[Closed] Caaaaat

[pawsitivelynepeta]

It's so easy to lose track of the days, Nepeta finds, in this strange world, cut off from her friends. On Alternia, she structured her schedule around their online presences; she didn't think in hours so much as times at which Equius or Karkat or Terezi would be likely to show up on Trollian. It wasn't that different from the various beasts that she hunted in the wilderness surrounding her hive. They, too, were more likely to be up and about at various points, and she adapted accordingly.

Here, in what she's learned is called "Central Park," she's changed her hunting patterns to suit the environment. Humans, she's learned, do not take well to it when she tries to hunt the alien barkbeasts that they lead around on leashes. Neither do they seem to approve of her snatching any of the local fowl, if they catch sight of her while she's hunting. All in all, the biggest challenge seems to be getting food without the humans noticing - any easy enough task. They're not terribly observant, Nepeta has learned. They are always on their phones and tablets and portable music players, never aware of their own surroundings.

(Of course, she could do what seems to be normal on this planet and live in one of those towering hives and pay for human food in one of those "stores" or "restaurants," but she can't bring herself to make the adjustment. It's simply too unnatural.)

All in all, there's been ample prey to keep her going in and just around the park. She hasn't been back to that apartment the humans gave her for weeks: not since she found this lovely cave near the lake and settled in. It is a perfect setup - the humans don't seem to be able to find the entrance, despite the fact that it doesn't let in water or too much cold air and is thus an ideal spot for a respiteblock.

Lately, this little cave is even starting to feel like home. Nepeta has been busy making it habitable; the cold stone floor is almost completely covered with hides, by this point. One of these - that of a hoofbeast that she felled and dragged back on a particularly dark and cold night - makes her feel a little guilty. What would Equius think, after all? Still, what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. There are candles, perched on the rough natural shelves and alcoves of the cave walls, and matches that she stole from the nearest human store. She's even coaxed quite a few of the local cats - both strays and those odd ones with the glowing eyes and love of mysterious statements - into sharing the space with her. They come and go as they please, but she shares her kills with them when she can, and offers them a safe and warm place to curl up during the cold nights.

Tonight, she feels unusually contented with her situation. She has been unusually lucky; one of those extremely tiny, shivering barkbeasts with bulging gander bulbs got lost from its human and wandered a little too near to her cave. Nepeta never says no to an easy snack. She sits cross-legged in her new hive, humming to herself in happiness as she gnaws away at a small bone. There are a half dozen cats in there at the moment. Two are sleeping, one is having a bath, one is trying to knock over the stack of homemade cat toys (duck feathers tied to the end of reeds from the lake), one has its glowing eyes fixed contemplatively on Nepeta's wall paintings, and the others are pacing around her, yowling and waiting to be given scraps.

Comments

[antitimelord]

It's been a bit since Zagreus has made a patrol of the park. It had begun to feel too watched for his liking, which, all things considered, is probably less of his typical paranoia than it is completely justified wariness. Of course, night time probably isn't any better for that, but even so, it feels better. He's curious to see if he can catch the Rift in action, feel any differences, maybe get the drop on an interesting newcomer. Also, Lucy had said there were probably caves. Despite some bad experiences, caves are appealing.

Turns out, Lucy was right. Of course, it never occurs to him that the cave he's just found might be occupied. So it's not really any wonder he finds the sight of an alien girl gnawing a bone on some decidedly rustic rugs very unexpected. The half dozen assorted cats are, as they say, just mucus on the grubloaf. He smells blood, felines, and something less readily placeable. Surprise has him sounding more polite than is typical, to very comical effect. To hear his voice, he might have just trod on someone's toes in an elevator, rather than stumbled upon a primitive abattoir for innocent pets. "...Oh. Excuse me."

[pawsitivelynepeta]

Nepeta is staring at Zagreus from the moment he makes his way into the cave, her eyes fixed on him even as she continues to gnaw. She could hear him coming - sound carries very well, in here. The grown-up human looks very surprised to see her there, so she guesses he didn't come searching for her, specifically.

"Hello," Nepeta greets him warmly, smiling, the lower half of her face besmeared with blood. "Are you lost?"

This, she's learned in her time here, is something that people ask strangers all the time. At the very least, people asked her it a lot of the time. It doesn't occur to her that the question may be one that they would only ask her, and not one another, as a kind of social ritual.

[antitimelord]

Nope, grey-skinned catgirls were not on his shopping list, funnily enough. Caves were, but this one is clearly no longer suitable. It's full of cats. Which is a shame, because it's otherwise a very nice cave. Though he finds her taste in wall decorating a bit unfathomable.

"Only in the most metaphorical of senses. I wasn't aware that this cave was...in use. Or that I'd be interrupting anybody's meal." He can't help giving his surroundings a more careful and curious once-over, now he's over the surprise. She seems to be quite the adept huntress, to judge by the amount and variety of hides on the floor, though perhaps less adept of an interior decorator. He wonders if the 'authorities' are aware there's a feral alien child eating animals in the park. Probably not. "I suppose I can say I mostly like what you've done with the place."

[pawsitivelynepeta]

If there is any implied insult in that remark, it flies right past Nepeta, who beams at the compliment. "Thanks!" She doesn't mind this man looking at the interior decorating, is happy to have someone there to appreciate it. The cats capable of speech seemed to favor vague prophecy more than polite conversation about wall paintings.

"There aren't a lot of caves here and this is the only good one. Were you looking fur a place to stay, or just exploring?"

[antitimelord]

Of course the little grey cat person is oblivious to sarcasm.

"Ostensibly the latter, but I admit on some level the former as well." He isn't sure why he feels defensive about letting on that he was scoping out caves. He also isn't sure why, despite feeling defensive, he said that in the first place. It's not like she has a good enough grasp on the situation to feel bad about taking the only good cave, which he isn't even sure what he'd do with if he had it in the first place. But enough of that. "So, you're pretty clearly not human. How's that going, here?"

[pawsitivelynepeta]

Nepeta, perceiving no malice in the question whatsoever, shrugs her shoulders. "The people here are very silly and afraid of me." Incomprehensible, isn't it? How could anyone be afraid of her. Nepeta notices that there's a splotch of blood on the back of her wrist that she missed, and licks it clean fastidiously.

Then, because she is such a generous and caring person, Nepeta offers, "I suppose you can stay here, if you'd like. There's plenty of room for one more."