decisi(o)ns

[Deleted]

Esther sat alone, quietly picking apart some clovers for no particular reason. She felt so lonely here. So far she'd only met hostile cats. Sure, she didn't expect everyone to be kind, but she thought there would be at least some decent cats. Serenity was alright she supposed, but the other two? 'I don't know how long I'm gonna stay here. Maybe mother was right. Maybe living in the outdoors really is too dangerous.'

The ragdoll broke out of her thoughts as a snap was heard behind her. She looked over her shoulder, giving the area a brief scan. "Who's there?"

[Natalia]

Natalia wasn't doing much these days. Jude wasn't around and any others she knew weren't around, or she didn't feel like talking to them. Patch was frequently at the barn with Jude, while Pain was off doing... Probably a murder-hunt for his father who really didn't deserve the title. Honestly, Natalia didn't have an ax to grind with anyone who was still alive.

So really... She didn't have much to do.

Thus, were the state of her personal affairs when she stumbled across a clearing with a younger she-cat messing with some clovers. With her head a little bit in the clouds, she accidentally stepped on a rather loud branch. She winced and folded her backs, hearing the sharp snap.

Then a call rang out.

"No one terribly interesting." Came her level response.

[Deleted]

It didn't take her long to spot the bright-furred she-cat. Esther wondered how long she'd lived here. She didn't look too young, to say the least. She turned back toward the clovers, beginning to pick them apart again. "Oh, okay." 'Goodness, I hope she wasn't spying on me.' She felt her fur start to heat up with a mixture of fear and embarrassment. 'It was probably a bad idea to turn my back on her.'

Instead of turning around again, she simply unsheathed her claws and drew them close to herself. She tensed up, ready in case the cat were to spring at her from behind.

[Natalia]

Natalia sighed quietly as she saw the other cat turn her back on the red-furred tabby. Figures. Well, she did say she wasn't too interesting. Perhaps she took that seriously. 

Then Natalia was reasonably sure she saw a glint in the grass. Great, she decided Natalia was a threat and decided to unsheathe her claws. She took a deep breath through her nose, and she was watching the younger cat carefully as her claws slid out silently. 

[Deleted]

Esther held still, muscles tensed to the point where she was almost shaking. 'Come on, make your move!' She silently begged. The cat's scent was still close. Why hadn't she said or done anything? 'I just have to hold out a little longer. She'll either attack me or leave.'

[Natalia]

Natalia sighed and retracted her claws. The other, younger cat was shaking. "I'm not going to attack you, if you grant me that same courtesy."

[Deleted]

Esther flinched a little when the cat started speaking. She was expecting a threat of some sort.

That wasn't the case. "Okay." Her claws remained unsheathed. You couldn't trust anyone in these parts. Natalia could be lying for all she knew.

[Natalia]

Natalia sighed. Seems like this kid didn't believe her, not fully at the very least. "Natalia." She meowed abruptly. "My name is Natalia." She could see the younger she-cat had flinched.

There was common sense and then there was paranoia. Honestly, the violent cats weren't many...

[Deleted]

Esther flicked an ear when the other cat introduced herself. Taking a breath, she stiffly turned around. "I'm Esther." She said quietly, releasing the breath she'd been holding. She didn't say anything more.

[Natalia]

Natalia watched Esther - Finally a name - turn around. Then... Proceed to say nothing more. This was going to be one those encounters, wasn't it? "Uh... You been here long?" Basic question.

[Deleted]

Esther shook her head, eyes moving to her paws. "Not too long." She tried counting how many moons it'd been in her head, but that just got confusing and led to another stretch of silence. "And you?"

[Natalia]

Natalia shrugged as she closed her eyes. "I stopped counting the moons because I didn't feel like it mattered all that much." She answered honestly. "I've been here since I've been some six moons old, though."

[Deleted]

Esther stopped herself from responding with a, "Wow, that's a long time," since that'd be like calling her old. Instead she just shifted her weight between her paws. "And what made you stay?" 'I can't imagine living here for the rest of my life.'

[Natalia]

Natalia nodded. She was aware she'd spent... Pretty much most of her life in Deathclan at this point. She exhaled. She decided to give an honest answer. "It feels like home." She answered sincerely.

[Deleted]

Esther couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. "Really?" She couldn't understand how a dirty, swampy forest with a bunch of hostile strangers could feel like home. Maybe in time she'd get it. 'But is staying really worth it?' She was very tempted to run back to the twolegplace and live there. It was a ton cozier.