Private Shipyard Backwritten Hide and Seek | Squid

[Torrentpaw]

「 ✦ TORRENT ✦ 」​

‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent was laying outside of the shelter he shared with Squid and Pine, idly toying with a small pebble between his paws while the tip of his tail flicked restlessly. Pine was off somewhere--which meant he couldn't spend his time pestering him--and they had already done their share of scavenging for scraps or attempting to fish for the day. Rolling onto his back, Torrent blinked as he peered into the darkness of their den. I wonder what Squid is doing? He mused, his mind quickly going through all the games they could be playing. Rolling back onto his stomach, Torrent rose to his full height and stretched before padding swiftly into the den, lowering his head as he passed through the entrance.

"Squid?"

Torrent meowed, his voice as friendly as usual.

"I'm so bored, do you want to play hide and seek?"

He meowed before quickly correcting himself, his voice brimming with excitement.

"No, no, hide and seek tag!"

​

✦ 6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat ✦

 

[Squid]

squid

Squid still startled when someone directly addressed them, but it was getting a little easier to hear Torrent's voice. She uncurled from where she was lying down. She was, now that he mentioned it, bored. But boredom was as familiar as hunger when it lived alone, so it wasn't used to paying attention. She stretched out and padded out to just where Torrent was, trying to stand calmly.

"Sure," she said. "On the count of three. One, two,"

She reached out and batted Torrent on the shoulder before running off, quick as a flash of lightning. A spray of sand went up under her paws. "Three!" He took a shortcut under a bit of rubble he knew Torrent would have trouble squeezing through. Her paws flew across the sand as she ducked from bit of cover to bit of cover, making her way to a tiny, secluded bit of scrap—the kind of place no cat was used to looking at twice, because it was dug so low into the sand it would fill up at high tide. This was low tide, though, which meant she could lie in the shallow pool of water and wait. Torrent was nowhere to be seen.

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[Torrentpaw]

「 ✦ TORRENT ✦ 」​

‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent readied himself lower to the ground as Squid drew nearer, his brows furrowing and his paws fizzing with excitement.

"One, two... Three!"

Torrent blinked in surprise as Squid batted his shoulder, jumping playfully at her gesture.

"Hey!"

He exclaimed, bubbling with laughter as he jumped after him, heart beginning to race with exhilaration. Bursting into the bright light of day outside the den, sand flew forward from his paws as Torrent glanced around quickly, his tail lashing back and fourth in a playful manner. He briskly padded around the perimeter of where they lived, occasionally lowering his nose to the ground as his ears swiveled in all directions. He quickly realized how much of the debris Squid could slip through... that Torrent could not.

Torrent continued his search, unknowingly passing Squid's hiding spot several times. He tried everything he could think of—crouching low, pausing to listen, climbing to higher ground to get a better view—but still, he had no idea where they could possibly be that he hadn't already checked. After several more grueling minutes, Torrent slumped onto his haunches, scanning the debris as his tail thumped against the sand.

"Squid..."

He called, ears turning to catch any sound of movement.

"I give up, you're too good!"

​

✦ 6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat ✦

 

[Squid]

squid

Getting back out of the little hollow was a tight squeeze. Squid pawed at the sand a little to manage it, emerging into the too-bright sunlight. The fur on her stomach was dripping and she smelled like the worst of low tide. Little bits of seaweed were stuck in it. For the first time Torrent would have seen, there was a little spark in her eyes. She padded up behind Torrent and tapped him just lightly on the tail.

"You came close," he said, a little placating. "If you want, I'll let you have a head start."

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[Torrentpaw]

「 ✦ TORRENT ✦ 」​

‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Squid's paw had stopped his tail from thumping, and Torrent quickly spun around, instinctively falling into a playful crouch as he recognized his friend. To his delight, Squid seemed to be having fun. Torrent admired how well they were at hiding, It made sense that they had survived this long on their own in the shipyard.

"Aw, dude, Gross!"

Torrent laughed after a moment as the stench of low tide filled his nose, and he shoved her gently with a good-natured paw.

"Where did you even hide?"

He couldn't help but continue giggling--Pine would hate them when he got back.

Torrent weighed her question, quickly glancing around the area, trying to think of where he could hide where Squid wouldn't instantly find him. Then he spotted it--A metal barrel lying on its side, between some wood pallets and scrap metal. He dragged his attention back to Squid, hoping he hadn't followed his gaze and guessed his plan.

"Just... close your eyes, and count to ten."

He meowed, before starting to take a few steps backwards.

Once he was sure he could make way to the barrel, Torrent turned around and dashed towards it, plunging inside of it as it clanked and banged against it's surroundings. Oops... Torrent flattened his ears, hoping Squid's hearing wasn't as sharp as her hiding skills. Placing his paws more carefully now, he pressed himself against the back of the barrel, his heart racing with excitement as he waited for Squid to start searching.

​

✦ 6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat ✦

 

[Squid]

squid

Torrent's delight was overwhelming. Squid squirmed a little in the face of the pride, lowering her head down onto her arms. She shut her eyes tightly and counted to 10.

She kept her ears peeled as Torrent scrambled off, listening for the rough direction of his footsteps. She didn't need to worry, though, because the clang he made as he collided with metal could be heard from across the yard. She froze for a second, afraid the sound would attract unwanted attention, but snapped her head up to look around. There were no sounds of distance dogs or big cats, so she padded in the direction of metal. There was a barrel on its side that looked freshly moved, visibly in contact with other bits of debris that could be responsible for that kind of noise. Squid prowled towards it, taking a detour to stay out of sight of the entrance of the barrel.

Very carefully, he crept towards it. Daintily, it let itself tap on the edge of the barrel, broadcasting its presence. At the same time, she leapt around the corner to land in front of the barrel, staring into the inside. She puffed herself up a little but kept her tail curved in friendly curiosity. "Hi," he said.

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[Torrentpaw]

「 ✦ TORRENT ✦ 」​

‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Once Squid had finished counting, Torrent held his breath, trying to stop his tail from flicking with anticipation. He couldn't hear her pawsteps at all against the sand, nor had he seen her pass past the view from the barrel. It had only been a few seconds, but Torrent was sure he had found a good spot.

He'll definitely never find me here.

He tensed as a slight tap sounded from the outside of the barrel, and he silently hoped Squid was just looking around the barrel, and wouldn't think to peer inside. But it was too late, as Squid appeared at the entrance in less than an instant. Torrent blinked in surprise, it felt like less than a minute since they had finished counting.

"No way!"

He exclaimed, eyes gleaming in amusement.

"Okay, you win... but watch out, 'cause I'm coming through!"

Torrent's lively laughter bounced off the walls of the barrel. He pressed his haunches as far back as they would go, preparing to leap, his pupils wide with playful mischief. Without another moment's hesitation, he sprang toward the barrel's opening, aiming to gently tackle his friend.

​

✦ 6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat ✦

 

[Squid]

squid

Knocking Squid over with a tackle, even a friendly one, was like trying to knock over a feather with a rock. She went skidding through the sand. Still, he laughed a little. It was much quieter than Torrent's laugh, with a slightly off-putting percussive quality. It was a laugh that sounded older than her little body.

"Now you're covered in gunk too," they said, eyes still twinkling with mirth. She smeared her fur against Torrent as punctuation to the sentence. A few particles of seaweed stuck to him, and she looked smug about it.

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

༄.° ​

​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ☀︎ After tumbling into the ground in a tangle of sand and paws, Torrent leaped to his height, shaking his thick coat clear of the sand that now dappled his pelt. Hearing squid laugh showered him with happiness--It seemed like she was growing more comfortable being around him since they had met, and having her trust meant everything and more to Torrent.

"Yuck!"

Torrent exclaimed, overdramatically sticking his tongue out at the seaweed and stink of sulfur now clung to his fur. Though he didn't actually care about getting his paws dirty, nor the stench that came with it.

"I doubt any dog would come near us again when we smell like this."

He joked, pulling a strand of seaweed off his pelt and flicking it away with laugh.

"Hey, Squid..."

Torrent meowed after a moment, his gaze suddenly growing thoughtful.

"What do you think about living with Pine?"

He began, his tone light and hopeful as he gazed at his friend.

"Do you like it?"

​

✦

6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat

✦

 

[Squid]

squid

Squid considered, rolling the thought around their head. Did they like it? Liking it wasn't the question. It was safer with Pine. A fellow cat could be reasoned with. A dog would just bite. Pine had brought them along too, and saying no to him could have made a much bigger and stronger enemy.

Torrent didn't seem to see that, though. Torrent played games and asked what she wanted without seeming like he had an answer he wanted to hear. "Beats living by the dog." She shrugged a little. "I don't know why he keeps us around, though. It's not like he has to share."

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

༄.° ​

​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ☀︎ Torrent blinked at Squid as he listened, settling down onto his haunches as his tail flicked behind him. He was right, it did feel much safer away from the old part of the shipyard they used to call home, and he rarely found himself missing the gas station he lived in prior to the run in with the dog. The gas station didn't have Squid or Pine, and it was lonely.

"I think he keeps us around because deep down, he actually likes us."

Torrent replied, a soft purr rising at the end of his sentence.

"At first I thought he was just a grump, but he wouldn't go out of his way to keep us safe like he is now if he didn't feel like he had a reason to. And I think I trust him."

He added, his tone growing more thoughtful than his normal cheerfulness. For a moment Torrent studied his paws, a small flash of nervousness flaring in his chest as a question rested on his tongue.

"Do you plan on staying here...? Or, say, if we were to travel, would you tag along?"

He blurted, his gaze rising from his paws. Of course that last question was completely hypothetical, but Torrent was eager to see her reaction to the idea.

​

✦

6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat

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[Squid]

squid

"I don't know." She looked back over her shoulder towards the distant sea. "It's hard to imagine where we might go. It would be nice if there was somewhere with more prey, but I can't imagine it wouldn't already have cats there, and I can't muscle my way into somewhere I'm not wanted."

She turned back towards Torrent though, catching the nervousness on his face. Something in it softened at the sight, and it tilted its head. "I'd follow you, though."

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

༄.° ​

​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ☀︎ Torrent listened carefully as they began, trying to push aside the remnants of his nervousness while his claws dug into the soft sand beneath him. He the knew the decision had to be her own--and Torrent would respect it--even if his heart yearned for that decision to be yes. Regardless of his own wants, he understood Squid's concerns, as he had never gone anywhere outside the shipyard himself. It appeared so vast, as if it were the only territory for days. There was no telling what was beyond the acrid debris that seemed to litter the ground endlessly. But unlike Squid, this uncertainty filled him with hope and determination. It was what kept his paws moving, what made him so eager for his friend to stay with him. To Torrent, the risk was worth what they may find.

Torrent stared at him as he paused, his claws loosening from the sand. His ears swiveled forward in curiosity as he searched his friend's gaze. There was something behind her eyes that Torrent struggled to detect, what he similarly saw in Pine's gaze before he shook his head and said something gruff. But unlike Pine, to his surprise, Squid seemed to put his heart on his sleeve, even if it was just in this moment.

Torrent's heart seemed to soar at their words, and he couldn't help but jump to his paws, happiness washing over him as any remaining apprehensiveness slipped away. The trust his friend had placed in him ignited a flurry of silent promises in his mind--those he was determined to uphold.

He parted his jaws to reply, his voice filled with determination as his eyes gleamed with an unwavering resolve that anycat would be foolish to deny.

"Wherever we go, we'll go together."

​

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6 Moons | He/Him | Shipyard Cat

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