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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 10, 2019 7:55:55 GMT -5
Duskfeather is fated to watch over the ones who haven’t been moral enough to reach the Stars. They live up their penance, and then they fade into nothingness – forgotten in history. Duskfeather never fades. That is his penance.
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Duskfeather is a 'Doorkeeper' in the words of the Stars Above. He likes to call himself 'King of the Afterworld'. A newcomer, a kind Duskfeather has never seen before, likes to call him 'Old Man'. This newcomer poses a challenge to the world this Doorkeeper has kept peaceful. All Duskfeather thinks he has to do is be patient until two moons pass. But time, as they say, is not on his side.
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Character List
Duskfeather - long-haired white tom with brown patches
Veeren - black tom with hazel eyes
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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 10, 2019 7:56:07 GMT -5
Part 1: Act 1 Duskfeather was tasked with the eternal labor of tending to the immoral dead. It was a hard, tedious job, in his opinion.
Occasionally he thanked the Stars Above for giving him immortality - albeit immortality linked to the clan - the one he’d founded. Other times, he absolutely hated it.
He did not need immortality! He wished to fade - like all the other cats he’d watched over - instead of watching from above, stomping out the burning desire to tell the living about where they had gone wrong. But he couldn’t reach out to the them. So he had to settle for observing the trial and error process of the budding MazeClan.
It wasn’t particularly nice to be here. Nothing stirred in Duskfeather when he saw cats much like him. Misguided, wronged, and padding down the wrong path. They were confused and frightened to be here. In his eyes, they were pathetic and disgusting. There was no pity to spare for them.
Each time someone new came along, And Duskfeather had to explain what was going to happen to them. That was the worst part of his job.
Most of the cats did not want to accept that they were going to fade from everyone’s memories soon. Some glared at him with envious or furious eyes. The white and brown tom could easily tell what they were thinking.
Why do you have to stay here when we are forgotten forever?
As wise as he thought he was, Duskfeather really couldn’t find a good answer for that.
One way or another, one came and then faded, then many more passed by. At this point, Duskfeather could really care less for the entire ordeal of whining about how unfair it was.
Empathy wasn’t his strongest point.
HAUNTED
Some years had passed. Or maybe that was a millienna? He was never sure around here. It was always either sunrise or sunset. The sun would be rising one moment, then setting the other, never quite sinking or rising fully out of the horizon.
All these cats who had come… they were unaware of the concept that beggars couldn’t be choosers. Or they didn’t know that such a rule could be imposed on them.
They were the beggars, here to pay the penance of their actions. Duskfeather was a… prime beggar, as much as it shamed him to say so.
He inhaled deeply. Well, at least it seems that no one has been too bad, the way I don’t get so much company these days -
There was a loud pop.
Duskfeather let out a groan. Another one to disturb his peace and quiet. As insanely silent it was, it was much preferable over a chattering someone.
He turned to look at the new arrival - and stopped.
This cat was not one he had seen before in clan territory.
A skinny black tomcat was coughing in the middle of the golden grass field. His hazel eyes gleamed with anger and disgruntlement as the slitted pupils darted this way to that. That cat wasn’t part of the MazeClan Duskfeather knew. He was sure of that.
If anyone had taught Duskfeather anything during the time he had been alive, it was to distrust cats who didn’t originate from his own roots.
That didn’t matter, though, as he was dead.
So Duskfeather coughed. The sound was like trees snapping in the deafening silence. The newcomer heeded it with the speed of wildfire. In an instant, he had zipped across the field.
Duskfeather had only blinked when he abruptly realized that one, the air in his lungs had been blown out of them, two, he was on the ground, and three, the black cat was standing over him, a snarl etched on his face.
“What is this?” The feline’s gaze was haunted with terror, fury, and hatred all at once. “Where am I?” When Duskfeather didn’t give an immediate answer, he shook the older tom. “Answer me, you pollen-brain!”
“I’d answer once you let me up,” Duskfeafher puffed. “Stars, how are you so fast?”
The dark newcomer seemed very reluctant to do Duskfeather’s request and answer his question. “My questions first,” he hissed.
Duskfeather frowned up at the black cat. It wasn’t usual for cats who were new to this place to be… so straightforward. Nevertheless, the brown and white tom flicked an ear. “Fire away.” Duskfeather did hope that his monotone voice gave away how disinterested he was in this activity.
“What is your name?”
“Duskfeather.”
“What is this place?”
“Call it the Afterworld if you’d like.”
“Why am I here?”
“Kid, I don’t even know who you are. How am I supposed to know why you’re here?”
“Oh.” He suddenly looked like a kit, like every other cat was when they came.
“For your information,” Duskfeather growled, “this is the Afterworld. You’re dead. I’m the ruler here. And my first order to you is to let me up.”
This time, the tomcat obliged, sitting down as the self-proclaimed ruler got to his paws.
“Thank you,” Duskfeather mewed dryly. “Now, what is your name?”
“Uh.” The newcomer blinked abruptly, realizing that there has been a change of authority. Or that he didn’t have authority to begin with. Duskfeather resisted the urge to sneer.
Finally, the reply: “Veeren.”
“Veeren…?” The name was unfamiliar; foreign on his tongue. It was the first time Duskfeather had seen any non-clan cat in this realm. He scowled at this.. Veeren character, both for disturbing the peace and for existing here. Extra chores when I don’t want them… “Fine. You’re here to stay for the time being, I suppose. You’re probably going to stay here for two months max before you fade.”
“Fade?”
“Ask me about it later. For now…” Duskfeather glanced at the setting sun. It was sinking lower and lower, the half-disk now sliding into a bare slice of a glowing orb. “Get some sleep. It’s always bright out here, mind you, so I’d suggest settling in a shady place.”
Veeren spat on the ground. “I’m not going to sleep, old man.”
Duskfeather raised his muzzle. “I don’t care if you don’t sleep. Just don’t disturb my sleep, thank you very much. And don’t come complaining to me about sleep depriviation.”
Veeren didn’t reply, but only glared at Duskfeather before whipping around and rushing away.
Well, he’s gone. Duskfeather’s shoulders sagged in relief. I haven’t had the need to play king in this realm for so long. The words ‘arrogant’, ‘hot-headed’, and ‘mouse-brained’ popped into his mind.
The tomcat spat on the ground. “Why should I trust you?” Veeren glared at him. “I’ve known you for a couple heartbeats.”
“Whether you like it or not, I’m your best bet at surviving around here. Also, in case you haven’t noticed, I can be pretty good conversation company - “
“Really.” There was an edge to Veeren’s voice that Duskfeather didn’t like.
“No. I haven’t talked to a cat for months.” Duskfeather bristled. “Stop talking and go get some sleep. That’s an order!”
Veeren still glared at him, even as the black tomcat was turning around. “Grumpy Old Man!” he shouted over his shoulder, dashing away into the field. Just as he came, soon Veeren was only a black smudge in the golden ground and sky. Duskfeather shook his head after him. “Impudence is a fault all on its own!” he yowled after Veeren. A cool breeze swung through the fields, ruffling the brown and white tom’s fur. He shook his head again. I just have to wait for two moons, he assured himself. Two moons, and that brat will be gone.
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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 10, 2019 7:56:20 GMT -5
save for part 2
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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 10, 2019 7:56:36 GMT -5
save for part 3
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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 10, 2019 7:56:52 GMT -5
save for extras!
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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 10, 2019 7:58:32 GMT -5
Techincally speaking, it's March 10th in my timezone, so... I'll be starting!
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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Mar 11, 2019 1:45:18 GMT -5
part 1-1 is up! There will be two chapters for each part, in both Duskfeather and Veeren's perspectives!
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Post by ~Sapphire~ on Mar 11, 2019 14:51:52 GMT -5
This is great so far! I love Duskfeather - you give such a clear sense of him right from the start, and his conflicted feelings over his job are very interesting... Looking forward to Veeren's perspective, and please fan me!
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Post by phantomstar57 on Mar 11, 2019 15:09:20 GMT -5
Good story! I am liking this very much. A very unique perspective. Do fan me and tag me when new chapters go up.
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Post by darkfeather88 on Mar 11, 2019 20:32:33 GMT -5
(I just have so many questions... But, at the moment, I see Dustfeather as a mousebrain… Though that could be because he can't fade...)
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Post by mintedstar/fur🦇 on Mar 15, 2019 14:24:58 GMT -5
These two deserve each other. XD
This is great. I love it! Really looking forward to the next part!
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Mar 15, 2019 14:34:52 GMT -5
Oh I love this :3.
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