is anybody home? /open.

[rebecca]

She hadn't seen many cats around for quite some time.

Nightingale sat alone in the large, overgrown tufts of yellow-green grass that grew right above her head. Even when she stood up, the grass still beat her in height. At times Nightingale cursed her small physique, but at this particular moment it seemed that her stature was more a gift then a curse. Of course usually, it was more of the former.

The black and white furred cat sat silent, pondering on what she supposed was going to happen next. The shadows coming from the barn streched long overhead, and the world was bathed in a warm, golden light. It was near sunset, but Nightingale didn't plan on returning to the den she had made not so far away from the Ranch. She planned to sit there by the abandoned twoleg house and wait, hidden by the grass.

Nightingale hadn't seen anyone around the Ranch for too long. It was almost as if they were somewhere else, waiting, watching... Yes, it was true that quite a few had joined aone of those idiotic Clans, but there should at least be a few oither cats who hadn't. Surely she wasn't alone out here, and if she was Nightingale hadn't any problem with it. The problem she had was the idea that she wasn't alone and didn't know it. Surprise was the greatest and best way to attack, after all.

Paranoia, it seemed, had settled its claws into Nightingale.

[thistle.]

Eyrie was in a very good mood that warm evening. Her stomach was full after easily catching a plump rabbit unawares, and the gently falling sun felt pleasant on her calico pelt. All she needed, and wanted, as the companionship of another feline. It was unlikely she would find one, as cats who lived in the Ranch were often solitary and wary of strangers. But there was still a good chance that she'd spot someone who appeared friendly. And if she was destined for a night alone, there was a deep sleep to look forward to. So basically, to her it was a win-win situation. The she-cat let out a relaxed purr as she padded slowly toward the Ranch. Except her sound of contentment stopped soon, because she was aware that her fore leg had brushed against fur.

Fur. Definitely not a dog's coat, because the overwhelming stink of those filthy creatures would have soon filled her nostrils. And not any other animal's either, because if it were a fox or a badger, she would probably be dead by then. So she had obviously almost stepped on a cat. A cat that was lying in the grass.

Eyrie quickly took a step sideways, although she ended up tripping on a rock and falling down in a heap. Flustered, she meowed "Sorry!" without even really looking at who she was talking to. So far, she had given the newcomer the impression that she was a clumsy, ignorant cat. And she did not want a complete stranger to think of her that way. Placing herself into a sitting position, she said humorously, "After eating that rabbit, I'm probably the clumsiest cat around. I'm Eyrie, by the way; who're you? A friendly one, I hope?" She smiled cheerfully at the black-and-white latter, almost sycophantically attempting to get on her good side.

Eyrie wasn't a brown-nosed snob, unlike a few she-cats she had met, but she was having fun.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

The Siamese tom was restless. He wanted to flirt with someone, escape something, trick a cat. Anything would do besides pacing this dull ol' ranch. Yes, peace was nice, he supposed...

But adventure beat the tail off peace any day.

However, maybe his luck was about to change. The lanky charmer sniffed the air, purely out of habit, and realized with delight that there were two lovely ladies nearby. He should go and show them a prime example of a tom. Him. His face lit up with purest pleasure.

Maybe they would even be flat-faced. All the better.

So, with confident, happy steps he marched outside and saw the two he'd smelled. A calico and one that was black and white. Wonderful.

"Hey they-ah, ladies! Don't you two look cute today!"

He sat a little ways from them, still grinning. It had never crossed his mind that they might not care for his company.

[rebecca]

Nightingale leapt to her paws as soon as Eyrie revealed herself, her sleek black fur bristling in alarm. Why hadn't she scented his cat from afar? How hadn't she scented his cat before she had come? Unfortunately it seemed that Nightingale was losing her touch, something she couldn't afford. Just as she was about to spit out a harsh reply and demand to know why this "Eyerie" was walking around and sneaking up on cats, she stopped herself. Nightingale supposed it was better to make friends than enemies, especially with the time being so close to nightfall.

Forcing a small smile, Nightingale took a hesitant step forward.
"My name is Nightingale. It's nice to meet you..." she replied, being glancing to a tom cat strutting right over.
What, didn't she have a nose?
Nightingale should have at least heard him coming, or she should have at least caught a whiff of the tom. At this rate, she was going to be a prime target for any cat who decided to go homicidal.

"Who are you supposed to be?"
Nightingale meowed coolly, yellow-green eyes narrowing.

[thistle.]

The calico was rather taken aback as the she-cat's bristling composure vanished in a heartbeat, leaving a close-to-friendly feline in her place. She could tell by Nightingale's hesitant step, forced smile, and sudden change of reaction that she was wary of her. She was also a pretty good actress. Not perfect, but neither was Eyrie.

Although she wasn't a fan of formal chat, she nodded and meowed as casually as her words allowed, "Nice to meet you too, Nightingale. Do you live at the-" She was about to say Ranch, and she would've if she wasn't rudely interrupted by some tom. She turned and shot a glare at him. Normally, she was a sucker for handsome, flattering toms, except that one looked as if his head was full of thistledown. She had gathered that from his first impression on her. So obnoxious, probably tries to meet up with all the she-cats around this place...

Fortunately, she didn't have to say anything... yet. Nightingale had said almost exactly what Eyrie would have.

ooc: ... short. :c

[Cloud of Diamonds]

Loki continued grinning, even after the little black and white she-cat's less than friendly greeting. Besides, he got to use a line he'd invented, so there was nothing to complain about.

"Who am I? Who are you? Can we really say? 'Cause ya know names are jus' words, they dun say a thing 'bout us. But ya can call me Loki."

Maybe the pair would be confused...maybe merely annoyed. Maybe even a little impressed with his cleverness. He'd give up on charming them...for the moment, anyway. Ah, how he loved guessing! Playing the game of conversation. It was just like hunting a tasty little mouse, or two. You figure out how it moves, entice it a bit, move away, come back, get a little closer...and strike! You had a delicious meal.

Besides, who he couldn't charm, he tricked or befriended.

Either one was fun and most often satisfying, and he was good at them. Just as long as he didn't get into any fights. Then things got not-so-nice.

[rebecca]

ooc.
I keep on spelling Eyrie's name like Lake Eyerie. xD
So sorry in advance if there are any mispellings below or in future posts~

bic.
Nightingale glanced from Eyrie to the newcomer, her black and white fur still bristling slightly. She had no idea if these cats meant any harm or if they were just lonely, as she was. Her cool expression didn't falter. If they were lonely, fine. If they meant her any harm, well, she would deal with that easily. She would fight them with the aim to kill; the same way that she always fought. After all, if she didn't kill them they may kill her. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

However wasn't she jsut overcalculating everything as she often did? She would being scaring away potentail allies... something she desperately needed. Nightingale had never been one for making friends, and now seemed like a good time to change that sad fact.
"Alright, Loki..."
Nightingale began slowly, careful not to let her expression show what she was thinking.
"Your thoughts on names are amusing, I must admit. Where do you come from? I'm going to ask the same of you, Eyrie. Do either of you like to hunt?"
She meowed, forcing another small smile.

Hunting, yes! For some reason cats were at their friendliest when hunting, and a friend was something that she needed. It was the ultimate ice-breaker, as long as the other two cats could actually catch their own prey. Hopefully they would be able to, and hopefully Nightingale wasn't walking into a trap that she had accidentally set for herself.

[thistle.]

"Who am I? Who are you? Can we really say? 'Cause ya know names are jus' words, they dun say a thing 'bout us. But ya can call me Loki."

Loki's smart-aleck response merely irritated Eyrie further. To her, he just seemed plain rude, barging in on them and trying to impress them with his words. "Names can tell 'things about us'," she replied, her tone carefully polite but still cold. "If a cat was named Shadow, then he probably would be black, right? And if someone got their name later in life for some reason and was named... let's say, Minnow, then we can assume that she's a good swimmer."

Once she was finished talking to Loki, she turned her eyes back onto Nightingale, listening as she spoke. "Your thoughts on names are amusing, I must admit. Where do you come from? I'm going to ask the same of you, Eyrie. Do either of you like to hunt?" Amusing...? Eyrie didn't think so. But she didn't answer to that; she only meowed, "I'm from around here. I suppose you are as well...? And of course I do. What cat doesn't like hunting? Well, there's two-leg pets, but they don't quite count." A more light-hearted tone entered her voice and a small smile even played upon her face.

She wasn't sure what the other two were thinking, but she was going to try and make some friends here. Or maybe just a friend, as that siamese tom was rather... how should she put it, annoying? She was lonely, just moving silently around the Ranch like a bright-colored shadow, being ignored by the other cats there.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

Loki nearly rolled his eyes. Smarty paws she-cat. Well, he wouldn't give up. Maybe she'd turn out to be better. And of course there was also the other one...

"Yeah, I s'pose so. Oh, and ah' love ta hunt!" His blue eyes practically lit up with pleasure. Hunting was one of the main joys in Loki's life. That, charming cats, and having thrill rushes. Oh good, now Eyrie was making some sense. He nodded.

"Yah, any cat that doesn' like ta hunt is crazy, ya know? Beh, house cats. I was one of 'em once. Most boring life evah, lemme tell you. Plus those Twolegs ah' crazy. Jus' crazy."

He shook his head, further indicating his disdain for the strange creatures who had once owned him. Disgusting things. Doing...stuff...to him. He would never forgive them. And this life was so much better. Sure, there were the fleas, and the risks, and the crazy cats...but it was worth it. Nothing could get him back in that hell of a life.

[rebecca]

Nightingale nodded curtly, casting a quick glance behind her to make no one else decided to pop in on them. The fact that both of them came upon her without her even scenting them scared the small black and white cat to death. But what if they had been hostile? She would have been killed, and could have possibly been lying in a pool of her own blood right at that very moment.... if Eyre and Loki had taken it upon themselves to attack her, which they evidentally had not. Nightingale had gotten lucky. Very, very lucky.

'I'm from around here. I suppose you are as well...? And of course I do. What cat doesn't like hunting? Well, there's two-leg pets, but they don't quite count.'
"Yes, I live around here. No, the twolegs' cats can barely be counted upon to stand on their own paws, let along hunt."
She meowed with a sneer. One cat down, one to go.

'Yeah, I s'pose so. Oh, and ah' love ta hunt!'
Nightingale nodded. Two down. Perhaps by the end of this... patrol, adventure, whatever she would have at least one friend.
"Alright then, let's get started."

ooc.
I'm sorry that it took me over a month to respond to this. Dx