prey versus predator [o]

[Solo]

H A W K

A black creature slinked along the low branch, step by step, placing each dark paw silently on the bark. Its furry tail trailed behind it, flicking with anticipation, as orange eyes glowed in the shadows. The cat continued to crawl along the wood, pausing from time to time to prick its large ears toward a scrabbling in the undergrowth. A bushy-tailed rodent darted through the leaf-litter, pausing to paw at the ground and lift its head, trying to find its food cache.

The tomcat smirked faintly and bunched his limbs underneath his muscular body, balancing on the branch and judging the most efficient angle to reach his prey. He licked his lips, curled his black tail, and then pounced.

The squirrel squealed as the lean predator landed on top of it. He sent it flying up in the air with a paw, snapped at it, and then cut off its path when it went scurrying for the nearest tree trunk. Hawk growled at it, but to his surprise the squirrel launched itself at his face. He saw red momentarily then whirled around, watching its bushy scarlet tail disappear up into the leafy branches of the tree.

The black tom shook his head, not letting himself be ruffled by his loss. He sat down, wrinkled up his nose, and then winced. Experimentally, he brushed his snout with his paw and saw some dark moisture on the pink pad. Amusement surged through him as he looked back up where the squirrel was chattering.

“You win, biting rodent,” Hawk acknowledged in a growl, causing the squirrel to dart back into hiding. He licked his nose with a grimace then stood up in search of prey that didn’t fight back or climb trees. He would kill for a mouse right now.

header image made using *neikoish's game on deviantart

[Koia]

[insert awesome header image that I am too lazy to edit so early]

Mentally, Thunder gave off a hiss at the world. Or rather the prey in it. With the abundance of it during the greenleaf season, it was easy to find them. To stop them in the happy raid on life? Not so much. Thunder had missed a vole or two because of their blissful desire to live another day and enjoy romping through the crowded forests.

But hunting was important to any cat's life. What an embarrassment to go hungry during greenleaf, Thunder mused as a pleasant sigh soared from the trees above. A sparrow had landed a foxlength away, so the large cat grinned and dropped into a hunter's crouch. His orange body pinned to the ground. Sadly, his pelt caused a disadvantage in the hunt, but the sparrow would go quick, white and orange as the last thought, if birdbrains actually thought.

Thunder's paws felt the ground until he stalked into a soft patch of grass that turned into hardened ground when he stepped out of the grassy haven. Then, he leapt. The bird noticed his sounds, but it was too late. White paws swept at the sparrow, knocking him from the sky. "Finally," said Thunder to himself as he lifted the bird in his mouth, feathers partially blocking his view. Another sound approached his side.

Taking the bird, Thunder bolted into a large hole in an Oak's roots. His teeth tore at the flesh as a drizzle of brown and white feathers accented the area. Then as he started to actually swallow his catch's meet, another cat came into view. Thunder watched him as he stalked, good form. His black pelt probably came to good use when hunting at night. Thunder took his eyes off the hunting stranger to quietly enjoy his meal. He expected silence in the seconds to follow, but instead, a squeal. The sound was never good for hunting since it was wise to silence the animal before it ruined the hunting for everyone else.

Craning his head, Thunder saw the cat stalk away. He was surprised that the black cat missed his mark, especially since he looked to be quite experienced. Thunder hardly thought himself as experienced by age, but this one seemed to be closer than him. Chewing slower, Thunder wanted to approach the cat. Not to give him any encouragement, but he didn't need it. In the end, he decided to leave his half-eaten prey and keep the cat company because anyways, the squeal probably scared the prey in this area. Might as well keep the cat company until the prey scurried from their hulking trees when they decided it was safe. "You would think it would be easier hunting in greenleaf than this," he said, his voice soft yet light. The cat didn't seem like the anti-social to swipe the first hint of company, but he did seem like the one to be ticked off at the moment.

[Solo]

H A W K

Hawk licked away the trickle of blood running down his nose, keeping his composure as usual. Missed prey was missed prey, and it wasn't as if someone was watching. He'd simply have to wait for the forest to calm down and try again. Moving around but keeping his steps silent, he was a searching shadow in the trees. He did not quite expect to find prey that hadn't scattered after his tussle with the bushy-tailed rodent, but he had expected to find another cat less.

When the other spoke to him, Hawk froze in his tracks and turned to look. The stranger was large and muscular, not unlike himself but bulkier and more formidable. His fur was as bright as the autumn leaves and could also be compared to fire. The black tomcat tilted his ears forward in interest and answered in a strictly polite voice. "That's what I thought. I'm afraid my target chose fight over flight. It's easy to underestimate animals lower than us." Most cats didn't like to admit that they had been caught off guard, but Hawk didn't care. Let him be honest and the stranger would be honest. And, while he didn't want to trick people, if another cat thought he was weak and underestimated him, well, it was in his favor.

This cat didn't look like the type to trick, anyway. With his size, it didn't look like he needed the wits to sneak around himself. Hawk was surprised to see such a large cat, and one with a nature that wasn't hostile. "Have you been hunting?" he asked, not missing the smell of bird. "Who are you?"

header image made using *neikoish's game on deviantart

[Koia]

From the moment Thunder approached the cat, he had a loose grip on his claws. Most cats attacked when approached from behind. No sane cat could blame for attacking a stranger, especially when hunting, but when the tom turned his head, Thunder felt bad for thinking about drawing out his claws. He relaxed and his paws relaxed as well. Thunder felt a small smile as the stranger acknowledged his presence with an answer. “Indeed,” he agreed. “At least the forest has plenty to offer this time of year.” This black-furred stranger was very correct. He never thought much about the flight fight instinct in lower animals. The tom always assumed prey knew flight while larger creatures like badgers and foxes only understood fight. His whiskers twitched slightly. Correct or not, this cat was indeed humble. Any forest cat Thunder knew would scoff at him or perhaps swipe a claw across his face.


To him, the question leapt from the other side of the forest. Thunder looked at him for a second, wondering many things and then he felt the guilt. Of course, he would smell of the prey he just captured. He let his curiosity led him astray. Thunder felt the cat meant to reprimand him with the question, but the tom stayed collected, forcing any assumed offense away. “Yes,” he answered. Pausing, he searched for more to say as the short answer pushed away the subject. Any answer he formed didn’t sit right with a stranger. “A busy sparrow.” He could have said more than that, but would any further rub dirt in the cat’s face. “Thunder,” he said, not pressing for his name since the tom expected the stranger to deliver it.

[Solo]

H A W K

Hawk could not help but question others' motives, especially in a wilderness setting such as this. While tame cats didn't have to worry about competition for food and could afford to make friendships, there was a reason feral cats were not social animals. Relationships were only made between males and females, who then established relationships with their kits. It wasn't a particularly romantic way of viewing the forest, but it was driven into those cats who wanted to survive.

He was, therefore, slightly aloof toward the large ginger tom. He would trust him when trust was earned, and no sooner. Though both cats had now relaxed, Hawk's mind was wary. He nodded when the cat explained that he'd killed a sparrow, but what he was more interested in was his name.

"Thunder," the loner echoed. He smiled faintly. "A big name for a big cat... Though I would have expected something like Fire or Flame." His smile grew a little broader as he dipped his head. "My name is Hawk."

header image made using *neikoish's game on deviantart

[Koia]

This cat wasn't laid back, forest did that to the happiest of cats. Of course, that didn't mean a cat could enjoy this rough life. There was some bad times, but better than rotting as a spoiled kittypet. It was surprising to see the amount of attention the cat paid to his name instead of meal he had.

A confused expression crawled across his face. "My name?' he asked. He almost laughed when the tom listed his guesses for his name. "Please, my mother had more sense than that when she named my brother and I. Nothing generic for her. And aside from the obvious, what big name would you expect a big cat like me to have?" Thunder always thought about the names of other, asking himself questions like "where did it come from" and the like. Either way, he never thought about his own. He Flicking his tail, he wasn't going to worry about it now. "Hawk," he thought. "Strange name for a black cat. You must have superior sight or something strong sense like that."

As warm and friendly as Thunder sounded, there was a slight barrier to his actions since he haunches never rested or his back never turned on it. Thunder wanted to hide his wariness since it only brought violence and tension, but what was a tom to do?

[Solo]

HAWK
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The longhaired dark tom smirked and nodded in understanding when Thunder assured him he wouldn’t be named anything generic. He wasn’t too interested in names, himself, but a cat couldn’t run around with such a powerful name and not explain it. Interestingly enough, “Thunder” sounded familiar to him, and he realized he’d heard of this big orange tom before.

He smiled when the question was turned onto him. “My mother must have been hopeful.”

With that short response out of the way, Hawk narrowed his orange eyes. He hadn’t ignored the tension still draped lightly on the both of them and wondered how to get rid of it. He wouldn’t have another cat uneasy around him if he could help it. “Thunder,” he growled thoughtfully, turning and padding toward the tree he’d climbed. “Your name echoes throughout this forest, now that I think about it. Some cats resent you while others treat you as the woodland king.” He leaped and scrambled up the bark, claws sinking in, before he perched on the tree branch.

“Perhaps, if you would give me a chance to hunt, we can eat together.” His white teeth shone in a smile. “Your sparrow doesn’t smell finished.”

The black cat moved stealthily along the branch and pricked his ears. Their conversation had been just long enough and quiet enough for prey to return hesitantly, and he spotted a mouse below. He licked his lips and, hoping Thunder did not blow his cover, dropped down at his prey.

[Koia]

“Don’t all of our mothers wish the best for each of her kits?” questioned Thunder, not expecting from Hawk. Personal experience told him, this was yes, but he had to be gentle. Mother problems were always possible. He wanted to feel more uncomfortable by the staring, but if Hawk was sizing him up, he would have done it by now. Then he praised him. That dropped his guard as his haunches touched the ground, and he smiled.
Turning his head to a confused position, he asked, “Really? A woodland king?”

[/b]He seemed amused by the thought of others keeping him in such a high opinion. Thunder wanted to laugh out loud, but it made sense. The large tom rarely ventured outside the wooded area, opposed to kittypets , rabbits, and water. The resentfulness made sense too. Despite trying to make friends, Thunder entered some scuffles and made some enemies.

As his mind wandered about, tossing what Hawk said, he almost missed the leap to the tree. Thunder wondered what he was up to until he explained. “Indeed, it is not,”[/color] he said in a hushed tone, not caring if he heard or not. The cat disappeared from his sight because Thunder’s amber eyes scanned the area. He noticed a few potential catches and one or two noticed him. The cat turned around and licked his back’s fur, straightening the strands that the wood scraped out of place. A distracted cat was no threat at all. He continued grooming until he raised his head to catch a black blur falling from the nearest tree. Thunder turned around and went to fetch his hidden sparrow.
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[Solo]

HAWK
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Thunder seemed amused that he would be held in such high regards from other cats, and Hawk watched his reaction carefully even as he concentrated on shimmying up the tree trunk. He couldn’t tell if the big ginger cat was being humble or hiding inner pride. He’d have no problem with both. It was understandable that not many cats, usually solitary creatures, would care to think of another loner in a good light. At the same time, he had a touch of arrogance himself. To judge Thunder would be to judge himself.

Once he had successfully hunted, Hawk picked the mouse up in his jaws and padded over to the muscular tom, following him at a cautious distance as he grabbed his previous meal. The black cat immediately flopped down in the leaf litter and took small bites from his fresh-kill, watching Thunder with unreadable but nonthreatening orange eyes.

“Were you born in the forest?” he asked, deciding to make conversation. He wanted to learn more about this cat but wasn’t sure what to ask. It’d been a while since he’d dealt with another.