My time away fr(o)m home

[Cloudskip]

Clouds was almost ready. To return home.

She tore through her stock of prey, looking for something to eat before she looked around her temporary home one more time. Her amber eyes locked on the only good piece of prey, a mouse. She shrugged and took it and exited the hollow tree. Her eyes flickered with happiness, her smile grew. The white fluffy she-cat nodded to the tree and rushed off.

"One more time to look around."

[Nightpaw]

dyre had mentioned something about the plains, and it had been some stalking and listening to rumors to finally find the place. and, sure enough, it was something to find enjoyable. prey appeared to be plentiful, there wasn't a risk of slipping off a cliff and falling to one's death. but really, it was that sort of danger that excited grenade. she never saw herself living a relaxing or comfortable life anywhere. a challenge was always nice for her.

and she had completed her current goal; find the plains. so, here she was. and she certainly didn't walk all the way here just to head back at dusk. grenade had already decided a night or two in this area wouldn't hurt. she always liked seeing new things and experiencing the survival challenge of that place.

walking on light paws and a small dove hanging from her jaws, grenade soon caught the scent of another cat. a local? hmm, hopefully one that wasn't hostile, either. assuming their paths would soon cross by the way the scent was, and the fact that she was downhill and it was growing stronger, grenade prepared herself for a fight or stand off. yet when the cat came into view, she felt herself relax just the slightest. the stranger didn't appear hostile.

[Cloudskip]

Clouds wasn't necessarily a pro at speaking to others unless they were family, so to strangers, stutter attack. She looked around the plains and stood still as she caught the sight of another cat. She nodded slightly, "G-g-good mo-morning." She said nervously.

[Nightpaw]

grenade blinked at the local. hmm, a stutter. a sign of weakness. but at least it wasn't hostility. setting down her dove so she could speak, yet keeping it firmly planted between her two paws, she regarded the female with narrowed eyes. "good morning." she meowed, returning the greeting while also adding a polite dip of the head. no reason to return kindness with hate. even if cats were... not usually a welcoming sight. dyre excluded being she was in a good mood. grenade paused for a moment, looking over the plains and trees around her, for finally resting her eyes back on the she-cat's. "if your afraid i'm going to attack, smooth your fur. i'll only fight if someone else starts it." she explained with an annoyed twitch of an ear. hopefully this cat wasn't extremely skiddish. sure, grenade had wanted to avoid hostility since she was new to the area, and was already at a slight disadvantage. but extremely scared cats weren't a desired find, either. each was pretty annoying.

[Cloudskip]

Clouds sighed, "S-sorry, its a-a-a ha-habit..." She stuttered. Clouds stared at her mouse and stared at the other cat. "W-want this? I c-can catch m-more..." She asked politely, trying to make a good first impression.

(Eh, short)

[Nightpaw]

grenade considered her words. habit to be afraid of a simple stranger? only one other time had she met a cat so terrified of her, and that had been an awkward and frustrating conversation. with an annoyed sigh and lash of her tail, she shook her head. "i may not be from around here, but i'm not heartless. i have food right here." grenade gestured to the dove below her soundlessly. what was the point of stealing someone else's food? sure, she had done it before. but only out of desperation, and one time for revenge. otherwise it was just uncool to treat another like such. "also, i said i'm not going to hurt you. so i certainly hope your more than just stutter, she-cat." grenade growled and lashed her tail a few times in a rapid motion. maybe giving her name would lighten up the situation. she had already given it to others. "hmm... if it makes you feel better, my name is grenade. i'm living in the canyon for now--nice place. the fish tastes good."

conversations were annoying, and grenade didn't even know why she was bothering to start one. but she just went with it.

[Cloudskip]

Clouds felt a little awkward, then nodded. Paying careful attention to her stuuter, she meowed, "Ah, Clouds is my name, I'm just now going back home." She said, the she-cat had missed fireclan and the cats who were there. She smiled. "And fish isn't really my thing, rabbits are."

[Nightpaw]

clouds was a simple name. certainly common enough, but she supposed it fit the she-cat. and she was thankful the stutter was gone. that could have made her angry quite quickly. "it's nice to have a home to go back to. i know countless cats who didn't have such a luxury." she muttered, remembering her kithood days. living in a cardboard box was far from a home. and many other cats she had met certainly couldn't have truly loved their little make-shift shelters. though this clouds seemed well and healthy. certainly her home was a very nice one. "and i've never much minded rabbits until i was forced to eat them for more than a moon, every single day. the taste is now something that i don't find all that pleasant. but prey is prey." grenade paused for a moment, and then went on. "fish isn't that bad. stringy and like pebbles, but it fills you up nicely."