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 Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 10:31 am
 The warm sun beat down on the inhabitants and foliage of the park, bathing it in golden light. This wasn't the unbearable heat of some summer days; but a more temperate condition, with a light breeze playing with the leaves in the trees and sending ripples across the pond.
The sunlight sent bright sparkles shining with the movement of the stream feeding said pond; and it was above this stream that a large Maneki Neko lay in the branches of a tree. He was watching the movements in the stream; sharp green eyes catching the flash of fish, and pondering the idea of trying his luck with them, and hoping his luck would fare better than his first couple of attempts.
Not indolent by nature, the warmth had driven Shil'Ta to climb up to a resting place in one of his preferred trees. From here he had shade, and the breeze ruffled his fur as it whispered through the trees. He could watch the stream, and let his thoughts wander, as well.
Truth was, the large male was bored. His long tail slowly lashed back and forth, getting small twigs and leaves caught in the fur. If nothing else, grooming would break the monotony of the day- but he wanted something to happen. Someone to talk to.
Something.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 12:20 pm
 Mocha took a deep inhale of the natural air within the park. She then smiled as she exhaled, loving the smell of nature and the feel of the warm sun caressing her fur with it's lovely rays. A gentle breeze. Cool grass at her feet... She loved all of this almost just as much as she loved her pillow-bed back home.
But today was a day to get out, get some fresh air, stretch the legs, and - with some hope from her human companion - meet some new friends. Mocha wasn't sure if she could make any friends, but she didn't much care either way. It would be nice to meet a new face and have someone to talk to from time to time, but Mocha also liked her solitude. In fact, she considered herself her best friend... Aside from her Human, of course.
Another gentle breeze ruffled through her whiskers and she caught whiff of water. Turning her sleek brown figure against the wind, she trotted carefully towards where she knew a small creek was trickling into a pond. A cool drink would be fitting for the moment.
She approached the stream and took a few laps of the water before her eyes caught the glimmer of scales beneath the rippling surface. The fish were out to play today! How lovely! Her golden eyes flashed between the fish a moment or two before she found herself settled upon a rock overlooking the water. The sun embraced it entirely, warming her up nicely.
She purred as she felt her fur warm slowly and yawned, eyes closing for a while to soak in the rays as she exhaled a contented purr in the moment, completely unaware that there was another nearby.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 9:09 pm
Movement caught Shil'Ta's eyes, and he lifted his head to watch the approach of another Maneki Neko; a female, heading towards the stream. Well, surely the polite thing to do would be to announce his presence, no?
Familiar with the particular branches he had chosen for his perch, Shil'Ta swiftly got to his paws before shifting his back legs to the support of another branch. With room now, his claws dug into the bark for support and he stretched, tail waving in the wind. It was delicious- the stretch of muscle, warmed by the sun, and he let out a small purr before bringing his mind back to the matter at hand.
He wasn't going to let his manners slip- especially when potential company was potential entertainment. He straightened out and carefully stepped from branch to branch. The female was unaware of his presence, and it wasn't his intent to startle her. He cleared his throat, a rough purr of a sound to alert her to his presence, before speaking as he reached the lower branches.
"I hope I'm not interrupting your sun bathing?"
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 8:49 am
Her ear flipped back to the subtle sound and her fur rippled to show that she was only slightly startled, but she retained her calm poise. Mocha's head turned before her golden eyes flashed open to look upon the male. She looked him over briefly before she gave a soft shrug.
"Not really." she started, her eyes closing a moment longer as she pulled her body up unto a coiled stretch. "After all, the park is a public place."
Taking one last look in the water, she noticed that the fish had darted a little closer to the pond. They'd seen the two Nekos and had grown wiser of being so close to the small figures that favored the world above the surface.
She sighed - mostly to herself - and turned into another sit, though this time facing the male. She could see him better this way. Her eyes darted over him, almost as if she was inspecting him before a faint smirk graced her lips.
'Ooooh... the names my Human would give you...' she mused to herself. This male looked more like a truffle than she did. She could think of several different sweets that her Human would attempt to give the poor Neko.
"My name's Mocha Truffle." she started. "What might your name be?"
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 12:51 pm
Shil'Ta's ears flicked, but otherwise he managed to conceal his amusement at the name of his new female companion. "What strange names humans choose for their animal companions," he mused to himself. Still, that which was a point of amusement to him was obviously not something the other had a problem with- otherwise she would not have introduced herself such- and perhaps she even liked her name. He had no wish to alienate himself from a potential friendship, even if he decided he had no interest in getting to know someone- which was definitely not the case here. Her smirk did not go unmissed, and whilst he felt no need to determine the cause, he was intrigued by the personality behind it. Perhaps he had found a worthwhile diversion from his boredom, after all.
"Mine is Shil'Ta- and yours is quite the mouthful," he replied. "I trust you won't mind if I call you Mocha?"
As he spoke he descended to the last branch, and he carefully balanced there for a moment, before leaning forwards and extending his front legs. Gravity took over and he arced towards the ground; his legs relaxed and bending to take the impact. There was a thud as his heavy form met the ground; his legs bending, and his large body nearly meeting the ground to compensate for the controlled fall.
The entire movement gave him momentum; and rather than attempt to stop it, he controlled that too, using the steps to turn towards her and moving closer to make talking easier. It was a well-practised, familiar movement.
"And you're right- this is a public place, but that doesn't automatically mean you'd want company. I wouldn't want to push my presence on someone who came to relax, enjoy the scenery and be solitary." He smiled; a smile that showed the tips of his teeth, and made his green eyes twinkle, and conveyed a little more mischief than a smile usually would, even though it was currently restrained.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 1:20 pm
"In all honesty," she started. "I prefer Mocha , thanks."
Her golden gaze followed his skilled and swift movements from the final branch to the ground. It was obvious he was accustomed to such an action and it showed by the way he landed and easily diverted the weight upon his paws to continue the movement into a few padded steps. He must be a... erm... Homeless Neko? Is that what her Human called it?
She found herself idly wondering what it was like to climb a tree. She had a carpeted perch back at her home that resembled a tree in much the way it was shaped, but it wasn't quite as tall as a tree... Not to mention, it had flat spots in which to stretch and rest upon... Trees weren't equipped in this way. Her eyes scanned over the massive towering log and it's protruding branches.
"You have a valid point, Shil'Ta..." she began, shaking her thoughts free of crazy things such as climbing trees. "But I can assure you that if I were looking for solitude, I'd have stayed home." She smiled almost matter-of-factly.
She then caught sight of the brief instance his grin suggested a mischievous side. The twinkle in his green orbs didn't settle her thoughts any... Her brow quirked in curious confusion.
"Do you come to the park often, Shil'Ta?" she asked, hoping to carry her strange look as part of her curiosity induced question.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 1:39 pm
"Quite often, I suppose." Shil'Ta shrugged his shoulders, before making his way to a spot next to the stream. He stared into the waters; it looked like the movements had spooked the fish for now. The fish in the pond were fatter and lazier, and less inclined to spooking, since the humans often came to feed them fish seed and dried worms. The pond, of course, was also deeper- and he wasn't that bothered.
"I don't really think of my human's house as 'home', so I spend most of my time out on the streets, in the park, or finding new places to explore and get into trouble." He let out a low purr of a chuckle, before turning all of his attention back to her.
"But I don't recall ever having the pleasure of seeing you here before. Do you not come here often yourself, or have we just been too unlucky to bump into each other before?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 8:05 am
"Ah..." she started, lifting her chin with a seemingly knowing grin. "So you're a troublemaker, huh?" She chuckled a bit at this then took a few grooming licks of her chest fur. "I've often wondered what it would be like to live outdoors, but..." She furrowed her brow a bit and shook her head. "But I enjoy the pampered life too much to give it up." She made a motion as if to shrug with her statement.
She then twisted her head a bit to lick a few times upon her shoulder. "Life is so much simpler to just let your Human feed you, pet you, leave you alone to snooze on a soft pillow in the sunlight as it cascades through the window. And you don't have to fuss with the dirt, rain, and mud... The temperature is generally moderated so it's never too hot or too cold..." she sighed with contentment.
"I come here every now and then. Not enough to be noticed, I suppose. I usually stay close to my Human, but she suggested I venture off somewhere for a while, see new sights and all that..." Mocha then blinked, turning towards Shil'Ta with a tilt of curiosity to her ears. "However, I do have to follow in my own curiosity for asking... What's it like to live life on the wild side?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:03 am
Shil'Ta was amused by the picture Mocha painted about living with humans. Such pampering, such luxury... The things she described sounded so stifling, so dull. Sacrificing freedom for security, excitement for comfort; to stick close to a human instead of exploring and wandering... It was not a choice he could ever make himself. Not that he resented others who chose differently, of course.
He was amused enough to chuckle when she asked her question. "The "wild side"?" He smiled, showing a point of tooth. "I would hardly describe my life that way." He patted at the water, sending ripples which were dashed by the current, before putting his paw back on the warm ground and looking back to her.
"I admit that I tend to spend most of my time away- but when I need to, I always have that place to return to. If it's raining and I can't find other shelter; or if there's little food to be found. I'm fortunate enough to choose how I live." The mischievous sparkle in his eyes faded and he looked sad for a moment; ears tilted back and drooping slightly.
"Not like some others. They have nowhere to go no matter how harsh the weather turns; and when food is scarce, they go hungry." He remembered the lone Maneki Neko he sometimes ran into whilst stealing food; comrades in theft, although for them it was a necessity, and he never failed to share more with them than he had to.
Shil'Ta shook off the sobering memories, his ears poking up again and his tail swishing to curl around his paws, the very tip dipping into the stream. "But to answer your curiosity... Living as I do is freeing. To spend warm nights in trees; to hunt for your meals and your resting places. To adventure, and see new sights, and learn your way around because that's how you live. My life is completely my own, and I don't answer to or need anyone. It's not for everyone- but I wouldn't live any other way."
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:30 am
Mocha's eye looked him over, up and down, and she thought over his words. Freedom? A life of choosing everything you do when you do it, how you do it and why you do it? That almost sounded... fun! Her eyes drifted over towards the water in her pondering, her bob tail twitching in her idle thought. Shil'Ta spoke of freedom, yet still retaining luxury.
Most Nekos didn't have those luxuries, she knew. Her Human spoke of the poor unfortunate souls often. Sometimes even considering befriending them to offer them the same pampering Mocha got on a daily basis. An honorable gesture, she was sure, but eventually the Human would actually fall through with the outlandish idea that one might accept the offer. And then what? She'd have to put up with another Neko sharing her space at home. Eating her food out of her dishes, sleeping in her pillow-beds, sunning in her favorite places upon the carpet or couch! The thoughts alone were enough to make her puff up in silent frustration.
She quickly caught herself and forced her fur to lay back down to it's natural fluff. She looked to Shil'Ta again as he finished talking.
"- but I wouldn't live any other way."
Mocha nodded softly and managed a soft smile. Although the thought of another entering her home just meant trouble... Trouble she'd more than likely love to avoid. Which in turn brought up an intriguing idea... Perhaps Shil'Ta would be kind enough to show her the basic ropes? This way, if another did venture into her home, she'd be prepared to wonder off at her leisure and not have to worry about fighting who's food bowl is whose... or sunning spot, or pillow-bed!
She fluffed again, but only for a half second this time. And she even managed to pass it off as a small shuffling of weight upon her paws and a lazy sort of stretch.
Well now... how to go about asking this fine gentleman of a Neko to show her the ropes? She pondered briefly on this before allowing bluntness to take over.
"Shil'Ta..." she started, seeming to roll the words over her thoughts before continuing. "Do you think you could... perhaps... teach me these ways of yours? To hunt, find shelter and, and... and all that other stuff?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:59 am
Shil'Ta was clearly taken aback by her request. His eyes widened, and his ears tilted back then turned to lean towards her. Why... Why on earth would this happily-pampered Maneki Neko want to leave her soft cushion and doting human, when she spoke of such things with such affection?
But perhaps there was more to her than met the eye. Maybe she was more curious, or adventurous, or restless than Shil'Ta had realised. Or maybe she had a different motive, one he hadn't yet conceived of, and perhaps wouldn't.
In the end, did it matter? He shifted around so his body faced her fully; his tail dipped a little more in the water and he swished it out, it streaming water in a small, sparkling arc. He shook the tip a little then let it flop in the sun, unconcerned about the wet fur.
"Well," amusement was thick in his voice as he spoke, "there's really nothing to teach. If you spend all day wandering around, exploring, expanding your knowledge of the area you find things. Shelter, or a human who's wasteful about what they throw away, or even one who puts food out for us. Or interesting places." He chuckled. "I can't teach you to wander and explore... But I suppose I can share some places with you, if you're that curious?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:39 pm
She merely shrugged and looked up at the tree a moment. "I suppose you're right..." she started, thinking again as to what it would be like to be up on the branches. The really really up high ones!
Her fur ruffled at the thought of being so high. She'd have to overcome a LOT of personal dislikes in this venture... but better to know how to do such things in case her future depended upon it.... Right?
Her gaze flitted back over to Shil'Ta. "How many of these places do you know?" she asked, deciding it best to ask as many questions about what she was getting herself into before she jumped all the way in.
((Sorry so short. XD))
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:32 am
...How many? Shil'Ta shook his head, letting out a rough little chuckle under his breath. She really didn't have a clue about this sort of life... Which was a little endearing, in it's own way.
"I really couldn't tell you, Mocha." He shrugged his heavyset shoulders, before settling down a little. "It's not like I keep track of them all... And it varies as well, depending on what the humans are doing, or what the weather is like, or where you are. And what you're looking for, of course. And things change- nothing in this life is as solid as stone, after all. But the offer still stands- I could show you some interesting places, even if I can't teach you the layout of the entire area." He let out a little chuckle, louder this time; his eyes alive with amusement.
((It's okay, mine's noa better. D; ))
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:58 pm
He spoke words of truth. Nothing stayed the same... Not even her human got the general hang of feeding right at the moment the clock chimed 7 every night, but she tried! And every so often the food would be different due to the fact of prices changing or the store was 'Sold Out'...
She sighed a bit, then steeled herself. Some kibble was better than no kibble! And she wouldn't dare go hungry just because some wild street cat took claim of her food dish!
And who knew? Maybe Shil'Ta knew of some nice humans that enjoyed a random cat to rest on their laps from time to time! After all, variety is the spice of life... why not add a little variety to her human list too?
She flicked the bob of her tail softly then closed her eyes in determination. "Alright then." she started then opened her eyes a bit to look directly to Shil'Ta. "Show me. I want to know everything you can teach me."
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 10:36 pm
Shil'Ta slowly blinked his dark green eyes, seemingly deep in thought. And why not? It sounds like an entertaining diversion. He nodded, suddenly springing to his paws with a lightness unusual of one of his size. He smiled at the female, before stretching his body out, his long tail lashing slowly from side to side, the longer fur catching in the breeze.
"Very well, Mocha." He sank a little deeper into his stretch for a moment, claws digging into the earth, before standing back up and shaking himself down. "I can't promise to teach you everything I know... But I can certainly show you around." He took half a step towards one of the exits from the park, to indicate his willingness to leave whenever she was ready.
((Sleepy response is not very good. D; Sorries.))
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