Scared, shy she cat lost in the city. (Tom needed)

For the tom, investigating twoleg throw-outs meant a possibly unique but easy supper for them. Snake idly pawed through the top of the ripped parcel, his mouth open in attempt to scent the excess but still consumable meat. He paused midway through, however, coming across some strange smelling balls of meat. It didn't smell quite right, almost tangy, but at the same time, it didn't smell bad.

The dark gray tabby hesitated a moment, before taking a little nibble of it. He chewed slowly, thoughtfully, and considered the taste. The strange liquid within the ball of meat soaked his maw, but a purr eventually was brought forth. He turned with a swish of his thin tail, hoping to be back with Dove and Mouse before the smell attracted any other scavengers. With the onset of winter, prey within the cold confines of the absolutely massive twoleg territory would be growing thin.

His paws covered the cool ground quickly, back tracking to where his younger siblings were resting, before pausing midstep. He rocked a little, before catching his balance and quirking an ear at the she-cat crouched behind the turned over waste bin. Snake leaned forward on his weight-bearing leg, gingerly sniffing at her. The fear-scent simply poured off the other feline, before his adjusting eyes caught the slight gleam of metal on the newcomer's collar. A kittypet.

A sigh escaped his muzzle, before the sidetracked tom padded over to her. "A little lost?" he mewed, casually flicking his tail as he leaned down on his forepaws, bringing his head closer to her hunched up height. Less intimidating, when considering his lean muscles flexed obviously under the street light.

(OOC: Swedish meatballs, hehe.)

The female's shivering might've been from cold, if it weren't for the painfully obvious terror. And judging from her reaction, some of the locals had given her a good scare. Probably a bit of exercise, too. The lean tom gave a soft chuckle after a moment, shaking his head. "One of what? If you mean the Prowling Panthers, no, I'm not part of their little get-together. Not really my thing, if you get the drift," Snake said with a shrug, though the amount of respect in his voice was measured. Just enough to avoid catching their ire if any of their group happened to be living up to the namesake.

And when considering how they controlled most of the available hunting in this area, that he was scavenging instead was no surprise. Of course, that was still prodding the line of patience. He flicked his tail after a moment, as if to brush aside his path of thought. "I won't hurt you. You have more to worry about from the Panthers, honestly," Snake pointed out dubiously, realizing this kittypet wouldn't know her head from a hole in the ground, if left to her own devices.

The dark tom sighed when she broke down, awkwardly brushing his tail along her shoulder when he crept closer, as not to upset her further. "Calm down, calm down ... If you'll pull yourself together, we can go. We. I'll take you to meet my siblings. You can stay with us until you figure out what to do, at least for a little while," Snake murmured, keeping his voice soft, low. If in attempt to be soothing, but also in attempt to avoid attracting attention. Undue attention would do them no good.

She just had to be difficult, didn't she? A low grumble was audible, before the tom pushed closer to her, to where he'd be less likely to be overheard. "You don't know a thing about this area, do you?" he asked bluntly, staring the dark she-cat down. His tone was level, but his frustration was starting to rise. If she argued much more, they would attract attention without a doubt. "Well, let me break is down nice and simple for you - crossing the Panthers is a mouse-brained idea if anyone ever had one," the tom continued, his tone almost clipped.

He stood up after a moment, half turning with a swish of his thin tail. The darker tabby rings that spread down it seemed to gleam under the streetlight now that he was more readily visible, shifting from paw to paw at the edge of the silent Thunderpath. Few twolegs were out at such an hour, in this area at very least, but taking chances wasn't something he was fond of. Not regarding those horrid smelling things. When he saw the newcomer hadn't made move to get up yet, though, a sigh escaped his muzzle. "Are you coming, or not?"

Snake|| Tom || Loner || 22 Moons
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He sighed, again, when she broke down a second time. "... Come along," Snake muttered, waving his tail as he turned. Crying like a kit wouldn't help her, and why she didn't see that was beyond him. The dark tabby walked slower, though, to accommodate the kittypet. Although the meandering pace was almost irksome, considering the longer it took, the less likely they were to have their next meal, at the same time, he had to wonder what brought the little she-cat away from her home. What got her so badly lost.

"I doubt that I'll be able to take you to your nest tonight, but maybe tomorrow, under daylight, we can try," Snake offered, quiet as he padded along the cold twoleg path. Although he took the long way back, to throw off anyone that might choose to follow them from here and to the nest, he still had his doubts. Having a soft kittypet tagging along would eventually make them a target of someone, depending on how many days it took to find her twoleg nest.

(OOC: Sorry, I didn't see the post until now!)

Snake || Tom || Loner || 22 Moons
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Snake paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder at her. An ear twitched, as if to ask 'is that so?'. "I gather as much. However, I am trying to offer what help I can. If you don't want it, that is your choice. I'm just trying to keep you from ending up as someone's throw rug," the gray stray stated simply, watching the dark she-cat still. "If you want to wander around, looking for your nest, be my guest. I won't bother you if that is your opinion."

Snake || Tom || Loner || 22 Moons
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The tom nodded after a moment, before setting off once more. Although the night sky was somewhat obscured by twoleg light sources and obstructions, the moon had shifted somewhat by the time Snake had stopped weaving in and out of alleys, as well as up and under obstacles that would help cover the scents. He finally stopped, realizing that he was probably wearing her out, and sat down for a moment. Snake even looked a little apologetic, almost, as he observed the kittypet.

"We're almost to my den, but you can rest for a little bit. I suppose taking the long way was rather thoughtless of me, wasn't it?" Snake mused, half wondering if he was subconsciously testing the kittypet. While keeping others away from home was the main intention, and it was growing quite late, some part of him wondered at the she-cat's mettle. And if it had yet been tested.

Snake || Tom || Loner || 22 Moons
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Although the tip of his tail twitched at her insistence, perhaps doubtfully, he nodded. "All right," Snake said, rolling one shoulder as he got up, before promptly jumping onto the wooden crate next to them. He picked his way up, a bit slower than normal, so she could find the footholds he used just as easily, before they made it to the rooftop. The uneven, gravely tiles made it easy for their paws to keep traction, and with that, it barely took any time at all to make boards that rested across the gap.

He trotted across it at an idle pace, and paused again to see how the kittypet fared. His nest was only a few rooftops away, but if she was scared of heights, that would be problematic at best.

Snake || Tom || Loner || 22 Moons
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Although she hesitated, she seemed to have made her mind up. A bit of a purr rumbled from Snake's throat as she stiff-footedly padded across the board, nodding in approval. "You're all right," he mewed, swishing his tail as he turned. "Only a little further," the gray tabby added over his shoulder, before trotting across that roof as well.

When it was all said and done, they'd crossed three others. Although not all of them had convenient planks, sometimes the change between roofs was only an incline or drop in height rather than a jump. Only the last one required him to bunch up his hindquarters and spring, hooking his claws into the roof itself to get a good grip as he landed.

Snake shook his fur out as he pulled himself up all the way, but a glance over his shoulder confirmed his suspicions. Having taken so long to get back, Dove and Mouse had both gone to sleep without him. If they'd eaten or not, well, that was another story. The pair's pale and ticked brown frame were visible curled up against one another in the big, strange box, the bit of moonlight making the white snip on Mouse's nose almost glow.

He glanced back down at the she-cat, though, leaning down the side of the incline. "It's not as far as it looks, and it's the last one," Snake mewed cheerfully, apparently starting to approve of the fact the kittypet was putting effort into this.

Snake || Tom || Loner || 22 Moons
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A soft chuckle was audible from the tabby, and he nodded. "Indeed," Snake said, allowing a small purr of his own. If she kept up this attitude, well, they might actually find her nest instead of drowning in despair. Her situation was steadily improving, if nothing else. "You made a good run, too, for the first time," the tom added after a moment, before inclining his head towards the box of twoleg material.

His thin tail waved idly from side to side as he padded across the flat, smooth portion of the roof, giving the unspoken indication that the four of them would be sleeping together. Since their nest only had three sides, and was up on the roof, it did make sense - it'd keep them warm. Snake gingerly stepped over both of his sisters, and circled to find a spot with enough room. "Make yourself comfortable," he murmured, finally allowing an expansive yawn. His canines gleamed in the bit of light, before he shook his head.

Pleasantries would come on the morrow.