Changing Lives {Closed}

[Teza]

Zero to Hero

Barking came from every which direction as Nadira stalked through the neighborhood. 'Come, Nadira, you've fought worse than a couple feral dogs back home,' she thought, scolding herself. Something about this strange world made her frightened for some reason, but she'd never admit it to anyone. The daylight was beginning to wane as she kept stalking through the alleyways and in between fences. Her silver and black pelt, which didn't help her much back in Africa, seemed to do much better to help her hunt here as the snow fell. She had chosen a heck of a time to leave her humans. Had she made the right choice? She was cold, missing them, and hungry. She stuck her small nose in the air, breathing in the scents around her. Mice seemed to be the closest prey item. She started stalking, not allowing herself to get distracted.

[Zero]

Zero to Hero

Barking came from every which direction as Nadira stalked through the neighborhood. 'Come, Nadira, you've fought worse than a couple feral dogs back home,' she thought, scolding herself. Something about this strange world made her frightened for some reason, but she'd never admit it to anyone. The daylight was beginning to wane as she kept stalking through the alleyways and in between fences. Her silver and black pelt, which didn't help her much back in Africa, seemed to do much better to help her hunt here as the snow fell. She had chosen a heck of a time to leave her humans. Had she made the right choice? She was cold, missing them, and hungry. She stuck her small nose in the air, breathing in the scents around her. Mice seemed to be the closest prey item. She started stalking, not allowing herself to get distracted.

West tilted his head curiously as he watched Nadira move through the city, wondering what the heck she was doing. He didn't recognize this she-cat, so he figured she must be new to the neighborhood. The white tom blended in exceptionally well in all the snow, even better than she did, so he figured that the other cat wouldn't see him. However, smell was a different factor, so he was being careful to keep downwind. The she-cat seemed distracted with hunting though, and he was curious if she had enough skill to catch her own food. By the looks of her, she seemed to be quite a pampered kittypet. But, she also seemed to be a bit out of her element while out here in the cold.

[Teza]

West tilted his head curiously as he watched Nadira move through the city, wondering what the heck she was doing. He didn't recognize this she-cat, so he figured she must be new to the neighborhood. The white tom blended in exceptionally well in all the snow, even better than she did, so he figured that the other cat wouldn't see him. However, smell was a different factor, so he was being careful to keep downwind. The she-cat seemed distracted with hunting though, and he was curious if she had enough skill to catch her own food. By the looks of her, she seemed to be quite a pampered kittypet. But, she also seemed to be a bit out of her element while out here in the cold.

Nadira quickly found the mice she was after. The small creature must not have thought about cats being out in the cold winter as it left it's hole to find food. Nadira made sure she was downwind from her prey, stalking forward slowly and quietly. When she was close enough, she pounced, barely missing as she slipped on the snow. She decided it wasn't worth the chase, for all she could see herself doing was slipping and sliding into walls and possibly cars. "Mouse dung," she spat at herself. She was used to slippery mud under her paws, but snow and ice? This was completely different than her home. The young cheetoh scoffed at the idea of going back to her homeland, as she knew that her humans flew her here. 'Why did they have to move to this freezing wasteland?' she thought. Deep in her thoughts, she could swear someone was watching her, but instead of trying to find the creature making her feel in such a way, she simply walked on, keeping her nose out for any other scents of prey, but also for anything that may watch her from the depths of the shadows.

[Zero]

Nadira quickly found the mice she was after. The small creature must not have thought about cats being out in the cold winter as it left it's hole to find food. Nadira made sure she was downwind from her prey, stalking forward slowly and quietly. When she was close enough, she pounced, barely missing as she slipped on the snow. She decided it wasn't worth the chase, for all she could see herself doing was slipping and sliding into walls and possibly cars. "Mouse dung," she spat at herself. She was used to slippery mud under her paws, but snow and ice? This was completely different than her home. The young cheetoh scoffed at the idea of going back to her homeland, as she knew that her humans flew her here. 'Why did they have to move to this freezing wasteland?' she thought. Deep in her thoughts, she could swear someone was watching her, but instead of trying to find the creature making her feel in such a way, she simply walked on, keeping her nose out for any other scents of prey, but also for anything that may watch her from the depths of the shadows.

West watched the she-cat slowly stalk the prey, and get very close to catching it. For a moment, he was about to just get to his paws and follow her once more, but he thought better of it, and instead decided to speak. "That was a close one," He meowed, raising his voice above the wind. The lonor padded out from his hiding place, though still stay a good distance away from the other cat as he hadn't decided if this other cat was friendly or not yet. "I take it you're not from around here," He noted, indicating to the fact that the snow had messed up her hunt. The tom could tell that, even though she probably would never admit it, that she most likely needed help. Of course, West had a soft spot for those that needed help, so it wasn't like he was going to leave her alone to freeze or maybe starve to death out here in the cold. He guessed that by the pampered look of her, that she was a kittypet. But, he also knew that an actual kittypet wouldn't be out here in this kind of weather. The tom kept a nuetral appearance, risisting his usual habit of looking so tough and angry all of the time. He really didn't want a fight at the moment, so he definitely wasn't going to provoke her.

[Teza]

West watched the she-cat slowly stalk the prey, and get very close to catching it. For a moment, he was about to just get to his paws and follow her once more, but he thought better of it, and instead decided to speak. "That was a close one," He meowed, raising his voice above the wind. The lonor padded out from his hiding place, though still stay a good distance away from the other cat as he hadn't decided if this other cat was friendly or not yet. "I take it you're not from around here," He noted, indicating to the fact that the snow had messed up her hunt. The tom could tell that, even though she probably would never admit it, that she most likely needed help. Of course, West had a soft spot for those that needed help, so it wasn't like he was going to leave her alone to freeze or maybe starve to death out here in the cold. He guessed that by the pampered look of her, that she was a kittypet. But, he also knew that an actual kittypet wouldn't be out here in this kind of weather. The tom kept a neutral appearance, resisting his usual habit of looking so tough and angry all of the time. He really didn't want a fight at the moment, so he definitely wasn't going to provoke her.

Nadira, not one to make sudden moves, slowly turned around and sat down facing the strange cat. "You've been watching me for a while now, haven't you?" she asked in her very foreign accent. She curled her tail around her paws, sitting upright, showing her dominance. But what was there to be dominant about? This cat was clearly a loner, no other cats to call friends or family, and no twolegs to protect from whatever it was cats needed to protect their humans from here. "You would be correct in that assumption, Rafiki," she said, using the word for friend. "I come from very far away land." She then stopped talking and tilted her head at the tom curiously. "What is your name, Rafiki?"

[Zero]

Nadira, not one to make sudden moves, slowly turned around and sat down facing the strange cat. "You've been watching me for a while now, haven't you?" she asked in her very foreign accent. She curled her tail around her paws, sitting upright, showing her dominance. But what was there to be dominant about? This cat was clearly a loner, no other cats to call friends or family, and no twolegs to protect from whatever it was cats needed to protect their humans from here. "You would be correct in that assumption, Rafiki," she said, using the word for friend. "I come from very far away land." She then stopped talking and tilted her head at the tom curiously. "What is your name, Rafiki?"

West resisted the urge to let his jaw fall open in surprise at the she-cat thick accent. However, he couldn't stop his eyes from widening a bit more than normal, not being a mastermind of hiding his emotions. It took a moment for him to recover, and make sense of her words. "My name is West," He meowed quickly, having already taken quite a while to answer. "What is yours?" The tom was definitely going to tell his sisters about this encounter later on, if he was still in a good mood then. he dared to move closer to the she-cat, allowing himself to sit just a few tailed length away. He ignored how she seemed to try to radiate dominance over him, his interest too caught for him to get annoyed by anything.

[Teza]

West resisted the urge to let his jaw fall open in surprise at the she-cat thick accent. However, he couldn't stop his eyes from widening a bit more than normal, not being a mastermind of hiding his emotions. It took a moment for him to recover, and make sense of her words. "My name is West," He meowed quickly, having already taken quite a while to answer. "What is yours?" The tom was definitely going to tell his sisters about this encounter later on, if he was still in a good mood then. he dared to move closer to the she-cat, allowing himself to sit just a few tailed length away. He ignored how she seemed to try to radiate dominance over him, his interest too caught for him to get annoyed by anything.

"You are named after the direction in which I have traveled? You are an interesting one, Rafiki. I am called Nadira," she said, not allowing herself to relax. While she did call him 'friend,' she did not know this cat, and refused to be left at any sort of disadvantage. Well, despite the fact that she only knew one way, and that just so happened to be the way she had come from, which also seemed to be the path that West was blocking, should she need a quick escape. "Tell me, how is it that cats are so able to hunt on this ice and snow?" she asked, hoping she didn't give much away to her predicament. Then again, it wasn't worth hiding the fact she had no clue what she was doing when it came to the slick, frozen water under her paws and bum. The tom had seen her fall on her face. She tapped her tail tip impatiently with herself for being so on-guard, but waited for West's reply.

[Zero]

"You are named after the direction in which I have traveled? You are an interesting one, Rafiki. I am called Nadira," she said, not allowing herself to relax. While she did call him 'friend,' she did not know this cat, and refused to be left at any sort of disadvantage. Well, despite the fact that she only knew one way, and that just so happened to be the way she had come from, which also seemed to be the path that West was blocking, should she need a quick escape. "Tell me, how is it that cats are so able to hunt on this ice and snow?" she asked, hoping she didn't give much away to her predicament. Then again, it wasn't worth hiding the fact she had no clue what she was doing when it came to the slick, frozen water under her paws and bum. The tom had seen her fall on her face. She tapped her tail tip impatiently with herself for being so on-guard, but waited for West's reply.

"Nadira." West repeated the name, making sure he pronounced it correctly. He nodded his head, as if he approved of it. It did seem to fit this exotic cat he had just met. At her question, he looked down as his paws thoughtfully. "You get used to it after a while," He meowed. "You have to use your claws to get traction." The lonor took a few slow steps forward, using his claws so that he didn't slip and slide on the ice. "In most parts of the town there isn't very much snow or ice because the humans clear it or melt it with their weird salty stuff. It just happens to be snowing at the moment, which is probably why you had so much trouble." He sat once more, ignoring the fact that the snow was cold against his bottom. The tom tilted his head. "No offense or anything, but you don't seem like a lonor or a rogue, at least by the looks of you. I would classify you among the cats that have owners, so is there any reason you're out here hunting for food instead of staying inside and eating the stuff they provide to you?" It takes guts to up and leave a comfortable home like that.

[Teza]

"Nadira." West repeated the name, making sure he pronounced it correctly. He nodded his head, as if he approved of it. It did seem to fit this exotic cat he had just met. At her question, he looked down as his paws thoughtfully. "You get used to it after a while," He meowed. "You have to use your claws to get traction." The lonor took a few slow steps forward, using his claws so that he didn't slip and slide on the ice. "In most parts of the town there isn't very much snow or ice because the humans clear it or melt it with their weird salty stuff. It just happens to be snowing at the moment, which is probably why you had so much trouble." He sat once more, ignoring the fact that the snow was cold against his bottom. The tom tilted his head. "No offense or anything, but you don't seem like a lonor or a rogue, at least by the looks of you. I would classify you among the cats that have owners, so is there any reason you're out here hunting for food instead of staying inside and eating the stuff they provide to you?" It takes guts to up and leave a comfortable home like that.

Nadira lightly tilted her head. 'Weird salty stuff?' What could that be? Was it harmful to cats? Did it taste funny? These were all questions racing through Nadira's mind as her new friend spoke. When he asked about her family, she tensed lightly, and allowed her tail to flick with irritation, but not at him. After all, he had only asked a simple question. Why had she left? Was it because there was no danger here of cobras or poisonous scorpions? She knew they'd be safe without her, but she simply wasn't used to life without dangers around every turn. "I have never eaten the dry kibble other owners feed their cats, nor the wet, disgusting stuff others also eat. I have always eaten small animals that I have killed myself. Thus is the way of cats in the Savannah," she informed. "However, I do not think that my owners need my protection anymore, thus I have left them." She let her ears pin in slight sadness. She'd known those creatures who loved her since she was a kit, but she also knew that they would get another cat, one that was better acclimated to life as a house cat, and wouldn't be so tempted to leave to the wild. "What about you, Rafiki? Where do you come from?"