Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Oct 13, 2020 0:17:28 GMT
Wind Moon Day 26 (Oct 12, 2020)  Hollow eyed the water warily. Even from several tail-lengths away, from under the cover of the forest brush and trees, and near a relatively calm portion of river, there was something intimidating about the riverbank. It was not just a puddle to splash around in or drink from; it was a force of nature in its own right—a force perhaps stronger than Hollow herself. It's just water, she chided herself, You drink water! If you need something to live, it can't be fatal!But another part of her mind whispered, You know that's not true.She huffed out a sigh. Even after several moons on her own, she still couldn't escape her brothers' bickering—even if it was just in her head. Maybe that made it worse, though. She didn't want to think about it too deeply. Instead, Hollow refocused her attention on the river. Before she could work herself back up into a bundle of nerves, she forced herself to creep forward—just a couple of steps. Okay, now just a couple more. She inched forward, slowly. Very slowly. Embarrassingly slowly, but there was no one around to see her. Right? With that thought in mind, she sniffed the air. No cats—or other, less-savory, company—seemed to be in the area, but the wind was not blowing in her favor; really, anyone could be at her back, the way the wind was blowing. But the time she had spent scenting her surroundings had managed to bring her closer to the river, almost to the bank. Hollow reached a paw forward, but hissed at the touch of the cold water. She yanked her paw away and realized that her tail had puffed up in an unconscious attempt to make herself seem larger in the face of an enemy. The enemy being...the river? You're being ridiculous, she thought to herself, and reached her paw out again. This time, the pad of her foot landed on the smooth, slippery surface of a river rock, the first of several stretching across the length of the river. Hollow urged her body forward, trying to focus on the distant shore of gently sloping grass rather than the water around her feet, and wondered what—or who—she would find on the other side. WC: 372 ★ faiHollow
she-cat
26 moons
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Deleted
Deleted Member
0 Posts
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2020 21:08:14 GMT
when writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen
because you life is your's to remember Sigh Hope you don't mind me hopping in with my girl! Her claws dug deeper into the wet earth by the river bank. The calming sound of water rushing in her ears gave Miku the peace her hectic day did not provide her. Gentle green yellow eyes so focused on her task of digging up the root she'd nosed out through the scents of wet plants and water. Humming to herself she continued to dig. When she saw the entangled root deep in the earth her eyes sparkled with delight and excitement. She loved it when she managed to dig up something new after a long day of searching. Lowering her head she used her nose to try and keep the earth away as her teeth went to work on snipping at the sturdy roots. Once she finally chewed through the roots; disliking the taste of the dirt and river water she was glad to finally raise her head with the root intact. She made sure to only bite off the top of the root so that the rest of the end could stay in the earth and continue to regrow with the gentle care of the earth and the river water that ran through it. The dark grey tabby settled the root down in a large leaf she'd been carrying around to collect her herbs when she noticed movement across the river. Light green eyes peered curiously closer at the figure that was moving rather quickly across the rocks. Another cat? Oh it'd been so long since Miku actually got interaction with other strays and loners! She'd only been in a few conversations with the cats that lived beyond the fence with the twolegs.
Grabbing her bundle Miku trotted her way into view and to the river's edge where the other was approaching. She set it down and began washing her face and paws in the water's edge; her tail and butt in the air as she balanced herself at the bank to try and wash off the dirt off her face, muzzle, and paws that'd she'd gotten on them during her harvesting of the root. Once that was done and looking like a half soaked rat she clambered herself back on shore and looked towards the other tabby.
"Greetings! Hi there!" she smiled sitting down. She did not want to come closer in case the other was hostile or frightened by her appearance. "What brings you out to this side of the river?" she asked curiously as she leaned closer with a cocked head to peer at the other and study them with curious and keen gaze to not miss a detail.
Blinking she pulled back and gave a small smile. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me to just ask that without introducing myself! I'm Miku! I live around here! I was just harvesting some root over there for my herb stash. What's your name friend?" she spoke up. |
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Oct 13, 2020 23:05:04 GMT
The sound of another cat startled Hollow, and her paws scrabbled momentarily against the slick surface of the last stepping stone. She splashed briefly into the water but quickly emerged onto the bank, giving herself a couple quick—if undignified—licks. "Hello," she replied, trying to restore her composure. Dignity partially recovered, Hollow finally took the time to observe her company and was surprised to find a rather drenched she-cat. Did she fall into the river too? Hollow wondered. But no, her attitude was too jovial to suggest any discomfort with the water, and besides, not everyone was as intimidated by the river as Hollow. The rest of the cat's introduction filtered through Hollow's mind, but it did little to assuage her confusion. Herb stash? she thought, What does that mean? And if she lives around here then I hope I'm not trespassing... But again, this cat—Miku's—attitude didn't suggest any hostility. Never hurts to be prepared, but for now it should be safe to talk."I'm Hollow. I didn't mean to trespass; I usually stick to the woods, but I thought the plains this way might be interesting." And it didn't take long for that to prove true, she mused. Her green eyes flicked to the pile of unearthed roots a number of tail-lengths away. "What do you do with your, ah...herb stash?"ooc: Yes! Hollow and Miku is sure to be a good timeWC: 224 ★ faiHollow
she-cat
26 moons
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Deleted
Deleted Member
0 Posts
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2020 23:22:46 GMT
when writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen
because my life is mine to remember Miku couldn't help but give a little giggle at the look the other gave. This stranger was rather expressive for sure no matter how much she tried to hide what she was thinking it was written all over her face without words. The dark tabby gave a warm smile and gave her a friendly wave of her tail as if giving her a hand shake without touching her. She casually wiped at her ears and gave a shy look down at her half drenched form.
"I'm sorry I hadn't meant to startle you. And it's very good to meet you Hollow! Oh and don't worry about trespassing! I'm actually a wanderer myself but these are familiar woods I tend to occupy rather often but it's not technically claimed by me so you are free to stick around as well!" she explained quickly to put the other's worries to rest. Miku wouldn't be able to hold down a territory even if she tried. She preferred diplomatic and civil conversation over important matters instead of violence so if someone challenged her for a spot she'd gladly give it if only to make others happy.
Looking at the other and her tense posture made the dark tabby frown and wonder if Hollow was afraid of Miku? She really didn't want the others to be afraid of her because frankly Miku even if her face looked mean she was quiet the opposite. She blinked at the other she-cat and gave a thoughtful hum at the mention of herbs, ah yes. Others might not understand those terms of course! Miku cleared her throat and smiled as she motioned with her paw towards the bundle that was lying off to the side with a pile of dirt covered roots of other plants, some flower stalks, and some berries in a pile with other leaves. She spoke with a tip of her chin towards it.
"Herbs, are another word for a category of plants used for treating wounds and illnesses." she explained patiently. "I was digging up a root called Dock. Generally you use the Dock leaves to chew into a pulp to apply to scratches and wounds to help heal it; but the root is more potent because it's closer to the source." she commented as she poked at the bundle to show the other she-cat the root she had been painstakingly digging up moments before.
Looking up at the other she gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I can get carried away. This subject is very fascinating for me! I've been experimenting with different stuff along my journey and cataloging what grows where. I don't often remember others don't have the same mind set...not that I see many others around come to think of it." she confessed shrugging. |
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Oct 14, 2020 0:51:24 GMT
A friendly, gentle cat who liked digging around for plants, preferred healing to fighting, and was all by herself out here... Well that's just too good to be true, thought Hollow. I couldn't find a less threatening cat if I tried. Hollow's eyes met with Miku's for a moment—so much like hers, yet so different; though similar in color, the shades, shapes, and slants of each pair were slightly varied. Much like the two of them, Hollow supposed. They both seemed like relatively solitary indivuals, considering Hollow's lonely past few moons and Miku's self-proclaimed solitude. Maybe there was more they had in common as well? Of course there were plenty of obvious differences, even ignoring appearances, but maybe that was a good thing. After all, Hollow had always been confused by how much her brothers argued in spite of how similar they seemed to her. Hollow let out a slow breath, releasing some—though not all, never all—of the tension inside of her body. She flicked her tail in return, mirroring Miku's gesture of friendship. "It's nice to meet you, too, Miku."She lowered herself slightly, stretching her head towards to bundle of herbs and berries. With a slow intake of breath, a number of scents touched Hollow's senses: the pungent and bitter smell of the roots, the sweet smells of the flowers and berries. They were all familiar in some way; after all, Hollow had encountered each of these plants before in passing. But now, freshly plucked or unearthed, the scents became stronger, more distinct, and easier to distinguish from the rest of their surroundings. Hollow returned to her resting stance, letting the smells fall back into her subconscious. "I don't know much about plants," she admitted, "Can they really do all that? It seems like magic."Way to reveal a weakspot, mousebrain, Hollow admonished herself, though at the same time she denied the thought— How could she hurt you with plants, anyway? And she seems perfectly friendly, anyhow. The warring thoughts frustrated her, and she realized how her expression might appear to Miku. "I don't see much in the way of others, either," she said by way of apology, "I haven't talked to anyone in a while—maybe a moon! Sorry if I'm a little rusty." She huffed out a small, self-effacing laugh. WC: 381 ★ faiHollow
she-cat
26 moons
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Deleted
Deleted Member
0 Posts
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2020 20:58:01 GMT
when writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen
because my life is mine to remember TAGS
This loner seemed so on-edge; it would have made sense from her reaction that Hollow did not come from social standards. Neither was Miku but she still tried. There were two different kinds of unsocial cats. Ones that crave the attention and talk to much like Miku and those who were wary of interactions with others from lack of experience with others like Hollow. Still, the dark tabby was happy to meet someone new after a good bit of being alone in the woods with nothing but her thoughts for company and an occasional squirrel. The look she gave the dark tabby made her give a giggle and nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh yes! It's a logical thing though if you think about it. Nature can be rather healing. I spend my entire life learning and being fascinated with plants that can help my life and others." she watched the other as she nosed through the pile and smiled amused as she watched.
"That's okay! I wouldn't mind the company! It's been a good bit since I've had a good conversation. Oh! I never asked, what brings you to this part of the forest Hollow? Are you just passing through or have a family nearby?" she asked in a curious fashion as she looked across the river where the other had come from and peered at the edges of the trees to see if she could make out another figure perhaps.
"You are traveling alone hmm?" she commented when she didn't see anyone else on the shoreline waiting to follow her over.
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Oct 14, 2020 22:26:12 GMT
I'll have to pay more attention to the plants around me, thought Hollow. She dropped her eyes to the grass she was standing in, somewhat damp from the nearby river and sparkling with miniscule drops of water. There were a lot of things she took for granted, not sparing a thought for the minutiae of her life and surroundings. Was that costing her something? Was there something to be learned from the unremarkable details of her existence? Her mind returned briefly to the plants Miku had gathered. If all of those have hidden uses that I never knew of, she wondered, Then how many more secrets are there in this forest? Or across this river? After all, crossing the river in the first place had been an attempt to expand her horizons, to go somewhere new and see what would happen; meeting Miku was really rather serendipitous. Perhaps the reverse was not entirely true, however; if Miku was looking for company, then Hollow figured she probably wasn't the best available option. But she wouldn't let that stop her from trying to be friendly. "I can't promise you good conversation," she meowed, only half-jokingly, "But I think average conversation isn't too much to ask." She smiled, hoping the joke would land; Hollow was never sure how her somewhat disjointed sense of humor would be recieved. At Miku's glance across the river, Hollow swiveled around to look behind her. The trees of the forest where she made her home seemed so far away, although she knew they were well within reach. It was less of a physical distance she felt, almost as if the forest was not just bunches of trees but a copse of memories, both good and bad. She turned back to Miku. "I am traveling alone—have been for about eight moons now...but I don't know if I'm really cut out for the solitary life." She chuckled and paused, trying to figure out how to say her piece. "I've just been wandering, mostly. If you don't mind the company, I could help you dig up some more herbs, or if you haven't eaten in a while, eight paws are better than four..." Hollow trailed off, hoping Miku would be able to make sense of the words that had tumbled from her mouth. WC: 390 ★ faiHollow
she-cat
26 moons
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