[PRP] Fungus Meets Feline (Morel/Buzzardstrike)

[belloblossom]

Morel's world had only ever extended to the fenced in garden that his housefolk kept so pristine. His housefolk where careful in tending to the plants and Morel always watched with great interest as they wielded large snakes that spat water across the grasses and flowers. The snakes could only wake up under the watchful care of his housefolk and Morel often marveled at their abilities - but he wondered if the snakes were not available, would that be the only way to ensure the plants drink manually? If not, were plants resilient enough on their own to wait between rainy seasons?

Suffice to say, Morel had always had a fascination with plants. He liked noticing how some leaves were pointed, while others had rough edges, or kitten soft fur. Petals came in all manner of colors - just like cats tended to! Though admittedly he'd never seen a purple cat before, so flowers were more entrancing to him for one such reason. It didn't occur to him for a long while, however, that plants could be found not just in his housefolk's territory, but beyond it, as well. Not only this, but not all the plants in his garden, were the same as the ones he would find beyond the fence, once he crossed over it.

Which had, as it happened, been a few days ago. He'd leaped at a bird on the fence, and his world had expanded beyond his wildest of imaginations. He'd hoped over the other side and spent days roaming around the suburban bliss of the other houses and beyond, to the woods nearby and even beyond that. So enraptured in scampering from one plant to the next, making note of the ones he knew, and the many he didn't, he didn't realize how far he'd gone, until he realized he couldn't find his way back.

Thus, was the start of Morel's misfortune. He found shelter and water as he tried to trudge up higher into the mysterious terrain - surely he just needed to get high enough, climb a tree and he would be able to locate his home and garden without any further issue. Alas, he hadn't ever really climbed a tree - the fence jump was more or less a fluke and trees were... complicated. The rains made the bark especially slippery and Morel eventually relented to the fact that he would have to walk up the mountain terrain and hope to find an outlook on the ground.

Morel spent his days of trial and error to determine which plants were edible, which weren't - luckily he didn't find anything lethal among them. But when he finally came to the drier part of the woods on the mountain, his hunger showed in his eyes and in the wobbly steps he took. Plants could only do so much to state one's hunger, especially when Morel was used to the wet kittypet food his housefolk fed him. Attempts to hunt had come up with nothing, he was too slow, too clumsy, to uncoordinated.

But... as his dizziness was starting to get to him, he could smell prey nearby - the fresh blood scent going from his nose and directly to his stomach. He stumbled forward, his nose leading the way to another cat. Sleek dark fur and striking eyes, she looked so at ease in this terrain, as opposed to Morel, who looked dirty and out of place. More importantly, she was holding a rabbit in her jaws. Morel's eyes glinted and he weighed the possibility of taking it by force, but he... he had never been a violent or forceful cat.

Practically collapsing into a sitting posture, Morel offered a soft, awkward smile.
"I... What can I offer you, so that you might share that rabbit with me? Please, stranger, I haven't eaten in days." @kovak

 

[kovak]

Buzzardstrike was out and about on a solo patrol, mainly just to follow up and ensure that borders were still intact. She was more territorial in protecting the territory ever since all the new cats started making their way to Mountainclan. She knew that they were not supposed to attack cats not in the clan, but she would rather play the role of an advocate or guide from the border to the clan. Just in case someone needed help navigating around the ravine and such. While she was patrolling, Buzzardstrike managed to catch a rabbit and decided to snack on it before heading back home to Finchchirp.

That was, until she caught a whiff of something very distinctly off. The warrior was curious and wanted to find out what it was. It smelled like a mixture of mountain, but also something else? Something like some of the new clanmates. Buzzardstrike then locked eyes on a distraught sandy brown tom. He looked like a mess. He kind of looked dead. She rolled her ears back once he spoke. He wanted the rabbit? He did look hungry...

"Get up and show dignity in yourself," she demanded. Buzzardstrike really hated when cats acted weak. It was such an ick for her. "Here." She passed her rabbit to the tom before looking away. "Don't eat it too fast. Stay put here. I'll be back in a bit." Without waiting for him to respond, Buzzardstrike trotted off, heading towards the river to bring the tom back some water.

@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

It was all that Morel could do not to tear into the rabbit the moment that the she-cat passed the rabbit to him. Though her words were stern, she was kind to share with him. She told him to stay put there and that she'd be back, trotting away before he could muster up so much as a thank you. Determining to make himself more presentable by the time she returned, he waited until the dark-coated she-cat was out of sight, before he tore into the rabbit. He tried to eat it slowly, but some clumps of rabbit fur still managed to get lodged in throat on the way down before he made it to the tender meat underneath.

He got half way through when he forced himself to pull away. He'd asked to share the rabbit, not to eat it entirely. He may have been hungry - though that was much abated now - but he was not a thief. He stood and took a step away from the rabbit, surveying his surroundings - and himself. His fur was a rugged mess, no wonder the she-cat had looked at him with such disdain.

"Pull yourself together Morel." He told himself as he set to licking through tangles and removing what dirt in his fur he could. He suspected he didn't have as much time to remedy his appearance as he would've liked - especially when the she-cat had looked so well kempt by comparison. When he'd smoothed his shoulders, his chest and his cheeks, he turned his attention to his surroundings. The she-cat had helped him by feeding him, how might he assist her in turn? He was pondering such matters when he spotted the small white flowers growing along the path border and recognized them as daisies.

Did she-cats like flowers? Daisies were practical - they couldn't fill your stomach, but they could soothe the ache in your paws. He'd found this out upon eating them before, in one of his neighbors yards. He'd since learned that it wasn't advisable to eat every new herb you came across, after a few particularly bad trips to the vet. How had he not seen them before? He must've been too blind with hunger to have noticed the small blooming flowers, even with their yellow centers as bold as they were.

Quickly standing, he hurried over to the patch of daisies and plucked a mouthful of their stems, flowers attached and returned to the rabbit carcass. He placed the daisies daintily beside the carcass' paws, which were unmarred by his feeding frenzy from earlier and waited. He wasn't sure how long he was meant to wait, but he had no where else to go, and he was determined to thank her however he could, for the meal. He'd been alone this long, what was some patience in being alone now going to hurt much? @kovak

 

[kovak]

There was moss on a few trees and Buzzardstrike carried some to the waterbed with her, dipping the herbs into the water. She knew they would be soaked up in the moss and huffed her way back to the lethargic tom. As she returned, she saw the not fully eaten rabbit. Was something wrong with it? She was about to ask when she noticed that the tom looked a lot more presentable in appearance. Did he just bathe himself? And then she noticed the flowers. She blinked, dropping the drenched moss by the flowers and carcass.

"Here. Put these in your mouth and squeeze. Don't swallow the moss." She said, still staring at the flowers. She was confused as to how they got here. "Umm. You can finish the rest of the rabbit, if you'd like. You look like you need it a lot more than I do." Buzzardstrike took a few steps back to let the tom know that she was not going to be a threat to him and sat down, watching him to see what he'd do. He definitely was not a clan cat, and he seemed a bit aloof to know how to fight, considering how it was probably him who picked the flowers.

Buzzardstrike was not really one to show her emotions. She simply just stared at him. She hardly blinked. Her intrusive thoughts got the best of her and a short spark came to her head. He was kind of good looking, despite his horrid stench.

"You're not from here, are you?"

@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Morel was relieved when the she-cat returned and tilted his head when she placed the damp moss near his paws and explained how it worked.
"That's genius." He mewed, lowering his muzzle to inspect the moss more closely. Of course finding a water bowl in the wilderness wouldn't be possible, but this she-cat somehow managed to find a fine alternative. He lapped at the water in the moss and then took it into his mouth, squeezing the remaining liquid into his mouth and swallowing. Turning his green gaze upon Buzzardstrike, his eyes were round with excitement. "You're brilliant! I would've never thought of such a thing myself. Thank you, very much, for your aid." He told her.

He turned his gaze from the dark-pelted she-cat to the half-eaten rabbit.
"Are you sure? There's plenty left. I wouldn't want to be rude and keep it all to myself, especially after all you've done already." He mewed. Oh, he would gladly eat it all, but manners were important. Manners were especially important in the face of help... and in the face of beauty, too.

He indicated the daisies beside the carcass.
"I found these, also, to thank you for your help. If you chew the leaves and stems into a poultice - er, into a mash, you can apply it to your paws and it'll soothe any aches that come with a long journey." He would be using any other daisies he'd left behind for this exact purpose. "It works on other parts that might be sore, your neck or your spine, but I find it's especially potent on paw pads - and it's easier to lick off your paws than on your back." He added.

"You're correct, I'm not from around here. I got turned around some time ago and I don't imagine I'll be able to return now." He twisted his neck to look over his shoulder, as though he could see the trail that he'd taken from Twolegplace to get to where he was now. Returning his gaze to the she-cat in front of him, he went on. "With no way of returning to the place I call home, I'm in your debt, for the help you bestowed upon me." He lowered his head to her respectively, before raising it again. "I am Morel. What is your name, Miss?" @kovak