The Cricket Whisperer

[squid]

"Lizards like rats. They have meat, and taste yummy. Not crunchy like crickets," Bigstep explained to Rainstripe. "Cricket friends run from lizards. Lizards in sand, in small trees. Lizards everywhere, but fast runners."

Looking around, Bigstep spotted a few outstretched on a few branches of a skinny, bare tree-like plant. "There!" he said, sounding like an awe-filled kit. "On tree branch." The crickets seemed to gather round him, and Bigstep said, "Cricket friends know I protect them. I eat lizards for cricket safety."

[duckyaisha]

Rainstripe nodded and fell into a crouch, stalking towards the lizards. She edged along the wall, her dark gray-striped fur blending with the shadows. Closer and closer she crept until the she-cat was hiding right underneath the branch. Then Rainstripe leaped, reaching upward with her claws. The lizards scurried down, and she missed them. Hissing angrily under her breath, she dashed after them, then whirled around, cutting off their path, and grabbed one immediately with her right front paw. Panting, Rainstripe ate the lizard. Her eyes widened. It was the best thing she'd ever eaten, and she was reminded of the one time she'd eaten rat when she was young. "This is much better than cricket," she agreed. "So, can you talk to crickets?"

[squid]

Bigstep agreed with Rainstripe. "Lizard taste like rat, but not dangerous," Bigstep explained. "No bad teeth or claws. No bite that makes you sick."

With the mentioning of his secret, Bigstep froze up breifly. After thinking it through for less than a second, though, the dim-witted cat felt that she could be trusted. Nodding his head energetically, he meowed, "Yes. Bigstep talk to crickets. Crickets my friend." Looking back at the small group on a mini-dune of sand, he saw that they were inching this way.

"Now crickets your friends too. You eat lizards now. You and me protect crickets."

[Darky [Megan]]

The she-cat was just taking a stroll, after having eaten a nice little lunch of rats. Her slightly bloodied paws sank deep into the sand as she walked, looking around for something else to drop off at her little pile of food.

Speckledclaw owned, in her opinion, a small, heavily-scented territory in which a very small mound of food was stored. All of a sudden, a strong whiff of lizards hit her right smack in the nostrils. Her ears perked, and the spotted she-cat quickly glanced around.
Her eyes found a very small bit of loose sand not far off, where a rather large, black tom was sitting. Small, hopping black dots told her that a small colony of crickets was probably residing there.

The warrior paused. This cat was big. But there was a smaller cat. Perhaps they were conversing. Speckledclaw shook her head. It's probably best if I don't get into any fights. The tom is big and I've eaten enough anyway. She resumed her pacing, heading straight for the two cats. Perhaps they knew a good patch of water which she could use to douse down the rat.

[squid]

Bigstep was listening to the crickets make small noises as they twitched their antennae. "Yeah, lizards big and bad, but Bigstep bigger!" With that, the large tom made himself look intimidating, fluffing out his tail and unsheathing his claws.

Suddenly the smell of rat blood drifted to the cat's black nose. Bigstep slowly turned his head to face Speckledclaw. He'd forgotten to relax his fur. "What you want?" he said with his deep voice.

[Darky [Megan]]

Speckledclaw was caught off-guard, but no expression registered on her face. Out of instinct, the she-cat mirrored the big tom's stance, misinterpreting his little show as a challenge.

Bigstep looked menacing with his fur standing on end, claws drawn. Speckledclaw spoke, hissing slightly, "I mean you no threat, tom. And your crickets are yours. I've eaten enough." The she-cat allowed herself to relax slightly, and pulled back into a sitting position, ears perked, claws unsheathed and still on guard.

[duckyaisha]

Rainstripe quickly backed away, not in fear, but because she didn't like being with more than one cat at a time. Then she said to Bigstep, "I don't think she's any problem to you or the crickets. She's already eaten, see?" Rainstripe mewed, nodding towards the she-cat's bloody paws. "And you'll scare other cats if you keep your claws out and fluff your fur like that." She may not have been a very social cat, but she didn't know about Bigstep. She certainly didn't want him to have any enemies, and looking intimidating was the easiest way to to it.

[squid]

Bigstep was about to relax, but then the cat suddenly switched to Attack Mode. However, her words were contradicting and confused him. In his confusion, Bigstep merely relaxed and said, "Ok..."

Bigstep looked taken aback when the cat linked eating with crickets. His eyes ever-so-slightly narrowed. "You eat crickets?" he questioned.

[Darky [Megan]]

ooc Ducky, I'm trying to look up Rainstripe's physical description but your link doesn't seem to be working. ^^; I can't really find her profile in the Accepted Chars board either.

bic Speckledclaw was glad that the smaller cat was clearly not interested with fighting. When she saw the tom relax, Speckledclaw let her guard down slightly, eager to bring up the topic of water. Her throat was quickly becoming dry. However, the smaller cat was backing away. She mistook as a sign of caution, and did not take much notice.

Her eyes widened slightly though, when the large tom shot a rather odd question at her. "Certainly I eat crickets," Speckledclaw replied, sensing impending danger. Why did she pick up the notion that she was treading on sensitive ground? The topic of food was nothing to be afraid about. "Certainly eat crickets," the cat said again, "what cat doesn't? But those crickets around you are of no interest to me."

This large tom was clearly a little dense. That was of no problem to the warrior. Not many of the cats she knew were completely right in the head anyway. "Anyhow, passing over that topic, do either of you know of any good water puddles around here? I'm parched."

[duckyaisha]

Ooc: She's on page 2 of the accepted characters board. I wonder why my link isn't working? AHH I'M SO STUPID!
Bic: Rainstripe thought for a moment. Being around two cats at once was making her nervous and clouding her mind. "I think there's one over that way," she meowed, flicking her dark gray-tipped tail towards the place she had come from. "Here I'll show-" she began walking as she spoke and her reply was cut off as she tripped and fell into the sand. Scrambling back up, she spat sand out of her mouth and shook off her gray pelt. "Over that way," she repeated, not wanting to trip again.