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Mysterious Glowing Eyes
Mysterious Glowing Eyes An RP by NekoLen and Tachigami The weather was finally warm enough for the doors and windows to stand wide and open, letting in a beautiful, scent-heavy breeze and taking out the stale indoor air. The living room was wonderfully lit with angled sunlight and it warmed the patterned rug and beige leather furniture. The fireplace was empty and clean of ash and burned logs, and the beautiful painted landscapes seemed to shimmer in the sun. Harvey yawned and stretched on the window lounge, thick pillows shifting when he did so he could turn and watch the street below. His owners, a high-class man and woman with an adorable redhead daughter, trusted him to not set foot on the street unless he was accompanied, but he didn't really want to. He had a wide open yard with a beautiful pond ad plenty of shade trees to keep him busy, after all. Why would he want to risk his life outside that tall fence? He shivered at the thought, running his hand through his caramel colored hair and letting it stick up on one side, over his twitching ear. Every time someone spoke it moved to catch what might be said, but Harvey wasn't entirely interested. Not enough to go investigate. Then a set of quick footfalls met his ears and Harvey turned, rolling over and smiling at Vicki as she ran toward him. His owners, her parents, had adopted him just for her, and some days he felt like a moving mannequin for the little girl to dress up, but he didn't mind as long as she didn't get rough. At eleven years old she knew better, though, and she even did her own hair up in a braided bun now. He'd watch and smile when she accomplished it and turned to him, beaming. Now she walked forward and rubbed his ear between her thumb and forefinger, and Harvey smiled with closed eyes. He did love this kid, she was a sweet thing. But serious when it came to his wearing what she wanted him to. Clasping his face in her hands, Vicki studied his bright green eyes and pouted her lips. "Haaaarvey, you gotta be careful!" She pulled back, straightening the bow she'd tied under his collar. Today's odd clothing choice was a ruffled brown shirt with red trim and a bright blue bowtie-like fastening at his neck. At least she didn't bother with something on his tail today, which he didn't mind but made a habit of twitching until it came off. Smiling, Vicki clasped her hands in front of her and straightened her spring-inspired pink and blue sundress. "So perfect!" She cooed, ruffling his hair until it was over his eyes. "Okay, I gotta go, tutors are here! Love you, Harvey!" She waved, and he nodded a little. He could understand a good amount of what was said, especially when it was said directly to him. It was the combination of books, papers, conversations between his owners, guests and hired help, and television. When Vicki ran off, he turned back to the street and stretched out again, closing his eyes halfway. It was so warm, finally. later he would have to inspect the pond in case his owners restocked it with fish. He smiled at the thought. |
He had been down this street before, walking along the low brick fences and poking his tongue out at any dogs that tried to bark at him. He couldn't imagine being trapped behind a fence, forced to put up boring humans that would use him. He liked the freedom of roaming the streets, stealing clothes and food and hunting the pigeons that flocked in the town square. Sometimes he would approach kind old ladies, who would feel sorry for him and give him food or treats. They were easy to fool. All he had to do was look hungry and meow as pitifully as possible.
Right now he was exploring the rich part of town, keeping an eye out for anything he could steal. Valuables were useless to him. Nekos had no need for money. All he wanted was clothes or food, or maybe something fashionable to wear in his black spiky hair. Right now he had decorated it with blue feathers of a bird he had caught, and a shiny hair tie he had found abandoned in a park. He jumped from a fence and crossed the road, eyeing a large house with a tall fence. What had caught his eye was the beautiful Neko that lay in the window. He had seen a few pets before, but this one really was something to look at. His yellow eyes stayed on the figure as he climbed over the fence and approached. |
The breeze tickled his ear and he twitched it, reaching up to pull at the loose fur that felt more like an insect crawling in his ear. Harvey could hear people talking nearby, Vicki's tutor and the little girl responding. Then he smelled something nice. It was sweet on the nose. Pie? A cake, perhaps, from the nearby bakery. Letting his hand hang over the window sill, Harvey slid his palm over the aged brick. It was an old, but impeccably kept home, and beautiful too. It stayed warm in the winter an cool in the summers without the need for central air or heat. And today was just cool enough to warrant lounging in the sunlight. An itchy sensation crawled up his back, making Harvey open his eyes. It was the feeling he got when he knew he was being watched, and when he looked down, Harvey stiffened. Yellow eyes weren't unusual for a neko, but these glowed in the sun. They were studying. Not hostile, but Harvey was, nonetheless, wary. He'd never been approached by another neko and this was new to him. But the shaggy appearance and strange clothing, the fresh, pure scent made him all the more interested. He was certainly interesting. Harvey flattened himself down, hanging himself halfway out the window. |
Apex grinned and his tail wiggled slightly in excitement. What had brought him to this street and then to climb the fence to this neko's home? He had met many pretty nekos before, but never had been so forward. Perhaps it was because this one seemed to be excited to see him. Had he seen another neko before? Apex doubted it, his pierced ears flicking slightly as he approached. He laid close to the ground, but not in anyway that would seem like he was hunting the other neko. "Hello," he greeted, speaking in neko tongue, which to humans sounded like meows and little mumbling noises. He wasn't sure if this one understood his native tongue. He had heard that some pets spoke human language and refused to talk to street nekos like him.
"Nice day, isn't it? What's your name?" He tried to be friendly, but was cautious as well. He could smell the humans and hear them talking inside the house. How would they react to a strange neko on their property? Would they spray water at him? He shuddered at the thought. |
Harvey moved slightly, now almost halfway out the window. He'd not had a street neko wander around these areas before. Not that he'd ever smelled, or saw, or even heard. He was more curious now, because it had been a long time. Smiling gently, Harvey tilted his head a little to glance inside. What would his owners say? Vicki was predictable, she'd love to have another dress up doll. He smiled at the thought, and raised his tail in greeting. "A really nice day." He replied lightly. "My name is Harvey... I don't know where I got the name..." Who was this, though? Street nekos liked to name themselves, usually something they heard whose tone they liked, or they enjoyed speaking on their own. "What's your name?" His curiosity was overflowing, just as it did when confronted to anything new. Maybe he'd been a housepet for too long, but his sense of caution was blunt now. He had sense enough to keep wary of other nekos, but this one wasn't hostile. Not that he could tell, at least. |
"My name is Apex," he replied, tilting his head at the name that had been said. Harvey? What sort of name was that? He was probably named by a human, who seemed to enjoy naming their pets human names or embarrassing names like "Socks". His friends had all named themselves, so they got to choose cool-sounding words for their names. Apex named himself as well, having forgotten the name he had once been called. "What are you doing? Would you like to come for a walk?" He was suddenly energetic, wanting this new neko to wonder with him. Surely he didn't enjoy being kept indoors? Who would give up freedom to live with annoying humans?
He sat on the grass, leaning against the wall and staring out at the small front yard. He wondered what Harvey did for fun. Maybe he had some catnip he'd like to share. It had been awhile since Apex had had any, and he wouldn't say no if offered. |
Apex? Harvey smiled at that name. He knew what it meant. It meant the top, the climax, the height of a situation. When one got to the top of the hill. Whatever hill that might be. He rolled the name in his mind a few times, smiling a bit at the way it sounded. No doubt he'd named himself. Harvey looked up again, and then immediately stiffened. "Uh..." He glanced backward, but didn't have to worry about his owners. They were busy in their study and would be for the next hour or so. "Um... I'm not sure I can... I mean, I'm not allowed outside the fence... And I haven't been... there... in a while... A long time." He looked down, studying his claws and biting his lip. He remembered being afraid on the streets. That fear had come back a bit at the mention of stepping outside that fence. That fence meant protection. He was loved here, taken care of. Apex, this street neko, seemed to like his life, but Harvey just wasn't like him. He never had been. Maybe he was just one in a long long line of pets, just not suited for those streets. But he regretted saying no. Apex seemed so... interesting. He certainly didn't smell bad, or look bad. Harvey huffed, lowering his head. "I'm sorry..." He mewed, rather pitifully if he thought so. |
Apex frowned. He wasn't allowed? What was stopping him? His humans? Did he have something on his collar that prevented him from leaving the house? "But it's a nice day. You don't have to worry! I'll introduce you to my cool friends. There is Sky, Rad and Twig. They are really cool! We sleep on the rooftops and watch the humans below us, and chase pigeons and..." He stopped talking. Nothing he could say would make Harvey want to leave his cushy home. He would be fed and looked after, maybe even loved by his humans. Apex had never been loved.
"What do they make you do?" he asked, tilting his head again. Was he their servant? Something to entertain them? Or was he really looked after like a pet, a member of the family. |
Harvey felt himself imagining the things Apex said. He still had his hunter's tendency, and loved to catch birds and squirrels, insects, snakes, and lizards. He certainly loved to catch the fish in the pond and was never yelled at for it. Unless he did it too often. Still, his wistful gaze was shaken away and he wriggled slightly. He did want to try. But he was afraid. Every time he remembered the streets he remembered getting kicked or having rocks thrown at him. Then he blinked, and studied Apex slightly. "What...? What do they make me do...? Well... nothing, really... I mean, their little girl... she likes to dress me, as you can see." He sat upright, letting his legs hang out the window. At least his clothes matched, so he could never say anything about that. Vicki would definitely be a fashion designer when she grew up, it was no doubt. "But... That's it. Why...?" Did Apex think his owners harmed him? Or made his life awful? He could never say that about them. They were busy, yes, but he tended to have run of most of the house. Then there was Vicki, who was careful but sometimes overzealous with him. |
"I hear stories about humans, how cruel and selfish they can be," Apex shrugged. There was no point exploring his shadowy past with the new friend. His older friends didn't even know much about him. He liked to keep it that way. "What do you do all day if you can't leave your yard? I see you have some nice trees out back, do you catch any birds?" Apex loved hunting, it was his favourite thing to do, other than hanging out with his friends and eating catnip.
"I caught a pretty blue one yesterday, see?" He pointed at the feathers in his long black hair. "It tasted alright, but I really liked its feathers." He wondered what sort of food Harvey was allowed to eat. Probably cooked meat and fish made especially for him. Apex was only a little bit jealous. |
Harvey crouched and sat, pulling up his tail and stroking its fur down. His new friend---hopefully his friend, because Harvey loved being in his presence already---was so interesting. So much about him to know, and yet he approached Harvey, so boring a neko, a simple pet. "I love hunting." He purred. "I catch whatever I can... You might not believe it, but the yard behind this house is really very large. Huge. There are a few gates to get in and out and it faces a forest... A small one, but I've never been in it..." He shook his head. "I catch whatever I can... Never a bird with blue feathers... I once caught a big black one. A crow, or... raven, I think... I can't remember. I never save the feathers, or a beak or foot... I'm not really allowed, they think it's too dirty." He wriggled a bit. He was allowed to go out, at least, into the yard, whenever he wanted. So he did. Sitting up, Harvey pushed himself off the window sill and lighted gently on the green grass, settling in front of Apex. "I like the feathers in your hair... It makes you look... unique." He smiled brightly, a motion that closed his eyes halfway. |
"I like to decorate myself, else I would look like every other neko, you know?" Apex grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "You really caught my eye though, I've never seen a neko like you... I mean..." He chuckled slightly and scratched his ear out of embarrassment. "You are really pretty." He continued to laugh, imagining what his friends would say to him if they were around. They would probably laugh at him and call him a sap, and then tease him for liking a boy neko. Females were around, but rare. Apex had only met two in his whole life, one being his friend Sky. She acted like a boy though and always hissed at any male nekos that tried to treat her like a girl.
"I haven't really seen fur of that colour and shade before," he said quickly, trying to save his embarrassment. It was true, after all. Chestnut brown was not a colour you saw often. Usually black or blonde, sometimes ginger. |
Harvey's breath caught, and he lowered his head to the flush that colored him. He'd never been complimented by another neko, not in his immediate knowledge. It warmed him from the inside out almost uncomfortably, made his voice catch when he tried to reply somehow. But he didn't know quite what to say. When Apex sounded as embarrassed as he felt, though, Harvey raised his head and felt as if his smile would be frozen if it got any wider. "Thanks..." He mewed quietly. "That's really... I mean, it's nice... to hear, that is... Y-you're... I mean, you're really... Um, I mean..." He closed his eyes, feeling a new flush overtake him. He wasn't good with complimenting others like this. If he could get the words out without stumbling he would have said Apex looked ridiculously handsome regardless of where he came from. But the words just got stuck in his throat, and came out in a quiet squeak. |
The situation was growing awkward and Apex felt slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't uncommon for nekos to automatically become friends or enemies from just a simple conversation, and he really hoped Harvey counted him as a friend. He got to his feet, wagging his tail playfully. "Wanna play?" Harvey wouldn't leave the safety of his home, but they could stay hunt in the back yard.
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Harvey looked up quickly, smiling and backing up. He did want to play---it was so rare he had a chance to interact, let alone play around with, another of his kind that it was almost an unheard of luxury in his otherwise soft life. He stood, running around the house and pressing against the cool brick, watching Apex and backing away slowly. The side yard was wide and shaded, and led into the back yard. There were various bushes to lie under if it got too hot or crowded or loud inside, and he often found small lizards or frogs seeking the damp coolness in the heat of summer. But he wanted Apex to see the oasis of a yard his owners had, and the perch that was actually the floor of an unfinished tree house that let him see deep into the wooded area beyond the fence. He waited, watching Apex and hoping he would follow without more prompt than that. |
Apex followed carefully, low to the ground as though he was hunting. He found Harvey waiting for him and pounced on the neko, playfully biting his ear before dashing away and hiding under a bush. He sniffed about, smelling the scents of humans, insects, lizards and Harvey. How long had the other neko lived here? Some were pets all their lives and when they died, humans buried them in the ground. Apex had always thought that was weird.
He rustled about, his tail fluffed up as he prepared for Harvey to attack him. |
Harvey gasped and couldn't react when Apex pounced him, but he felt himself squeak and laugh, rolling over the grass and flattening himself down. His tail twitched widely from left to right and he followed the scent of Apex, the pure, entirely neko scent that was unharmed by human smells. Then he heard the blonde neko in the bushes to the left, and he crept toward him, close to the wall and quiet on curled hands and bare feet. His owners didn't like to see him 'crawling about' like a street neko, and usually had him stand upright when he could. When he saw something twitch in the darkness, he lunged, jumping into the shadow and rolling Apex out into the sun, pinning him down. "My hunting skill is still pretty sharp, isn't it?" He asked, playfully biting his ear and pulling, then jumping off and running halfway across the yard to the tree with the platform in it. There was a ladder nailed to the trunk that he used to help himself up. |
Apex was impressed. So the pet still knew how to hunt? He didn't think it was possible. He laughed and chased after the brown-furred neko, climbing up the tree after him. He didn't need the ladder to help him, his claws were hooked and sharp and he was good at climbing things. He lived on the rooftops of the town, after all. He flopped next to Harvey on the platform, admiring the view.
"Did your humans build this for you?" he asked, scratching his pierced ear as he watched the forest. He had been in that forest, it was where he caught most of his food if he couldn't steal any. He wondered if Harvey had ever been there himself. |
Harvey smiled when Apex joined him, and settled down to stretch out beside him. "No..." He sighed. "It was supposed to be a treehouse for my owners' little girl. But she decided against it when it was only partly done. So there's just this floor platform and the ladder leading up to it. Ooh, there she is right there." He nodded across the yard, to the ivy-draped gazebo in the corner of the yard, near the pond. Vicki sat with her tutor, a large man with a soft voice that didn't seem to match him at all. "I think she's learning about insects now." Harvey mused, then turned his gaze back over the fence. It was beautiful there. But he was never allowed out into the trees. "Is it nice?" He asked, glancing at Apex. "I always wondered what the woods felt like. But..." He stifled a shudder and stretched a bit. It was kind of terrifying. He didn't want to actually go out there, definitely not alone. And if he came back dirty he would be in trouble, no doubt. |
Apex screwed his nose up at the sight of the humans in the gazebo, lying flat to the platform so they wouldn't see him. He disliked humans and never could understand how nekos could become so close to them. His ears stayed focussed on the girl in the distance, in case she saw Harvey and called out to him, but he returned his gaze to the forest.
"It's so nice," he said with a sigh. "So clean, but so many scents to smell and trees to climb and things to hunt..." He grinned, his sharp teeth showing as he glanced at Harvey. "Haven't you ever left this house? I can't imagine a life like that... Don't you ever want to leave to explore?" |
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