Private Thread The Duchess and the Shark

Kindness goes a long way, but don't mistake it for weakness.

✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧༄🦋༄✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧

The fluffy black-and-white she-cat didn't visit Whitehart often, it was quite the long walk, but the humans who had taken her mother into their home were taking a day out to visit Whitehart or something of the sort, Duchess couldn't quite grasp what they were saying anyway, she'd much rather explore the nooks and crannies of all the homes in the little town many called home.

There was distant barking of a dog, but Duchess hardly even flinched at the irritating howls and moved on. The elderly couple had let her roam around Whitehart, and it wasn't as if she would wonder off with some other cat she didn't know, in fact she actually did know a cat that wandered around here, bold of her to say he even lived here, after all, twolegs did take him to get rid of whatever made him smell like a tom that was for sure, that gave him a unique smell anyway.

It wasn't hard for Duchess to catch her friend's scent and move towards it with no effort to be graceful or dainty, that just wasn't who Duchess was, whatever beauty some cats might see in her had nothing to do with her, nothing at all. A red and white pelt crossed her sights and she made her way to the windowsill just outside where Noah lay. "Well would ya take a look at that, Howdy pal" she said, patting at the window with one of her black paws.

"zzZZzz"

───── /ᐠ - ˕ -マᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ─────

The window was already open ajar, allowing Noah to immediately notice Duchess. With a big grin, the tom used his big body to open it enough to squish his way out and beside the molly. “Duchie! Hey! It’s so good to see you.” the feline purred, briefly booping his nose to her’s. “What are you doing here?” the fluffy ginger tom questioned as he sat himself down beside the she-cat, licking his paw a few times before bringing it over his head. “It’s usually me coming to find you rather than vice-versa. You miss me?” the yellow-eyed tom teased.

Kindness goes a long way, but don't mistake it for weakness.

✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧༄🦋༄✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧

A smirk began to grace the she-cat's features as she watched the ginger tom squeeze through the ajar window and with with a twitch of her whiskers, she returned the affectionate gesture with an affectionate rub against the tom's chest. "It's good to see ya' too, Noah" she responded, giving her black and white tail a short twitch in recognition.

At Noah's question, Duchess let a short silence fill the air as she sat comfortably on the windowsill, wrapping her luxuriously long furred tail plumage around her paws, as the bitter bite of winter was definitely at play on moons like these, warm paws are working paws at least. Her hazel eyes met his yellow one's with a matching level of mischief as she twitched her whiskers ever so slightly as a playful scheme roamed her mind, well, more like a playful comeback.

"Mah humans were passin’ through, an’ I caught a whiff of yer scent." She answered his question quickly and truthfully, Duchess was still perplexed at how he smelled so different from other's toms she's seen, but that was none of her business. Now was the time for her comeback, as childish as it might be. "So what if I missed ya? You sayin’ you didn’t miss me? What kinda friend are ya?" she teased playfully in return, placing her paw on her chest in fake disbelief "And I thought I had a friend in ya, heartbreak I tell ya Noah, you've broken mah heart!"

"zzZZzz"

───── /ᐠ - ˕ -マᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ─────

The tom relaxed against his friend, comfortable enough to do so. Sure they both had long fur but you could never me too warm in this weather. “Passing through are they? That doesn’t happen often. Any idea what for?” the tom hummed, pale yellow eyes staying on her’s. Noah usually struggled with eye contact, the ginger feline usually looking anywhere but at the other’s eyes when talking to someone but with Raven and Duchess it felt comfortable. Natural even. “Of course I missed you, Duchie. Missed you to the moon and back.” he purred. “You’re so melodramatic, you know that?”

Kindness goes a long way, but don't mistake it for weakness.

✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧༄🦋༄✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧

At Noah's question, Duchess shrugged her black furred shoulders, keeping her gaze, steadily, but not intimidatingly on her friend as she listened to his words. "I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what for, but if it means I get to see a friend, it’s worth it, right?" Her tone was as casual as ever, but held a certain warmth that couldn't be mistaken in her voice that flowed like honey.

Duchess let out a soft snort of laughter as she nudged the red and white tom with her nose, she was glad the cat had missed her as much as she had missed him, but there was a hint of softness in her voice, as if she was reminiscing on something once cherish. A story of her father from her mother was likely, and she then let out a soft chuckle. "To the moon and back… well, ain’t that somethin’." as reminiscent as her voice was, there was a part of her that appreciated that he had been thinking about here, that her personality was something he couldn't forget, she liked that thought.

"So what if I am? Where’s the fun in bein’ serious when the situation don’t call for it, hmm?" she responded in a playful and cheery tone that appeared from seemingly thin air as she let her tongue poke out at Noah, her unmistakable sass peeking through in how she spoke. She enjoyed the time she spent with Noah, and there never seemed to be a dull moment with him, despite his laid back personality contrasting quite a lot with her own, suppose it was true what her mother said, opposites do attract.

"zzZZzz"

───── /ᐠ - ˕ -マᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ─────

Noah smiled softly, purring in response. The tom truly did cherish Duchess’ company and he wanted to show it. “Yeah. I suppose so.” the fluffy ginger loved the molly’s voice. No not just her voice. He loved everything about the she-cat from the way she looked to the way she walked to the way she talked and he could go on and on and on but that would probably be a little strange. “I mean. Sure there’s no need to be serious all the time but there’s no need to be melodramatic all the time either.” the feline responded, smiling despite rolling his eyes. “Balance is an important thing, Duchie. Obviously your parents neglected to teach you that.” Noah joked, giving her a face full of fur by lightly smacking her with his tail.

Kindness goes a long way, but don't mistake it for weakness.

✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧༄🦋༄✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧

Duchess appreciated the noticeable purred and returned them with her own. If only she could see into Noah's mind, maybe that way she could see what was going through it to make him purr so loudly, whatever it was, it was surely not her business to ask. The black and shite she-cat lifted up a paw and began to lick it delicately while still vigerous enough to get it clean, even though she never really cared for her appearance all that much, it was just habit at this stage.

"There’s balance in everythin’—seems you got an eye for it, friend." Duchess replied with a gentle, amused twitch of her whiskers as she placed her paw back down under her tail. Duchess kept her stature relaxed while still seeming oddly poised, as if she had found the perfect mix of both in one, maybe it could have been that 'balance' that Noah was going on about.

When Noah mentioned parents, Duchess' gaze became a little distant, landing on the snow for a brief second, it returned to Noah but was still distance, as if missing something she never really had. "My... mama taught me all I know. Never did meet my father." she admitted with a sigh, her hazel eyes glancing down "he died before I was brought into the world, mama said he was a fine cat though" she added, trying to add some light to the sudden darkness she brought into the conversation.

"zzZZzz"

───── /ᐠ - ˕ -マᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ─────

When Duchess returned the purr, the tom smiled a little wider. He had been feeling a little lonely the past few days so this was a really nice change of pace. When the molly explained that she never knew her father Noah nodded in understanding. He had little memory of his sisters, only remembers his mother’s face, and no memory of his father. A lot of cats had no idea who their father was. A stark contrast to the housefolk he had seen, sharing meals with both their fathers and mothers. “Glad to hear that he was a good cat.”

Kindness goes a long way, but don't mistake it for weakness.

✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧༄🦋༄✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧

Noah's understanding nod gave her a bit of reasurrance, providing Duchess with the knowledge that she wasn't alone in her longing to hear some cat that was just no longer there, and... he'd never be. "Well, I dunno... that’s just what my mama told me." she stated, in her casual tone that she always seemed to hold onto, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her tone, she knew that her mother was an honest cat, much like herself, but there was a part of her that wanted some sort of proof that her father was good, something she could see and say that he was the best cat she had ever met, but she just accepted that it wouldn't happen, it's not like anyone could bring a cat back from the dead.

Duchess let out a soft chuckle, the playful glint returning to her hazel eyes. There was no point in being so gloomy when you have the opportunity to spend time with a long missed, friend, especially one with good company like Noah. Duchess had never met any cat like him, and she appreciated that. "Maybe you can meet her one day if ya stick ‘round the farmhouse long enough." She drawled in a playful and teasing tone as she nudged the red tom-cat with her nose.

After a gentle sigh, she twitched her ears, recalling that Noah did live with more animals, and a second cat, but Duchess could not think of the name of the little kitten for the life of her, Duchess shrugged and turned her hazel gaze back to Noah, the next words she spoke where filled with curiosity and a tone that was one that many used for chatting with an old friend "So, how’s things with yer humans an’ that other little one... what was her name? Bird somethin’?"

"zzZZzz"

───── /ᐠ - ˕ -マᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ─────

Noah purred at the offer, the tom nodding happily in agreement. “Oh yes I would love to meet your mother someday. Genuinely. I’m sure she’s as lovely as you, if not more.” the ginger tabby purred, golden eyes continuing to look into Duchess’ green ones. “Say. How about I come over when it’s not so cold? Maybe you can introduce us to each other.” The feline offered. “Oh. The humans and Raven? Yeah. They’re all good. They’re good to me. They actually let me in on colder days which is nice.” The tom hummed, stretching. “And whenever they don’t finish their food, I get it! Heehee.”

Kindness goes a long way, but don't mistake it for weakness.

✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧༄🦋༄✧･ﾟ: ✿ :ﾟﾟ･✧

Duchess let out a chuckle, last she checked, her mother didn't have any enemies that she kept track of, what housecat would if she was being honest. But she gave a nod in return to Noah accepting her offer with a grin. "Oh, she’d love ya, Noah—then again, she don’t dislike a thing, bless her soul." Duchess' voice started off teasing, but grew more sincere when speaking of her mother, the old girl was sometimes too kind for her own good, but her sass definitely made up for it that was for sure.

A shiver travelled up Duchess' spine as if prompted by Noah mentioning the cold and she let out a hollow chuckle. "Yeah, I’d like that... but this cold bites at yer paws like steppin’ on splinters. So probably when the snow melts, huh?" she stated with a little shiver lacing her southern drawl. But it was true for her, for her soft black paws, stepping on the snow, especially at the temperature it was sitting at now, did sting a little if she was standing there for too long, maybe that kept her on the move in seasons like this.

Duchess nodded in recognition when Noah mentioned Raven, though she had never met Raven herself, Noah had definitely told her about Raven once or twice when prompted. "Ohhh, yes—Raven! That’s what her name was. She can come visit too if she wants; everyone’s welcome at the farmhouse." she offered with a warm and inviting purr and a more confident nod. The longhaired black-and-white she-cat let out a soft snort at the remark Noah made about eating some leftover human food and moved her muzzle to his ear. "Eatin’ human food, huh? Don’t make that a habit—that’ll fatten ya up like a fat ol’ mouse!" she purred playfully