( ❛ . come on baby, drown your sorrow! ─

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i'm caught underwater
AND I'M FALLING CLOSER TO YOu

SNAILBELLY
cismale, he/him / 36 m / hella gay / medicine cat / voiceclaim ??

a chubby long-haired grey-and-white tom-cat with vibrant yellow eyes, and a distinctive white patch of fur that creeps up from the slope of his chin and to the bridge of his nose. he smells heavily of dried lavender, due to the large fields that outstretch moorclan territories, and traces of sweet, rich honey.

he was named snail─for his coloration as a kit, as well as to match his brother, slugkit. and belly─for his jovial and charismatic nature: his hearty laugh that seems to rumble from deep within his belly.

he is jovial, dreamy, loud, forgetful, altruistic, round-about, curious. and motivationally avoids conflict, attempts to comfort others, though runs into problems with; denial, desperation, duty, family, fear, guilt, loneliness, past trauma, and redemption. fears abandonment, becoming his parents, being alone, death, failure, losing loved ones, himself, not being good enough, being unhappy, processing emotions, bees, bearstar's den, and silence. habitually does not groom, eats with an open mouth, humms, rambles, speaks/laughs loudly, talks to fill in silence, makes jokes at very inappropriate times, bends rules despite his duty to fullfill the clan, loses track of time, collects unique and odd objects, purposefull avoids empty space, and creates make-believe stories.

FRANCIS
♂, cismale / 32 m / homosexual / kittypet / voice claim, francis

francis is a beautiful, lanky sphynx with pale gray skin splotched with ghostly white patches. franny has plenty of wrinkles to spare, and if his furless body isn't a shock enough, his icy, almost translucent blue eyes and gigantic ears will send you reeling, too. he sports an ebony collar, and smells of warm milk and coconut.

characteristics and personality

francis is . . . friendly, playful, kind, outgoing, polite, articulate ; curious, adventurous, twolegs' boy, hopelessly romantic, naive, sheltered ; suck-up, pouty, childish, helpless, no survival instincts.

extras and history

• francis becomes itchy and dry without the creams his owners apply daily to his delicate skin. he is a complete sap for lotion and often enjoys endless hours of pampering without a single complaint. • a spoiled, pure-blooded tomcat that has never had a rumbling belly or an ache in his body, franny is doted upon by his twoleg owners. while he isn't selfish or prissy by any means, he can't deny that he loves their attention. but maybe a certain cat will change his perspective on the importance of his superficial life?

If you want ride a rainbow come with me   I will take you in a magic purple sea Maybe we will find a thousand sugar fish And when you eat them they will grant your every wish

oh, life was so incredibly beautiful.     snailbelly had always loved the flowers and the birds, loved the sunlight and the clouds that drifted by. and always, always, always loved the way the leaves move in a breeze: the soft whispering sound that they made was to die for, and it just seemed to be as though nature loved to chatter too. pale yellows, carassed by vibrant greens stretched across the vast open space of the moors. this season, the grass had been lush in comparison to last greenleaf's unbarable conditions and lack of rainfall. it had always seemed to be soft to the touch for as long as snailbelly could recall, but he had been told by even the wariest of warriors that it was pliant beneath their paws of calluses and dirt. here was a place that hummed with a nearly overwhelming amount of life; a melodic breeze had picked up to gently brush against the petals of each and every lavender stock, moving in tune with the buzz and flutter of what he presumed to be─hundreds upon thousands of lively insects. the serendipitous collision of warm hues had long ago created art within his eyes. the lavender fields . . how rare it was, to find a home with such a number of energy and movement, of noise beyond the static hundrum of the universe!          "isn't it absolutely lovely, mothpaw?" the cream and grey tortoiseshell titled his head slightly, only to catch a brief glance of the vanilla pelt of his apprentice. the youngling appeared to be enraptured by the striking fields he had visited countless times in his lifetime. it was─and trust me, he always liked to point out─never left in the exact place as before: constantly, new forms of life were being created, whether it was to be vegetation or creatures. there were new flames, and new stories to be told at each and every rotation of the grand old sun. "i know it's a bit busy," snailbelly paused to offer the small feline a lopsided, sloppy grin, before his golden orbs widened at the sight of a bee. "we usually tend to the areas around the grassy clearing, but . . i thought you would enjoy trying something new, today!" the excitement that coursed through the medicine cat's veins had to of emmited into the air within the form of his words, as the energy seemed to pour through the very soul of this sacred ground. it was almost as though it powered through him like some inexhaustible and unseen force, lightening the tom. "i think that you're really gonna like what i have planned though. it's more of a . . ." snailbelly reached into his mind for the right words, amongst the clutter of suggestions that littered the back of his throat, "fun-training day!" as his paws danced upon the ground in his eagerness to share the plan, an enormous grin lit up the tortie's face, his chubby cheeks bunching at the corners. he watched as mothpaw turned to flash him a glance, before returning his grin with one of her own and parting her jaws in response, "of course it's lovely!" nothing cheers me up like a bright sunny day, made better by our famous lavender. "i couldn't wish to be anywhere else." mothpaw, taking a moment to close her eyes, inhaled the fresh and sharp scent of lavender. snailbelly knew that in doing so must have soothed her entire, small body. she appeared to be relaxed, prepared to take on the task that he had prepared for her. he felt his heart warm as his apprentice released a throaty purr, unable to hide her cheeriness. somehow, she still stayed collected, and answered calmly, "i bet it'll be great, snailbelly! but do tell me more . . i'm really curious now."  the patchy tom quickly─though efficiently─described the task he had planned for his apprentice: with of course, the company of another moorclanner, she would need to gather five moorland specific herbs; dandelion, feverfew, stinging nettle, milk thistle, and burdock. if she were to become a full-fledged medicine cat, then she would need to be able to locate different types of herbs from memory.      before he knew it, he had been left alone to the lavender fields.     in a daze, snailbelly broke out into a heart-filled trot, his eyes on the clouds and his mind elsewhere. he chose to absent-mindedly follow his heavy paws as they worked a path through the lavender fields. as far as the moors went, the patchy tom always found that these fields held the most adventure; although breezeclan had without doubt, the most prey and resources in the mountains, it was alive with insects and critters here─full of flowers and winding plants that homed a variety of creatures, big and small. if he was up to it, perhaps he would find something interesting to bring back for the kits: big, blooming flowers with streaks of red and white, long swooping blue feathers, silvery stones that sparkled in the moonlight─the medicine cat's favorite treasures had always been found within the vast lavender filled lands. maybe, just maybe that was why a part of him had opted to venture out in this direction today. the last time he had visited the nursery, one of the kits─jasperkit, if the forgetful tom remembered correctly─had requested something special. it wouldn't hurt to glance around, would it? he thought to himself, furrowing his brows. besides, mothpaw was out on a task . . and quite frankly, he was a sucker for busywork.     despite the fact that it had merely been a short time since the time of his arrival, the tortoiseshell had collected quite the menageria of items. he sorted them at his paws, eyeing his collecting with pride. although none of them felt to be particulary special or out of the ordinary, there did happen to be a unique red and gold leaf that he thought might have the capability to pass the kit's scrutinity─if it came down to it. snailbelly repressed a chuckle, the cheery sound rumbling from his belly. feeling his lips light up into a wide grin, he gently began to bury his finds. and as dirt began to coat his previously white paws, another task suddenly appeared into his mind: although he was far from being a warrior, and frankly, lacked the qualities that one needed to obtain . . he knew that bearstar would not appreciate him arriving back into camp with nothing hanging from his jaws but a leaf and a few interestingly shaped stones. that being said, he parted his jaws in order to take his pick of the multitudinous wildlife scents. the medicine cat dropped down into a sloppy crouch in pursuit of a rabbit which appeared to be close by. and after a moment of careful searching, his golden eyes fell on what was quite possibly the fattest creature to ever exist; a bunny in which appeared to be so plump, that it's body looked to swallow it's head and legs, save for the quickly disappearing staws of grass that poked out of the top.     i haven't used my claws in so, so long . . but oh──i must! feeling as though there could be no way in starclan that this rabbit could roll away fast enough to avoid being captured, snailbelly edged his way forward a bit more loudly than a trained warrior would have. a stick crunched and cracked beneath his paw, and in that moment of the silence that immediately followed, the grass in the rabbit's mouth ceased to move. foxdung! for what seemed to be a lifetime, the pair sat in a suspended sort of reality. everything seemed to fall away; everything slammed back the second the rabbit's chunky paw hit the ground, and suddenly the chase was under way. the ground beneath his feet had suddenly become slippery, for his feet slid on the grass until he gained traction. but, it happened all too late. for a creature of its, size, the bunny had decent speed. yellow orbs the size of the moon, the chubby tom watched in horror as its form reverberated up and down with each leap it made, straight out into the open moor. he followed in hot pursuit, only to have the prey turn sharply and send him flailing onto the wet grass, paws splayed haphazardly as his chin bonked the hillside and the rabbit ducked into cover. for a moment, the inexperienced cat laid there on the moor, trying to piece together his epic failure in his mind. he was brought back only by a loud sort of low buzzing noise, to which he perked his ears and brought his gaze up until it landed on . . . something . . . something, he might add, that was the perfect special item for jasperkit.     he knew as soon as he saw it; nearing the woodland of breezeclan, he had never seen anything quite like it. it, he assumed, was some sort of plant: ghostly white and splotched with pale gray, smooth in texture and still as the breeze failed to sway it back and forth. it sprouted from a bushel of white flowers right alongside the border, and continued to emit its buzzing call. how was it making that noise, anyhow? it sounded almost like a purr, but far louder than any snailbelly had ever heard. the medicine cat heaved himself up onto his paws, cocking his head toward the plant as if to study it more carefully. if he didn't know better, he might say it was a tail. the failure of the fat rabbit all but forgotten, snailbelly began to move toward the tail-plant curiously. as luck would have it, it was a tail. a tail attached to a very strange looking cat, purring loudly as it rolled happily in the flowers. the tortie stood over its form for a moment, gazing at the mysterious figure and wondering if he should leave it be, but ultimately deciding there was no fun in doing so.    "hello?"

template by duke

F R A N C I S 32 MOONS // KITTYPET // HOUSE ; BREEZECLAN FOREST ; ASPEN BORDER ● @ SNAILBELLY ● WORD COUNT : 2,904 ● © ARU FOR TEMPLATE ●

although francis' world was dark, the sphynx could sense that something was near. the young tomcat's icy blue orbs opened wide and began their adjustment to the dim light as he scanned the dense undergrowth and towering aspen trees, all covered in mysterious pelts of shadow. the section of the forest he found himself in was unfamiliar to him, but nevertheless, the intoxicating scent of prey and herbs drew him onward, closer to the purple-hewn fields that tumbled in the distance. francis' stomach snarled, reminding him of his hunger. he opened his jaws slightly so that the fragrances enveloping him could reach the scent glands on the roof of his mouth. musty aromas of the shrubbery and the aspens mingled with . . . there! the tempting aroma of something meaty and furry . . . something that bested the brown pellets francis usually filled himself with. the furless male licked his maw, barbed tongue sliding over a whisker-less face and heavily moisturized, coconut-scented skin. he crept forward, clumsy and quite uncoordinated . . . though, of course, the felidae was not aware of his flawed hunting strategy, so focused was he. suddenly, a flash of brown raced past the sphynx before he could react, and francis tumbled backward, stunned and yowling, mind and senses unaccustomed to the forest's constantly shifting state. huffing, the pale tomcat recovered, stooping low to the earth once more and casting enormous eyes about; ah . . . two tail-lengths away was what had taken him by surprise. it was a mouse. francis shivered with kitten-like excitement, swallowing and hushing his rumbling belly. soon, his hunger would be satisfied. slowly, he tensed his ligaments, preparing for an attack; the moment it glanced away from him (seemingly unconcerned by such an odd-looking, completely unbalanced creature), francis pushed back hard on his dainty legs and sprang. he kicked up grass and dirt as he rocketed from the forest floor and went flying through the darkness towards the mouse, howling a battle cry. somehow, his thorn-sharp claws managed to grab ahold of the poor animal's tail, and, similarly to a child, the fully grown tom scooped the mouse into the air and flung it. he purred triumphantly as it made a high arc and then landed on the ground again; the brown prey-creature squealed in fright, an obvious contrast to francis' throaty purrs. still enjoying his little game, the hairless cat barged to it once more and tossed it, this time a little farther away, into the silver lighting that washed across the lavender fields. the mouse, dazed but miraculously clinging to life, scrambled a few paces away . . . only for the fearsome housecat to burst through the line of aspens, catch up to it, and snag its tail. just as he was prepping to end the hunt and fill his belly with rich, hearty blood and pulpy meat . . . a roaring noise permeated the scene and shattered francis' large, bat-like ears. the gray-and-white tomcat surged to his tiny paws and spun around, more irritated above all else, frosty eyes glaring at an unseen enemy. the sound rattled on, to the point that the sphynx had to flatten his ears against the hubbub, and in the chaos the mouse was able to pull away from his claws and rush back to the cover of the forest. as soon as it disappeared, francis' dream faded away . . . and the incessant rattling became more and more familiar. blast! only a dream. the skinny, wrinkly cat thought as his eyes popped open and he rode the last wave of slumber back to the shore of reality. that could've been the most perfect hunt! i was so close . . . he thought, somewhat forlorn as the idea registered that he was back in his owners’ expansive household . . . and no longer out there. the sharp pinging noise sounded again, this time accompanied by a fragrance that was still welcome, but pale in comparison to the mouse's odor: it was breakfast time! the noise was his female owner shaking dried pellets of food into his morning dish and mixing them with gooey wetness that faintly brought back thoughts of the forest. francis' ears pricked with interest and his long, thin tail began to wave in anticipation, his dream relatively forgotten, pushed aside by his hunger . . . which was most certainly real. still, the pedigree sphynx wanted to savor his dream for a little while longer . . . and so he lifted his head and propped his chin up on the side of his bed. the handsome tomcat couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable rubbing of his collar on the wrinkled flesh of his neck. in his dream, cold night air had rushed across his skin and soothed the area where the collar usually pinched tight. francis shifted, rolling onto his back and unsheathing his claws as if he were reaching for the mouse once more. oh, he could still smell the creature . . . the sharp tang of the white-barked aspen trees . . . the fresh lavender wafting from the rolling fields . . . and more than anything in that moment, all he wanted was to go explore. perhaps find the area that haunted his recent dreams and waking thoughts. maybe later, the white-splotched cat thought as the allure of his breakfast became too strong and he rose from his bed. hips rocking rhythmically, francis leapt off the fluff-embroidered bed on the couch after stretching languidly in the morning sunlight. one nimble leg popped, then another, and then a skinny rump was lifted in the air as the sphynx bowed low and shifted his muscles. spring light dusted every feature in the home, placing countless brands of warmth on the hard floors and plush white rugs. though it was tempting to stretch out in one and warm his delicate skin, bask for a while, francis was driven to the kitchen. temptations, temptations . . . but none could overpower that of food. the housecat's paws slid over sun-spotted wood floor which soon morphed into cold, slick tile; he kept his footing, pausing to twirl around the legs of his female and earning a purr and a loving scratch across his heavily creased forehead from her. francis continued on to his polished dish, and swallowed his food ravenously, gulping down meaty chunks and crunching on brown, bland pebbles. all the while, the sphynx tried to ignore the craving in his belly . . . the craving for more than this . . . the craving to catch his own meals . . . but even so, he quaffed down his breakfast with no reluctance and mewed to let his female know he was finished and ready to be groomed. she swept him up into her arms and stroked his sleek, patched body, tender fingers running across his skin and rubbing beneath his collar just the way he liked it. then he was hoisted onto a mat on the kitchen table, just as he was every day, and she proceeded to slather him in herbal potions and creams. after merely a few seconds of gentle kneading on his dry sore spots, francis' legs gave way and he flopped to the mat, purring uncontrollably. before long, his luxurious hour of pampering was up, and the shiny, oiled tomcat leapt off the mat with a grateful purr, then trotting to the back door, where his owners had long since learned he liked to spend most of his days. he pushed through the cat flap, a part of him hoping that the smell of the garden would bring back feelings awakened during his dream. outside, the sun was high in a gorgeous, robin egg sky, casting its powerful rays across the backyard and toasting the wood of the porch to perfection. but francis had no interest in lazing about today──he had more important things to do. breaking into a run, he scampered down the porch steps──thunk, thunk, thunk!──and sailed into thick green grass──shush, shush, shush! still running strong, his stick-like legs ate up the ground with surprising speed, and he dodged around immense potted plants and the large hole of electric blue water in the center of the yard. francis pattered around the garden that bordered the stony wall that kept him in . . . and unwanted visitors out. through it wound a gravelly path; its pebbles, cold and ruthless, stabbed into francis’ kitten-soft pads as he walked, hopping onto patches of grass sprouting in the path or leaping into the dense garden itself to mark his territory or make dirt. after finishing the latter beneath an immense, red-flowered shrub, the sphynx eyed the mass of stone looming behind it, icy blue eyes judging distance; in an acrobatic, lunging leap, the lithe housecat cleared the shrub and a few other plants, claws stabbing into stone once his flight was complete. huffing and puffing, the gray-and-white hauled himself──legs waving, paws scrabbling at cracks in the wall──onto the raised pedestal of rock that conjoined the wall that faced the forest, and the wall that bordered the house. it was a favorite spot of his, for he could see for many tail-lengths in all directions──the dark forest ahead, the mighty mountains in the distance──and there were many days where he sat on the pedestal for hours, gazing into nothingness and sunbathing until his owners called him inside. this was to be one of those days, in thanks to his dream, and francis settled into a crouch, sweeping his bony tail around to curl up on his side; he yawned lazily and licked his lips of the bland taste of his food, fixating his eyes on the world ahead of him. trees soared to graze the bellies of fat white clouds; undergrowth buzzed with chatter and life; birds sang and animals called . . . it was the forest’s wonderful symphony, and francis’ breath was stolen from his lungs because of it. for the first time since he had been brought to live with his two owners, the sphynx felt extremely compelled to leave the safety of his garden and explore. of course, he had always distantly thought about doing so . . . just never had. but now, francis felt so urged to leap down from his pedestal and hunt that he stunned himself. as he deliberated, beginning to find the call of the wilderness harder and harder to resist, a scent drifted to his pink, black-rimmed nose . . . and it was a sign, a beckoning. francis smelled crisp lavender and the musky fragrance of forest creatures──just like he had in his dreams. the wonderful scents were what finally drove him to stand, shift his hindquarters, and go plummeting to the forest floor; he landed with such speed and decisiveness that he hardly knew what he was doing until his stick-like legs started to move in the direction the scent came from. a bit wary, he forcefully stopped them, and as he came to a halt, a shower of grass and twigs sprung from his paws like a forestry wave. francis turned his head, enormous icy orbs gazing up at his towering household, which cast a shadow over him──his entire existence──even now. he kneaded his claws into the damp ground beneath him; although the sun was high in the sky, dew still remained, unable to melt due to the thick canopy overhead. after a few moments of thought, francis lifted his tail and trotted forward again, following his nose and ears to the fields. there was no fun in staying cooped up inside, especially since he had the opportunity to live out his dream; he was curious too, and he needed to see the lavender, roll in wild grass and dirt, at least once before he went home. i won’t be long, the sphynx comforted himself, pushing aside his guilt and trying not to picture his owners’ concerned faces. i’ll be back before they even know it. and so, he set off on his adventure. francis strolled among verdant fronds of fern and ducked beneath bushes covered in berries and prickles; he spun around trees and clumsily bounded over molding logs, blood rushing and a smile on his maw as the world would blur around him; he lapped at crystalline streams and experimented with wildlife, pouncing on a hissing cicada there, batting at a swathe of clovers there. he did whatever he desired, whenever he desired, in those blissful moments . . . and then the frosty-eyed tom spotted a flash of white nearby, and he broke into a jog, which felt more like a sprint compared to his slow, wonder-induced stroll through the forest. the line of aspens from my dream! that must mean i’ve traveled quite a distance from my home in the middle of the forest . . . but it also means the lavender fields are real, and they’re only a few bounds away! francis, laughing gleefully and tail curled up on his back with excitement, bounded to the straight, white-barked trees, leaving a world of lush green behind in exchange for a purple one as he dashed around the aspens and sprang into the open. harsh light blinded him the second he left the shade, and the sphynx stumbled to a halt, features wrinkled more so than usual as he screwed up his eyes and looked away from the blazing beast in the sky. francis was used to filtered light──may that be in thanks to the forest that surrounded his home or the numerous windows he lounged behind──so to be in such an exposed area, with so much sunshine . . . it both exhilarated his hairless body and boggled his brain. eventually, his pale orbs adjusted enough for him to make sense of his surroundings . . . and oh, was he pleased with what he saw. the lavender fields were even more beautiful in the daylight! rolling hillsides rich in windblown shrubbery and vibrant shades of lavenders, yellows, and greens stretched on as far as francis’ eyes could see, an endless tide of sun-warmed waves and chattering prey-animals. the white-branched aspens behind francis bordered the eastern edge of the fields, but the western went on for far longer undeterred, stretching and stretching until the distant slopes seemed to blur; the mountains francis had so often tried to glimpse from beneath the canopy rose in the north in their full majesty──cold and unapologetic and snow-capped. insects sprang by the housecat’s paws and long stalks of green grass tickled his underbelly and long legs; the sun, bright and powerful, caked his skin in the most satisfying way while delicate gusts of wind occasionally flew by to lessen the damage. paws light and head even lighter with excitement at such a wondrous find, francis plopped onto a bed of lavender fronds and rolled in them; the plants’ sweet, cloying fragrance danced across his skin and misted into his nostrils. catnip had been replaced──lavender was the tomcat’s newest fetish now. francis became drunk with the reality of freedom, of the warm earth beneath his moisturized pads . . . of the the talkative world that his dreams had led him to. the white-patched male was purring so loudly, squirming in the lavender, that his slatted eyes and enormous ears didn’t pick up on the movement to his right. no, francis wasn’t remotely aware that another cat was leaning over him and his crushed lavender patch until said wild animal parted its wide maw and mewed, “hello?” the sphynx’s eyes snapped open at the deep, melodic voice, pupils dilating in slight shock before he recovered and pivoted over onto his side to properly face the speaker. he was met with a large, heavyset tomcat with a long, incredibly thick mane of gray, cream, and white tortoiseshell hair. francis’ ears pricked as he took him in, awed. he had always smelled cats beyond the comforts of his fence, and had even spotted one or two in his time with his male and female; was this one of them? the tom towering above the housecat’s slender, trim form sure did seem like a ruffian with his big build, curly coat, strangely tufted ears, and the intelligent glint in his yellow-green eyes. francis’ icy orbs were drawn to these wide orbs, and he searched them curiously, before his gaze trailed down to the odd, distinctive mark across the tortie’s face that ate up most of his maw and traveled up the bridge of his nose like a mountain peak. the sphynx wanted to reach up and trace the white flash with a paw. instead, he clambered to his paws in a whirl of flattened fronds and pale, shiny skin, aware that his manners had evaporated and that he was staring rather rudely. francis coughed and lifted his eyebrows and ears, offering a bright, toothy grin in the wild tom’s direction──shy but friendly and inviting . . . and probably not as wary as it should’ve been. the white-splotched cat mewed politely──voice gliding and easy, like the breeze that wafted around them and the honey-scent that came from the stranger’s massive coat, “greetings! my name is francis.” before he revealed more, he stopped to ask, tilting his head and curling his tail, “might you be a friend or foe?”