Private Shipyard ✦ Searching

[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent watched the water closely, perched on a plank of wood that lay halfway into the water. His body was relaxed and still, only stirred by the breeze that rolled over the docks. He felt as if he had been waiting for hours; his body ached to be stretched and freed from his tucked position. His belly suddenly churned, giving him an extra burst of motivation to maintain patience. Exhaling softly, he closed his eyes momentarily before they flashed open, and his eyes widened at the sight of a scaled body swimming slowly beneath the surface. Surprise washed over him, but the young tom didn't waste another second, darting a large paw into the water with a splash. He felt the scales and flesh snag underneath his claws, and excitement pricked the fur down his spine. Tossing the thrashing creature onto the pebbly shore, Torrent leaped beside it and held it down with a paw before landing the finishing blow. Having not eaten in days, his heart seemed to soar as he finally had a meal that wasn't rotten or dumpster scraps. Though he felt a tinge of guilt, wishing there were some cat nearby to share it with.

I shouldn't be the only cat who gets to enjoy this.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎He wasn't close to any of the other cats that lived among the docks, but he knew for a fact that they all shared his hunger. Brows furrowed, he picked up his catch and skipped along the pebbles, trying his best to scent the air around the fish scent that clogged his nostrils.

 

[Squid]

squid

Squid much preferred to stick to the shadows and crevices of the shipyard, away from the large seabirds and few bigger, stronger cats. It was safer in his little den, but he was far from the few sources of food. It meant that the scent of a fresh fish called them like a siren. Carefully, they slunk out from under a section of ship hull, looking for the source.

When they saw Torrent and his catch, they paused for a moment, flattened down to the ground. He was bigger than them and looked much stronger. Still, he wasn't a full adult. And they were really, really hungry. They crept around a corner of a rusted shell and called out softly "I can show you somewhere safe to sleep, if you'll give me a bite. Even just a fin.".

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Angling his ears swiftly towards the voice, Torrent slowed to a halt, his gaze falling on the cat who called out to him.

Just in time!

"Hi there!" He meowed brightly, after setting his catch down onto the stone. Studying the small cat for a moment, his heart seemed to tug at the sight of their frame. Despite their long fur, it hardly concealed the obvious malnourishment. Blinking, he silently wondered why the cat had offered something in return. Everycat deserves to eat. And the circumstances here are too severe to not share. He parted his jaws to continue. "You're welcome to come and share with me--I'd be more than happy to." Torrent sat back against his haunches, licking a paw and drawing it over his ear as he tried to appear small and less threatening towards the stranger.

 

[Squid]

squid

Squid is so ready to flee at the first sign of a hiss the friendly answer seems to startle her more. For a moment, she considered pulling back anyway. Surely it was more likely to be a trick—but she was starving. "Really?".

They crept forward with wide eyes, watching Torrent the whole time. Maybe even if it was a trick, they could snatch a bite before they ran off. They were pretty good at pulling a disappearing act among the wreckage. She wasn't as cautious as she could have been, though. Despite herself, he did seem kind. They paused just outside of arm's reach, ready to give Torrent another chance just in case he changed his mind and got angry at them. "How did you manage to make a catch like this? I've been trying, but...

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ "Really." Torrent replied, his meow ending with a purr while his eyes closed momentarily. He shifted his weight onto the ground and let his body lay lazily across the stones, feeling his muscles relax after being stationary above the water for so long. Torrent watched the stranger as she tiptoed closer, her gaze fearful and cautious. After what seemed like a lifetime, he offered her a soft purr as the long-haired cat was now just a few whisker-lengths away.

He blinked at her question, knowing it had been at least a week since he had managed to catch anything at all, let alone see fish in the water. I should just let her have the whole thing. Torrent told himself, as he could always scavenge for scraps, even if it meant spending a bit more time searching. "I got lucky, that's all." He began to explain, flicking his ear towards the distant disarranged wood that stood along the shore. "I waited along the water on top of those planks, and waited till one swam by. It's not your fault," he added quickly, "There just isn't enough fish here, even for most experienced cats to have much luck." Though Torrent was proud of his catch, thankful that he didn't give up waiting.

"Go ahead and have as much as you want, I can eat whatever is left over." He insisted, whiskers twitching as he gave the stranger a small smile. "And you can call me Torrent!" He continued, eyes gleaming. "What's your name?"

 

[Squid]

squid

Squid closed the gap and tore the fish carefully in rough halves. She let them drop down, making sure Torrent got a good look at them, before taking the slightly smaller portion.

"Squid," He said between hasty bites. The way he hunched over his portion probably made it clear how he still half-expected the meal to be snatched away from him, but at least Torrent probably wouldn't be the one to do it. If he could be this generous, he was clearly someone to stay on the good side of. When the fish was safely in their stomach, they relaxed a little.

"You weren't just lucky," She turned fully to Torrent. A little flattery couldn't hurt as she tried to ingratiate herself. "You were brave, and pretty patient too."

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ ["Nice to meet you, Squid!" He meowed, soft laughter in his tone as he enjoyed the sound of the word as it rolled off his tongue. It was a nice name. Torrent observed Squid happily as they seemed to relax after quickly devouring their share of fish. He seemed about his age, and Torrent silently wondered if he had any cat looking after him, or if he was alone like he was. Torrent stared, a multitude of questions just waiting to be spilled out to his new friend. But before he could begin blurting, his thoughts were cut off.

"You weren't just lucky, you were brave, and pretty patient too."

His entire face lit up at their praise, whiskers twitching happily. "You really think so?" He exclaimed, letting out a purr. "You were brave too, coming up to me. I know some of the other cats around here can be a little scary." Torrent admitted, as he himself had failed to become acquainted with the majority of cats he came across. But he didn't blame them, given the circumstances. Hooking the remainder of the fish with a claw, Torrent pulled it towards himself. He sliced it in two, before sliding one of the halves back towards Squid with the back of his paw. "I want you to have it." He insisted happily, before biting into the half he had left for himself. Satisfaction washed over him at the taste, and he couldn't help but purr. "This sure beats digging through a dumpster." Torrent meowed, swiping his tongue across his jaws as he finished his share. The wait along the water had definitely been worth it.

 

[pineheart]

Pine is perched atop a rock along the shore, far enough inland that no stray waves can catch him off guard. Below him, two small kits are talking– they're smaller than most seagulls that fly overhead, scrawny little things that could still be picked off the beach if a large enough hawk spotted them. Yet here they were, out in the open, and with a dead fish to boot. Mousebrained, although he supposes they are just kits. He really shouldn't get involved. By now, he's seen many kits come and go from this place. Few survive, and even fewer stay. Maybe he could... hurry things along. He hops down, landing quietly despite his size due to the soft sand. He pads over to the kits, eyes sharp.

"If you don't like it," Pine starts, his voice a low growl– "maybe you should find somewhere else to stay. This is no place for a kit, anyway."

 

[Squid]

squid

Before they could respond to Torrent, a low growl interrupted them. Ready, Squid make like their namesake and vanished. She just knew something like this would happen. Way too risky for a kit to be out in the open here, especially with fresh catch.

They wormed their way under another bit of abandoned hull and paused to watch. It would be worth knowing what happened to the strange kit who was willing to share his prey, even with a runt like them, and how dangerous the other cat would prove to be. Anything bigger than them was scary enough, but he seemed like he might have some experience under his belt. That was a cat to be wary of.

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent sprang to his feet, taken aback by the growl and Squid's abrupt exit. As Squid dashed away, sand and pebbles flew up against Torrent's paws, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Hey—hold on!" he shouted, stepping forward as they hurried under the boat, vanishing from his sight. He paused, digging his claws anxiously into the sand, then turned his focus back to the newcomer. He could console Squid after. Torrent's brows furrowed as he assessed the larger tom, his tail flicking with agitation. He had never seen this cat before, but clearly he had been around for much longer than he had. Without considering any potential consequences, he thrust his muzzle closer to the stranger. "This is our home just as much as it is yours! There was no need to frighten Squid off." He retorted, upset that his friend was not able to finish their meal. "Do you have a better place for us to go?" Torrent added, his voice shifting to a genuine tone rather than challenging.

 

[pineheart]

Pine does no more than blink as the young tom challenges him, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes although very few would recognize it. "I have no control over whether or not your friend is frightened," Pine replies, glancing off in the direction that the little runt had scampered. He looks back at the young tom, eyes narrowed. "And besides, maybe they had good reason to be. Why haven't you run, hm? Are you brave or just mousebrained?" He studies Torrent for a moment. Smart enough to catch a fish, stupid enough to share it with someone when he might not catch anything else for days.

 

[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent frowned at his words, but refused to break eye contact with the stranger even as he looked away momentarily. The larger tom was right about not having control over Squid's actions, but the interruption was still just as irritating. He silently hoped to himself that the longhaired cat was still waiting underneath the boat.

"And besides, maybe they had good reason to be. Why haven't you run, hm? Are you brave or just mousebrained?"

Torent felt suden anger rise in his chest, and disperse throughout his muscles, obvious to any onlooker as his pelt rose and his jaw clenched. Why was this cat so determined to intimidate him? Does he want the rest of my fish? Is he trying to scare me away from it? His thoughts bounced around, trying to understand the strangers coarse intention. But none this interaction came across as well-disposed.

"What is it that you want?" He protested, growing astonished by the tom's audacity. "You have no right to tell any cat where to place their paws!" Torrent proclaimed, unsheathing his tiny claws.

 

[pineheart]

Pine breaks into a grin, unable to hide his amusement at the tiny tom's sudden outburst of anger. He was feisty for only being a couple of moons old, but Pine supposes you have to be to make it on your own in a place like this. Not that Torrent had made it. Yet.

"Well, I didn't actually tell you that you couldn't be here, did I? I said if you didn't like it, you could leave, and that this is no place for a kit to be, which is true– one wave a little too big, one full grown hawk, and you're dead. But if you want to die here, it's entirely up to you. Make whatever choice you think best," he says. Silently, he thinks, please make one that takes you far away from here. And me. He nods towards the fish. "Regardless, though, if you're going to keep throwing tantrums, you should eat up. You're wasting all your energy. How are you going to feed you and your friend if you can't even stand?"

And with that, he turns around and begins to walk off. He'd grown hungry at the smell of the fish, but not hungry enough to steal from a kit.

 

[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent soaked up the remainder of what the tom had to say, his anger ebbing away as his body relaxed and his claws slid back into his paws. There was truth to his words, but what choice did he have? The conditions were inadequate, but familiar, and Torrent felt safe in that familiarity. But his heart seemed to spark at the idea of finding a new place to live, daydreaming of a home filled with cats he could trust and prey to fill his belly. Was he suggesting he knows someplace better? But then why would he be here? Torrent shook his thoughts away as the large tom began to pad away, and his paws itched to follow after him. But his heart tugged to the boat where Squid had vanished, and concern for his friend overpowered his continued curiosity for the stranger. He stood, watching him grow farther away as he swayed with indecisiveness. Giving his fur a shake, his determined gaze returned and he swiftly picked up the remainder of the fish and padded briskly towards the boat Squid had seemed to wedge himself underneath.

"Squid?" Torrent called softly around the flesh, not wanting to frighten them. He silently wondered if she had left, although her scent was still strong, from what he could tell despite the fish-scent. He set the fish down gently, and peered underneath, searching for any sort of movement or flash of eyes. "It's just me--the other cat has gone now." Torrent added hopefully.

 

[Squid]

squid

Squid had been flattened to the ground with her ears raised, listening to the whole thing. She was half-afraid Torrent would have been given a swipe for his back-talk. The big tom seemed to want them gone, and when someone like that wanted something, they got it. She held her breath until she heard him leave. When she heard Torrent call, she slowly padded forward until she was just covered by the lower edge of the vessel.

"It's safer under here," they said, voice barely louder than the distant waves. "I don't know how you can stand to be so exposed, with big toms like that one around. What if he had tried to take your fish? You wouldn't have been able to stop him."

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent's eyes glittered with happiness and he felt relief wash over him as his friend came closer into sight. "I was worried you left!" He meowed, crouching down to be more at eye level with Squid. Torrent nudged the remainder of the fish to her paws expectantly. "Good thing he didn't!" He purred, all anger and irritation from the earlier quarrel gone. "But if he tried," Torrent continued, eyes shining. "I wouldn't have let him!" Pausing momentarily, Torrent added in a softer tone, "I'm sorry that he scared you."

Suddenly, a thought flashed into Torrent's mind. "Hey, didn't you say earlier you knew somewhere safe to sleep?" He asked, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Is that where you live? After you eat that, you should show me!" Torrent insisted, paws beginning to fizz with the want to explore.

 

[Squid]

squid

"What choice would you have had?", Squid asked. "He was bigger and stronger than both of us put together. If he wanted to take it, it would have been his. We're really lucky he didn't."

They ate the last bit of fish in a quick few bites, as soon as it was passed to them. Neither of them could afford to leave food lying around for any longer than necessary, especially not with big cats like that around. He paused after that for a moment, considering. He hadn't meant to offer Torrent his home—rather, one of his less-frequented hiding spots. Something he could write off and avoid for a while. That was the safer option, definitely. But what if Torrent got mad? He was a better hunter, even if he was maybe bold enough to be a liability. She bit her lip, and then turned to him. "Yes, I can show you where I live. Follow me."

Saying that, she slipped back into the sunlight and a little further inland.

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Torrent frowned at her words, blinking. "I guess you're right." He replied, before watching him quickly finish the rest of the fish. He stared at her, gaze hopeful as she seemed to ponder his inquiry. Torrent's face lit up at their agreeance, and he quickly rose to his paws. He followed after her swiftly, slowing as he matched his pace alongside theirs. He was happy he finally had someone to talk to after all the moons of living alone in the shipyard, and he struggled to stop himself from blurting out the questions as quickly as they popped inside of his head--he didn't want to overwhelm her. "Is it very far?" Torrent asked after a moment, as he hopped and stepped over debris and large stones. a bounce interrupted his step as an idea filled his head. "And maybe after that, I could teach you some fishing moves!" He exclaimed. "And then show you the twoleg den where I've been staying."

 

[Squid]

squid

The route Squid traced was circuitous, following the shadows of rocks and wreckage wherever possible where his dark coat was an asset in blending in. He gave Torrent half a shrug as he walked. "It's not too terribly far."

At one point, a large bird flew overhead and she flattened herself to a rock, curling inwards. When it had passed, she turned back to Torrent. "I wouldn't mind fishing—" (her stomach growled as if to underline the point) "—but is it safe to go to a twoleg den?" She chewed at her lip. She had always wanted to see one up close, instead of just the boats left on the shore, but it seemed like it could be dangerous. She cast a glance back over her shoulder at Torrent, and then slipped under one last piece of wreckage.

It was a nice little cavity, with a few internal structures to offer more cover. There were no holes in the roof where rain could leak in, but a few in the walls of the side where a cat could see out. In one back corner there was arranged a small pile of kelp, which made a slightly nicer bit of nest than the plain rocks and sand. "This is it."

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[Torrentpaw]

TORRENT

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ Following his friend around and through the sheltered terrain, Torrent froze as the smaller cat flattened themselves suddenly to the ground, confused. Gaze lifting as a shadow passed over him, he squinted from the sun, watching as the bird flew over the two of them. Torrent had never tasted bird, and wondered if he'd be able to strike it down if it were to swoop at them. Lowering his gaze back to his friend after a moment, he met their gaze as she rose back to her full height. "It's safe!" He assured them, purring. "There aren't any twolegs around here anyways, not anymore at least."

Slipping through the wreckage after him, Torrent grunted as his back and whiskers bumped against the debris. He wasn't used to squeezing through small spaces to get around. Pulling himself through, he glanced around as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the space. It was small, and offered a great amount of shelter from any outside elements. "I would have never guessed this was in here, I couldn't even tell it was a den from the outside." Torrent meowed, sniffing around. He prodded the kelp lightly with a paw, eyes glittering in amusement at the sight. "Have you been eating seaweed?" Torrent asked, genuineness in his tone despite the laughter that edged it.