Ballistic Runaway (OPEN! TO EVERYONE!)

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge was sooo bored. He sat on a windowsill watching all the happenings of the outside world that he had never explored, or even touched! All he had was a few limp playthings the housefolk brought in and the little housefolk kit that seemed like they wanted to play, but would just hit him when he started to play fight! He got up and ran out the room to his foodbowl and took a few nibbles of the stale, flavorless, dry food.

Sometimes his housefolk would bring in this wet food, which would be amazing in taste, but’s they always took it away from him way before he was finished. He looked out the invisible barrier again and beyond the couple of rows of dwellings to the place where there was trees. He always wondered what was out there. He went to the big room where there was openings that the housefolk came and went, to get a better view, and discovered something peculiar: the opening was cracked open.

Smudge went up to it and sniffed the chilly air that was coming from it, smelling all sorts of new and exiting scents. He used a paw to try and make an opening that he could crawl out of, and the thing swung open easily. A breeze came through, and made him exited, terrified, and curious all at the same time. I’ll just go to the forest and explore it a bit, and I’ll be able to come back here if I don’t like it.he said to himself reassuringly, though he doubted he will ever come back. With a deep breath, he took his first step outside of what he knew, into the unknown.

After getting outside, he itched to run to the trees, so, making sure the tree line was in his sight, he sprinted as fast as he could toward it, not one looking back at his home. He didn’t stop until he was well into the forest, and he felt short of breath. He looked around in wonder at all of the sights and sounds around him, and was completely oblivious to anyone who could be sneaking up on him.

[damaatsii]

Lady crouched, shivering, under the bush. She had managed to hunt some old little vole and wolfed it down, but she was already hungry again, and it was so cold - Sniffling, she rested a paw on her cold muzzle. She missed her housefolk, the warmth of the bed, the gentle feel of her old wrinkled hand sliding from head to tail. When she had died and those horrible twolegs came... Lady didn't want to think about it anymore. She could never trust twolegs again, not after what they'd done to her.

If she kept living alone, though, she was as good as dead.

Her mismatched eyes grew wide at the sound of someone walking through the forest. She peered out from between the twisted branches and dried leaves, spotting a young cat. No, more of a kit, if she had to guess. Had he been abandoned, too? At the thought of such a fate, her heart ached for the stranger, and she slowly slunk out of her hiding spot.

"H-hello. What are you doing here?" she mewed, making her way towards him carefully. "Did your housefolk leave you?"

BlueGamerGirl

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge was playing in a small patch of dormant grass. His thicker than average grey and white pelt took a bit of the harsh cold’s sting away, and moving around so much kept him warm as well. He had just a slight feeling of growing hunger, but was too busy having fun to notice.

He turned at the sound of the cat's voice smiling at the other cat. The only memories of other cats were his faint memory of his mother, and seeing the occasional cat walk around outside. “Hi, I’m Smudge! What’s your name?” He padded eagerly toward the cat noticing her pretty eyes that were different colors. “I’m exploring!” He replied to her; “And I don’t think they abandoned me, but I escaped because I was bored and tired of them hitting me every so often.. I never met another cat before. Do you live here?” He gushed excitedly. “Maybe we could live together!” damaatsii

[ponyapan]

damaatsii BlueGamerGirl

Soot had spent her day resting, once again. It was what most days had consisted of since she'd woken up by the water with a twisted paw. It was a while ago- she'd been just a bit more than a kit. She had thought about it, and even if she didn't really know, she had a hunch that her paw must have been treated, since it was steadily healing.

The thing is, she didn't remember. At all.

Soot didn't remember where she was, why she was there, or even who she was, except for her name. It frustrated her, with no doubt, but she had hope that her memories would return as she healed and rested. There was nothing else she could do, at least. So, she had managed to hunt a bit, because even with her hurt paw the moves felt like instincts to her. This world, though, it was unfamiliar. Soot didn't want to admit it, but it was frightening for a small cat like her. To begin with, strong muscles had been visible underneath her fluffy fur, but slowly they'd disappeared as she didn't move much during her day. She didn't even know any cat here!

Soot had wanted to avoid any cats until she found her way home, but months had passed and nothing had happened. Now, she saw two cats talking a little further away. They seemed nice. Should she approach them? She thoughtfully looked around herself to decide. The green trees and warm sun had disappeared to leave a cold season coming. Would she really like to face that alone? No. So, the answer was clear.¨

Soot took a bumbling step forward. "Uh, hello there," she tried softly, hoping she wasn't interuppting anything.

[BlueGamerGirl]

damaatsii BlueGamerGirl

Soot had spent her day resting, once again. It was what most days had consisted of since she'd woken up by the water with a twisted paw. It was a while ago- she'd been just a bit more than a kit. She had thought about it, and even if she didn't really know, she had a hunch that her paw must have been treated, since it was steadily healing.

The thing is, she didn't remember. At all.

Soot didn't remember where she was, why she was there, or even who she was, except for her name. It frustrated her, with no doubt, but she had hope that her memories would return as she healed and rested. There was nothing else she could do, at least. So, she had managed to hunt a bit, because even with her hurt paw the moves felt like instincts to her. This world, though, it was unfamiliar. Soot didn't want to admit it, but it was frightening for a small cat like her. To begin with, strong muscles had been visible underneath her fluffy fur, but slowly they'd disappeared as she didn't move much during her day. She didn't even know any cat here!

Soot had wanted to avoid any cats until she found her way home, but months had passed and nothing had happened. Now, she saw two cats talking a little further away. They seemed nice. Should she approach them? She thoughtfully looked around herself to decide. The green trees and warm sun had disappeared to leave a cold season coming. Would she really like to face that alone? No. So, the answer was clear.¨

Soot took a bumbling step forward. "Uh, hello there," she tried softly, hoping she wasn't interuppting anything.


Smudge turned around and greeted the new cat with an exited flick of his tail. Another new friend! "Hi! I'm Smudge, and this," He gestured to the she cat, "Is... Oh wait, what is your name?" He had just remembered that the molly hadn't said her name yet. "Oh well, what are you doing?" he turned back toward the newcomer.

ponyapan damaatsii

[Cloudsky]

Cloud looked on at the scene before her. 'What are they doing out here in the cold?' She thought, her sleek pelt not enough to keep her warm. 'The kit seems nice, maybe I'll speak with him. So, she walked out of the bushes, and finally spoke.
"Do you know where we are... What was it, Smudge?"

[FrostShimmer]

Yeet

[damaatsii]

BlueGamerGirl ponyapan Cloudsky

Two more cats joined them before she even had a chance to answer the kit. Lady blinked at them in surprise, shrinking away slightly as fear almost got the best of her, then forced herself to find her voice. They seemed friendly enough, and she trusted cats much more than she trusted twolegs anymore. Besides, they all seemed friendly enough.

"I'm Lady," she mewed. Poor Smudge had been struck by a twoleg? How terrible! Her housefolk never struck her, though the twolegs that came later were a little rough with her. "I... I suppose I live here now, yes."

The idea of living with even one other cat filled her with joy. She had never been alone before, and the past few days had been the worst she could ever remember. Would she be able to take care of Smudge, though? He was too young to hunt for himself, certainly, but Lady wasn't much of a hunter herself. Maybe if the other two she-cats helped, they would be able to scrape by.

"If you aren't going back to your housefolk," she answered after a moment, "then yes, we can live together. It's much better than being alone, isn't it?"

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge greeted the other cats cheerfully. "I don't know..." He told the silver and white cat, "somewhere in the forest I guess. Oh and yeah, I'm Smudge!"

"Its nice to meet you Lady, and everyone!" he jumped up and down in excitement, thinking that escaping from his prison of a twoleg home was the best thing he had done. "And I'm definitely not heading back there; it'll definitely be better to live together!"

He turned to the couple of other she-cats and asked, "Are you guys going to come live together with us two?" His expression was overflowing with excitement and hope.
damaatsii ponyapan Cloudsky

[ponyapan]

damaatsii Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

Soot hesitated, one paw frozen in the air, before she purred. The whole scene before her had just reminded her of... something, but the memory was gone as quickly as it came. "That sounds like a good idea, actually. It's not like I have anywhere else to go," Soot answered, almost feeling the buzzing hapiness in the air with her whiskers. It felt safe to be surrounded by these cats. There was safety in numbers!
She suddenly remembered she hadn't even introduced herself. "Oh, right! I'm Soot, nice to meet you!" In turn, she tried to memorize the names of all the cats- so far, she'd learnt she could be quite easily distracted.

[Erina]

@BlueGamerGirl damaatsii Cloudsky ponyapan

Bonewing was taking a small stroll through the woods when she noticed a few cats off in the distance. Fear immediately hit her with full force, and her legs felt weak. Anxiety took over her mind and her first instinct was to run, but a quiet voice at the back of her mind told her to overcome her fears and approach the cats.

Many questions about the little gathering rushed through her mind. After a short moment of thinking, she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Hello. Who are you all?" She eyed the cats with pure curiosity. Her heart was pounding heavily and her paws were trembling but her personal promise to open up to others kept her from running away.

[ponyapan]

damaatsii Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl Erina

Suddenly, Soot had to surpress a giggle. The sight of the many cats gathering here was just... odd, but at the same time very natural. She didn't want anyone to think she was making fun of them, though!

She turned to the new arrival, trying to convey her own calm that she'd gotten from this group. "Hello." She nodded a greeting back at the cat. "I'm Soot! This is Smudge, Lady, and-" Soot turned towards the last cat sitting beside them, no longer remembering their name. "Uh, and well, we're a group of cats living together, from on now." she explained. "Right! And that's Cloud!" she quickly added as she remembered.

Sitting down non-threateningly in front of the cat, she tilted her head curiously at the stranger molly. "...And, who are you?"

[Silhouettes]

(Hope y’all don’t mind me coming’ in ^ ^)

damaatsii Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl Erina ponyapan

Laceleaf was... curious. The loner picked up the smell of several cats. At least three, from what she could tell. Privilege oozed off of one, possibly two. Kittypets, most likely. She didn’t have any particular feelings towards the two-leg owner felines. Only... the stereotypes that surrounded them. Snobby and spoiled is how the brown tabby recognized them. She herself had been a loner her entire life, always having to hunt for herself. Always having to defend herself. Her pelt showed evidence of such, small scars here and there, along with one particularly long one stretching from her side to stomach.

Finally, curiosity overcame her. Following the scents, the molly eventually found her way to the group of... five? Five cats? That seemed right. One of ‘em was a little kit, and another held the stench of a clan cat. How disgusting. With the sound of a rustling bush, the skinny feline made her presence known. “My oh my, look at this. Kittypets conversing in the forest. Y’all little sweethearts lost?” Laceleaf trilled in her southern accent. Sitting down a bit of a distance from them, she licked her paw to get rid a bit of dirt that made its was on her pelt. Amber eyes were trained on all of them. She couldn’t tell if all of em were kittypets- spare the one clan cat. She didn’t see any scars on the others, from what she could tell. Oh well. Supposed she would know soon.

[damaatsii]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl Erina ponyapan Silhouettes

Lady startled at the sound of more cats approaching. So many! It was beginning to feel a bit crowded with so many. The two newest cats smelled... strange. Like they had never left the forest in their lives, like... like they never knew housefolk. Were they born here? She felt a surge of protectiveness in her chest for Smudge. Lady had never fought anything fiercer than the little red dot that scurried around her housefolk's home, but she was willing to unsheathe her claws to protect the kit.

"Are you a wild cat?" she managed to ask, moving closer to Smudge. Her skin shivered beneath her short pelt, not because of the company, but because of the cold. What she wouldn't do for a warm lap or even a pillow to lay on -

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl Erina Silhouettes damaatsii

The newer cats carried a strange scent on them, and Soot shivered as she spoke the words. "Wild cat?" she echoed. She'd heard it before, but it still felt strange. "What's a wild cat?" Still, Soot felt like the word made her defensive. Noticing how Lady was slightly bristling, Soot scurried closed. She didn't know if it was because she needed protection, or if she could offer protection, but the closeness felt safe- and warm. Despite that, she didn't feel aggresive, just protective, and she observed the cats to see how they'd react.

[Silhouettes]

@Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl Erina damaatsii ponyapan

Tensing up as the two cats moved closer to the kit, she quickly relaxed once again when she realized they meant no harm. Surprised by both of their questions involving “wild cats”, Laceleaf couldn’t help but laugh slightly. Yup, these were Kittypets alright. “I suppose, if you wanna call us that. Though I myself prefer the term “loner” and all.” The term “wild cat” sounded so... well it made her seem hysterical- not the level headed molly she was. The two felines seemed to be extremely protective of the kit. Neither of them shared any likeliness with him, though. How confusing.

She noticed Lady’s fur bristling- not knowing it was from the cold. Laceleaf let out a sigh. “I’m not here to hurt you dears. Y’all can calm down, you know.” She mewed as she changed her position, stretching before walking closer to them. To get a better look, of course. The gray molly had... well, the poor dearie had her paw twisted! And the one with multi-colored eyes looked utterly starving! The kit seemed... well he seemed ok. “Oh gosh, when was the last time y’all had a good bite to eat?” Concern was clear in her amber orbs, and her words dripping with it too. Laceleaf was skinny, though she liked to thing of herself as lean. She couldn’t seem to get any meat on her bones no matter what she did. Though always traveling might do that to a car. But nonetheless, this poor group of cats seemed like they needed some help.

[BlueGamerGirl]

(sorry for the late post..)

Smudge looked around with wide eyes. He had DEFINITLY never seen so many cats in his whole life! I wonder if there's any big groups of wild forest cats.. He thought to himself.

He saw the other two cats come and smiled at them. He replied, "Hello!" when Soot told the other cat his name. When the scarred she-cat spoke, Smudge told her with excitement, "We're not lost, we're living in the forest together now!" He felt Lady bristle up and wondered whether she was scared, or cold. It was very chilly out here, after all.

Smudge listened to the older cats' conversation, and felt his growing hunger when food was mentioned. "Now that I think about it, I think the last time I ate was a little bit of food at my- the twoleg den." he corrected himself, realizing that he is what the cat called a loner now. When was that?.. The thought, trying to remember. So much has happened that it seemed like ages ago.
Cloudsky Silhouettes Erina damaatsii ponyapan

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky Silhouettes Erina damaatsii BlueGamerGirl

Soot released the breath she'd been holding when she was sure the wild ca- no loner meant no harm either. She felt a little bad about their wary behaviour, but when Laceleaf laughed about it she realized that she wasn't that intimidating to begin with. Twisted paw, not even a fully grown cat yet? Yeah, not much of a threat. However, Soot was kind of glad for that. Threatening another cat didn't feel right. She would have given Laceleaf some kind of pretty flower to make up for her rudeness, but the cold kept any from being around. Maybe some stone...

The cat's voice brought Soot out of her thoughts again. I should be careful not to space out close to a road, she thought. It wasn't until Laceleaf pointed it out that Soot understood how feeble they must seem to this strong cat. It "True." Soot was better off than that, but she could use some food too. "I think it's time to go hunting soon- or, well, does anyone here know how to hunt?" Soot was sure she'd be able to hunt something for herself, even like this, but if no other cat could hunt there'd be a problem...

Where would they even hunt? The frozen water wouldn't be giving them any fish, and a lot of prey stayed holed up during the colder times. Maybe there'd be some mice or birds somewhere, but aw, now she was really longing for a fish. Fresh, plump fish from the river, together with clear, cool water- No! No more spacing out.

[Cloudsky]

Cloud looked at the cats standing before her. Excited as a kit she introduced herself "I'm Cloud, nice to meet you all! Oh, and I'll join you all. After all, most of you don't seem fit to hunt." Cloud looked at them all, and could see they all needed help, well, except the loners, maybe. "I know a good spot in the forest with plenty of prey and shelter, follow me!" She looked at the loners at that moment "And I'm not a kittypet."

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge somehow perked up even more at the mention of hunting, assuming that it meant food. He didn't know what the other words that they were using were, like 'kittypet' and 'loner', but he probably could just ask someone later. "Ooh, could I help hunt?" he asked to, well, anyone who heard him, wondering if hunting would be fun. Maybe it would be like chasing the little green strips that were sometimes left on the floor at the twoleg house, except you could eat it afterward! Cloudsky ponyapan Silhouettes Erina damaatsii

[ponyapan]

Smudge somehow perked up even more at the mention of hunting, assuming that it meant food. He didn't know what the other words that they were using were, like 'kittypet' and 'loner', but he probably could just ask someone later. "Ooh, could I help hunt?" he asked to, well, anyone who heard him, wondering if hunting would be fun. Maybe it would be like chasing the little green strips that were sometimes left on the floor at the twoleg house, except you could eat it afterward! Cloudsky ponyapan Silhouettes Erina damaatsii

Soot smiled at Smudge's eagerness, rememebering silver- Oh no, the memory was gone again. Either way, she calmly tilted her head at him. "Have you tried it before? Otherwise, I could always try teaching you a thing or two."

[BlueGamerGirl]

Soot smiled at Smudge's eagerness, rememebering silver- Oh no, the memory was gone again. Either way, she calmly tilted her head at him. "Have you tried it before? Otherwise, I could always try teaching you a thing or two."

"Well, no, I don't think I have, but I could learn!" he smiled back at Soot. If he was going to become a forest cat, then he should probably learn what they do. He tilted his head back at her curiously, and asked, "Oh, um, what is hunting exactly?" He realized that the question probably made him sound stupid, so he started licking a paw in embarrassment.

[ponyapan]

"Well, no, I don't think I have, but I could learn!" he smiled back at Soot. If he was going to become a forest cat, then he should probably learn what they do. He tilted his head back at her curiously, and asked, "Oh, um, what is hunting exactly?" He realized that the question probably made him sound stupid, so he started licking a paw in embarrassment.

"No worries, it's not that hard once you get into it," Soot reassured him.
Honestly, she would have been more surprised if she met a kittypet that could hunt at that age. We might as well start with the basics now.
"The first thing that you have to do is crouch down- or, well, after you find the prey and all, you have to crouch down. How to catch depends on what you're hunting, but mice is the easiest, so let's try that." Soot went down in the crouch she'd learnt, body low and tail sticking straight ahead. "Copy me, like this," she encouraged.

[BlueGamerGirl]

"No worries, it's not that hard once you get into it," Soot reassured him.
Honestly, she would have been more surprised if she met a kittypet that could hunt at that age. We might as well start with the basics now.
"The first thing that you have to do is crouch down- or, well, after you find the prey and all, you have to crouch down. How to catch depends on what you're hunting, but mice is the easiest, so let's try that." Soot went down in the crouch she'd learnt, body low and tail sticking straight ahead. "Copy me, like this," she encouraged.

"O-ok.." he said watching as she went into the crouching position. He padded next to Soot and tried to copy her stance. He crouched down, and his tail twitched in excitement. This felt... natural, like I was supposed to do this. He thought to himself in comparison to when he would just eat the dry pellet food. His stance was pretty good for a little kit such as him, the only major problem being his feet positioning. His tail swished around to help him balance in this pose.

[ponyapan]

"O-ok.." he said watching as she went into the crouching position. He padded next to Soot and tried to copy her stance. He crouched down, and his tail twitched in excitement. This felt... natural, like I was supposed to do this. He thought to himself in comparison to when he would just eat the dry pellet food. His stance was pretty good for a little kit such as him, the only major problem being his feet positioning. His tail swished around to help him balance in this pose.

Soot found herself happily surprised at the talent of the kit."See? You're doing great already," she purred. "Just a little nudge here..." Soot nudged his feet apart. "You'll have more balance with space between them, and if you stick out your tail. Then you'll be able to sneak up on the mice with no problem."

[Cloudsky]

"Impressive!" Cloud meowed with excitement as she watched Smudge. She could see that he had talent, so she chimed in.
"Make sure that once you pounce on the mouse, bite the neck kit!"
She then walked to her favorite spot, which she called 'The Prey-Rock', which was fitting for the area. It's a clearing she found on her travels, where food is plentiful in the tall grass, and a large rock in the middle. She now hoped that they would follow.

[BlueGamerGirl]

Whelp, Smudge didn't really know why he was being praised for standing a certain way, but he went along with it. "Thank you!" he replied to both of the mollies. He nodded at Soot's instructions, straightening out his tail and trying to keep it from twitching. He had no idea what a mouse tasted like, but he figured he would soon find out.

"Ok.." he squeaked to Cloud as he followed her to the clearing with tall grass, barely seeing the rock in the center. Maybe mice hid in grass?
Cloudsky ponyapan

[Cloudsky]

She smiled at the determined kit, and gave him instructions.
"Alright, so now that you have the stance down, you can find a few mice here. Take a good wiff of the air," She went into hunting position, opening her mouth and sneaking around the tall grass. When she caught the faint scent of mouse, she told the tom to watch her. She moved silently through the grass until she found the source. A big, plump, juicy mouse sat in the grass, eating a pumpkin seed. She quietly mewed to the kit "A mouse will see you before it hears you, so stay low to the ground." She crept up to the mouse and swiftly bit its neck.
"And that, Smudge, is how you hunt a mouse!" She meowed, nudging the mouse toward him. "Get used to the smell so you can hunt them better. You all looked hungry."

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

Watching how Cloud hunted the mouse tickled something in the back of her mind, but couldn't place a paw on what. More importantly, she agreed that Smudge should have the mouse, the sooner the better.
"Good idea," she meowed to Cloud, before also nodding affirmatively to the kit. "You can have the mouse first, and then maybe try for you own if you'd like." Tasting the air, Soot could still sense another mice not too far away. "Of course, we have time, so no stress."

[Cloudsky]

[I]She would make a good mentor in time.[I] Cloud thought to herself. Of course, she can't just say that, so she mewed "Thank you, Soot!" Then she looked over the tree line, and saw it was getting a bit dark, so she quickly commented "Oh, and make sure not to go to far! It's getting dark, and foxes like to come out at night." She half-joked.

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge listened intently to her instructions, wanting to learn practically everything there is to know about forest life. As she crept up to it, he sniffed the air to see if he could smell the mouse; he mainly smelled grass and leaves... and fresh air... and-

No. Don't get distracted! I need to learn how to get food! He snapped out of his trance as Cloud spoke and nudged the mouse toward him. He sniffed at the mouse, smelling the distinct musty difference from his surroundings. It definitely smelled different than those dry pellets! With the okay from both of his- what, exactly? new parents? teachers? he didn't know- he bit into it. And man, it was the single best thing he had ever tasted! He finished eating, looked up, and tasted the air like he just saw Soot do. Now that he knew what it smelled like, he could barely scent the same oder. "Ok," he replied to Cloud about staying near and the dark, "I think I can smell one too!"

He followed his nose to the opposite edge of the clearing, and spotted a little mouse at the base of a tree. He did the crouch that he was taught, and crept as quietly as he could toward it. When he was about a foxlength away, the mouse spotted him and scampered away into the trees. He pounded after it, and just before the mouse reached his burrow, Smudge pounced on it and instinctively bit it's neck, killing it. As happy as can be, he picked it up and turned around. He realized that he had ran quite a ways from the clearing, and set the mouse back down to see if he could scent his way back.
Cloudsky ponyapan

[Cloudsky]

"I can scent him!" Cloud meowed to the cats. "And mouse too!" Cloud trotted toward the scents, and found him farther from the clearing, but with freshly caught mouse, so she couldn't be too mad.
"Nice catch! You're a natural! Now, we should head back to the rock in the middle of the clearing, the foxes and badgers don't go near it, but there's a hole in it, along with a few bushes to hide in."

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky

Dreaming away of green leaves and wild rivers, Soot nearly got lost in her mind until she spotted Cloud and Smudge a little further away. Soot felt her pelt prickle in surprise at the smell of freshly caught mouse. Catching her prey on the first try, ever? Smudge really was a natural! Well, that was quite lucky, since she'd need it without being supported by twolegs. This was a comfortable little group to be in, Soot had to admit. Actually, like Cloud had said, there was a good hole in the middle of the clearing. Maybe they could turn it into their own den of some kind? Any danger could be lurking in the night, so a home would be good to fall back on.

"Good job!" she called with a purr.

[Cloudsky]

"Hey Soot, look at what Smudge caught!" She purred with delight. "You did a good job teaching him, but we should get to Prey-Rock, it's safer there." Cloud was fond of her group, but didn't want to stay in the cold, so without hesitation she bounded up to her favorite spot, which was a nice, cozy moss bed decorated with feathers inside the large rock, and laid down.
ponyapan BlueGamerGirl

[BlueGamerGirl]

"I caught it!" he yowled to them both in excitement. He had found his way to where they could see him with the mouse. "OK" he replied to Cloud, and followed her inside the hole to her den. "Oh wow!" he remarked at the cozy place, practically forgetting his old home. He was chilled from the cold now, and was glad that it was warm here.

Smudge set down the mouse at their feet and said, "Now you can have this since I already ate!" Cloudsky ponyapan

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky

Whole-heartedly agreeing with Cloud, Soot nodded, then followed them back.
Soot curiosly observed the large rocky den. Despite the winter, it was somehow kept warm and cozy, and carried a homely feeling with it as Smudge curled up inside. It was pretty well hidden, too. Soot was a bit unfamiliar with the surroundings, though.
"I think I'll just take a look outside, if that's fine," she hummed before padding out a bit. Soot didn't intent to be away for long, she just wanted to memorize the spot.

[Cloudsky]

"Thank you, Smudge." She mewed softly. "There's a small pile of prey, a bit further in my cozy den. You all can make yourselves at home."
She was happy for the excited kit, and she smiled sweetly at him. She enjoyed having these cats for company, since her life was all about socializing until a couple of moons ago. It was like having a family, a purpose, and she enjoyed that. BlueGamerGirl ponyapan

[BlueGamerGirl]

To be honest, Smudge kind of liked the feel of the moss better than the twoleg stuff that he had always slept on. Now comfy, he realized how tired he was. "Your... welcome." he said through a yawn. He laid his head down and fell asleep. Cloudsky ponyapan

[Cloudsky]

"Psst, hey. Smudge, it's time to wake up." Cloud mewled as she tried to wake the tired kit. Then she had an idea. She went out of her cozy den and started hunting. A mouse here, a squirrel there, and a garden snake in the middle of a meal. She then trotted up to Smudge, putting a mouse close to his muzzle. "Wakey, wakey, mouse and snakey~" She meowed in a sing song way.

[BlueGamerGirl]

"Hmm..?" He mumbled as he awoke from his slumber. He heard a voice and jumped up rapidly, ready to run, thinking he was still at the twoleg den. Before he took off, he realized where he was and stopped himself, making his spiked fur go back down. Oh yeah, I don't have to worry about them anymore! He started to purr a bit, thinking of the good nights of sleep that were to come, and realized that there was Cloud there. "Oh, sorry..." he said to her, realizing that his spasm might have freaked her out, as well as making the mouse fly through the
air and hit the rocky wall of the den. He went to grab the mouse, realizing two things: he had a pretty good night's sleep for the first time in a while, and he was hungry.
Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

She jumped back in surprise, landing on her tail. "Yowch!" She yowled in pain. She then saw that Smudge was looking right at her, and made sure to reassure him.
"It's alright, Smudge, I was just making sure you didn't die in your sleep!" She then realized she might take that seriously, so she followed up "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I actually wanted to give you some more hunting practice. After all, practice makes purrfect" She smiled, quite impressed with her joke, then walked out of the den to look for Soot. After all, she did quite well at teaching Smudge last time.
"Hey Soot, can you help me out!" She yowled, just in case she was a bit farther away.
BlueGamerGirl ponyapan

[Cloudsky]

"Annnd, she's asleep." She hissed under her breath. "Welp, guess it's my turn to train Smudge!" She meowed. I was hoping for a bit of help today, but alright. I can do this, Cloudsky, I can do this!

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky

Soot had only meant to have a look at the place around her, and then be on her way back, but then the wind blowing through the trees had made such a pretty sound and she'd stopped to listen- Before she knew it, Soot was curled up on a bit of moss and snoring quietly.

Chilly winds and the frosty morning sun eventually brought her awake, but she still felt a little disoriented when she yawned. Wha, what? she rubbed her paws against her cheeks, partly to clean herself and partly to wake up more. What was I doing here? She couldn't recall until she spotted a little clearing in the distance. Her memories snapped back in place. Right, those other cats. I should head back to them before they worry, she thought, and rose to her feet with another yawn.

[BlueGamerGirl]

He flinched at her yowl and went to apologize again. "Sorry! I'm not used to... well..." he indicated their surroundings with a flick of his tail.

Smudges eyes widened at Cloud's next sentence. Before he thought too much about it though, she implied that she was only joking, and he relaxed a bit. "Oh. That sounds great!" he replied to her suggestion of hunting. He followed her outside, and was surprised by the blast of cold air that hit him, blinking rapidly until his eyes adjusted. There was a blanket of snow covering everything! He gingerly took a step onto a fresh patch, then took off running around in it, having fun leaving his footprints everywhere. ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

Cloud smiled at the sight of Smudge enjoying himself, and her smile widened when she saw Soot up and about.
"Hey, you're awake! That's good, because I was hoping for a bit of help with training Smudge. Also, I caught some prey earlier, so you can have some of it before we start with training." She meowed to Soot. ponyapan BlueGamerGirl

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

Soot broke out of her thoughts when she heard Cloud's voice. "Sounds good!" she agreed, then thought of the scent of fox she'd caught when she took a look aroung. It had been distant, but still. "Maybe we could try some defensive moves? It's better to learn too early than too late, I've always been told. Also, with all this snow a warm-up would help." She purred happily.

[Cloudsky]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

Soot broke out of her thoughts when she heard Cloud's voice. "Sounds good!" she agreed, then thought of the scent of fox she'd caught when she took a look aroung. It had been distant, but still. "Maybe we could try some defensive moves? It's better to learn too early than too late, I've always been told. Also, with all this snow a warm-up would help." She purred happily.
"Wow, I think you read my mind!" Cloud meowed to Soot. Then she sniffed the air. Fox, out here? Good Starclan, I can never get away from trouble!
"That's a good idea, Soot." Her tone was now much more serious, because if a fox scented Smudge... It wouldn't end well.
"Unsheathe your claws, Smudge! It's time for battle training!"

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge turned his head from the hole he was digging in the snow at the sound of his name. "Ok... but why do I need battle training?" he tilted his head inquisitively with his question. Did cats fight out here? He had no idea.

Regardless, he did as he was told and unsheathed his needle-like claws. He went into the hunter's crouch as best he could, thinking that maybe it meant hunting bigger animals... possibly?
ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

Smudge turned his head from the hole he was digging in the snow at the sound of his name. "Ok... but why do I need battle training?" he tilted his head inquisitively with his question. Did cats fight out here? He had no idea.

Regardless, he did as he was told and unsheathed his needle-like claws. He went into the hunter's crouch as best he could, thinking that maybe it meant hunting bigger animals... possibly?
ponyapan Cloudsky
"Alright, I can see that you got the hunting crouch down, but that's not what we're doing." She paused a moment, thinking of what she should say without scaring him. "Well, cats aren't the only animals that live in the forests, ya' know? Foxes, Badgers, and sometimes a stray dog will try to make you a tasty meal. This is why you need to know how to fight them off!" She sheathed her claws and bapped him on the head

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

"Exactly! But chances are, you won't even have to use them. It's just good to know."
Despite that one smell of the fox, that had also been stale, it seemed to be a generally safe place. Soot tilted her head to the side as she thought about how she could help. She didn't actually know that much about fighting- she was more the type to avoid conflict...
"If you can, you should just try to stay out of trouble. If you smell, see or hear anything dangerous, don't let curiosity draw you in, especially if you're alone. So be attentive, and run if you can." She settled for giving the advice that she heeded herself, except for the 'attentive' part. Did Cloud know more about fighting, or would Soot just have to do what she could here?

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge's eyes widened a bit when Cloud told him this. Things want to eat me?... He uncrouched and looked around at the forest, knowing for the first time that danger lurked about. He listened to what Soot said and nodded. "Ok, I'll try." he responded.
Cloudsky ponyapan

[Cloudsky]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

"Exactly! But chances are, you won't even have to use them. It's just good to know."
Despite that one smell of the fox, that had also been stale, it seemed to be a generally safe place. Soot tilted her head to the side as she thought about how she could help. She didn't actually know that much about fighting- she was more the type to avoid conflict...
"If you can, you should just try to stay out of trouble. If you smell, see or hear anything dangerous, don't let curiosity draw you in, especially if you're alone. So be attentive, and run if you can." She settled for giving the advice that she heeded herself, except for the 'attentive' part. Did Cloud know more about fighting, or would Soot just have to do what she could here?
"Well, I know plenty about how to fight." Cloud commented "If neither of you know how to fight, I can always teach you how." She thought about her days as Cloudsky, when she was told to fight for her clan, even if it cost her life. She would do the same for Smudge and Soot, but sometimes they would need to fight without her, especially if a fox was lurking in the woods.
ponyapan BlueGamerGirl

[ponyapan]

Cloudsky BlueGamerGirl

Well, Soot couldn't really remember if she was bad or good, but it was better not to risk it. Cloud, on the other hand, seemed to have this under control.
"Yeah, I'd rather leave it to you."

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge decided to break the silence that followed: "So, if I don't do that crouch, then what do I do?" He was slightly confused and didn't know what to do. He went out of the hunter's crouch and sat down in the snow, but quickly jumped up. "Cold!" She then proceeded to lick the snow that clung to his rump.
ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

Smudge decided to break the silence that followed: "So, if I don't do that crouch, then what do I do?" He was slightly confused and didn't know what to do. He went out of the hunter's crouch and sat down in the snow, but quickly jumped up. "Cold!" She then proceeded to lick the snow that clung to his rump.
ponyapan Cloudsky
"Well, how about Soot and I show you?" Cloud meowed inquisitively. She wanted to make sure Smudge stayed safe, and he seemed to do better when he sees what he is supposed to do first.

[ponyapan]

Soot tried to dig up any information on defending herself from her brain, but either it was buried too deep in her memories, or she'd just never learnt, because she found nothing.
"Actually... Maybe I can learn a thing or two from this, too." Soot would rather run away or hide if there was danger, but now that there was something she wanted to protect, it felt like she should at least learn.

[BlueGamerGirl]

Ok." he said, finished licking himself. He turned his head at Soot's reply, then back at Cloud to await instruction. This time, he DIDN'T sit, and instead shifted his weight on his paws, anxious to do something.
ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

Soot tried to dig up any information on defending herself from her brain, but either it was buried too deep in her memories, or she'd just never learnt, because she found nothing.
"Actually... Maybe I can learn a thing or two from this, too." Soot would rather run away or hide if there was danger, but now that there was something she wanted to protect, it felt like she should at least learn.
"Alright, first we gotta know the basics." She meowed with confidence. She unsheathed her claws and brought her paw up high, then lashed it toward the ground, breaking a rotting log.
"That was a basic move. If you can do that, all the others will be much easier! Anyone want to try?"
BlueGamerGirl ponyapan

[ponyapan]

As Cloud showed how to do a basic move, Soot tried to copy her pose. It was important to have the right pose, or the hit wouldn't get enough momentum or power as intended- that was something she knew from hunting. Maybe they weren't so different after all. The most prominent distinction was that these were used on on bigger animals, while hunting was for animals smaller than you, right? Actually, if you'd think like that, it could also- Okay, no. Soot was absolutely focusing on the task at hand. Yep.

"I can try... I think it comes pretty naturally." And so she tried slashing down on a twig. It felt right at least.

[BlueGamerGirl]

"Ooh me!" Smudge was very exited to break twigs. He unsheathed his claws and ran up to the nearest twig, lifting up onto his back paws and bringing his bodyweight down on it. It was a solid branch, and didn't break as intended; instead pain shot up his forelegs. "Oww!" he squealed.
ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

"Ooh me!" Smudge was very exited to break twigs. He unsheathed his claws and ran up to the nearest twig, lifting up onto his back paws and bringing his bodyweight down on it. It was a solid branch, and didn't break as intended; instead pain shot up his forelegs. "Oww!" he squealed.
ponyapan Cloudsky
"Ooh, I really should have checked my surroundings more thoroughly." She mewed to Smudge awkwardly. "I'll go get some herbs to help with that. Soot, can you get the snake I killed so he can practice on that instead?" She didn't wait for a reply, instead going into her den and grabbing the cobwebs and a few other herbs, and went straight back to Smudge.

[ponyapan]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

Soot winced at the impact of Smudge's paw on the branch, and was glad to hear Cloud knew a thing or two about herbs- or so it seemed, at least. Healing had interested Soot for a long time, but she'd never had the chance to learn the art herself. If they were lucky, Cloud could maybe give them a few pointers about that too.

With a silent nod, she moved to get the snake from before and then returned. If Cloud thought he would be able to continue practicing, Smudge was probably okay, right?

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge limped over to them, his forepaws in pain. After a quick minute though, the pain started to go away, and Smudge called out, "Its ok, I'm fine." Now his paws were just a little bit sore.
ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

Smudge limped over to them, his forepaws in pain. After a quick minute though, the pain started to go away, and Smudge called out, "Its ok, I'm fine." Now his paws were just a little bit sore.
ponyapan Cloudsky
"Well, I'll put some cobwebs on your paws anyway. After all, you don't want to hurt yourself more." She meowed as she wrapped the cobwebs around his paws. "Let's have lunch, shall we?"

[ponyapan]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

"I think that's a good idea. We can all regain our energy to try again, and Smudge can let his paw rest." Watching Cloudsky professionally wrap the paw, Sootpaw's interest was piqued. "Can I just ask where or how you learnt this? It seems to be very useful."

[Cloudsky]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

"I think that's a good idea. We can all regain our energy to try again, and Smudge can let his paw rest." Watching Cloudsky professionally wrap the paw, Sootpaw's interest was piqued. "Can I just ask where or how you learnt this? It seems to be very useful."
"Oh, I learned from watching the medicine cat! Of course, I'm not a professional, but I know a few things, like how ice eases swelling. That's why Smudge's paw healed so quickly." She explained to Soot

[BlueGamerGirl]

Smudge watched as she wrapped his paws in the sticky white cobwebs. "What's a medicine cat?" he asked, following their conversation.
ponyapan Cloudsky

[Cloudsky]

Smudge watched as she wrapped his paws in the sticky white cobwebs. "What's a medicine cat?" he asked, following their conversation.
ponyapan Cloudsky
"Oh, my bad! A medicine cat is a cat that helps others by healing with herbs and such." She meowed to Smudge

[ponyapan]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

It took a second for Soot to wrap her head around the concept, but then nodded slowly. It made sense, kind of. "So... You're a medicine cat?" Inspecting Smudge for herself, it did look to be fine already. Did she travel around and help cat's with their wounds? That sounded sweet!

[Cloudsky]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

It took a second for Soot to wrap her head around the concept, but then nodded slowly. It made sense, kind of. "So... You're a medicine cat?" Inspecting Smudge for herself, it did look to be fine already. Did she travel around and help cat's with their wounds? That sounded sweet!
"Sort of! I know a few herbs like marigold, catmint, cobwebs, and poppyseeds. All of them have a different use, and cover the basics." BlueGamerGirl ponyapan

[ponyapan]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

Marigold, cobwebs, poppyseeds... She had heard their names before, but she couldn't really imagine keeping all of their uses in her head like that, it was amazing!
Soot nodded understandingly. "That makes sense!"
Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Wait... Um, would you maybe know of any way to heal, um... Damage that can't be seen?" It was a long shot, but hey, you had to have hope.

[Cloudsky]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

Marigold, cobwebs, poppyseeds... She had heard their names before, but she couldn't really imagine keeping all of their uses in her head like that, it was amazing!
Soot nodded understandingly. "That makes sense!"
Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Wait... Um, would you maybe know of any way to heal, um... Damage that can't be seen?" It was a long shot, but hey, you had to have hope.
She didn't expect that. She looked at the she-cat, and thought about it for a moment.
"Well, if you're talking about herbs, maybe poppyseeds. You know what, though? I find that talking to someone about their problems helps. Sometimes you just got to let it out." She explained to the young she-cat.

[ponyapan]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

The heat grew under her pelt at Cloud's kindness, Soot was really trying to not make this awkward, but didn't know if she succeeded or not. By unseen injuries, Soot was referring to two things.
"Well, I'm partly just talking about my paw here," she said, waving her left front paw a little to emphasize her point. "It twisted, I think, and evne though it's healed it still hurts when I put to much force on it."
Taking a deep breath, Soot focused her gaze on a pretty stick. "But mostly, uh, I don't really know what to do about my memory. I woke up by the water awhile ago, and can't recall anything before that."

[Cloudsky]

BlueGamerGirl Cloudsky

The heat grew under her pelt at Cloud's kindness, Soot was really trying to not make this awkward, but didn't know if she succeeded or not. By unseen injuries, Soot was referring to two things.
"Well, I'm partly just talking about my paw here," she said, waving her left front paw a little to emphasize her point. "It twisted, I think, and evne though it's healed it still hurts when I put to much force on it."
Taking a deep breath, Soot focused her gaze on a pretty stick. "But mostly, uh, I don't really know what to do about my memory. I woke up by the water awhile ago, and can't recall anything before that."
"Oh! Well, I think if you get something to put it into place, like the stick you're looking at, we might be able to fix that paw of yours! We could use the cobwebs to hold it in place, though you will need to let your paw rest. As for the memory... I don't really have mind-bending expertise, but maybe if you see something from your past, you may gain back your memories." She meowed to Soot.