The rift of two tails

[Ally]

Avery Kathuria was a sixteen-year-old half breed. Her father was a purebred Kathuria and her mother a human, meaning that her father was not entirely human himself. He was indeed part of a long line of Felida. In other words, a cat with human like appearances as an adaptation for fitting in to the ever growing over populated world of humans. It was long ago known that the cats were enemies with the wolves. As they too adapted more human appearances and therefore were able to blend in instead of being hunted by fear of man. Both clans in this particular area of the world known as Glouster County have some time ago forged an alliance despite their differences.


It was tradition that both the heirs of the leaders marry one of the heirs of the other to keep the rift between them closed. However, a generation ago this was broken when one from each clan fell in love with a human. Argument broke out between the clans and war was close at hand until an oath was made to correct this wrong. Two things were to happen, one they were to breed with another purebred and then that child would be sent to another clan far away and second that the children bore with their spouses will be forced to marry.


So a little half breed girl was born and sixteen years later she was going to high school amongst humans. Her small blonde cat ears easily hidden under her long blonde locks. Her thin tail wrapped around her small waist and hidden under her shirt. Avery was a small girl even after puberty which got her teased by some of the more popular curvier girls in her year. Her yellow eyes were large, striking and hypnotizing as most cat’s eyes are. Her personality was just as small as her appearance as well. She was constantly pushed around or taken advantage of within her peers. But she was still able to smile and laugh when around the few friends she had, for she didn’t get angry at anyone or tell them no anyway.


What most of the school couldn’t understand was how and why she had a boyfriend. No doubt an attractive one to say the least. Many of the popular girls often flirted with him even if she was right there and a lot of people assumed he must have lost a bet in order to be dating her. Currently she was outside on a fall day wearing her school uniform and blazer. She was sitting in the grass as the sun beamed down on her. “it’s nice” she said softly to herself as two readymade lunches sat next to her. She was waiting for him on their lunch break as she always had done.


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

The mirror reflected his tan skin back at him, along with a hazy image of the rest of himself. The bathroom mirrors were far from clean, and certainly wouldn't depict any form of clear image. None the less, Yokino Baristol still glared back at the unclear image of himself and let out a sigh. "Old man had to go and sleep with a human, huh," he mumbled as he washed his hand. He was dubbed an outcast by many of the clans folk since he didn't have very many wolf traits in his appearance. On top of that, his existence alone had almost created a war between the cats. He let a sigh, "And then there's her," as his mind continued to wander. She certainly wasn't unpleasing to the eye, but just the fact that it was forced got on the nerve of Yokino. Plus there was clearly bad chemistry between them, at least in his own eyes.


Yokino moved away from the sink and started towards the door, by now sure that the crazy girl from the class below him had lost interest. She tried flirting with him just about everyday, sure that he wasn't actually with Avery. He stepped out of the bathroom and drew right, heading down the hallway. He had longish black hair that was pulled back and touched the top of his back. The only real traits of the wolves he got were the grayish eyes, and he was a little faster and a little stronger than a normal human.


He finally reached the door to the small courtyard area in the center of the school that was open and full of fresh air. He drew in a deep breath and let the crisp fall air flow through his lungs. Yokino glanced around, looking for Avery, whom he was sure was waiting for him as usual. He always said she didn't have to, but that never seemed to stop her. He spotted her sitting in the grass, and as he guessed, was waiting for him. Waltzing over and he sat cross legged across from her on the soft ground. He noticed eyes staring, piercing glares, something he'd grown accustom to. "Yo," he simply said as he pulled two colas from his bag and offered one to her.

 

[Ally]

Avery looked up at him when he sat down and smiled softly. “You’re here” sounding somewhat disappointed she took the cola either way. She unwrapped his lunch and laid it out in front of him. “I made turkey and Swiss sandwiches today….um with pickles and wasabi mayo, it’s a bit spicy so be careful.” Next to the sandwich was a Ziploc bag of some chips, an apple and a few chocolate chip cookies. “I was looking into different types of lunched people have I think next week I’ll make a bento.” Looking up into his grayish eyes, she had definitely gotten more of the physical appearances from her father than he did but it made him at least a bit less scary.


“My mother says it’s good to bring my spouse food and keep him well feed. Also to keep surprising him with different types of food to.” Looking away nervously she scratched her cheek with her finger. “So you know…. tell me what you like so I can make it for you” She had asked him questions like this before but she couldn’t remember them. He wasn’t the one she loved, even liked for that matter. But she understood there was an obligation to the clan to be with him.


She started to eat her own sandwich and felt a bit awkward for a minute or two before finally saying. “Oh my dad says you should come over after school today…or clan…if throwing a party so...it would look good if you were there with me…and we…we..” her cheeks turned maroon with embarrassment. “We need to kiss.” @HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

"You don't seem to thrilled of my arrival," he said softly, and gratefully accepted the food that she had lay out in front of him. He took a bite out of the sandwich and the spicy flavor flooded in his mouth. He sized up the blonde, her cat ears slightly poking out of her hair while she sat talking about making a new lunch for the next week. Her question shocked him a little bit, but he quickly took another bite of his sandwich. "You know, you don't have to worry about making me anything specific. Anything you make is good," He wouldn't be lying, all the little lunches she had brought were far better than anything he was eating before they were dating. He thought about that for a second, reminding himself they were being forced to date.


A moment of silence filled the air and Yokino continued to eat his sandwich only to break for a drink in between every few bites. He tore off one small corner and threw it into his mouth and listened to Avery start about how he was invited back to her place after. He almost choked when she said they should kiss, but he quickly sipped from his coke and drifted his gaze. "Yeah, that's alright by me," he said, hiding his own blushing by looking the other direction and taking another bite. "I don't see a problem with it if you don't," He mumbled, trying to think how long they had been 'dating' to begin with. And they hadn't had any real contact, let alone a kiss.

 

[Ally]

Avery blushed heavily when he said whatever he made was good she looked away bashfully before continuing to eat, “A pro---problem? Well I…. well…I was hoping we didn’t have to…” She sighed some before laying down in the grass and looking up at the grass. “I wanted my first kiss to be with…” She looked to him for a moment and then quickly sat up and fixed her hair as her cheek reddened again.


Walking a bit far off was a couple of guys all apparently on the baseball team since one was carrying a baseball bat and the other caps. Avery’s eyes followed the movements of the guy with the bat even starring when he went out of sight. She blew of strand out of her face starring longingly in the same direction before remembering that he was still sitting with her.


“Um but I guess its unavoidable we have to be together, because of our parents.” Looking up to him for a moment and then his eyes shifted up to his. “Don’t you have ears?”


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

Yokino leaned back, popping open the bag of chips and tossing one into his mouth as his eyes followed hers. "With who, the guy from the baseball team, whats his name..." he teased, flipping another chip into his mouth. He thought too, how he'd not get to choose who he'd get to be with. Although, it didn't seem to stop people from flirting with him anyways. Not like any of that mattered anymore, though. "I believe it is unavoidable, for now, at the very least," his voice calm and collected. The wind seemed to sweep away all the noise from any other conversation except their own, seemingly leaving the two of them in a confined room. "Of course I have ears," He said, pulling his hair back around one of them.


"Well anyways, maybe it won't be so b-" he was interrupted by the sound of the school bell. He couldn't believe it had been their thirty minute lunch break already. "Back to classes, then, I suppose,' Yokino said as he started packing up their mess. After they were done, he offereed her a hand to help up. "I'll meet you by the gate then, and we can walk to the party that you were having?"

 

[Ally]

Avery blushed madly when he teased but didn't respond with any names for him. She too at her chips and when the bell rang she jumped slightly. "Aw I hate being inside." Avery complained but it was cute off by his hand offering. Hesitant to take it at first but slowly she did and was lifted to her feet. It felt as though her heart had also lept. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she was told. They had only been dating since the beginning if the school year which was a mere two months ago.


Avery had been very skittish around him at first giving him lunches and then eating as far away as possibly while still being in his area. This was new for her, sitting so close and talking casually even more so of his polite gesture to help her to her feet. "Yeah I'll see you later than." Waving as she hurried off to her next class. After school she quickly tried to get to the gate but was held up.


After being ten minutes late she finally showed up, carrying an extra bookbag that was clearly not her own. "Sorry" she panted stopping for a moment before even hitting the gate. The bagpack was full of extra notebooks and heavier than what she was used to. "I'm....I'm coming." Hoisting the bag up higher on her back she moved on.


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

Yokino's classes drifted by like any normal day, and he was eager to get back out into the fresh air. Fall was his favorite season, and it was a beautiful day outside, aside from the slightly powerful wind. Nothing of importance really happened throughout the rest of his day, he went to class, took notes and left. However heading towards the gate he met up with a few of his friends, if you'd call them that. They were human, and it always kind of put Yokino on edge. No group of them had ever actually been comfortable around him really, yet alone letting him into their circle. For now, though, he remained hanging out with them. "Yoko!" A brunette girl shouted as he made his way into the group


There were three of them, all very different personalities, which he always found funny. Avanna, the brunette girl, she was the head of all her classes and planned to run for class president next term. She was one of the few girls who wasn't constantly hitting on Yokino, and actually treated him fairly which he always appreciated. Kito, who was very tall and had short blonde hair spiked up and a very thin build. He was the athletic one, playing on a sports team every season, football, hockey, and baseball. And the strangest of the bunch, Ace, who was a musical mastermind that nobody knew him by his real name, or his real name. He also had blonde hair, except long, that covered part of his face and eyes. He was the class clown of the bunch, the comedy relief.


After waiting by the gate talking to the group of them, he finally heard a shout from the crowd of people. "Late, but I'm going to be going once she gets here," he turned to the group. Avanna frowned, but the rest of them sighed. Kito gave him a light punch on the arm, "Don't have too much fun alone with her," He teased and the group disbanded, the rest of them on their way to go study at the local common. Yokino turned again, waiting for Avery to arrive this time.

 

[Ally]

Avery seemed to have materialized soon after his friends left. Coming out from the near by trees. "I didn't want to interrupt you." Her voice was soft as she spoke almost frightened. "...they.." nor really knowing what to really say simply smiled sheepishly. "Let's go."


She had one bookbag having been resorted to leaving hers behind. She had physical appearance as a cat but her strength was nowhere near what it could be. As they walked she looked towards him. "That girl in your group...is....is that the one you would have chosen. Or one of the others....that are always...flirting with you." She thought about the boy she liked. His name was Ryu and he was the capitan of the baseball team. He was no less than handsome with striking features.


"We seem to be very unlucky. Paying for our parents mistakes." She sighed some as she continued to lead the way not saying much more about the matter or anything else really. Right before the massive stretch of wood was a street lined with single floor houses all baring the same make on the front of the house. Hers was the only two story and in the center on the side with the forest as the backyard. She walked up and unlocked the door. "My mom and dad won't be home for another hour. So um...we can....I guess hang out in the living room." She let him inside.


Once in the living she turned on the big screen TV and handed him the remote before sitting on the floor next to the coffee table and taking out multiple notebooks. All having different names on them. She sighed before opening one. "you watch TV I'm going to do homework. If you want I can do yours to."


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

Yokino nodded as she approached from seemingly nowhere, only to quickly get hustled into leaving. He followed close behind, a pace or two, following in her footsteps. He thought about Avery's question about Avanna, he had never really thought of her in that light. "To be honest, I've always hated the girls that are non stop flirting with me," His voice trailed, and he didn't bother saying anything about her specifically, because he didn't know himself. He didn't know how unlucky it was, or if it was more of a responsibility. He continued to follow behind her, not really sure of what to say. His eyes drifted around, observing the area of the town. He had never been to this area, it was on the complete opposite side than he lived on. He only thought to himself about how he felt bad that she was forced into this with him, he didn't have any feelings for her and clearly she none for him, but she really seemed down about the whole thing more so than himself.


Yokino only nodded as they reached her house and he followed her inside. "Why do you offer to do my homework?" He questioned, sitting himself on a side of the table. He flopped his own bag on the ground and pulled out a pad of paper and flipped through some drawings until he reached a blank page. He reached his hand back in and retrieved a few pencils and began to sketch something on the paper. "Besides, I finished everything I needed for the week," He said, eyeballing the stack of notebooks she had of her own. "If you want I can do yours," he said, half mockingly. He spun his pencil around his finger, eyes wandering around the house of his soon to be fiance. It was such a strange concept still in his mind.

 

[Ally]

She shook her head when he offered. "No no this isn't mine I've also finished mine for the week." Smiling slightly at this similarity they shared. "It's a few girls from my class....the ones that hit on you...they are going away and asked me to do it for them....so I said I would." She looked to him bashfully before turning back to the notebook. "I had to leave my bag at the school it was to heavy to carry this one and mine." Sighing heavily before looking at his sketch pad. "You draw? Can you draw.....something for me" she really had asked as to distract him from asking more questions about the work she was doing.


Before she continued again Avery let her cat ears out from being tucked under her hair and her tail rose up behind her. Sawying slowly as she continued to do the homework. "um...you know I was thinking...maybe we should practice..being a couple...like kissing and stuff." She blushed heavily "not like....um...really intimate stuff!" She quickly added. "But we do have to seem like we are happy to be with each other right...it would look weird if we were awkward...right?" Looking to him for confirmation.


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

Yokino raised an eyebrow after she said that it was for her classmates but not herself, however he didn't question it. Instead, he lifted his pencil again to the paper. "Sure can, well, if you have something you want me to," his voice mellow, "You should have told me though, I could have carried one at least." He watched out of the corner of his eye as she seemed to allow all her abnormalities, at least from the humans perspective, out from under where she normally hid them. It wasn't the first time she had all of it visible in front of him, but she looked completely different then normal from just the few things.


He was kind of shocked from her statement, but he nodded in agreement. "Of course, we wouldn't want the clansmen thinking we're not actually together, huh," his voice wavered, "So what do you think we should do? To be honest, I've never actually been a couple. It's, uh, new to me I guess." His face reddened up a little bit, "It's funny, if I told the guys that I'd never hear the end of it." Being in highschool and not having been with a girl would be one of the most embarrassing things for any guy to let out. He let his eyes wander, a little nervous of her teasing him for it, too.

 

[Ally]

“Your friends are pretty weird to think something like that is important. I bet they haven’t had much of a girlfriend either.” She blushed as she scooted closer to him and then looked up in his eyes. “Uh maybe we should start slow” her hand went up towards his but stopped and hesitated for a moment. Then moving to his she intertwined her fingers. “there that’s pretty easy” smiling at him now that she was holding his hand.


The next part came alitte harder bit she closed her his very tightly and moved very fast towards him. Her forehead collided with his cheek causing her to let go of his hand and cradle her now throbbing head. “Ow I…. I’m so sorry. I thought if we did it fast it…would be easy.” She had leaned back against the couch rubbing her forehead. “you know like a band aid…. are you okay?” Opening one eye to see how he was doing. She couldn’t believe it even if it was with a guy she really liked shed probably have killed him. How were they going to pull off dating when they couldn’t even kiss right?


Avery sighed and stood up really wanting to leaving at the moment. “I’m going to get you something.” Before he could answer she was gone her tail drooped low behind her. She gave back a few moments later and handed him a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a hand towel. “There better put it on so you don’t bruise…. that was really hard.” @HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

Yokino pondered the thought, but both of the others had been with somebody before, he didn't know about Avanna though. Before he could finish the thought, though, Avery had slipped her hand through his. He was surprised with how soft the touch of her skin was, he couldn't help but blush. However, when she went in, presumably for a kiss, she knocked her head against his and they pulled away from each other. "Yeah I'm alright, it's okay." He said, but before he could say anything else, she was up and leaving to get get something.


He rubbed his cheek where she had knocked him, however numb, it didn't really hurt. He wasn't sure if she didn't hit as hard as she thought, or if it was something to do with his wolf genes. He shrugged it off, the feeling almost completely gone already. He waited, contemplating, while she was away and he quickly made up his mind. She came back into the room and handed him a bag of frozen peas in a towel, but before she did anything else, he leaned down and quickly kissed her. He stood back up and smiled, placing the bag of peas on her head where she had hit it. "Sorry, but I would have kicked myself if I didn't. Does it hurt?" He asked nodding to her head.

 

[Ally]

Avery's face was shocked and beet red when he pulled from the kiss. She was not at all expecting that to happen the way that it did. When he asked her about her head it snapped her out of it. "Oh uh yeah....yeah I'm fine now" biting her bottom lip. "Maybe we should have you in charge of moving in for kisses." She tried to laugh but she was still a bit taken aback by that kiss.


Lowering herself slowly on the bed she stared at him. "um should...we try cuddling....or more kissing." Looking to the clock to see how much time they had. "We have Atleast a half hour...then I should get ready for the party. You'll have to stay down here." She looked down at herself and sighed her ears drooping. "I'm sorry I'm making this more awkward...I just...really don't know what to do...I've never had a boyfriend before....or anyone like me...uh not saying that you do per say I just...I'm just...stupid"


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

"Well, if we don't want to end up with a broken nose or something, maybe I should be," He laughed nervously. He wasn't really sure what had taken over him, and now an embarrassed feeling rushed over him. He frowned though, clearly she hadn't liked him doing that, she seemed quite upset from what he could tell. However she seemed to want to keep trying so he simply nodded back at her, " You're not stupid, don't worry I'm just as lost. " He was quite surprised that she hadn't had a anybody like her before, in fact he doubted it. She was very attractive, and seemed very nice.


He sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her, "if we're uh, going to make it look like we're in love I can't have you hitting me in the head every time we try something," he tried to joke, trying to lighten up the mood a little. "But I don't want to make you try to do something you're not comfortable doing, so if you ever want to not just say something," He calmly spoke.

 

[Ally]

D She sat blushing while sitting next to him. "I didn't mean to hit you. I swear" smiling softly before leaning into him. "I'll let you know when your making me uncomfortable I promise." Leaning up she pressed her lips to his as he had done earlier. Pulling away she was bright red. "There....that was be...better right" she looked at his lips for a moment then back up to his eyes. "Do you think it was better?" She bit her bottom lip nervously while still blushing like mad.


Her phone started ringing making her jump. Leaning over to get it off the table she settled back into his arm as she spoke on the phone. "Yeah he's coming tonight. He's here right now actually." The voice let out a squeal and Avery rested her head on his shoulder. Her ear gently tickled his cheek. "I have to get going I'll see you later" she sighed and hung up relaxing without even noticing it. "That was my cousin she's very excited to meet you..."


@HymnForTheHopeless

 

[HymnForTheHopeless]

Yokino's face blushed as well, but tried to hide it by looking away. "That was certainly, uh, alright." He didn't know what to say, it was like the words were lost in his mind. Twenty four hours ago he wouldn't have imagined to be doing this right now, but here it was. He'd given up his first kiss, and he'd assumed it was only appropriate to the person he was to wed. Even if he didn't actually love her, they were to be expected of certain things and they'd have to follow through with it.


He was grateful when the phone broke the somewhat awkward silence that had settled into the room after the kiss. He listened as she spoke on the phone, and just relaxed as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was somewhat comforting, he thought, though still very strange. "Your cousin, huh?" his mind wandered, not really understanding why. "I figured most of your family would hate me, wouldn't they?"