Melody |She cat | 2 Years
Location: Forest | Mentions: N/A - {Open}

After she quickly gulped down the stringy meat of the rotten scented morsel, she was desperate to find water. The bad taste of the rat and frigid air was making her tongue dry up and her throat feel cracked and sore. So she pushed herself to her paws, and carried on through the trees, lifting her head every so often to see if she could catch the sweet cool scent of a river or even a small stream.

As she neared a particularly large tree, she moved warily around the large roots protruding from the frosted ground and around the mossy trunk she spotted a small puddle of ice and dark water. Walking towards it she peered into its inky color, and reluctant to take a much needed sip as she was with the rat, she dipped her muzzle towards the water anyway and flicked her tongue against its surface. Rearing back with a sour look on her face, her eyes pinched shut in distaste, she quickly ducked down to suck up a piece of ice into her mouth, even though it would dehydrate her all the more.

Sitting back on her haunches after the ice had melted against her tongue, she panted dramatically thankful to have the muddy sourness of the water expelled from her mouth. Laying down against the cool snow, she wrapped her matted tail around her paws, laying her ears flat against her skull and tucking her chin into the fur of her chest. "How much more can I take of this..." She asked herself, daring to think of returning to the village and beg one of the house folk to take her in with them. Even after how far she's come, she couldn't help but look back over her shoulder and contemplate the idea.

[ Ben ]
Male • 5 y/o • Manx/Turkish Van Mix
Location: Forest | Mentions: Klavier

The sound of rustling leaves had Ben's head turning just in time to catch sight of Klavier leaving the shelter of the lingonberry bush. The other tom didn’t seem in any hurry to come closer, but his body language wasn’t hostile and his eyes seemed kind. Ben dipped his head in a polite greeting. “Hello,” he responded, gaze shifting from the taller tom to his den. “Indeed it is. You’re welcome to come in and rest for awhile if you like,” he offered before promptly slipping in beneath the roots. He curled into a tight ball against one side of the den, leaving room for Klavier to squeeze inside if he so wished. Part of him didn’t expect he would accept the invitation. Ferals seemed less friendly compared to the neighborhood cats he used to know.

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[ Iris ]
Female • 3 y/o • Cornish Rex
Location: Forest | Mentions: Hades, Wanheda, Escarcha

The unfriendly gaze sent her way by the tom was of no surprise to Iris. She hadn’t spoken up with the expectation of an invitation to join them or amiable chatter. He thanked her for her flattery, his voice blank and icy, though the tortoiseshell thought she could detect a hint of genuine gratitude in there somewhere. Her gaze drifted back to his she-cat companion who sat below her seconds later. “Over already? Can I not request an encore?” She asked, eyes glittering with playful amusement.

Before much else could be said, a new voice interrupted their banter as another she-cat came bounding into the clearing. Iris snorted and carefully rose to her paws, claws sinking into the soft wood beneath her to get a better grip on her perch. She couldn’t imagine this ending well. The fluffy Ragdoll seemed friendly enough, but clearly didn’t have much sense, running up to a pair of ferals and their kill uninvited like that. If this led to a skirmish she would be on her way, unwilling to get involved for the sake of a stranger.

A burst of wind brushed past her and she shuddered under the touch of the chilly breeze. Her downy coat did little to protect her during the cold season. Perhaps it hadn’t been wise to leave Ben so soon after all. At least with him she had a warm den to return to and a warm, thick-furred body to curl against. She quickly chased the older tom from her thoughts, focus returning to the three cats below.

Escarcha (Essa ; Carcha) | She-cat | Location: Forest | Interacting with : Wanheda, Iris, and Hades

She stepped forward, just noticing their food. "Oh." She muttered, tail moving to the ground. "Sorry. I didn't realize. I'll leave you alone, I guess." Surprisingly, her inner voice was silent. Her legs wouldn't move. She wanted to to move from the group of cats, but her urge to find her place in the forest overtook her. "W-What do you guys have there?" Internally, she was smaking her forehead. Really Essa!Just leave them alone!

🌑 klavier | ♂ |location: forest | mentions: ben [directly] 🌑
taken aback at first, the feline cocked an eyebrow. come inside a den? with a stranger? judging by the question itself, and ben's demeanor, he must not have been from here.

"thank you." klavier purred, slinking inside the den and pressing up against the opposite wall. the presence of their two bodies warded off the chill almost instantly.

"i am klavier, what is your name? its freezing out there." his eyes gleamed like berries in the darkness as he fixated on the outside, talking. a little snowflake dribbled down from the sky lazily.

sleet. he had found shelter just in time. no cat- he knew at least, liked water. especially not water as imminent as when it took form in the shape of snow.

☹ verdammt | ♂ |location: summit, headed thru plains to forest| mentions: n/a ☹
verdammt awoke with a yawn. though it had been only a short while since he fell asleep, the little cat felt fully rested.

fluffing out his fur, he padded out from his den, and began to the plains. he traversed them quickly, his little heart set upon the forest. there was food far tastier than berries there, so he took the shortest route he knew.

little pawprints dotted a pathway across the snowy landscape into the forest, and for a moment, v contemplated following them. they were small, so the cat who made them must be small, too. but.. what if they were another animal's paws. like a fox. nevermind. the mix veered away from the direction of the pawprints and hurriedly skittered towards the forest as snowflakes fell like glitter on his splotched pelt.

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Name: Sonne | Location: Plains | Mentions: Verdammt [Indirectly]
-
Sonne padded softly through the plains yawning sheepishly as she started her way towards the forest, her fur glistening from the snow that dotted her pelt.
As she licked her damp noes she scented another cat coming from the forest outskirts. She was curious about this scent especially since the cat had yet to enter the forest. She followed the scent carried by the wind and snow that tickled her whiskers and found a small track of prints. She quickly noticed that the cat was alone and was moving quickly. She couldn't resist this curios cat and decided to follow the tracks at an even quicker pace than what she guessed the mysterious cat was.
Her white pelt camouflaged her nicely as she cam upon another set of prints heading straight as another veered of towards another entrance into the forest. She sniffed each set carefully as her eyes dilated from a sudden change in thought. My what an interesting cat this is she thought as she followed the veering tracks until she was able to see the outline of another black and white cat.

Melody | She cat | 2 Years
Location: Forest | Mentions: Sleet {Indirectly} ~ {Open}

What was she talking about, going back? Shaking her head angrily, she pushed herself to her paws with so much force the snow beneath her crunched under her weight. This was her chance to prove she wasn't just a house cat, no she was made for much more than that. She could feel it in her blood. And she wouldn't let Sleet down. Not now, after all she's been through. Eating rats and drinking mud, chased by a badger even.

And as she pushed onward she could feel the warmth of her blood heating her body and it only made her all the more determined to continue. She felt like she was meant to be out here, for what? She had no clue. But she knew that it was destiny her and Sleet met. She just needed to find out why.

[ Ben ]
Male • 5 y/o • Manx/Turkish Van Mix
Location: Forest | Mentions: Klavier

Klavier decided to join him after all, a pleasant surprise for Ben. He didn't know this tom, but was undoubtedly grateful for the company and shared body heat. Life as a lone cat could get lonely and Ben had always been fairly social even if he didn't speak often. He liked being around other cats and hadn't met another since his departure with Iris until now. "You're welcome," he purred warmly, resting his head on his paws as the weather outside worsened. "A pleasure to meet you Klavier. I'm called Ben," he responded, feeling more at ease almost instantly. Knowing one another's names made them less like strangers. "I've never known a cold season this frigid," he agreed. Then again, most of his previous winters had been spent indoors.

klavier | ♂ |location: forest | mentions: n/a | interactions: ben
klavier felt warm internally. he finally had someone to converse with. the aching pain of loneliness finally dispersed some.

"pleasure to meet you too," he spoke, "last winter wasnt as harsh, it didnt snow much. but the wind is the worst part, if you ask me."

he stared out of the roots as snow began layering on top of the already plenty thick bed of snow. the cold hurt his paws to walk on, but it was something that had to be done.

"are you hungry? if you are, i know a few places for an easy meal." from this, you could probably assume he meant begging the upwalkers for food. no. he hated those fleshy creeps. they looked like hairless baby birds, smelled weird, and acted weird. they were utterly repulsive to him, and the mere THOUGHT of being near them made him want to sick-up.

verdammt | ♂ |location: forest | mentions: sonne [indirectly] | interactions: none
through dead silence, verdammt heard something. it sounded like pattering against the snow. he assumed this to be his own paws, and continued on at his rushed pace.

the forest quickly grew in front of him, trees taller than imaginable. it awed him, but frightened him at the same time. he paused, one paw in the air, and licked his upper lip exactly three times. trotting gently into the forest, he swiveled his ears.

there was no immediate sign of danger, but the scent of cat amidst the overwhelmingly wet and cold smell of snow was present.

Name: Sonne/Muune | Location: Plains | Mentions: Verdammt [Directly]
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Muune stood on top the small high acting all high and mighty for some unknown reason, well maybe for personal enjoyment. As she watched the the cat pad slowly into the forest a little hesitant at first she quickly followed in strong and fast strides, sinking up to her neck in snow. Frozen dots of dew spotted her whiskers as she followed the paw prints of the cat into the forests boldly. 'No way am I going to back down from this scrawny cat' she thought boldly to herself, thinking that she could easily take on a stinking dog for a scrap of food. As the scent of the cat and drew closer she hid herself in the snow ready to pounce if she needed to.

She positioned herself in the snow a few strides in front of the cat on purpose in order to be able to leap out in front of the scrawny cat and announce her daring plan to him. She smirked at her ingenious plan and waited silently for the cat to step ever slightly closer. 'Just wait and see fur-balls' she thought 'soon everyone will know of my strength'.

Quill | Female | Location: In a tree| Mentions: None as of yet |

Quill licked at her paw and ran it over her ear a few times the she-cat could she was laying on a low branch in a tall tree watching beneath her as she looked around the forest, the river off somewhere to the left of her, she flicked her tail lazily. The brown she-cat had been smelling other cats around for a while and knew she should most likely talk to them, or try to make alliances, she relaxed slightly but made sure she could scale the tree if she needs to, she looked up the tree the sun flickering through the branches, she watched a bird land on a branch some branches above her and she tilted her head confused, birds shouldn't be around since snow fell, she twitched her ears and shifted her weight going to move to catch the bird, she was unsuccessful in her attempt and sighed quietly moving down the tree trunk landing on the ground, the snow collapsed a little under her weight leaving her paw prints before she moved on weaving between trees

[ Ben ]
Male • 5 y/o • Manx/Turkish Van Mix
Location: Forest | Mentions: Klavier

Ben hummed his agreement, thankful the piercing winds couldn't reach them. "I don't mind the snow so much, but wind can be quite the bother." Snow was beginning to pile up at the den entrance, but he wasn't worried. It would be easy enough to push through when their time of rest was over. Upon being asked if he were hungry or not his stomach answered for him with a loud gurgle, and his tufted ears folded back briefly in embarrassment. "I haven't seen much prey lately," he admitted, not wanting to share his failed attempt previous to their meeting. "Do you have housefolk?" He asked curiously. The tom looked fairly tough and his coat didn't hold the soft look or glossy gleam of a pet, but it was possible he was one of those outdoor cats who's person only bothered to feed him if nothing else. The thought of a full belly almost made him want to leave the warmth of his nest for the human place right then and there.

🌑 klavier | ♂ |location: forest| mentions: n/a | interactions: ben 🌑
klavier tilted his head in a perplexed, doglike manner, and turned to look at ben. "housefolk? no, i don't think so. but you seem hungry, so let's go."

the felidae squished up against the earthy den's wall, and batted the snow at the entrance until it gave way. "follow me, but be quick. it's freezing." padding out into the open, the dilated pupils of the feline constricted quickly. through the thick clouds shone bright light, almost like the sky was illuminated by a fire behind it.

"we can go to the lake," the mix assured, padding in the direction of the massive body of water. he prayed it wasn't completely frozen over. "there's always something there." if ben chose to follow him, he would hastily quicken his pace, greedily eager to fill his belly.

☹ verdammt | ♂ | location: plains | mentions: muune [indirectly] | interactions: none ☹
verdammt was hit with a wave of anxiety, and he froze up completely. he knew he smelled something, but from where, he couldn't pinpoint. but something was DEFINITELY wrong. but.. then again, that's what he felt like all the time. so maybe it was nothing.

the tom looked around, and noticed another set of tracks. he cocked an eyebrow. they hadn't been there before. or maybe he just hadn't noticed them. it was probably that.

ver turned slightly. his side now faced his unknown assailant, muune. ears swiveled back, he turned his head towards a root as a plump mouse scurried down it with another seed in its mouth. aha!!

he crouched low to the ground, slithering forward, before stabbing his paw into its nest and stirring around with unsheathed claws. something squealed, and he yanked his paw out, shoving his muzzle in this time. he pulled it out once more, a deceased trophy dangling from his jaws. he was starved, and no one got between him and his food..

..or would they this time?

Name: Sonne/Muune | Location: Plains | Mentions: Verdammt [Directly]

Muune saw the mysterious tom pounce with curious eyes as he brought up a plump juice mouse. She licked her nose as snow fell softly against it. Her fur rose up and her claws unsheathed. My what a meal worthy of only a smart brave catshe thought as she could feel her stomach growl softly with delight. In an instant she was right in front of him her ears down and pointed acutely. Though no sound came from her mouth when she noticed how the scrawny cat was younger than her. A meal is not deserved if I am bigger than my opponent she thought slightly annoyed as she glared at him boldly. Her stomach growled again as she had her eyes pinpointed on the mouse. She of course loved a good fight but wasn't the most excited for one against a cat smaller than she was. "How old are you kit?" she asked in a oppressive way which was not how she wanted it to sound.