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Throngs of people milled about on the streets of Ikebukero in the mid-morning rush of things, watched carefully by the smoldering amber eyes of a lone tom cat. Perched high in a tree along the sidewalk, the Somali sat in the joint of a limb and the trunk with a steaming bowl in his paws. He watched the despised two-legged creatures wander about, unaware of his presence, as he scooped rice, beef, and various veggies up with his chopsticks and popped it all into his mouth. He was especially irritated this morning for some reason, and his tail relayed that sour mood with it's violent lashing below him. The scar, hidden beneath the fabric on his back, burned with his memories as he watched them. They were troublesome and numerous, and the tom had decided long ago that he would never again find company with one of them, but he had to admit that certain humans prepared food quite well. Scooping up more of his nikudon, the Somali growled to himself at the admittance.

From his vantage point, the Somali tom was able to keep a good watch on everything around him, so he noticed the brown dappled cat that made it's way through the crowds of humans and paused beneath his perch. Amber eyes peered down at the tom over his bowl of nikudon as he took another bite, and his own ears tilted back slightly as the other cat grinned back up at him.

Swallowing his mouthful, Dhiren set the bowl in his lap and flicked his hanging tail again. "...Yes?" He meowed flatly, finally, when it became apparent that the spotted cat wasn't going to leave, "Is there something you need here?" He began to grow slightly irritated with the look in the other male's eyes and with the fact that his direct interest in Dhiren would draw attention to him by the stupid two-legged creatures wandering about.

Dhiren was not amused with this guy at all, especially when he took an express interest in his meal. "Well, the shop that sells it is just down the road, don't bother me with your be--" What began as a tone of dismissal, got abruptly cut off as the tree trembled with the weight of another ascending its branches, "Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?" With both paws clutching the bowl that nearly tumbled out of his lap with the sudden tremor, Dhiren's ears were fully pinned back now. Whipping the air beneath him, the tom's fury at nearly losing his meal was quite visible. "What do you want?" He growled, eying the other with burning amber eyes, "There's no way I'm going to give you any of this, so don't get your hopes up."

Digging his chopsticks into the rice and meat bowl again, the Somali stuffed a good bit of it into his mouth as if making a point, his eyes warily staying fixated on the other tom, just in case he decided to do something else unexpected. Something seemed off with this one, if only slightly so.

Dhiren watched him shift to another branch, his expression falling a little flat as he continued to be unimpressed with this cat. "Do what you like," He growled, working on finishing off his meal, "don't expect me to take any pity on you though. You're up the wrong tree."

As he finished his nikudon, both russet-tipped ears tilted back, listening to whatever the other tom was doing on his side of the tree. "Well, I'm going now." Leaving his bowl in the crook of the tree with the chopsticks neatly laid over the top of it, the Somali dropped from the tree and stuck his hands in the pockets of his slacks. With his tail slowly flicking from one side to another, he strolled off down the sidewalk. What to do now...?

Ears perking up and then laying back again when he realized his unwanted company was following him, Dhiren's tail fell into a low curl, the tip flicking rapidly. With a grunt, he closed his eyes and jerked his thumb in the direction of a small shop as they passed it. "It came from that place; although, I'm not sure why you're worried about returning it..." He growled with irritation, "I'm also not sure why you're following me. I don't recall yowling an invitation to anyone..."

Opening his eyes again, he glared down at the smaller tom while he matched the Somali's pace. What the hell was he supposed to do with a tag-along? "Is there something in particular you need?" He asked, lacking any trace of real concern or interest, "I'm not a very helpful sort of guy, you should know." Dhiren took notice of the collar clinging to the other male's neck still and let his shoulders slump slightly. This was turning out to be one great afternoon, he was being followed by another who had recently left the care of humans. "Oi... Don't tell me you're lost or something, Spot." He grumbled quietly, staring straight ahead into the crowds of people, "Were you just dumped a few days ago or something? Look, I don't run a shelter or anything, you know." Reaching up with one hand, Dhiren tugged the collar of his brown undershirt down before looping a finger through the collar left with him by his previous owner and giving it a light tug. Glancing down at the other tom, as if to prove a point, he growled, "See? I'm in the same boat as you are... well, sort of. At least I know where I'm going to be sleeping tonight."

(We'll just pretend that Lluven couldn't see Dhiren's collar earlier... since he's still actually collared and I don't think I'm okay to be playing him as anything but right now. XD)

Dhiren blinked at the other Tom when he agreed about their boat situation; what exactly was that supposed to mean? He continued walking, sighing to himself as his paws unconsciously took him towards the east side of town. "What makes you think I don't belong, Lluven?" He growled softly after a while, "I'm certain that we established you as the lost kitten." When he looked at him again, Dhiren was surprised at the serious, yet warm expression on the other's face and felt his own warm up very slightly. "A-anyway," He coughed, lowering his ears a little in embarrassment, "How do you figure that you can find a place to belong without first finding a place to call 'home?'" Although his tone was always rumbling, an edge of interest was beginning to make itself known. They were stuck together now anyway, it seemed, so Dhiren wanted to at least hear what the cat had to say before ditching him.

While there was truth to be had in 'forever' being just a word, Dhiren couldn't get himself to think in the mindset of the spotted cat. As a stray, he was no longer bound and controlled by the whim of the humans, he was free. "You've still got a lot to learn then." He growled simply, leaving the sidewalk to jump onto a high stone wall and follow it's path for a bit. Very loosely, the somali had an idea of where they were going. He knew the town, but he didn't have a destination in mind for their stroll. "I belong where I choose to belong. I make my own certainties, and I decide when and where I will eat, sleep, and wander. I also decide who I allow to get close to me. Being a stray is about your own personal control over your life, rather than blindly being pushed around by those humans." His tone was quiet and a dark hint lied under the rumbling, "While I see nothing wrong with exploring your territory, it still seems to me that, coming from you, it's just an excuse for your poor sense of direction."

He glanced back at Lluven briefly, for even though the other hadn't openly admitted it, his aimless decision to follow Dhiren, coupled with his carefree sense of life made it somewhat obvious that the spotted tomcat had little to no clue of where he was going. He was also unusually trusting; although, quite a few cats around here seemed to be so.

The Somali's orange ears flicked in recognition of the area they were heading in, and he vaguely remembered there being a large set of buildings nearby; a university thing for humans. Even though the idea of multiple people being around upset him, he also knew that it sat on a large bit of land and that there were open fields and gardens away from the building that few students ever wandered around. An afternoon nap in one of those fields was a very tempting idea, and so he decided to make his way over there; not doubting that his companion would follow without question.

"For you to be following me so willingly, I guess it's safe to assume that you didn't have any destination in mind for today," Dhiren called back to him, diving off the wall again to follow the less-crowded sidewalks into the college campus, "Was this just a day of wandering for you? You should be making notes to yourself about what your pass; it's a pain to have someone who doesn't know where they're going follow you around, you know." True to the nature of cats, the somali tom was beginning to grow curious about Lluven. The small spotted cat really didn't seem to have any destination set for today or for his own future. Dhiren wondered just how new to the streets the other cat really was; perhaps he was actually loved by his owner and wasn't used to being on his own yet. What a strange contradiction that would make for him.

Dhiren paused a bit, waiting for the smaller tom to climb over the wall and catch up. Of course, he didn't look for Lluven, and instead disguised the waiting stop as if he were looking for something in the distance. He scoffed at the other Tom's words though and turned to continue walking again when he heard the other approach. "Those things are no completely out of your control," He growled, tilting his ears back and glancing at Lluven again, "in the end, I decide whether I'll be submitted to such rules. By choosing not to hold company with other, I don't have to worry whether other cats like me or not; whether they feel I belong."

Keeping himself low to the ground, the Somali prowled across an open courtyard and up a hill, finally coming to rest beneath the branches of a tall tree. From this position, he could keep an eye on the activity around the university and enjoy a nice, cool nap in the shade. Plopping down against the trunk, amber eyes rose to meet Lluven's gaze again and he flicked his ears at the teasing nickname sent his way. "Living your life worrying about how others perceive you is a waste of time." Folding his hands behind his head, Dhiren tilted back a bit and closed his eyes, "Anyway, seems like this is the end of the road for you. I plan to spend the afternoon here." Laid out across the ground beside him, the tom's fluffy tail curled up a few times before laying still in the grass again.