!!! [interlude]

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan carefully wipes the mud from her boots before coming in from her morning archery practice. It's not warm out, but it's wet, and she's got rather mucked up whilst retrieving arrows. Her first stop is to deposit her dirty clothes in the hamper in her closet - which has seemed to expand even further since Lancelot moved in - to be washed immediately after she washes herself. Before she can shower, though, she must first wipe the arrows down, and then her bow. Then, to stay on the safe side, she sets about unstringing the bow so she can hang it and her coil of string with her other bows.

When she goes to start coiling the string, however, there's a tug on the other end. She frowns and kneels down. There's a flash of color, and then a flare of pain. She stares at her hand and the scratch across the back of it, and then at the culprit.

"Oh, aren't you a beauty," she breathes, reaching out to the Siamese cat tucked away between Lancelot's shoes. "Wherever did you come from?"

It takes her a good ten minutes to coax the cat out, and another ten to coax it into her arms. It's a girl, and not a kitten, though she does have a whiff of kittenhood still about her. "Do you belong to anyone?" Susan asks, but the cat isn't a Talking Beast, and doesn't answer.

Right. The first order of business shall be getting the cat some food. The second order of business shall be inventorying the residents to see if anyone has lost a cat she somehow hadn't caught wind of. She's nearly out the door when she realizes she's largely nude and still covered in streaks of mud, and carefully eases the cat onto the bed, instead. her actual first order of business ought to be washing quickly and getting dressed again. Then onto the rest of it.


Typist note: This is technically being posted as an interlude, given that Enjolras is doing an open post on the same topic at the same time, but if anyone wants to thread meeting Susan's new cat, I am MORE than happy to... I just don't want to overwhelm anyone!

Comments

[mothwingofriverclan]

"This twoleg's name is Susan, and she wants to know if you belong to any other twolegs here. Or, I suppose, do you know Angus or Charlotte?" Mothwing asks.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

I belong to no one, the cat says, stretching, sharpening her claws on Susan's nice rug. And I don't know any of the people you're talking about.

[mothwingofriverclan]

"She doesn't belong to anyone. She doesn't know anyone here. I have to say, I was worried she was one of Angus's kits or something," Mothwing laughs, turning to Susan. "You'll meet Angus sooner or later," she meows to the cat. "He's a foolish tom, but he's harmless if you tell him off."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

The cat flicks her ears and yawns.

"Has she got a name? A preference of where she might like to stay?" Susan asks. "I'm happy to make room for her here, if she's not associated with anyone else, but I shouldn't want to keep her against her will."

[mothwingofriverclan]

"She wants to know if you have a name, and if you'd like to stay here with her. She's a good twoleg, in my experience. She won't keep you here if you don't want to stay."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Where do you stay?

[mothwingofriverclan]

"Oh, I have a den beside the lake outside. I'm a Clan cat, originally. Well, not originally, but for most of my life. I live outside and belong to no twoleg. My Clan is far from here, but I still belong to them. RiverClan." Mothwing hopes something rings a bell for the young she-cat, but she isn't getting those hopes up too high.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

I don't know my name, the cat says, stretching again and then edging closer to Mothwing. Is your den cozy?

[mothwingofriverclan]

"It's not as cozy as it is in here. Twolegs are a lot better at building dens than cats are, as much as I hate to say it."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Then why do you stay there?

[mothwingofriverclan]

"Because I'm not a kittypet. I don't want to depend on twolegs for anything."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

The cat doesn't have a firm opinion on this matter. Her ear twitches and she curls her tail around her paws. What do you think I should do?

[mothwingofriverclan]

Mothwing glances at Susan. For all that Susan seems strong and capable, Mothwing knows she misses her siblings. Sasha had told Mothwing many times about how much kittypets can help sad twolegs.

"Why not try staying with Susan for a while?" she meows. "I think she could use a clanmate."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

At this, the cat lifts a paw and licks it thoughtfully.

Susan, meanwhile, is lightly surprised; she tries her best to hide it.

[mothwingofriverclan]

"You're also young, and I don't have time to take on another apprentice," she meows truthfully. She's already teaching Galahad herbs and teaching Drosera how to hunt; if this young she-cat needs to be taught how to hunt and defend herself, Mothwing's going to be more stretched thin than ever.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

The cat looks dismayed for a half-second before she twitches her ear. Of course she doesn't need help, she's a fine independent girl.

[mothwingofriverclan]

"Don't give me that look. Young cats these days!" Mothwing snorts. "You think you know everything until you wind up in the medicine den with a bee sting on your nose from looking into a beehive!"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Is she being impertinent?" Susan asks, amused.

[mothwingofriverclan]

"Is she apprentice-aged?" Mothwing asks rhetorically.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan snorts lightly. "I see."

[mothwingofriverclan]

"She still hasn't given me an answer on staying with you, but I suppose there's no rush," Mothwing meows.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"She's welcome to take her time in deciding," says Susan, daring to give the young cat a gentle stroke over her head. "You're welcome to stay here with us, little miss, but if you'd rather stay elsewhere, I can help you get sorted out."

The cat looks at Susan, flicking her ear again, and then meows loudly - she's asking whar sort of help Susan means.

[mothwingofriverclan]

"She probably means getting you prey and shelter," Mothwing meows to the cat. "She's very organized."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Yes," says Susan, who at least understands what Mothwing is saying. How queer that she can't understand the new cat! "Or introduce you about, so that you might find someone who suits you better, if you'd rather a different--" she glances at Mothwing. "Two-legs."

[mothwingofriverclan]

"Or find you different twolegs," Mothwing repeats. She remembers sort of understanding twoleg language before she'd come to the mansion, but she's not sure how much this cat will get. Susan does tend to say more complicated things than most twolegs. No one here ever seems to say "breakfast is ready" or "get out of my garden," or "come here," which were three of the phrases Sasha had taught Mothwing as a kit.