. But even though he was worried, it was nice being out in fresh air, away from the stifling responsibility of taking care of small kittens.

OOC: omg this is gonna be sad ):

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[Tabby]

Sofie

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Sofie gently untangled herself from the sleeping kittens, her muscles aching as they stretched. Her claws curled nervously as she stared down at the little bundles, piled on the soft blanket in a mess of fur and whiskers. She could see Asia, quietly nodding for her to go, telling her it would be all right. Somehow, Sofie just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It's normal to feel like this, she reassured herself. No mother should be able to leave her babies without worrying for their safety. I'm sure it'll be fine. Forcing herself to look away, the young calico stepped out of the warm nest of blankets, her pads twinging as they rubbed against the rough concrete. It seemed like she hadn't felt grit under her paws in weeks! Of course, she'd been stuck in the nest with her litter ever since they'd been born. They were healthy, for the most part, but Sofie had noticed with growing nervousness that Haynes was often too sickly to play with his siblings. This had resulted in Sofie either feeding the kittens, taking care of Haynes or sleeping for most of the past month, and so she truly hadn't stood up in far too long.
As she started to take a step away from the kittens, Haynes coughed quietly and snuggled deeper beneath the fluff of Robyn's tail, his quiet, fluttery breaths echoing in the dark alley. Sofie felt the worry rise up again in her throat, and suddenly didn't want to leave him behind. She'd always known Haynes would be sickly--Male calicos usually were--but it still scared her every time she had to be away from him, as if any second could be his last.
Sofie immediately chided herself for being such a clingy queen, and dragged her thoughts away from the kittens and to Mason, who was waiting for her at the edge of an alleyway. Just a quiet walk for the two of us... Sofie thought pleasantly, trotting across to him and relishing the damp asphalt beneath her paws. As they walked down the street, Mason posed a question, wondering if Asia would be able to take care of the kits all right. Sofie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking care to find words that would reassure Mason and herself without lying. "I'm sure it'll be all right," she murmured. "Asia's good at taking care of the kits." She blinked away all doubts and forced herself to try and enjoy the quiet night with Mason.

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[Silver ❤]

Mason

Mason allowed himself to chuckle. "I guess you're right..." He meowed, feeling the sensation of rough cement against his paw pads. He bumped Sofie childishly. "It's nice... getting out and all. I mean... I love the little ones, but... you know." He shrugged, watching his paws move, one after the other. He loved his kittens so much, but he really did need a night out. And like Sofie had said, his sister really was good with the kits, surprisingly.
It was dark out, the streets lights ablaze and only a few staggering humans wandering about. Other than that, the streets were all for the cats. Mason could hear them in the alleys and else where. He stuck close to Sofie, walking between her and the street, wanting to keep his best friend safe. After all, what would his kittens do without a mother?
He heard a rustling and the scraping of claws up ahead, and realized it was coming from an alley up ahead. He moved so he was between it and the calico, keeping his ears pricked.
"Stick close." He hissed. Something was making his fur prickle. The sound was silenced and he figured whatever had made the noise was gone now. Maybe it was just a stray catching a rat, or even a few rats scurrying into shelter. But he didn't completely relax until they had passed it up.
They continued on, but then his haunches and scruff began to prickle again. He looked behind him several times, but saw nothing. I'm just being paranoid. He shook his head and continued on. But his muscles were still tense and his fur bristled. He looked behind him one last time, and this time the glint of green eyes was unmistakable. He froze, lashing his tail and moving to stand between it and Sofie, pushing her behind him.
There was a malicious glint of sharp, white fang and the creature slipped out of the shadow, his fur just as dark as the night.
Mason growled deep in his throat. "Leave us alone." He hissed, his voice not stuttering or mumbling for once. He could already feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins. This cat was bad news, he could tell.

OOC: dude it took you three months to reply xD

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[Tabby]

Sofie

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Padding down the street was so calming for Sofie. She could feel the tension easing out of her and was able to appreciate the soft, cool night air that ruffled the fur on her belly and shoulders, where her skin had been warm and uncomfortable for weeks as she was stuck on her side with the kittens. It felt empty, almost, not having them by her side, but it was nice. She felt as if she could finally breathe again, without worrying about whether or not Robyn had snuck off again or if Fallon was catching Hayne's cough. She didn't feel as free as she had before, back when there were no kittens to worry about, but she did feel better.
As they walked down the street together, Sofie closed her eyes halfway, letting the brush of Mason's pelt guide her down the street. They didn't talk, but it was all right with Sofie. She was just happy to be able to spend this time with him. The quiet became so familiar that when Mason's voice, sharp and low, reached her ears, her eyes flew open in surprise. She felt suddenly more on edge, though it might have been the fear-scent detectable on Mason. What's going on? she wondered, pressing herself closer against Mason as they continued along. When he came to a stop and pushed her behind him, she was unable to stop a tiny squeak of fear from coming from her mouth. Finally, she saw what he had seen: Another cat, hidden in the shadows. She shrunk back behind Mason, terrified. Are we going to be okay? she wondered, trembling. What if Mason was hurt or killed? What if she was hurt or killed? The thought of that scared her immensely, but when she thought of her kittens, all alone with no home, it filled her with resolve and she vowed to herself that both she and Mason would go home tonight, no matter what. Her fur bristled and she stood all the way up, glaring at the intruder from behind Mason.

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[Silver ❤]

Mason & Ty

The other cat didn't answer his question, but Mason felt Sofie bristle behind him.
"Stay back, Sof." He told her.
Mason began to try to back away. He could try to make a run for it, but what if Sofie couldn't catch up, or what if the other cat was faster? No, he didn't want to risk it.
He narrowed his eyes and repeated his question. "W-what... what do you want?" His words were a bit more unsure now. The black cat was still just standing there... staring at him. The same crazed smile on his face. What was going through his mind... what did he want with them?

The black cat, Ty as he was called, stared at his new victims. There was something about them... something about the way they walked and talked that sang to him. He stared at them now, imagining all the different things he could do to them... he could murder the tom, slowly at first. And then the female, she was pretty. He could see himself making love to her, hot and passionate and forceful... just as he liked it. He snickered as the snowshoe, forming a feeble wall between him and the calico. He hadn't attacked in a while, not since the tabby female a while ago. She had lived, unfortunately, after he was fought off by another tom. Ty needed to feel the blood run under his claws... and plus. He had a prodigy now. Falcon was in a alley behind him, waiting to watch. He was strong and swift, but Ty needed to show them how a real murder was done.
Ty had been frozen in place, calculating how this was going to take place. It was a stand-off, black tom against snowshoe tom.

Mason glared, his dark blue eyes icy. He didn't know what the hell was going on. This tom just had a psychotic look on his face. He blinked, looking back at Sofie to see what she was doing, how she was doing. He wanted to make sure he wasn't freaking out. That was a mistake.
When he turned his head back around, the tom was gone. Mason swung his head around, trying to figure out where he had gone...

Ty slunk back into the shadows, his black fur camouflaging him, and moved closer to the tom. When the snowshoe looked back, Ty could see the confusion on his face. Waiting... waiting for the right moment. There. The snowshoe moved his head, revealing a soft spot. The right spot for fangs to sink into soft, vulnerable flesh...
Ty sprung.

Mason let out a yowl of alarm. The black cat shot out like a shadow and he felt the fang sink into his throat. But he managed to throw the tom off and jump on top of him, pinning him to the ground. But blood was flowing from his neck like a river and his vision was beginning to blur. But Mason managed to rake some slashes on his belly before the black cat pushed him back off and shot toward the calico.
Mason caterwauled and lunged at the black cat, dragging him back to the ground. The stray screeched and slashed Mason across the face. Fur flew as claws raked across flesh and blood splattered the floor. This cat was not going to get to Sofie. The mother of his kits was not going to get hurt, Mason vowed. His vision got dark as he tried his best to get some sort of fatal wounds in this cat. But his wounds were deeper... the blood flowing and bubbling. He could feel the metallic taste in his mouth and knew he wasn't going to be going home tonight... but he could make sure Sofie did.

This cat was a fighter, that was for sure. Ty was having fun, but his wounds really were starting to hurt. Maybe he should leave soon. This cat was going to die soon anyway. He didn't really need to rape the she-cat, there were plenty of girls around anyways. He slithered beneath the tom's grip, flashing a white, bloody smile. He managed to get free and raced back into the alley, meeting up with Falcon and fleeing up the fire escape. Of yes, that was a blast!

Mason stared in shock and anger as he watched the tom escape. How had that happened? Oh yeah, he was so weak... the blood pooling at his paws. He went to settle down in a sitting position, but slumped down to the ground, collapsing on his belly. He looked over at Sofie and smiled.
"Are you... okay... Sof?" He rasped. He hadn't been involved in the fight, at least he didn't think so. He made sure of it. His kittens needed their mother... He wished so badly he would be able to see them grow up, but if he hadn't sacrificed himself, him and Sofie could be laying here dead. Sofie had Asia, and his brothers... she would be fine. Everything would be... fine.

OOC: n/a

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[Tabby]

Sofie

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Sofie shivered at the way the tom was looking at her. The malice in his eyes made her shrink back behind Mason, all traces of courage gone. She shivered in her pelt, unsure of what had made her lose her stance. It was just something in the way he was looking at her. She shuddered, backing away from the two toms in fright. When the black tom leaped at Mason, she screamed and pressed herself back against the wall as they engaged in a ferocious fight. Sofie was torn. Half of her, the motherly half, was telling her to stay back, and stay alive for her kits' sakes. But the other part of her, that had loved Mason before her kits came into the world, wanted her to fight and protect him. She knew that she had to take care of her kits, but what if Mason was injured or killed? Her kits had never seen blood before. It would scare them, for sure. And little Robyn had grown particularly close to Mason. What would she do, what would they all do, if Sofie had to tell them their father was never coming back?
As the thoughts whipped around in her mind, an equally frantic scene was going on in the real world. She wanted to spring in to help, but it was too late. The black cat was gone, and Mason lay on the asphalt, bleeding. Sofie rushed forward and crouched next to him, shaking her head in disbelief. "Mason, I..." Her voice dissolved into sobs. "Please don't die, Mason. I love you. Our kits love you. They need you. I need you. Please..."

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[Silver ❤]

Mason

How had this happened? Just a while ago, he had been fine. Him and Sofie had just been getting some fresh air, nothing out of the ordinary. Why had it have to go so terribly wrong?
Mason knew he was dying. But he couldn't help but wish he had never went on the walk, that he had never left his kits. Then he would still be alive, still be able to watch them grow up. Why... why did they decide to leave?
He looked at Sofie's tear-streaked face and felt guilty for leaving her to raise the kittens by herself. But she could do it, he knew she could. He licked one of her soaked cheeks.
"You will be okay, Sof. You'll take g-good care of them... Asia will help... you'll be fine. Every... everything will be alright." He shoot a trembling sigh and lowered his head to the ground, his dark eyes beginning to grow dim. "Thank you for loving me... when no one else could. Thank you for giving me our beautiful kits... I will cherish the short time I had with them... with you... forever. You have given me more than I ever expected to get. Thank you." He smiled, letting out a gargled purr. He could feel the life escaping his body. He had lost too much blood, there was nothing they could do. But he did have one last request.
"P-please... don't l-let the little ones s-s-see my b-body. Just... tell them I went... a-away for a w-while... let them know... they will s-see me again... o-one day..." All the strength was gone. Even if he wanted to say something else, he would be able to. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the calm, serene darkness.

OOC: n/a

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[Tabby]

Sofie

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Sofie shook her head over and over, trying to wake up. I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, she thought to herself over and over again. This isn't happening. It can't be. And yet there lay Mason on the ground, dead, right before her eyes. The tips of her white paws were stained red, and she stepped back, unwilling to revel in the horror of his torn body. She didn't want to stay out long, in case that tom came back, but she didn't know what to do with Mason's still form. I'll have to tell Asia... she thought sadly, and she can help me bury him. For the moment, she knew she had to honor Mason's last wish and keep his death secret from the kits, at least until they were older. She took his scruff and gently dragged him to the side of the alley, where she licked his fur free of all the blood and covered him in an old blanket. As she started back home to tell Asia the news, she couldn't resist stopping and taking one more look back at the lumpy blanket. I love you, Mason, she thought, hoping he was listening from wherever he was now.

When she emerged into the small, blocked-off alley where they lived, she was greeted by four happy bundles who jumped at her in excitement, squealing.The only she-kit, Robyn, blinked up in confusion when she realized Sofie was alone. "Where's Daddy?" she asked, a tiny whine in her voice.
Sofie swallowed her sobs and forced herself to look strong, for the kits. "Something came up, kits. Mason... He's gone to visit his father. He won't be back for a while, but you'll see him again." She shook slightly as she leaned down to nuzzle the saddened kittens, particularly Robyn, who was trembling and blinking back tears. Sofie convinced the kits to go to sleep, and as soon as they had turned tail to go back to their nest, she gave Asia a despondent look, hoping that her friend understood what had happened.

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[Silver ❤]

Anastasia

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Anastasia had been sleeping, the kits nestled in her belly fur while she laid her tail protectively over their bodies. She loved spending time with them, and she hoped Sofie and Mason were having fun too.
She was startled when a cat entered the alley, but then she noticed it was just Sofie. That was fast. She thought, expecting them to have been gone longer. But then she was confused when Mason was not behind her friend.
The kits were woken up by the arrival of their mother and they all bounced over to her. Asia stood up a bit quiet, perking her ears as she listened to Sofie's explanation.
Our father... but our father is... no. No, it can't be true. It can't! Asia took a step back, lowering her ears and her tail. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away, closing her eyes.
"Come here, kittens." She called, sitting back and sweeping her tail so they could give Sofie a little space. They nestled down and were soon back to sleep.
Asia turned to Sofie, finally allowing the tears to roll down her face. "He's dead, isn't he?" She whispered. "Why... how did this happen?" She wanted to wail, but had to be careful not to wake the kittens. She looked down at them, now fatherless, so young and innocent. They had no idea what had truly happened, and she was sure they fully expected him to return.
Asia was still waiting for him to turn that corner, to come and rejoin her and his family. But she knew he never would.

OOC: n/a
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