Conrad and the Comfy Couch

[Shy]

        Conrad had been wandering around in the snow for a while. While he loved the freedom of being a stray, it also was though on a cat. He was tired of finding temporary places to sleep. So far he'd stayed under a few porches, in several cardboard boxes, but none of those were places he'd want to stay in. To claim as his. Yes, he might just be a stray, but Conrad wanted his own territory, something that could be his.

        As he wandered the cold, he briefly remembered sleeping happily with his family when he was kit. Before he was sent away. For a second he was happy, but it was quickly ruined when he remembered being scooped up and sent away. Did they know what they were sending me to? He shook his head, it didn't matter. What mattered was that it did happen, and he wouldn't forget that. No, Conrad refused to forget, he needed to remember. So that he wouldn't be weak again.

        He had been looking for a place to call home for a while. A trashcan would not do, nor would a cardboard box or a tire. There were plenty of plastic bins that would work, but Conrad knew humans would feed him, try to tame him. He was wild now, that would never do. No, he needed somewhere cozy, comfy and large enough that he could move without hitting a wall. But not too large, then it would seen lonely.

        Conrad continued on his journey for a home, constantly searching for the perfect place. He was picky, only the best for himself. It needed to be perfect, to be his. Finally he came across an old couch. He remembered how comfy they could be. Especially if he looted some blankets from a few of those plastic bins for strays. He was a stray after all. Even better, he smelled mice nearby. Prey that he could caught for himself!

        Carefully Conrad inspected the couch, and decided it was perfect. In the warmer seasons he could sleep on top, it was comfy and he could see the stars, feel free. In the cold he could sleep under the coach. There was enough room that he would be able to sleep under there without feeling cramped. Yes, this was the perfect den. He purred, and began to prance around, marking the nearby territory as his. After marking the nearby land as his, property of Conrad the stray, he snuggled up underneath the couch. Finally, Conrad the stray had a home, this comfy old couch.

[Shy]

        It had been nearly a week since Conrad arrived at his new home. In that time he had marked the surrounding territory, explored and learned of a large nest of mice and other rodents nearby. The house behind his couch was filled with junk, specifically junk that attracted prey.  Since there was so much food for the rodents inside, they were still fat and tasty even in winter. Conrad was certain he'd grow fat off the mice.

        He was very content with his new home, but he wanted to do one last thing.  Underneath the couch was nice, but it wasn't perfect.  A blanket to sleep on would make it perfect.  He knew of several blankets inside those plastic bins humans left out.  So he set out, looking for the perfect blanket for his perfect home.

        Soon after he set out Conrad found a lovely little blanket in a basket, but some other cat had shredded the thing.  The next plastic bin had several, but they all smelled of cat.  He didn't want to other cat following him, trying to steal back the blanket.  They would find his home and certainly try to take it over.  No, that would not do.  Besides, those blankets look very uncomfortable!  No way I would sleep on those!

        Finally he found a lovely, light blue blanket.  It was brand new too, no other cat had touched it.  Pleased with himself, Conrad began to pull the blanket from the plastic bin.  As he tugged at the blanket, he scented a human nearby.  For a second he was terrified, frozen as he remembered being abused.  Quickly he leapt into the plastic bin and scooted as far from the opening as possible.

        The human came and looked in at Conrad, smiling.  Conrad puffed up, and the human giggled at him.  Then it left, and Conrad began to relax, until it returned again and smiled at him, again.  Then it left again, and Conrad quickly left, ready to leave the blanket behind.  As he exited, he noticed nearby a bowl of and water.  Puzzled, he sniffed it.  He had a mouse last night, but he was a little hungry.  The food reminded him of the food his old owners used to feed him.

        He ate a few bites and drank the water before collecting his blanket and heading back to his couch.  As he walked away, Conrad turned back, just for a second.  That night, back at his couch, he contemplated how kindly he had just been treated.  Maybe not all humans are bad.

[constantine]

Constantine was a wanderer. Going where his nose took him. Always facing a new adventure and danger as he traversed through the city area.  It was starting to get warmer and his nomadic tribe was splitting up, going out to find she-cats. That sort of thing didn't interest this tom. While speaking to other cats was nice he wasn't attracted to females. He was looking for friends, love could come later. 

He passed by an old couch on his way to... somewhere.  The scent of cat caught his attention and his first instinct was to jump up and explore this strange smell. There was a small cat situated on the couch. Orange and white with... tiny little legs. That was certainly an interesting characteristic he thought, he had never seen a cat such as this one before. The couch was comfty though. Worn in just right, he could see why the tom was here. It was a satisfactory home.

He batted at the tom's head, feeling the urge to disturb him. 
"Excuse me. Hello..?" 


Shy 

[Shy]

        Conrad was absolutely furious. Who was this cat, daring to invade his home? Conrad couldn't believe it when the tom batted at his head.  He hadn't been this angry in a while, no one had dared mess with Conrad's home before. Immediately Conrad leapt to his feet, arching his back and puffing out his fur. He felt a glow of pride as he puffed up his fur and let out a hiss. This was Conrad's home, and he would protect it form anyone or anything!

        "Who do you think you are?" Conrad hissed at the invader. "This is my home! How dare you invade my home?"  His tail lashed angrily back and forward, and he prepared to leap at the tom.  "And hitting me!  Do you have no manners!"  Conrad would show this cat who was boss, and no one would ever, ever hurt Conrad again! 

        For a second Conrad remember the first night when he was a housecat, he had just left his family for the first time, and was terrified.  When he had found the other tom, Conrad was certain he would have been friendly, just like his family, even if he was far bigger.  He never expected the tom to attack him, a tiny, frightened kitten.  Conrad quickly snapped back to the present, the invader.  That night he gained his first scar and a lesson.  Other cats won't care about you, they only care for themselves. If this tom thought he could prance into Conrad's territory and just waltz away, Conrad would have to teach him the same lesson.

constantine

 

[constantine]

Constantine backed away at the sudden outburst from the small cat. He was understanding however, it was him who dared to trespass. 

"Hi, sorry. I just wanted to say hello." He really had no reason for being here, he was just passing through to be quite honest. The snow colored bengal lashed his tail from side to side. "My name is Constantine. Who might you be?" 
Feeling daring Constantine reached out and bopped the little tom right on his head. 


Shy

[Shy]

        Conrad was confused. This tom came up, hit him then introduced himself. What an odd cat. An odd cat with no sense of manners, but honestly Conrad was more confused than angry now.  Then the cat hit his head again. Conrad let out a hiss, although it wasn't as mean as the previous one. He was completely baffled at this strange male. Still, despite the fact that the male hit his head, again, he had introduced himself and stated his business. 

        Carefully Conrad studied the tom, curious.   "My name is Conrad. This is my territory." He proceeded to gesture to the surrounding area with his tail, proud of his land. "Now, Constantine, do you plan on staying nearby?" If this tom was trouble Conrad wanted to be prepared. Maybe the tom was planning to take his land.  That would not happen on Conrad's watch.

constantine

[constantine]

Constantine smiled, finally seeing the male calm down. "Nice to meet you." 
He must think that Constantine was planning on taking his territory or staying nearby. The tom had no plans of that, no doubt he'd be back with his fellow nomads and off to another part of the city in a few days. Maybe even sooner than that. "No, I uh.. actually don't stay in places for too long. I have a group that I move around with so there's no need to worry about me. Besides, I'm not the type of cat to just take. May not seem like it but I am really a gentlemen." 
He sat back on his haunches, curling his tail around his paws. 

Shy 

[Shy]

        Conrad doubted this tom was a gentleman as he said.  A gentleman did not hit others in the head once, much less twice.  What really caught Conrad's attention was when Constantine mentioned a group of cats. He felt his fur begin to rise again.  There was plenty of prey in his territory, and Conrad had no intention of sharing it with a group of strangers, especially ones as odd as this.  Even if they were only passing through, Conrad did not want them staying, not at all.  

        "What do you mean, a group of cats that move around?  Are they nearby?  Did you lead them here?"  Conrad was not pleased, one cat was annoying enough.  Well, not annoying but odd.  Very odd.  "How often do you move?  What are your goals?"  He was curious about the group of odd cats, mainly he wanted to know if they were a threat to him.  He hadn't been here long, but he was not going to give it up because of some weird cats who hit other cats on the head.

constantine

[constantine]

Constantine instantly regretted his decision to open his mouth. He closed it, becoming anxious to speak to Conrad as he threw a barrage of questions at the young tom. He was overwhelmed by all the information he wanted to know and it was making his head spin. 

"We- we just move when we feel like it. I don't, i dunno what we- I." He sighed, taking in a deep breath. "I'm alone there's no need to worry about that." He was starting to get embarrassed about his stammering. He wanted to run away, never show his face around these parts again. He's already made a fool out of himself. What more could he do?


Shy

[Shy]

        Great, now the tom was embarrassed. Conrad wanted information from this tom, not to embarrass him. What good did it do Conrad, or any cat, to embarrass anyone? No, he had been too forward, this cat clearly wasn't a threat. His group might be, but this tom, Constantine, was about as dangerous as a mouse. Of course, Conrad wouldn't let his guard down completely. But if this tom truly was just passing through with a group of others, Conrad wouldn't need to worry. 

        "Fine.  If you truly are a gentleman, then you should be honorable.  I'll hold you to your word, Constantine."  He coldly meowed.  "But I am curious about your group." Conrad tried to sound friendly.  "I didn't mean to embarrass you, not many cats come around these parts.  Almost one of them are friendly. Truly, I just am curious about your group.  Tell me about it."  Conrad was trying to be nicer to the tom.  If this tom spoke the truth, Constantine might have an interesting story to tell.  Then Conrad would have gained something from this encounter, a story.  Maybe a nice story, about cats who didn't claw kits.  "Go on. Tell me."

constantine

[constantine]

"It's ok I just got... kinda overwhelmed, you asked a lot of questions at once and I couldn't keep up." He offered him a small smile. "We're a group of toms who travel, never staying in one place for too long. We follow a cat named Bello, he- he's ok, I mean he's not mean to me so I don't mind him. Um.. we stop wherever we feel like it I guess? There doesn't seem to be a pattern but I haven't been with them for long. The other toms are pretty interested in the females but that's not really my sort of thing. I'm not really looking for that kinda thing you know?" He flicked his tail nervously. "Is there anything else you needed to know about us nomads?"


Shy

[Shy]

        Conrad thought for a bit. Interesting. Males who traveled together, without hurting each other. He'd never have guessed it possible. Especially if they were looking for females.  Wouldn't they fight?  Now that he thought about it, he felt lonely.  Conrad did not have a mate, not a real mate. He had been breed with females before, when he was a housecat. They were always other cats like him. He shoved the thought out of his head.  Finding a mate wasn't a priority right now. Getting a story was.

        "Do you fight with each other? You, uh, nomads?" He was very curious about how they could stand each other for long periods of time. He could barely stand any cat for more than a few minutes. "Over food, mates, anything?  How do you keep together? Can you just leave? Are you related?" How could cats get along in a group? Conrad had been scared by his first stranger cat. How on earth did they stay together?

constantine

[constantine]

Constantine shook his head. "There are minor disagreements yes but not a lot of fighting. We tend to go our own separate ways when we reach a new place and kinda regroup I guess once we're done? Cats leave and join often. Some of them are related but I for one am not. I was born a house cat but circumstance put me here." 

He thought for a moment about how they all kept together. It was an interesting question he himself didn't know. "I'm not sure. I mean some of us have attachments to one another and wouldn't want to leave them. We keep together cause we share similar tastes? interests? I am... really unsure. That would be a good question for Bello." 

Shy

[Shy]

        Conrad had no interest in meeting this Bello.  Constantine was answering Conrad's questions just fine. He now knew they didn't get along perfectly.  For a second he felt relieved, it wasn't bad luck that the first stranger he met clawed him, it happened often. It was natural. Conrad didn't have to feel guilty about being though, about being a stray and defending his territory. Cats fought, and Conrad was correct when he learned it was every cat for himself. It was bittersweet, but at least Conrad knew for certain.

        "Hmm. Thank you." He meowed.  It was hard for him to choke it out, he didn't want to seem weak. But Constantine had answered his questions. "But I would rather not meet Bello." Carefully he thought of what to ask next.  It was so odd to him, but at least now he knew more. Now he understood these nomads more, and wasn't oblivious to the outside world. He was still learning about the world outside of a house. "Do you have any stories about your group, the nomads?" He finally asked.  What better way to learn than through a story. Stories were entertaining after all.

constantine

[constantine]

Understandable. The nomad leader was a tom who had an intimidating look and personality to match. It'd taken a while for Constantine himself to warm up to him. Since Conrad decided he wasn't a threat any longer he got comfortable. He laid down upon the couch, wrapping his tail around himself.

"Stories...? Hm." He hummed as he thought. He was sure there were a few tales to tell but he himself hadn't been a witness to anything particularly entertaining or deemed as 'story worthy'. "I don't have any to tell you that involves my group. Nothing interesting or really vaguely deemed story worth. I'm sorry, I'm probably a boring guest"

[Shy]

        Once again Conrad was angry.  Constantine had jumped up onto his couch without warning.  Even worse, he didn't have a single story to tell!  Conrad leapt to his feet, arched his back and fluffed his fur.  He let out a low hiss, and raised a paw, ready to strike.  This was his couch, his territory and he was annoyed.  He didn't want some rude guest on his territory, even if it was a small, it was his!  If this tom got to comfortable, he might try to stay, and Conrad didn't want a new neighbor with no respect for territory.

        "Get off! This is mine!" He hissed, and swatted near Constantine with sheathed claws.  Conrad didn't aim to hit the cat, he didn't want to.  He just wanted the tom to get off his couch.  Sitting near the couch was fine, but his couch was his home, his private space!  The last thing he wanted to do was share it with a stranger!  Perhaps he had been to lenient with the tom, letting him stay this long and talking to him.  But this was too far.  If Constantine didn't understand how to respect boundaries, Conrad was more than willing to teach the tom.  Lesson one, you don't jump onto someone's den without permission. 

constantine

[constantine]

The reaction from the little tom was not what he was expecting. He was ferocious, furious even with Constantine's comfort. He swatted at him and the male hopped off. He needn't be told twice. He didn't want a fight on his hands so he figured it best to exit the danger zone as quickly and quietly as possible. It never failed. 

"Um...I'm sorry...?" He was a bit confused mind you. Conrad had seemed to be okay with the male being here. Sure he was a little intrusive at first, maybe a bit rude but he felt as if they had worked past. "What did I do wrong?" 

Shy

[Shy]

        Conrad relaxed a little when the male jumped off his couch.  At least he didn't have to fight the tom.  He sent a glare at the tom, it seemed obvious to him why he had lashed out at the tom.  The couch was his home, his private space!  He'd never shared a bed with anyone who wasn't family. Even humans slept separately unless they were mates. How did Constantine expect Conrad to be fine with him jumping up onto his bed? They were strangers still. All he knew about the tom was that Constantine was a nomad.

        Quickly Conrad kneaded the couch where Constantine once was, trying to pick his words.  After he was satisfied that his scent overwhelmed that of Constantine, he turned and faced the tom.  "You leapt onto my couch, my den.  It's mine.  I didn't invite you onto it.  You're a stranger.  I don't know if you nomads share a den, but I don't.  It's my space, where I sleep.  I don't split it with strangers.  You are not my family or my friend.  Why would I let you sit on my couch, where I sleep at night?  Who shares a den with a stranger?"  He meowed.  Perhaps the nomads slept together, but they were a group. 

        "If you need a place to stay, there's a shed nearby.  But don't expect to sleep on my couch."  With that, Conrad pretended to lose interest in the tom, and began to groom his fiery, fluffy fur.  He hoped Constantine got the message, stay off the couch, but you can stick around.  He didn't want to be cruel, but he didn't want to slit his space.  Even if Constantine had only wanted to sit for a bit, Conrad couldn't allow that.  Surely the nomads could come around, and next time the tom might have tried to sleep on the couch, stay with Conrad.  If Conrad was going to have a friend, he didn't want one who constantly left and might never return.  He didn't want the pain of separation, leaving his family had been far to hard on him.  It still stung, his time with his family was still the best time of his short life.

        "Let me know if you need directions to the shed.  The weather seems to have cleared up, but it's late.  The shed will be warm, and should protect you from any animals or weather."  He didn't want to be cruel or seem cruel, but at the same time he couldn't be weak.  Conrad swore to himself he'd never be weak again.  And he had no intent of breaking that promise.

constantine

[constantine]

Constantine lashed his tail quickly as he listened to Conrad talk. The small tom figured Constantine was trying to take his couch. His home. The nomad had came here will no ill intentions, in fact he didn't really mean to go anywhere in particular on this day. He simply followed his nose and ended up here. 

He moved around quite a lot but he had his own place to sleep. When the nomads were out and about they all found their own different places to rest their heads once night comes, Constantine had done so, a place he went frequently no how far he traveled. It was nice, a place he had found and made his home and often welcomed others to join him. He wasn't sure where Conrad had gotten this idea that since he laid down to rest, he was intending to steal. 

"No need, I have my own place." 

He sat down next to the couch, and tried to think of anymore potential triggers for the tom. He was proving to be rather unpredictable. 

Shy

[Shy]

        Constantine confused Conrad. Before every cat Conrad had met was either his family, or someone who wanted him to further their own agenda.  It was the way he thought the world worked. The thought that there was another way, another type of cat questioned everything Conrad believed in.  At every chance Conrad snapped at the tom, trying to find an ulterior motive, a reason for being there.  But every time he tried to find one, he found none.  It was something new, something he didn't know how to react to.  He couldn't make up his mind about what to.  Constantine was friendly for the sake of being friendly.  He'd never seen that before.   

        The only other cat who had been kind to Conrad since his family was the stray who helped teach Conrad to survive.  She had mistaken Conrad for one of her kits, who went missing.  He'd joined her on a quest for the kits, who they never found.  Even then she'd been a little hostile, never letting Conrad sleep in the same den or eat anything she caught.  To her, he was a way to find her kits, and nothing more. A helping hand, a means to an end.  But she taught him to survive, to fight.  She'd had a motive for being kind, or at least tolerant of Conrad.  Constantine had no reason, but still was.  He had every reason to leave or fight with Conrad, but didn't.

        

        He shook his head and leapt of the couch, determined to clear his head.  "I'm going hunting."  He meowed.  Conrad was too proud to admit he had been rude out loud.  "If you want any food, come along." Please come. He thought to himself, but wasn't going to say that out loud.  Perhaps Constantine fell into a third category, perhaps he was just a kind cat. Perhaps the tom could be a friend.

constantine