Shore

Reef and Shore were born to a molly named Finch. Their father was practically out of the equation, but the small family was happy nonetheless. Just like any kitten, Shore lived a lighthearted life. He got along well with his sister, always trying his best to cheer her up with shared toys and affection. Though he tried to play the role of an older, responsible brother, it didn’t suit him. Many little things would overwhelm him and turn him away from his mother and sister, despite him wanting to be the bigger cat in the end.

Obviously, with time, Shore matured. Although his sensitivity hadn’t faded, he found values to latch onto in his life. His mom didn’t always seem as strong as she acted, so he made it his main goal to help her wherever he could. He also didn’t like it whenever he made her or Reef unhappy, so he’d really try his best to always keep them both in good spirits. Whatever work his mom didn’t have the motivation to finish, Shore would scramble to try and finish the duty for her. Even though Reef was great at doing things herself and enjoyed a little challenge, Shore thought everyone liked it when he diligently took on chores for them, so he did exactly that for her.

One day, Finch smelled how dense the air was and figured a storm would pass through soon. Examining the clouds from afar, it wasn’t looking great. The storm slowly rolled in, bringing with it terrible winds and heavy rain. The scary noises and sensations frightened Shore, especially when Finch rushed him and his sister to a shelter. Shore and Reef’s mom brought them to some extraordinarily tall stone den. Inside was the “keeper” of it, a tom named Brook who his mom was acquainted with. While Shore had met him before, he still didn’t feel completely reassured staying with him, since this new situation felt too different for his own comfort.

The storm raged on outside for what felt like forever. He was miserably cold inside of this shelter, and it was a struggle to acquire the right resources needed to survive while also keeping safe. Worse than all of this, Shore’s mom suddenly fell ill. Shore couldn’t contain the discomfort and fear he felt, so his goal to help others fell by the wayside. During this short time, Shore depended heavily on his sick mother and his sister who was just as scared as he was. The storm would come to pass, but so did Finch.

No, Shore couldn’t believe his mom was really gone. Never having been confronted with something as heavy as this, Shore was convinced his mom was just sleeping and would eventually wake up, that everything would go back to normal. No matter how much Brook tried to reassure Shore and Reef, there was nothing that could soothe the young tom’s aching heart. He was overcome with grief, but even more so, guilt. Why couldn’t he help his mom like he always wanted? Why… was the last thing she saw of him, his weakness?

Shore was now placed in a situation where it was an absolute necessity he and his sister depended on a stranger. Contemplating how he could’ve ended up without Brook’s care, Shore was afraid that he could just as easily lose him for being too annoying or foolish. So he pushed his grief down as far as he could. Even when he was following close behind Reef and Brook, replaying the event where he knew his mom was gone, he refused to cry and show the world he wasn’t strong enough for it. He truly believed he needed to be there for Reef, too, even if it meant being… less there, for himself.

Brook led the siblings through a beach cove. There, they ran into another stranger, named Gale. She offered to share the prey she’d caught with the three of them. Reluctantly, Shore followed along, but couldn’t bring himself to eat much. He was beginning to think he needed to learn how to catch prey himself so he wouldn’t have to take from Gale or Brook. Of course, he’d give Reef the first bite— or, actually, even all the bites she wanted! He would get his fill just by seeing Reef happy.

Later, more strangers would come into Shore’s life, Grandpa and Lavender. Slowly, these cats didn’t feel as much like strangers anymore. But could Shore call them family? They all took care of him and Reef, even though he didn’t have much to provide. He swore he would someday pay them back for all that they did for him and Reef. He could never bear seeing his sister without proper food or shelter, or having to take his share of anything she managed to get.

Brook decided to make their group official in declaring it a colony. Its system was promptly formed, so Reef and Shore were given the ranks of Fresh-meat. Trying to keep pace with the adults honestly panicked Shore, as much as he tried to play it all off. Even beginning to learn hunting crouches felt embarrassing. Reef seemed to adapt to things much more easily than him, so he’d desperately hide his inadequate skills from her, hoping she’d still think of him as the big brother who could always help her whenever needed. He was convinced everyone would dislike him if he didn’t keep showing he could be more than enough for them, and this evolved into a workaholic attitude.

Shore was quick to take on any duty that came up, possibly unintentionally overshadowing his sister in the process. This wouldn’t last long, though, as Reef would spring back up, ambitious as ever. He knew he wasn’t meant for ambitious ideals like Reef was, he was best at helping others in the background. When outsiders joined the Beach Colony, he was eager to meet all of them. Three of them were from a colony far from the Beach Colony, their intimidating impressions perhaps connected to their backgrounds.

Shore prided himself on his adaptability so he adjusted to the new members in no time. Amber’s respect and patience lent well to Shore’s eagerness, Chestnut was fun to solve issues with, and Emu… well, she was okay, a bit scary if anything. Reed was definitely the most interesting of them; enigmatic in a way that made Shore want to reach out. While he talked to everyone with a smile, it felt like a mask. His one-track mind meant no relationship was all too special to him and he never let anyone close to his heart. It made every interaction tiring.

Everyone, he’d be on good terms with. Even Brook blended into the “duties” despite having a history with Shore. He wasn’t sure why it was surprising when Reef spent time with Brook, especially with him being the chief, but it was. Shore wasn’t sure what he wanted as far as the future went. Were his goals mundane in comparison to Reef’s? Realizing that he was getting older made him wonder many things.

Reef and Shore began to talk more often again. Having this comfort who was always there in his life made it easier to open up. Only a little, like a glimpse into his thoughts. He wasn’t quite ready for anything more than that.