oh but what a shame [pigeon]

CRICKETPAW

Was it weird for him to feel guilty whenever he went out hunting? Like, every time he killed a mouse or vole, he couldn’t help but wince. These were living and breathing animals, just like him, and he was taking their lives away. A feline couldn’t live on greens alone- he was aware of this. There was no such thing as a fully vegan cat, since their physiology didn’t allow it. But despite this, a part of him felt like taking up the lifestyle. Think of it, what if these ‘pieces of prey’ as his clan mates called them, had their own little personalities and routines? What if they had family members, friends, even lovers who cared for them? For all he knew, these creatures may belong to complex societies of their own, that were not all too different from clans. He knew that these thoughts were ridiculous, and that there was no evidence to prove these theories, but still- it was hard not to mull over them. The tom was currently sitting in front of the burnt sycamore tree, absentmindedly watching the mouse that was just beyond leaping distance. His eyes were clouded over with thought, and settling into a more comfortable position, which was a half-assed ‘draw me like one of your French girls’ pose, he sighed to no one in particular. “What’s the point of having compassion if it just makes you feel guilty?” His voice dripped with exasperation, and putting his chin to the ground, he gave the sky an eye-roll. It wouldn't be the last time he did so.

[ pigeontuft ?? ]

CRICKETPAW

The arrival of someone else to the scene shouldn't have surprised him. Shadowclan was home to many cats, after all, and to expect total peace and quiet was unreasonable. Not that he was looking to immerse himself in complete solitude or anything, but still. Lifting his head to get a better look at the newcomer, Cricket recognized them as a fellow apprentice, though he couldn't put a name to their face. Ever observant when it came to other people's health, it wasn't long before he noticed a certain clumsiness to Pigeonpaw's movements. He chose to stay silent on the matter though, figuring that it would be rude to blurt out something along the lines of 'what's wrong with you?' in the first few minutes of meeting someone. As they settled down nearby, Cricket pondered over their words, and found himself liking the insight they provided. "That's true." He murmured, flicking his tail in a mundane fashion. His usual energy was subdued for the moment, replaced with a more thoughtful, relaxed persona. "Yes, you do make a good point. All of those things are indeed born from compassion, and I sometimes take them for granted." A frown fell upon his thin features, and in a sudden bout of thoughtfulness, he rolled onto his back. "Say, do you think that we're terrible people, hunting down innocent voles and such? I know that we have to eat them in order to survive, but maybe there's a better alternative that we're just not aware of." One of his paws made a circular gesture, representing the cogs that were currently turning in his mind. "Maybe I sound like lunatic- and tell me if I do, but what if prey animals like mice and squirrels can actually understand everything that we say? What if we're the dumb ones?"

CRICKETPAW

Although Cricket was what you could call an outgoing person, always animated and full of life, he too struggled with social awkwardness. There were some instances where he would just blank out, and become at a total loss for words. After all, his mind tended to jump tracks often, and it was hard for him to keep a conversation going when he couldn't remember what the original topic was. It didn't help that most people either began to ignore him after a certain point in time had been reached, or they walked away. The fear of getting rejected by society was constantly on his mind, and he couldn't help but take their disinterest personally. Was it his fault for choosing boring subjects to talk about? Was he not engaging them enough? What exactly was he doing that made people want to abandon ship? This being said, he appreciated the change of pace that had presented itself. Being able to sit back and dissect life in such a relaxed manner was... well, luxurious. "Huh, I never thought of it that way." He admitted, closing his eyes. "I was so focused on us as a species, that it never occurred to me that they may have done to deserve our wrath." There wasn't a reason for prey animals not to be guilty. Yeah, what was he thinking? "It would be kind of ridiculous though, if voles and other such creatures were actually evil. Can you imagine them committing any sort of crime? Think of it, a mouse gets murdered and they round up all the possible suspects. But they soon come across a problem. All of the mice look alike!" Despite his efforts to remain serious, a grin appeared on his maw, and the tom let out a hearty chuckle. "Or I don't know, perhaps they can tell the difference between each other. I'm not sure how you would though. Through their voices? Do they have pelt markings like we do?"

He sobered just in time to hear the other apprentice's next statement, which left much room for pondering. Why did cats have claws anyway? Were they truly designed to hunt down other creatures and commit acts of malice, like Pigeonpaw said? If so, it was a rather cruel decision to make them like this. To be burdened with the ability to take lives... or rather, was it a blessing in disguise? The boy shook his head, dislodging the thought. No, killing wasn't a good thing. It couldn't be. If that was the case, why would people label it as a sin? "Yes, hunting is in our nature, isn't it? It's naive of me to assume otherwise." This last part might as well have been said to himself, since it was so soft. He was roused from a state of self-annoyance by more words, which came tumbling out of his acquaintance's mouth like a tentative waterfall. "I wonder, is it possible for us to learn their languages? Imagine what sort of things we would learn about the world and ourselves if we could just communicate with them." Something suddenly occurred to Cricket, causing him to pause. He didn't know anything about this clan-mate of his. Not even his name. "Say, my introspective friend-" He started, opening his eyes and glancing over at Pigeonpaw, who was thankfully still lying there. "I don't beleive I caught your name. Which is quite rude of me, considering that we've been talking for sometime now. I'm Cricketpaw, and you are?"