Ask to Join An Adventure for a Kittypet

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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"Stuuupid cat!"

The brown-headed cowbird gave a sharp caw, wings snapping open just as she gathered herself on wing, easily outpacing her clumsy leap, circling once overhead as if to mock the attempt. The kittypet would hear only the questionable squwak, but to Kosmo, it was an insult he understood.

The ruddy mink cat stepped from the alley shadow, where ivy crawled think along the brick. There was still a touch of blood along his maw, hints at a nearby meal enjoyed not too long ago. Probably still fresh. His mismatched eyes tracked the cowbird's depature for a moment before they turned to Artemis. Along with his prescence came the faint perfume of lavender, musk of someone graced in shamanic ways.

He eyed her collar. "She felt you coming. Birds have a way of seeming one step ahead of clumsy hunters." He would not give any advice on how to hunt them - it was against his ways. "Why don't you try running down a fat squirrel instead?" His half tail flicked once behind him as he stepped forward.

I wanna be where the people are.

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Artemis flinched at the sudden loud caw from above. Why was it circling above her? Was it going to attack her? She crouched low to the ground, looking up cautiously at the other creature. Yet it never attacked her, it just circled and left.

When her gaze shifted back towards the ground she saw there was another cat and startled, her fur standing on end and she shrunk into the ground the best she could. There was blood around their maw, was that cat blood? Was this one of the dangerous cats she'd been warned about? Was he going to eat her next?

"How did it feel me coming. It's a bird." She said, her voice showing confidence her body language did not. She took a few steps away from the other cat, trying to give some distance so she could run to safety if needed. 

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo watchedher shrink away as if he were an ill omen. He'd seen it before. Many times. His ears flicked once at her question.

There was an absence of urgency. Nothing threatening or wearing the face of someone who was hungry or spiteful. "And you're a cat. And you were loud...at least, worth noticing."

Another moment passed before he shifted his attention briefly to the direction the cowbird had gone. At her retreat, he didn't follow but he figured an introduction could disarm the tension. "What's your name? You can call me Kosmo." His paw swiped at his maw again to clean up the mess of his recent meal.

I wanna be where the people are.

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Artemis nodded, this cat was trying to help. Maybe he wouldn't hurt her? She relaxed her stance just a bit, still cautious and ready to run if he tried anything. Would he catch her anyways? Probably, but it didn't hurt to try. 

"My name is Artemis." She mewed, standing to her full height once more, her gaze following Kosmo's paw as he swiped away the blood. Maybe it wasn't cat blood? Would he be talking to her so casually if he'd just eaten another cat? Or was he just trying to be nice before he ate her too?

"Whose blood was that?" She squeaked out before she could think otherwise. Almost jumping at the sound of her own mew. Gosh, why did she say that?

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo's paw paused mid swipe at her question. It seemed more like an accusation to him, but still, he wasn't offended. If anything there was a sliver of wryness in his odd eyed gaze as they swept over her agan.

"Nothing but a rat." He answered her simply, his usual candid tenor lifting from his muzzle. He finished dragging his tongue over his paw, then over the last trace of red along his muzzle, as if the question had been as casual about an inquiring about the weather.

"Plump one too. Caught near from human-bins of soiled food stuffs." Careful though. It was all too common for some of these humans to poison them - he surely was cautious before the feast.

"You seem...well fed. Why stray from such comforts anyway?" He mused to her, theroritical.

I wanna be where the people are.

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Artemis let muscles she didn't even know she was tensing relax after finding out that the blood wasn't cat, but a rat. She didn't really have a reason to trust Kosmo at his word, but she didn't have a reason to not trust him either. If he wanted to hurt her he would have done so by now, right? She stood at her full height now, instead of being somewhat crouched and ready to run. 

"I don't want to rely on the humans to feed me." She answered honestly, if this cat was friendly maybe she could have a friend outside the cafe. "I've gone hungry because a human died." Her voice wavered  at the mention of her past human, and she took a breath to steady her breath before continuing. "I couldn't get any food until a different human saved me. I don't want that to happen again."

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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The suspicion was like rain water melting off her fur when he gave her an explanation. How she believed he was licking cats blood from between his toes said more about her than he cared to know. He listened to her without interuption, glancing at the path she had took to get where she was now.

An ear flicked at her explanation as he bowed his head towards the human huts. "Humans don't have nine lives like some of us, I'm told." He mused a bit to himself. When a human died so did their care. It was better than waiting for an empty food bowl, at least.

"That's good. It's not proper for cats to be forced to live with humans. They are..." His words grew soft, pausing as his brows furrowed. Humans were so far removed from animals...predators and prey, it was a wonder they were a part of this world at all.

"Unreliable." Was the word he chose to settle on. And it seemed to fit for the moment. Sliding both of his forepaws forward, his front half dipped into a arching yawn. It seemed the shadows under his eyes stretched nearly to his muzzle, indication a sleepless night.

"So...As an independant she-cat would you be willing to hear some advice? Maybe join me for a little stroll?" Both could be seen as clear as day. If she had any worry, let it be forgotten.

I wanna be where the people are.

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Artemis nodded silently, humans were nice but she didn't want to rely on them. They were far too unreliable. That's why didn't want to have to rely on them anymore. With all that had happened, maybe one day she'd be able to leave the cafe and not return, but right now that seemed so far off. Maybe this cat.. Kosmo.. could help? 

She half-mindedly scratched at her collar with her hind leg, the thin piece of cloth missing its distinctive bell from when she pulled it off once she found her little hole into the outside. The humans were yet to notice it missing, or if they had it wasn't replaced at least. 

Even with that thought already in her mind she hesitated when he offered to go on a walk with her. She wasn't familiar with the area, what if he brought her somewhere and she couldn't find her way back? Or if he was going to lure her somewhere? But he hadn't seemed to want to hurt her yet, and if he could help her..

"I'll take some advice, if that entails a stroll then.." Her mew wavered for just a second, and she took a short breath before continuing. "Sure." Her mew was still soft and uncertain but she had agreed. At least she knew the blood wasn't cat now, so he claimed.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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His paws traced a path along the edge of the road where grass met the stone of the asphalt as they turned to begin their stroll. She was wise to seek his aide, given her choice to follow. "While hunting is important you should familiarize yourself with how to stay alive should something go wrong...given the wide, unexpected world."

He slowed near a patch of softer ground, nosing lightly at the earth. Between every crack and cobblestone was the springy texture of soft green moss. He paused to motion with his paw, spreading through the patch with his claws. "If you're bleeding...you'll want to find patches like these. Press moss into the wound to help staunch the flow..."

He offered her an easy smile, the kind that came naturally on his jowels, while white whiskers twitched in invitation. "Mouse fluff works in a pinch too...but you'll have to catch a mouse first."

Kosmo then ambled down the path, down the way to the line of southern houses keeping an ear out for anything out of the ordinary. "...Shall I continue?"