Closed Thread Beauty and the Beast

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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The crisp air carried a scent...young, unfamiliar, and laced with the faintest chime of metal. Kosmo's ears twitched, but he made no move to acknowledge it. Instead, he retained his pace and pathing, heading for the familar steps of the run down farm house.

Then - Fwump!

A sudden weight crashed onto his back. Kosmo tensed instinctively, claws unsheathing slightly against the frost-hardened ground. His mismatched eyes narrowed as he turned his head, finding a small, dark furred molly perched atop him, eyes gleaming with triumph.

At her confident exclamation Kosmo exhaled through his nose, irritation flickering beneath his usual mask of indifference. "Did you?" He mused gruffly, shifting just enough to dislodge her. He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the remnants of her ambush. His gaze swept over her, noting the chime of a tiny bell as she had pounced. No wonder he’d caught her coming.

He tilted his head, odd colored eyes studying her with idle curiosity. "Don’t suppose you’d like to tell me who you are before pouncing on strangers?" His smirk was faint but present, betraying a flicker of amusement beneath his otherwise unimpressed demeanor.

"Get back here, little lizard!"

𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖

Raven let out an anxious yelp, the molly scurrying a few steps away. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were my big brother!" The Molly explained bowing her head apologetically multiple times, something she saw the housefly kits do when they did something wrong. "I-I'm um R-Raven" the molly stuttered, introducing herself. 

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo watched as the little molly scrambled back, her earlier confidence giving way to anxious apologies. His ears flicked at her words, noting the rapid bobbing of her head...some strange mimicry of kittypet manners, maybe? Honestly it reminded him of his feathered partner, which made the black she-cat just a little more endearing.

"Your big brother..." His tone more amused than accusatory. "I take it he looks a bit like me, then? Handsome sort, I assume."

His smirk lingered as he regarded her more closely. Raven, she had called herself - an apt name for her dark fur. But what intrigued him more was her presence here at all. He hadn’t noticed any new scents lingering around the Northern Farm lately, aside from the usual house goers.

"Haven’t seen many newcomers around..." Kosmo mused, mismatched eyes steady on her. "You and your brother - did you just arrive here? Or are you another one of Gnome's little wayward souls?"

"Get back here, little lizard!"

𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖

Raven nodded in agreement to Kosmo's words. "Yes. He is a very handsome cat. And I'm not just biased because he's my big brother. I've heard others say so too!" the molly responded as she looked up at the tom. The she-cat thought about his question for a few heartbeats before answering."I don't know who this 'Gnome' you speak of is. The only cats I know are Noah, Duchess, Sarafina, and Morgan." She told him. "My brother goes to a farm every so often to see his friend. I've never been to a farm before though." 

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo let out a low hum, his smirk deepening at Raven’s immediate praise of her brother. "Well, if others say so, it must be true..." He drawled smooth, the amusement in his tone unmistakable. Still, he filed away the name Noah. A tom who visited a farm often... Not many fit that description, but he wasn’t in the business of guessing.

At her next words, though, his ears twitched. Duchess. Now, that was a name he recognized. His last encounter with the molly had been...interesting, to say the least. Kosmo’s smirk faltered just a moment, but there was something thoughtful beneath it now, a flicker of curiosity.

His half tail gave an idle flick. "I know Duchess. Our paths have crossed once before." His mismatched eyes flicked to Raven with renewed interest. "So, first time visiting Gnome's farm, huh? Must be quite the adventure. She is a empathetic old she-cat who lives here with her family. She's been known to take in a stray or two."

He shifted his weight, the crisp air carrying the faint, bitter scent of the herbs on his pelt. "Duchess must be some friend if Noah visits her often... I can't really see the appeal though." He flashed her a wink, blinking his green eye mirthfully. He had an idea, but he preferred to surround himself with cats with smaller egos than his own.

"Get back here, little lizard!"

𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖

Raven nodded at Kosmo's first statement. "Of course it's true. I never lie." The molly responded, head held high. "Duchess is the she-cat Noah ran away with." the kitten explained, pale green eyes looking into Kosmo's mismatched ones. "I guess not everybody finds the same things pretty then. 'cause Noah says she's reallyyy pretty."

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo let out a quiet huff, his smirk lingering at Raven’s confident declaration. Never lies? Now that was a bold claim. He wouldn’t hold it against her - kits had a way of thinking in absolutes.

Duchess had never struck him as the type to be tied down, yet here was this little molly claiming otherwise. His mismatched gaze met Raven’s, searching her expression as if gauging just how much she understood of the situation she spoke of so freely.

"Prettys a fickle thing." He said, tilting his head. "Some cats like a well groomed coat and soft words. Others prefer a good scrap and a sharp wit. If Noah sees something in her, I won’t argue. But I’ll keep my opinions to myself."

He exhaled slowly, keeping alert all the same as he continued to engage with her. " Is this your first time stepping out on your own?"

"Get back here, little lizard!"

𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖

At Kosmo's last sentence, Raven shook her head. "No. This isn't my first time out on my own. I actually like following my housefolk when they walk their elderly dog. We go on walks together!" The molly explained with a big smile. "But it is my first time being this far..."

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo let out a quiet hum at Raven’s response, his smirk lingering. "Walks with housefolk and an old dog, huh?" His tone was light, but there was a glint of amusement in his mismatched gaze. "Sounds like an easy life."

His half tail flicked idly as he studied her, taking in the excited gleam in her eyes. "But this far out… That’s different, isn’t it?" His voice lowered just slightly, a note of something unreadable creeping in. "No housefolk. No leash. Just you, the cold, and whatever trouble you might find."

As he shifted his weight, the weight of his words seemed to carry - or at least he hoped the warning would be well taken. Anything could happen so far from home. "So, what made you decide to wander this far? Curiosity? Should you wish to venture further, you should visit Gnome at the farmhouse."

"Get back here, little lizard!"

𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖𓅨₊˚⊹♡⊹ ࣪ ˖

At Kosmo's question, the molly nodded, flicking her left ear. She wasn't going to lie. It was an easy life. She was given new water several times a day and was fed thrice a day. Along with that, she had shelter and a warm home to sleep in along with the company of Noah, the friendly elderly dog or her housefolk whenever she pleased. Life was good. "I guess it is really far out. But you don't need to worry at all. I'll find my way back." the she-cat responded confidently, head held high.

"I came all this way to look for my brother Noah. But um he doesn't seem to be here..."

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo’s smirk faded slightly, his ears angling forward with mild interest. The land was empty - just them and the distant, quiet hum of the farmhouse beyond.

His gaze flicked back to her, unreadable then gave a rolling shrug. "Well, if he was here, he isn’t now. Maybe he’ll turn up later. Or maybe he’s already headed back home.” His tone was casual, but there was a finality to it, a subtle suggestion that she ought to do the same.

He shifted his weight, mismatched eyes briefly flicking toward the horizon. "You’re lucky it’s quiet out here today." With that, he stretched lazily, his half tail flicking behind him as he turned away. "Take care, Raven. And if you ever do end up at the farmhouse, tell Gnome I sent you.” He didn’t wait for a response or worry about the logistics of knowing he didn't exactly introduce himself to her, already padding off, his cinnamon dusted form soon swallowed by the farmyard thickets.