Diebus Fatalibus

Ardente veritate
Urite mala mundi
Ardente veritate
Incendite tenebras mundi

Mark looked around tail swishing, ears twitching, his eyes darted here and there. School was about to start and he was already going to be late. He hated days like this, hated them so much. Why did he like to sleep so late, why was he so stupid sometimes. He ran a hand through his messy black hair, so messy it partially covered his black cat ears, but not quite. It was even worse because this was his first day at a new school, it sucked because it was a couple weeks through the semester and he had to go to a new school, he didn't mind it, he would like to start fresh, and maybe the people here were a little more mature then they were at his old school, but hopes were quickly dashed from his mind as even on the way up to the school people gave him funny looks and whispered to one another and called him a freak as they walked by him, just loud enough so he could hear then they would laugh to their friends. He rolled his eyes and tried to pass it off like he didn't care but really it made him quite nervous and made him fiddle with the intricately designed necklace dangling around his neck. He wished every once and a while that his parents hadn't left him here to fend for himself, to live his life as an outcast, this was all supposed to be so humans would accept nekos as they didn't so long ago, and it really still wasn't working. He wanted to go back and live with the rest of Subdolus in the forest he once called home. But no he had lived amongst humans, all alone, since he was 14, given the name Mark, then left to fend for himself. His father often sent him money, and that was all he heard from his father, the leader of the Subdolus clan. Recently though his father was able to get him a larger apartment in a new city and that was the reason he was changing schools. His new apartment was already a mess and he was already very comfortable there even though he had only been living their for a week.

He quickly stopped thinking as he looked at the large front doors to this new school, he had only been here once before to register and he had been sure to go around the large building and make sure he knew where his classes were so he wouldn't get lost. He sighed and calmly walked inside but suddenly his heart started to beat faster as the bell signifying five minutes until class started rang. He broke into a run all the way across the school and up the stairs at the very end of the hall and made it into his class at the very last moment he sat down at the nearest empty desk and sat there quietly as the next bell rang and class started. The class moved smoothly, as though he wasn't there, though he was very aware of al the people giving him looks. He ignored them and paid attention, as much as he could, to the lesson. He wished he hadn't missed a week of school, grade ten was hard enough without missing any school. The bell for the end of the period rang and Mark talked to the teacher who gave him a booklet about what he had missed and he headed off for his next class. Math...god, it was one of his worst subjects and his least favourite. He walked down the hall and was one of the first ones in the class and he took a seat near the back of the class. He sighed and let his head hit the desk in front of him as he waited for the class to start. His tail swishing, brushing the floor.

Adam sighed as he passed through the doors to the school, completely on time, as he was normally. He walked to his locker, head down, trying not to attract attention, though he did, as always. He supposed he should be used to it by now, but he really wasn't. He was a bit early for his first class, but he didn't really care, as long as he wasn't late, and he sat through the boring class silently, completing his work, and then doodling on a blank peice of paper, having no better way to pass the rest of the class. The bell rang and he got up, collecting his books from the desk and walking to his next class.

He wasn't too bad at math, but it wasn't his best, and it wasn't too bad. He again kept his head down, ignoring the weird looks he got, and the whispers that still followed him, despite having been at the school for two years. He walked into the classroom, not really paying attention to the few people seated already, until he noticed an unfamiliar face, and he look at him, blinking in surprise. His ears rose in curiosity and he stopped for a moment, not really sure if he was actually seeing ears and a tail on the new kid. He started walking again, walking to his usual seat, which just happened to be diagonal from the other neko's, just one seat in front and one to the side. He put his stuff down and turned around partially, not sure weather to say something or not. He really wasn't a people person, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Umm. . . Hello" he said a bit awkwardly, giving a small smile.

Mark jumped slightly as he felt as though the person who had talked had talked to him. He lifted his head, his ear twitching slightly. He yawned as he finally looked at the person who was indeed talking to him. Mark looked him over once and perked up immdiantly. Noticing the ears and tail on the other person. His black tail swished behind him as he smirked, "Well, hello there." He said trying to hide his curiosity and excitment. Though he was sure those two plus his confusion were shown on his face and in his voice. This was a complete shock, another neko? Wasn't he supposed to be the only one that live among the humans, this was really weird, but Mark couldn't help but be fascinated. He looked for any sort of symbol that might tell him what clan he was from he didn't see any symbol, but he sorta looked like he could be from Sedo, but there were differences. It took Mark a lot of control from bursting and asking every question that popped into his head. Instead he settled with saying, "I'm Mark, it's nice to meetcha!" He put out his hand across the desk towards the other neko, his smile growing slightly.

Adam's ear twitched as he waited for the other neko to actually look at him, and then greet him. He was slightly nervous talking to another person, normally just talking to the teacher when called on. He smiled a bit more as Mark introduced himself and put his hand out. He hesitantly stuck his own hand out, shaking it quickly. "I'm Adam. . . nice to meet you too" he said politely, a bit nervous still. He had never met another neko, and he was extremely curious, which explained why he was actually talking to someone, which was against his nature, having been abused and mocked all his life. He didn't trust anyone, but he wanted to be able to trust someone, if he at least found someone to befriend him. His tail twitched excitedly, wondering if he would finally find a friend in this neko.

Mark smiled as he pulled his hand back. He was about to ask Adam one of the many questions he had waiting for him when the bell rang for class to start, the teacher closed the door and started the lesson. Mark sighed and went back to being half asleep on the table top, he could barely stay awake, he could barely listen, the teacher ignored him and he was happy for that. He did listen to everything she was saying but most of it went in one ear and out the other as it usual did when it came to stuff like math. When the bell rang signalling lunch he let out a huge sigh, "FIIIInally...." he said loudly stretching his arms and his ears twitched. He stood up, not really having anything to carry, a couple handouts that he had shoved in his bag once he got but that was it. He looked at Adam for a second took a few steps down the aisle of desks so he was standing next to Adam's then he jumped up to sit on it and looked at the other neko, "So you're going to eat lunch with me, right?" he asked, "I've got a lot of questions..." he smirked.

Adam sighed as the bell rang as well, turning around to face the front. He found it harder to pay attention in class than was usual for him, but he worked over the handouts, not finishing all of it in the one class, but when the bell rang he smiled, packing up his things quickly. Apparently not quickly enough, as he glanced up to see Mark seated on his desk, and he smiled again. "Umm, okay. . ." he responded, wondering what he had questions about. He had no idea what to expect really, so he got up from his desk and pushed his chair in, picking up his books and such. He headed through the classroom, weaving through the desks slowly, glancing back to see if Mark was following him or not. he had no idea where they would eat, he himself avoiding the crowded cafeteria, and normally just finding somewhere that was quiet.

Mark smiled as he jumped down off the desk and followed swiftly, the smirk never leaving his face, he had his hands clasped together behind his back as he followed, he hadn't really been able to gauge how tall this guy was but now that they were standing Mark would say that Adam was about a foot taller the him. It made him swish his tail a little, slightly frustrated, but what else was new, everyone was taller then him. Neko's from Subdolus were usually a lot like him anyway, small, slick, agile. But he decided not to think about that as he followed Adam, instead he tried to figure out where they were going. Mark looked around, Adam didn't seem to know where he was going to go. Mark tapped the taller nekos shoulder, "Wanna eat outside?" He asked, his ears twitching. He had already looked around outside, the field was large and open, but it was bordered with trees, he figured they could eat there.

Adam hadn't really noticed how tall the other neko was until he had glanced back. Mark really was quite short, but it didn't really make a difference to him. Still trying to decide where they would eat, he felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned to Mark. He nodded in agreement to his suggestion. "Sure. I'll just put my stuff in my locker first" he said, knowing his locker wasn't far, so he lead the way through the halls to the metal compartment that was his. He opened it and shoved his books inside, grabbing a plastic bag that contained the lunch he had hastily made that morning.

Mark followed Adam through the school looking around and examining everything. Everyone who gave them funny looks he would wave at and say hi. It would make them walk by faster which was exactly what he wanted, or at least make them look away. He leaned against the locker next to Adam's as the tall blond neko got his lunch. His was in his bag, though it was probably cold by now, well it had been cold when he put it in, so it probably wasn't any better now. He watched Adam pick up his lunch, he smirked then started towards the door, before Adam could close his locker. He was pretty sure of where he was going and soon he was outside. He inhaled taking in the relatively fresh air around him. He turned and waited for Adam.

Adam glanced at the shorter neko as he walked towards the door, and he closed his locker and locked it, shaking some hair out of his eyes before starting towards the door which Mark had exited. He walked out the door to find the black-haired neko standing there waiting for him. He glanced around the grass and trees in front of them. "Uhh. . . so. . . where do you wanna sit?" he asked, not really caring much himself. As long as he got to eat, he was fine, and now he would have someone to talk to. He really wanted to know what kinds of questions that Mark had for him, seeing as they had met just over an hour ago.

Mark smirked at him and pointed with his hand, "Trees on the faaaaaaar side of the field" and with that he broke into a run across the field. He was fast, there was no denying that, agility was something all Subdolus were known for, even though all nekos were more athletic then humans. It didn't take him long to get across the fields and he plopped himself down underneath one of the large trees his tail folded across his lap as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a large plastic bag he set it down and pulled out a couple containers. One containted two slices of pizza, another had a hamburger in it, one had chicken wings...he liked meat, that was obvious. Next he pulled out a full 250g bag of spicy bbq chips and a 1 litre bottle of Pepsi. It would keep him full until dinner at least. He started with the cold pizza as he looked at Adam, trying to think of where to start question wise.

Adam raised an eyebrow as Mark pointed to the trees, and then started sprinting across the feild. He blinked a few times before running after him. Being a neko he was pretty fast, but not as fast as Mark, though he had longer legs. He got to the spot a few moments after the short neko, dropping the the ground and letting go of his plastic bag, panting for a couple of seconds before catching his breath. He looked at the lunch in front of Mark, three containers, a big bag of chips, and a big bottle of Pepsi. Really, the food looked like it would feed three or four people. He pulled a contained out of his bag, containing two ham sandwiches, and he pulled out a water bottle. It felt like nothing compared to Mark's lunch, but he didn't really care.

Mark finished the first slice of pizza and chased it down with some pop. He sighed then looked at Adam, "So? What clan you from?" he asked as though it was the most normal question to ask, "As you can tell I'm from Subdolus." He said holding his neckace and dangling it between his fingers before letting it hit his chest again. His different coloured eyes stared at Adam as he waited for a response. He pulled out his hamburger and took a bite out of it, looked down at it for a moment then back up at Adam o await his answer.

Adam took a bite out of his sandwich, chewing it slowly and looking around. He had just swallowed and looked back to Mark when he asked about his clan. His confusion was plain on his face, and he tilted his head to the side slightly. "Um. . . clan?" he asked, having no idea what so ever what the other neko was talking about. He had never heard of anything called 'Subdolus', and as he stared at Mark in confusion, he noticed for the first time that his eyes were different colours, but that didn't occupy his mind for long, wondering what he was talking about.

Mark cocked an eyebrow, "Ya clan, you know, what family were you born into...you look like you could be from Sedo." He said taking another bite of his hamburger, not understanding why Adam was so confused, he should be the one confused here, he was the one who was told he was the only neko living amongst the humans. This guys appearance made him even more confused, and why was he acting so dumb, like he didn't know anything about his own race.

Adam shook his head, even more confused. "I wasn't born into a clan. . . my parents are human. . . " he said, taking another bite of his sandwich. He had no idea what was going on, or why Mark was acting like he should know this stuff, but he was curious. Clans of nekos? Mark was the only other one he had ever seen. He took a sip of his water, trying to short out what he had been told through the questions.

Mark tilted his head to the side at Adam's response. "Human parents?" he repeated, "Not neko...?" He shook his head and sighed obnoxiously, "Is that even possible!" he exclaimed. He had never heard of that sort of thing happening before, none of the other nekos had heard of it that he knew of, but it did explain why this guy didn't look like he belonged to a clan or even the fact that he was here among the humans. Mark was really just as curious as Adam as he munched on a few chicken wings thinking.

Adam shrugged, finishing the first snadwich quickly. "I have no idea. . . you're the first other neko I've ever seen, so I don't know anything. But I guess I'm an anomaly, like my parents said" his ears twitched in slight annoyance at the memory of his parents yelling that at him, but he shook it off, picking up the next sandwich and taking a bite, looking at Mark's lunch, which he was already pretty far in.

"Wooow...." Mark said. Drifting off in thought for a while, Adam had never seen another neko before, it was weird and fascinating. Mark opened the bag of chips, grabbed a handful and shoved them in his mouth, he swallowed before he talked again. "So you've never even heard of other nekos before? We lived among the humans for a while...i mean i don't remember it much at all...but i know we did...but then we left." he said thinking. He shoved another handful of chips into his mouth and looked Adam over once more.

Adam was running over what he had learned in this short time. So there were clans of nekos out there. . . and Mark was from one called Subdolus. . . he was guessing that there were quite a few of them, but he had no idea why Mark was living amongst humans like he was, if he was from a clan. He glanced up as the short neko spoke again. "Well, I pretty much lived under a rock for the first eight years of my life, so I never heard anything. I wasn't even sure that there were others like me, though I assumed so since there's actually a name for us. . ." he guessed that he must have been young when nekos lived around the humans, since Mark didn't remember much, which explained why he knew nothing about any others, never having left his 'room' ever.

"Hmm...uh alright." He continued eating for a little longer. "At least you don't have to live missing living with other nekos...humans are annoying..." He said with a smirk, "I'm supposed to be the only neko living amongst humans, my father set me up for that, I was supposed to be the link making sure people didn't forget that we were here, that they'd have to learn to live with our kind." He said with a shrug draining a bit more of the bottle of pop.

Adam ate his sandwich silently, finishing the next one and draining the water bottle. He raised an eyebrow when Mark said that his dad set him up to be the only neko to live with humans. Other than the one exception that nobody seemed to know about. "That really sucks. They don't seem to live too well with us anyways. . . I get weird looks, whispers, and other than that, completely ignored" he made a face, though he didn't really mind the ignored part, trying to stay away from humans, not having great experiances with them. He laid back in the grass, sticking his hands behind his head and looking at the trees above them.

Mark sighed. "Ya." For once in his life he couldn't think of anything to say. He looked up at the tree he sat under and smiled. He stood up and jumped up to grabt the lowest branch and pull himself up into it. He sprawled out on this branch so he was looking down a Adam's face. His tail swished slowly as he smiled, "So. Enough gloomy confusing stuff. What is there to talk about? i have no clue right now." He said with a laugh.

Adam glanced at the short neko as he climbed up the tree, settling on a branch above him. He grinned slightly at the question but shrugged. "I dunno. . . I'm not normally one to talk to people, so I have no idea" he made a face, being no help with that. He thought quickly of things they could talk about, coming up with nothing. Mark was probably the first person who had actually had a conversation with him, so he didn't knwo what people normally talked about.

Mark laughed, "Right, of course your not, I should have been able to guess that." He said smacking himself in the forhead. He looked around for a minute before he looked back down at Adam, "When does lunch end...I'm still new, I can't remember the scheduale well..." He said the tip of his tail flicking slightly. He was pretty sure he did know, but still it was better to be sure.