Ursa

Ursa was born in a Kurilian Bobtail cattery, to a mother named Bellatrix. Supposedly, her father was a cat from a different cattery, but unbeknownst to Bellatrix's owners, she'd gotten out and had a fling with a stray tom. This stray tom was rather large, most likely having some maine coon genes- and these genes passed on to Ursa. Ursa rather quickly grew bigger than the other kittens in the cattery.

Ursa was therefore deemed a dud- she was larger than the breed standard called for, and this lead to her being somewhat shunned by the other cats in the home. Even her mother would mutter that her first daughter had been far prettier, and much more compliant and photogenic too. When Ursa was 2 months old, she was sold at a significant discount, and so she found a new home with an older woman who already had several cats.

Although Ursa was happy to get away from the cattery where she'd been born and looked down upon, the kitten didn't fit in too well with the other cats in her new home either. They all had cliques and possies, and Ursa didn't seem to get along well with any of them. She became a bit of a loner in her home, but she refused to let it get to her. She just held her head high and pretended like it didn't bother her.

Still, Ursa's lack of friends meant that she had a rather isolated kittenhood, and once she'd lost most of her kitten fluff and transitioned into the gangly look of adolescence, she found a secret way out of the house. So, during the day, she'd slip out and explore.

While out and about, Ursa met a group of street cats, and this is where she found cats she clicked with. She became especially close to a tough older molly named Glass. Glass, counter to her name, was built like a truck, much like Ursa was, and she became like a surrogate mother figure. She taught Ursa all about how to survive and even thrive in the streets, and eventually Ursa was spending more time with Glass and her friends than she was at home.

So, one day, she unceremoniously slipped out of her house, and never went back. She'd fully committed to being a part of the street cats' lives- she fit in here. She had friends. She cared more about feeling like she belonged than about having an easy life.

When Ursa left her housecat life, the first cat she ran to was Glass- and Glass was perfectly happy to give Ursa shelter and protection out on the streets. Ursa, meanwhile, was transitioning into adulthood, and fully growing into her large, bulky size. Glass would playfully tussle with her and joke that she looked more like a bear than a cat. Ursa always stood up straighter at that. She liked being seen as big and strong and tough like her mentor.

Life on the streets was rough, though, and Ursa soon got a harsh reality check when one night, Glass never came home. Ursa looked for her everywhere, and was heartbroken to find Glass' body left in an alleyway. Friends and acquaintances tried to comfort Ursa. It happened, they'd say. Street life wasn't easy. Cats died. But it was Ursa's first time losing someone she cared about, and the idea that it could happen again was of little comfort to her.

More and more, the alleys were growing cold and oppressive, but Ursa found comfort in a molly's embrace. Porphyria was a pale coloured, dainty little thing, with round, soft eyes and a shy smile. Ursa fell for her easily and quickly. She kept making all kinds of excuses to see Porphyria, and to spend time with her- and it seemed like maybe her little crush was reciprocated.

Ursa, uncharacteristically nervous and soft, decided to ask Porphyria out on a date, and, to her excitement, her advances were accepted, and even better, the date went well, and there were more dates after. They were quickly becoming known as a couple around the streets, and Ursa loved it- especially when she got to be Porphyria's big bad protector.

The happiest day of her life, Ursa thinks, was the day Porphyria asked her to beher mate. She'd gifted her flowers- a prized gift in a place of stone and steel, with so little natural growth. Porphyria was radiant and beautiful, and when Ursa took the flowers, she pressed their petals onto a stone, so she could keep the same petals her lover had touched with her forever. She wore the stone around her neck, and never took it off since the day she made it.

For a great many months, Ursa was happy. As long as she had Porphyria, everything would be alright. She loved her. Nothing else mattered. Nothing in the world could ruin her as long as she could still love.

Slowly, though, tension crept in. Porphyria met with housecats, and she suggested one night that maybe she and Ursa could be housecats. Life in the streets was hard and dangerous, and she was tired. Ursa couldn't explain to Porphyria why, but she was vehemently against it. No. She'd never again have her freedom and happiness stifled by one of those houses. She asked Porphyria to drop it, and she did, but the conversation wasn't over.

The idea of becoming a housecat was brought up many times over the coming months, and every time, Ursa begged Porphyria to stay with her. But while Porphyria's world was expanding, she was Ursa's entire life. Ursa could feel her beloved slipping out of her paws, but still she hung on tighter. She couldn't lose this. She wouldn't lose this.

The tides of an ocean don't stop for one little cat, though. Porphyria looked Ursa directly in her eyes, and told her that she had never been loved the way Ursa loved her, and that she didn't think she'd ever be loved like that again. That Ursa was the love of her life... and that she had to leave.

Ursa was shattered. Her entire life had crumbled away underneath her paws, and she didn't know where to go or what to do without her Porphyria. She couldn't go to the houses, but she couldn't stay in the place that held so many memories. So, with nothing but the stone she still kept around her neck, she left for the wilderness.

Ursa made her way into the wilderness quietly, without saying much of a goodbye to any of the cats she had known from the town. Saying goodbye would just make things harder, so she didn't, and she tried to turn her thoughts away from the emotional agony she was in. She travelled with no goal or destination in mind- she was just looking for what would ease her heart.

In her travels, Ursa was drawn towards the mountainous meadows of the Hidden Territory. The harsh conditions and rocky atmosphere reminded her a little of home, but it was different enough that the memories didn't haunt her with every step. At first, she thought the territory uninhabited, before she was confronted with Hidden Colony cats.

Despite Ursa's trepidation, the Hidden Colony cats were kind to her, and willing to share their resources with a weary traveler, even after being devastated by a mudslide. Something in these cats' kindness touched Ursa's heart, so she stuck around a little longer, wanting to learn more about them. The more she learned about these cats, the more she liked them- they were a close knit family of protectors, who valued respect towards their enemies, and the teamwork and cohesion of unique cats. Ursa fit in with them quite well, and she liked helping with hunting and with daily rebuilding tasks following the mudslide. As the weeks went by, Ursa became a real part of the community, so she decided to join them officially and make this place her new home.