*Username* Disbounded
*Name of Zver* Caelum (Kay-lum)
*Name Meaning* "Sky, heaven, or atmosphere", although there is also a constellation of the same name.
*Biological sex* Male
*Gender* Male
*Personality*Caelum is a lone wolf. He doesn't like to take other's opinions and he certainly doesn't take orders. Whether or not he thinks he's right, he always stands by his own decisions, and this often gets him into trouble. He is cautious and cold, and slow to trust. But underneath his hardened exterior, he truly cares about those in his life and would die to protect them. He's sassy and quick to quip, but he's not unkind. He is incapable of ignoring someone in need, but he'll never accept your gratitude. To him, he was only doing what needed to be done.
*Brief History*Caelum was alone as long as he could remember. A group of humans had discovered his family shortly after his birth. His parents managed to hide him before the humans arrived, but they were taken themselves. To where, for what purpose, Caelum never knew.
Through these unfortunate circumstances Caelum was forced to fend for himself at an early age. He grew up in a bustling city where he scavenged for food in dumpsters and, in desperation, sometimes stole food directly from stores. His distrust for humans made it incredibly difficult for him to find any kind of assistance, and he never looked for more Zvers as he assumed he was the only one. After meeting Eli though, he learned to trust others, and accept help. He discovered that he wasn't alone, and that humans could be kind. And although he'll never admit it, he is finally happy.
*How did they get the arm band?* He always changes the story, depending on who you ask. Sometimes, he answers that he stole it from a human's pocket as they were walking by. An occasion, he says that he took it off of a human he killed. Most often though, he claims that he just found it in the dumpster while looking for food and decided it was a nice look on him. Most people believe this story, but it's not the truth.
**
The night was so cold. The frosty air sat thick and heavy in his lungs. Winter in the city had come in full force this year, faster than he had anticipated. Snow had begun to fall yesterday, just light flakes at first, and Caelum had hoped it was a false alarm. But the white flakes had persisted in a seemingly endless volley, now the snow was up to his knees.
"At least my feet don’t hurt anymore." He said to himself, as he pushed his numb lime forward. He was almost at his prize, a large dumpster outside of a grocery store. The pickings were slim but he found the freshest food there when he could get some.
He finally reached it, and kept up in an attempt to get inside. But the combination of his frozen legs and the icy surface caused him to lose his grip and he crashed into a pile of nearby boxes. He took a moment to gather himself before trying again, but even the added height didn’t make a difference.
He stumbled, out of breath, and he cursed his body for being so weak, so useless. His eyes began to close and the world around him lost color. The exhaustion, the starvation, it was catching up to him. He let out a guttural cry before collapsing in the snow.
**
He awoke to the feeling of warmth. It was spreading through his veins like wild fire, and he wondered if dying could feel this good. Then he opened his eyes.
It took a moment for Caelum to regain his bearings. When his eyes adjusted to this newfound brightness, he discovered where he was. Something in front of him was burning; trash, by the smell of it. It was contained inside of a metal trashcan, and on impulse he reached out to touch the metallic surface. His paw came back screaming from the heat.
"No, not dead." He muttered. He noticed something wrapped around his ankle: a vibrant yellow bandana. He reached down to tear it off.
“I should hope not.”
Caelum sprang to his feet, turning to face the intruder with his teeth bared. ”Who are you? Show yourself!”
A man, a human man, leaned out from behind the trashcan. “I mean after all the work I did to keep you alive, it would have been a shame to see you go.”
”Get out of my sight, heathen. I will not hesitate to-“ Caelum took a moment to process the man’s words. ”Keep me alive?”
The man stood up, and Caelum backed away from him, back arched and claws bared. The man simply tossed a few more pieces of paper into the fire and sat back down. “I found you out in the cold. At first I was sure you were dead, there was so much snow covering you. But you were a fighter, and I respect that.”
Caelum growled, and resumed attempting to remove the bandana from his arm.
“Hey, leave it.” The man scolded. Caelum was so shocked by the command that he stopped. “You have a cut there, and it’s stopping the bleeding. Here.” He reached into his pocket and tossed a piece of meat on the ground between them. “Hungry?”
Caelum eyed the man suspiciously. He contemplated for a moment whether or not the food might be poisoned, but his hunger won out and he scarfed the meal down. The man tossed him another and he ate it gratefully.
“I’ve never seen a cat like you before.”
”I am not a cat.” Caelum replied angrily. “I am-“ He paused, unsure.
A moment of silence passed between them, heavy in the air. The man looked over sympathetically. Caeulm met his gaze. “It’s okay to not know who you are, son.”
The man’s eyes were a piercing blue, and the amount of caring behind them made Caelum embarrassed. He looked away.
“Well what’s your name, creature?”
He paused. ”I am…Caelum."
“Well, pleasure to meet you Caelum. I’m Eli.” The man reached his hand out to him, a gesture Caelum had observed humans doing when greeting each other. He noticed how cold and beaten the man’s hand looked. Reluctantly, he touched it quickly with his paw.
Eli laughed, and Caelum felt himself smiling. He noticed the man’s clothing; they were tattered rags at best. ”Are you…without home?”
Eli's laughter trailed off. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
”Oh.” Caelum suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he…cared? Was that the feeling? ”I am sorry.”
Eli smiled gently at him. “Without family, without home.
Hey, we’re in the same boat, aren’t we?”
”We are not the same."
Eli sighed. “No, I suppose we’re not.”
Caelum stood, much more sure on his feet now. He turned to leave, but halted at the sight of massive piles of snow all around them. He realized that they were under some kind of overhang that was protecting them from the weather.
”It seems I am stuck here, for now.” Caelum reluctantly sat down. ”Do not think I am staying because I wish it.”
“I didn’t think you were.” Eli pulled a small bundle of cloth from a bag next to him and laid it on the ground like a pillow. “It’s late kiddo, and I’m going to bed. There’s more food in the bag if you need it.”
Caelum watched as the man’s breathing slowed in sleep. As he watched, thoughts began to nag in his head. Why did this man help him? Why did this…Eli give him food when he himself has so little? Why didn’t he let him die?
Caelum looked back down at the bandana around his wrist. For some reason he didn’t want to take it off any longer. A feeling was rising in his chest, something he couldn't quite place. As the fire began to die and the cold wind picked up, Caelum noticed the man shivering. Slowly, reluctantly, Caelum walked over to the man. Cursing himself, he laid down next to him, pressing his body against the man’s chest, sharing his warmth.
As Eli stopped shivering, Caelum felt his exhaustion catching up with him, and he laid his head down. As he drifted off to sleep, belly full, body warm, he put a name to the feeling that had been nagging him all evening. Happiness.
**
Other Fun facts*Personality Type*INTJ
*Birthday*August 10th
*Star Sign*Leo
*Birth Stone*Peridot
*Favorite Color*Light Blue
*Hobbies*Exercising, exploring, anything adventurous and active.
*Pet Peeves*Know-it-alls, people in general, loud noises.
*Biggest Insecurity*He feels inferior to other Zvers because he didn't grow up with any, and therefore doesn't know anything about his own culture and heritage.
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