New Neighbors

The trip to this new human den was a long one, especially on that giant bird he had to sit in for ages, but it felt amazing to finally be comfortable and not always on the move. In their previous home he'd had a portal to the outside, but when they'd arrived here it was closed and no matter what he did he couldn't open it, and it had seemed to stay shut for a good while now. Today though, things were different and there was a sense of excitement in the air. After breakfast, his people called him over to it and after doing some sort of magic, they pushed the little flap in and out, and he knew exactly what that meant.

Bursting through the little door, Cheddar purred with delight as the warm sun hit his pelt. Flopping over onto his back he brushed himself against the fresh grass, the little bell on his blue collar jingling with every movement. Sitting up, he gave his fluffy fur a shake and took a moment to look around at the new surroundings that he'd be calling home. Birds sang in the distance, and not too far off he was able to hear the low hum of people-movers. Scents of all kinds rushed into his pink nose, and taking a deep breath he soaked it all in, happy to be able to enjoy the fresh air again. After a few moments though, something caught his attention and turning around, he spotted his people stood watching with that little lightbox in their paws. Good golly did he love his humans. Having been with so many cats at his previous home had its perks, such as an endless supply of food, lots of company and visitors, et cetera, but he'd much rather be sitting on their laps alone instead of constantly trying to fight to sit somewhere. Not to mention he'd always make friends and then they'd leave and for Cheddar who loved making friends; that was always a real mood-killer.

Letting out a meow of joy and giving them a happy flick of his tail, he turned and trotted around the yard in hopes of finding something interesting. Some stones, a garden that they'd blocked off for some reason, a little fountain, nothing too exciting... except for the giant fence in front of him that rose up into the sky.

Jumping up onto a nearby boulder, he hopped up onto the top and gave a stretch, extending all his claws into the wood and giving it a few scratches. From the larger portal, one of the humans called out to him in a stern tone and he always wondered how they didn't know that he couldn't understand them. Giving a friendly chirp in response to satisfy whatever they'd wanted from him, he sat down and looked out into the forest that loomed in the distance. He wondered what creatures might live in there, but it wasn't like they'd be of any danger to him as long as he stayed where it was safe; with his people.

Swiftheart had gotten a break from her kits as they were all asleep for a nap as she slipped out of camp into the forest beyond. It was nice to be out of camp for a bit. She had been taking care of her kits for awhile now and soon they would be close-ish to being apprentice aged. She wondered who their mentors would be and how well each of them would like the training and such. She was daydreaming of these things quite a bit as she walked along and she hadnt realized that her paws had unconciously led her towards the twoleg places. It was fine, she was still deep enough in the woods and her own land for it not to be an issue.

Glancing around she was about to go home when a high pitched dinging rang out and she tilted her head curiously... Whwat was that? she wondered to herself. And there it was again, ding ding it sounded. She had never heard anything like this before. Curiousity got the better of her.... she knew that logically she shouldnt really be investigating weird sounds all by herself but she was sure she would be fine and besides... she could take care of herself right?? She confidenlty went closer to the sounds origin.

She was at the forests edge and peeking out from the undergrowth she saw the high walls that the twolegs built around their massive camps. Atop on of these tree looking walls sat a kittypet with a weird neckless looking thing around his neck... She had seen flower necklaces that some of the other queens would sometimes make... but this one was not like those. It was pure blue and she wondered how he had made that. Attatched to the blue thingy was a golden noisemaker that dinged ever time he moved.... huh... how would he catch anything if he always gave himeslef away like that. She wondered to herself.

Swiftheart also loved making new friends so seeing someone new to her was an opportunity to make a friend.

(Something cheddar might not have been so lucky with meeting other warriors)

She slowly moved out from under her cover but kept a vigilent eye out for other cats and twolegs especially.

"Hello there !" she called out in greeting to him happily.

"I am swiftheart of shadowclan... who are you?" she asked head tilted curious as ever as to who this new stranger was that she had never seen or smelled around these parts before was. Perhaps his twolegs only recently got him she guessed

(she had no idea what giant sky birds were and how he flew here from elsewhere on his move)

Hearing a rustling in some brush near the edge of the forest, following a cat's meow, Cheddar turned his attention to whoever had just called out to him. Standing bellow him not too far off and looking up to him was a white she-cat, one who smelt different than any cat he'd smelt before. Fixing his gaze on the stranger that called herself Swiftheart, he let out a friendly purr. "Hello! I'm Cheddar, I just moved in!" He wasn't quite sure what kind of name Swiftheart was, but maybe her humans liked longer names...? And what was a ShadowClan? Maybe it was some sort of group of cats?

Jumping down from his perch atop the fence so that he was at her level, he gave his fluffy cream colored pelt a shake, which made the bell on his collar jingle a few times. "What's a ShadowClan?" he asked, his blue eyes locked onto the she-cat with the utmost curiosity as his tail swished back and forth behind him.

(I apologize for the delay on this, life got super busy but I should be around alot more now)

Swiftheart looked curiously at the cat who was now at her height as he jumped down from his high fake tree looking thing... twolegs really did have an odd sense of decoration.

The thing on his neck jangled about dinging every witch way... hmm she still had no idea what purpose that bell served.

"Oh well it is good to meet you" she purred friendily, it made sense now that he didnt know of the clans since he had only just moved in.


"Shadowclan is a group of us wild cats. We band together to protect and look out for one another." she explained to him licking her front paws clean.

Now it was her turn to be curious and ask a question... she wasnt sure if it was rude or not but she couldnt help but wonder what that thing around his neck was.

She asked politely about it : "its very nice to meet you cheddar... but you must tell me what is this funny object stuck on your neck?" she said sniffing at the collar and bell.

She hoped it was not some twoleg garbage that he had got himself stuck in that would have been maybe a mean thing to ask about but she hoped she had asked in a nice enough way it wouldnt bother him.

Listening to the she-cat, whatever ShadowClan was made some sense, though he assumed he still wasn't getting the whole picture, which didn't bother him at all. Whoever this wild "clan" was could stay in their forest, it wasn't like he was going to bother any-cat nor did he ever wish to be called "wild." But even so, he still found Swiftheart somewhat fascinating; the fact that she could survive without kibble, a warm bed to sleep on, humans to groom them... well, assuming they were fully, truly, wild and not just housecats that took day trips to the forest.

"Oh this thing?" the fluffy, cross-eyed tom mewed with a wide grin on his muzzle. "It tells my humans where I am, which comes in handy when I'm really hungry. Mine is pretty cool, it sparkles and jingles!" he purred, lifting one of his big red paws and hitting the little bell. "You don't have one... if you live with other cats, how do you tell each other apart?" he mewed curiously, tilting his head to the side.

Swiftheart tilted her head a little at his interesting question.... How do we tell each other apart??


Hmm well maybe for house cats that was not something they had to do alot of.

"well we live with our clanmates so we know them by name and just by seeing them... and for others outside of our clan like the other clans for instense... we can usually tell what clan they are from based on scent but picking out individuals from other clans can be a bit harder unless you socialize alot at the gatherings like I do she explained to him quickly. she talked a mile a minute and loved getting to socalize like this.

"hmm you probably didnt follow a word of that... my bad... hmm say if you are curious I suppose you could stop by the gathering we are having soon. It is a time of peace and no fighting is allowed so if you wanted to learn more about it would be perfect time.... hmm the leaders would be pretty interested in a kittypet such as yourself im sure... "

She personally would find it very odd and strange to have the something always telling twolegs where she was but she wasnt going to give her opinion on that. He seemed to not mind it so as long as he wasnt having to wear it against his will she was fine.

Cats without collars or tags or bells... what a concept that was. Well, whatever bloated their goats; or however that saying went. Swiftheart continued and his fuzzy ears perked at the word "gathering." A meeting with all the wild cats in one place? How exciting that must be to be able to make so many new friends!

"Can I come?" Cheddar exclaimed as soon as she finished speaking. "To this gathering thing? I'd love to meet you all!" he mewed happily, hoping she would say yes to his request. It wasn't like he was asking much, right? It wasn't like he'd be a bother to any-cat and if anything these wild cats would probably love to have him join them!