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Post by Moonblazer on May 11, 2024 19:28:02 GMT -5
Magnolia blinked. The cats here had threatened her when she first set paw on their turf, cold and alone and starving. They'd taken mercy on her then, and they'd not harmed a hair on her pelt since. "I know they're a rough and tumble bunch," she said. "And they've got a different way of doin' things. But they're cats just the same as you and me, and they take good care of their own. Revy actually brought me in, too, bless him," she purred, her nub-tail twitching. "I may not fight or defend our turf like the others, but I do think myself a Night Striker just the same." Seeing as Axel, Revy, and Arcticbreeze were still occupied, she leaned closer to Jadefeather. "Pardon my pryin'; you used to be Jade, right? Heard boss man call you that. Why'd you leave?" she asked, innocently curious. Jadefeather glanced over at Revy for a moment, a hint of surprise in her eyes at Magnolia’s words. So, this wasn’t the first time Revy had chosen to keep a cat alive, rather than kill them. It was clear that like she had once been, Revy had an influence over Axel, enough to save cats from the deaths that Axel could bring. It was complicated, seeing as Axel now clearly respected Magnolia enough to give her all this space and trust her to heal. She blinked a few times, before she sighed softly. “I… felt like I didn’t belong, in this kind of life. I was taught to be apathetic, a city leader can’t be soft. I know that. But… I wanted more than that. When I joined the Clans, there was honor and order, empathy and love unlike anything else. I met the two mates I fell deeply in love with. I raised kits, protected my Clanmates. Climbed free, not twolegnests or skynests, but trees and cliffs. It was where I belonged.” She swallowed. “It didn’t mean I didn’t love many of the cats I knew here. I just knew I couldn’t be their next leader.” She looked over at Revy again, eyes comtemplative. “Do you think he could be?” She asked Magnolia, wanting to know if she would follow her younger half-brother.
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Post by thistle on May 11, 2024 19:49:08 GMT -5
Magnolia reached out and gently rested her paw against Jadefeather's as she spoke, offering silent comfort and sympathy. "I think he could," she whispered, darting a glance at Revy, and being smart enough to know Axel shouldn't hear her say these things. "He is ruthless, of course, but he also knows when mercy is a better option than death."
After a beat of silence, she tilted her head, understanding clear in her mismatched eyes. "I think leavin' was the right choice for you. Every cat has to walk her own path. I miss my old life, sure, but I've made one for myself here, too. I think it's a noble thing to do."
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Post by Icefire15 on May 11, 2024 20:31:49 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze watched Revy closely as he spoke, still finding it difficult to trust the smooth-talking tom. She gave a small flick of her ear, considering her next words carefully, "I don't speak for my Clan when it comes to making deals or promises. Do as you please, I don't care. Just don't expect anything in return from ThunderClan." She said firmly. Arcticbreeze wasn't about to make her Clan be indebted to these cats, "Are we done? It's been a long day, I'd rather not drop dead from exhaustion." --------- Kyra gave Sable a serious nod, a rare thing for the normally excitable kit. "Got it! Do we need anything else? Can I dig anything else up for you?" She asked, quickly going back to asking questions. Skyla ate her rat just as quickly and stood up, giving her lips a couple of licks as she joined Jax. "While we're at it, why don't we make sure no one moved our borders? I'd hate to have to scare off more ragtag groups that think they can try and make a play for our territory." She mewed. "The day I expect anything from your Clans is the day I die." Axel grunted darkly to his daughter, finding the prospect to be rather offensive. While Revy only looked at Arcticbreeze with a sweet silence, clearly awaiting Axel's decision on the matter. The gang leader turned his head, mewing. "I have things to oversee. You will be monitored every second you are here. Try anything funny, and I kill Whitesun in the nest we've graciously given him." He threatened, before he rolled his shoulders, motioning to the piercing eyes of some of his cats perched high up on beams and rafters of the factory. "I'll kill you myself if you come near him." Jadefeather warned, serious. "I don't care if I'm expecting kits. I'll fight until one of us or both of us is dead." "...Hmph." Axel mused, brushing off the threat, but giving the smallest of smirks. "I suppose you haven't lost all of your instincts, Jade." He padded off then, needing to go check on his patrols and then on his youngest kits. Revy watched him go, before he hid his laughter with his paw and hummed. "So serious, right? Well, you all are free to stay here with Magnolia, these nests are only for injured cats anyway. Want anything to eat? Seeing as you all want our prey so badly, we can share." He offered sweetly. --- "This should be good for now." Sable mewed, inwardly knowing he was getting too old to be stuffing his jaws full of herbs when it was easier to collect one or two per day and be done with it. He nodded to her pile. "Pick it up, we'll take it back. It'll make your tongue feel funny for a bit after, but it's perfectly safe." "Good idea. We can mark them again. I was thinking of snagging that one alleyway that has no marks yet, with the dumpsters. We might find some good pelts in there like we did the last time, or some more places to hunt rats." Jax offered, slipping out of the junkyard fence with a snort of air, before he waited for Skyla to come with him. Arcticbreeze glared at Revy before pointedly turning away from him and making her way over to one of the empty nests that was offered, choosing to ignore Revy's last snide comment. She quickly curled up inside the nest, her muscles slowly starting to ache from the ambush and the long trek to this place. Whitesun sighed as Axel finally left, he had been doing his best to make sure he didn't fall asleep while the tom had still been there. The SkyClan deputy was feeling the full force of his exhaustion and wounds now, and was struggling to keep his eyes open towards the end of the conversation. Obsidian sat with her kits, listening to what they had experienced on the patrol. "I'm glad that the four of you did well on your first patrol. I have no doubt that your father will be proud of you." She said, her own pride shining in her eyes. Nightmare's ear flicked at her mother's praise, the only sign that she would give to show that she truly appreciated hearing such things from her. Blizzard blinked at his mother and siblings, "It's thanks to the training we've received. I like how we were able to catch Greaser's group by surprise, they weren't expecting us at all." He said with a small smirk, his whiskers twitching at the memory of the looks of shock on the other gang's faces. ----------- Kyra quickly gathered up her pile in her jaws and looked up at Sable, ready to go. She tilted her head at him, more questions starting to form in her head, "Why will my tongue feel funny after? Is it because of the herbs?" She mewed, voice muffled as she talked around the herbs. "Sounds like a good plan to me." Skyla said as she slipped through the fence after Jax. She gave him a nod, allowing the older tom to take the lead. He clearly knew the territory better than she did, and Skyla certainly didn't want to end up looking like a fool by accidently taking a wrong turn. Asha was wandering down an alley, pausing every now and then at one of the silver cans to give them a curious sniff in search of food. Asha had just recently decided to start exploring the deeper parts of the city, having spent the majority of her time in the outskirts of the Twolegplace. Giving a small shake of her head, Asha turned away from the cans and continued on her way, not finding anything that was worth eating.
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Post by thistle on May 11, 2024 20:50:51 GMT -5
As Axel departed, Magnolia moved the poppy head closer and shook out a single seed. "Here," she said. "Eat this and sleep. You'll have prey when you wake."
Satisfied, Magnolia quickly moved to Arcticbreeze, unobtrusively cleaning and dressing her wounds, then back to Jadefeather.
"Revy, darlin', that prey would be lovely," she said with a twitch of her nub tail as she vanished back into her den to tidy up.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 12, 2024 16:10:22 GMT -5
"Anything for you, my dear." Revy mewed smoothly to Magnolia, his tail flicking gently against her side as she padded past him and into her personal den. He turned then, gliding towards one of the many overturned steel drums within the factory. Inside, a rich scent of prey came up from the piles where the younger Night Strikers who exclusively hunted for the group gathered up their catches. Alice's system of piling the prey allowed for even distribution, which was not common in the city. Most cats caught and ate their own prey, but Axel preferred his mother's method, to entice joiners to stay, knowing they wouldn't go hungry even if they were better suited for fighting or spying instead of hunting. Revy picked out a large rat and a pigeon and carried them back over towards the Clan cats.
"A delicacy. I made sure this one was very fat." Revy invited, placing them politely before his guests, unaware that Skyclan and Thunderclan cats didn't hunt rats much. It was assumed all prey of any kind was eaten by every cat, at least out here. He flicked his ear lightly as he watched Jadefeather's muzzle grimace a bit at the rat. He hummed thoughtfully. "Odd. Are you not hungry, dear ones? I promise, I would not taint it if I desire you alive."
"A successful ambush is the mark of a skilled fighter." Axel mewed as he approached Obsidian and their kits, a simple brush to his mate's side showcasing his liking of her, the only kind of affection he liked to show in front of their Gang. He looked at their kits, nodding once to Blizzard. "To come out with hardly a scratch too. That is how my kits should fight." He praised with a smirk.
"Of course! That one furball was so easy to play with. He was like an angry kit." Harlow sneered as she described Manx. Shadow was quiet like Nightmare, allowing their more talkative siblings to explain what had happened. He did feel a warmth in his chest, seeing how proud their powerful father looked.
---
Carrying his own pile, Sable also mumbled around the herbs. "Yes. They'll make your tongue feel funny, and taste strongly. Just ignore it, you gotta get used to it anyway." He decided, weaving around a few old car parts as he grumbled each step of the way back towards the center of the junkyard.
"I always have good plans." Jax joked gruffly, his humor a bit dry as he easily made his way through their territory. The alleyways they frequented often had plenty of twoleg scraps to eat from if blooded prey was getting a bit too boring, but it also meant that stray loners and rouges liked to frequent them too. This meant either a battle, or a new recruit. Jax was hoping for the latter, they were too weak to fight again. He mewed simply. "Keep a nose up for any new scents that aren't frequent kittypets that live in these nests. Last thing we need is an angry twoleg again. I nearly lost my eye." He huffed at the memory.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 17, 2024 18:10:37 GMT -5
“Too easy.” Nettlesting muttered as he bunched his legs, making an easy leap upwards and onto the edge of the fence. He tried hard not to think about how he could still scent Silvercloud’s blood nearby, from where Hawkpaw and the Thunderclan cats had to carry her over and back to Skyclan. Swallowing down the bile in his throat, he shook his head sharply. He was never going back, and he would never have to see a Clanmate buried again. He opened his eyes, peering down into the wide yards of the twolegnests, just as excited as he had been when he brought Lolo back home. He missed her, all the time.
Padding smoothly along the fences, he surveyed each yard, feeling his stomach rumble. It was great to know that he would no longer have to go hungry, and could eat all the prey he caught himself. He licked his lips as he spotted many birds and smelled all kinds of prey. He would just need to make sure it wasn’t poisoned, after all.
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Post by thistle on May 17, 2024 18:26:30 GMT -5
Captain was sitting on the patio table, watching the last scarlet rays of the sunset fading. He could hear crickets chirping, and his housefolk in the kitchen behind him preparing his dinner. He blinked lazily at the fenceline where he could see a cat padding along, looking a little unsteady but with a bounce in his step.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 17, 2024 18:32:39 GMT -5
Nettlesting easily stalked out a large bird, the pigeon hopping around lazily in one of the yards. Nettlesting may have left Skyclan, but he had been named a Warrior and passed his assessment for a reason. His leaps were always the most powerful of his sisters, and this time was no different. He lunged down from the fence, arching on the leap to land right on the pigeon’s back. He killed the prey quickly, holding it up and buzzing with anticipation to eat such fat prey after moons of fires, floods, and starvation.
He carried the pigeon back up the fence, openly eating his prey without a care. If any cat wanted to take it, he could either share or easily chase someone off.
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Post by thistle on May 18, 2024 12:53:37 GMT -5
Captain watched with lazy interest as the cat paused, disappeared over the fence a few yards away, and then reappeared with a fat bird in his jaws. Parting his jaws in an enormous yawn, the plump older tom stood and arched his back in a long stretch, his tail quivering.
He'd never seen this cat before, but he couldn't be one of those wild cats; they never ate the prey they caught until they'd fed their Clan. He remembered that lesson from his adventure many seasons ago. He considered introducing himself but then thought better of it. His dinner would be ready soon.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 18, 2024 13:25:41 GMT -5
Nettlesting paused, swearing that he had heard something. He looked around with curious eyes before he continued eating his bird. Once he finished, he groomed his muzzle and leaped down to bury the remains. Once more, he leaped back up onto the fence and mumbled idly to himself.
“Probably shouldn’t keep this name if I’m not a Warrior anymore… Nettlesting… hmph. Didn’t like the stinging part anyway, I’m not that scary!” He snickered, before he nodded once to himself. “Nettle. That’ll do.”
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Post by thistle on May 18, 2024 15:40:14 GMT -5
"Talkin' to himself..." Captain mumbled as the tom padded closer to his yard along the fence. His housefolk came out of the kitchen just then, carrying his food.
"Oh, finally!" he meowed happily, forgetting the tom for a moment. "My belly thinks my throat's been clawed out!"
She stroked a hand along his back before setting the dish on the table, speaking in soft tones to him. She nuzzled the top of his head with her nose, and he purred.
"Thanks! This looks great!" he said before lapping eagerly at the dish.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 18, 2024 15:57:00 GMT -5
Nettle tensed as he heard a noise, turning to stare at where twolegs had opened the door of their nest. He blinked, able to see a cat waiting for something there. Ah, a kittypet then? Nettle remained still, watching curiously how twolegs interacted with a kittypet. He could tell the cat was unafraid of them, eager if anything, and enjoying their affections. He didn’t find fondness in judging kittypets like most clan cats did. Thankfully, he’d never have to hear those insults thrown around so carelessly again.
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Post by thistle on May 18, 2024 16:01:41 GMT -5
Captain happily ate for a few more moments before he seemed to sense someone watching him. Swiping his tongue around his jaws and sitting back on his haunches, he noticed the strange cat from earlier had stopped and was watching him. Well, might as well say hello.
"Hi," he called across the yard in the growing darkness. "I saw you catch that bird. Neat bit of work there."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 18, 2024 16:34:44 GMT -5
Captain happily ate for a few more moments before he seemed to sense someone watching him. Swiping his tongue around his jaws and sitting back on his haunches, he noticed the strange cat from earlier had stopped and was watching him. Well, might as well say hello."Hi," he called across the yard in the growing darkness. "I saw you catch that bird. Neat bit of work there." Realizing he’d been spotted, Nettle merely relaxed, sitting back up on his haunches as he mewed, relaxed and curious. “Hey there. Sorry if it seems like I’m watching you. Well, I mean, I am, but not for anything bad. I’m…” He paused, not wanting to frighten anyone by saying he was a Clan cat. “…new here. Exploring. You’re the first cat I’ve seen, so. Glad to meet you. And the bird? Yeah, ah. Sorry. I should have offered you half of it.”
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Post by Foxstar26 on May 18, 2024 18:34:28 GMT -5
Quickwing led the Skyclan patrol into the twolegplace. She looked towards Hawkpaw. “Lead the way to where you found Silvercloud.” She told the apprentice gently.
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Post by thistle on May 18, 2024 18:53:57 GMT -5
Captain happily ate for a few more moments before he seemed to sense someone watching him. Swiping his tongue around his jaws and sitting back on his haunches, he noticed the strange cat from earlier had stopped and was watching him. Well, might as well say hello."Hi," he called across the yard in the growing darkness. "I saw you catch that bird. Neat bit of work there." Realizing he’d been spotted, Nettle merely relaxed, sitting back up on his haunches as he mewed, relaxed and curious. “Hey there. Sorry if it seems like I’m watching you. Well, I mean, I am, but not for anything bad. I’m…” He paused, not wanting to frighten anyone by saying he was a Clan cat. “…new here. Exploring. You’re the first cat I’ve seen, so. Glad to meet you. And the bird? Yeah, ah. Sorry. I should have offered you half of it.” "Bah, too many feathers," Captain said with a dismissive flick of his tail. "I thought you were new. Well, then? Are we going to yowl across the yard or are you gonna come rest your paws over here?" he invited. This stranger seemed friendly enough, and if things went awry he knew his housefolk was only a yowl away. "I was just thinking I could do with a good story."
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Post by Willow on May 18, 2024 21:17:55 GMT -5
Skyflight padded along behind Quickwing, staying close to Sunfury's side. Her nose twitched as it was flooded with the scents of the twolegplace. "I don't know how they function here all the time."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 18, 2024 21:57:04 GMT -5
Realizing he’d been spotted, Nettle merely relaxed, sitting back up on his haunches as he mewed, relaxed and curious. “Hey there. Sorry if it seems like I’m watching you. Well, I mean, I am, but not for anything bad. I’m…” He paused, not wanting to frighten anyone by saying he was a Clan cat. “…new here. Exploring. You’re the first cat I’ve seen, so. Glad to meet you. And the bird? Yeah, ah. Sorry. I should have offered you half of it.” "Bah, too many feathers," Captain said with a dismissive flick of his tail. "I thought you were new. Well, then? Are we going to yowl across the yard or are you gonna come rest your paws over here?" he invited. This stranger seemed friendly enough, and if things went awry he knew his housefolk was only a yowl away. "I was just thinking I could do with a good story." “A story?” Nettle asked, easily enticed by the invitation. He fearlessly leaped down into Captain’s yard, unknowingly facing the cat he had wanted to know his entire life. As of now, this was just another kittypet, and he found himself distracted by the prospect of a story to remember the main goal of his exploration. He approached the porch, looking towards the older tom. “Care to share it with a stranger?”
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Post by Moonblazer on May 18, 2024 21:58:39 GMT -5
Emberpaw narrowed her eyes as she looked around Twolegplace. She kept close to her sister, nodding in agreement with Quickwing. “Try and remember where you all last were. You’ve got this, Hawkpaw. I’ll follow you anywhere.” She promised with a brush against her sister’s side.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 18, 2024 22:20:54 GMT -5
Hawkpaw’s claws dug nervously into the ground as she took the lead, giving Quickwing a small nod. Pausing for a moment to gather her bearings, Hawkpaw glanced around the surrounding area before she started in the direction that she felt like she recognized. Her pawsteps grew more confident though when she picked up a faint trace of scent left over from when she and the rest of the patrol had left the Twolegplace earlier.
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Post by thistle on May 19, 2024 11:38:11 GMT -5
"Bah, too many feathers," Captain said with a dismissive flick of his tail. "I thought you were new. Well, then? Are we going to yowl across the yard or are you gonna come rest your paws over here?" he invited. This stranger seemed friendly enough, and if things went awry he knew his housefolk was only a yowl away. "I was just thinking I could do with a good story." “A story?” Nettle asked, easily enticed by the invitation. He fearlessly leaped down into Captain’s yard, unknowingly facing the cat he had wanted to know his entire life. As of now, this was just another kittypet, and he found himself distracted by the prospect of a story to remember the main goal of his exploration. He approached the porch, looking towards the older tom. “Care to share it with a stranger?” "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to share," Captain said kindly, shifting so the other cat could join him on the table. "Now, I might not be so adventurous now, but I had my fair share of tales as a young tom," he began, a twinkle in his eye as he decided what story to share today. Yes, this one would do. "I wasn't always a housecat, I'll tell you. Despite the appearance," he patted his round belly with a paw and a chuckle. "No. My littermates and I - there were five of us, see - we were born in a scrapyard behind an old house. Our mother was very careful to keep us hidden, but one day the dog that lived there found us." He adjusted himself more comfortably. "It was an ugly brute. Huge, stinking, with horribly slobbering jaws and razor-sharp teeth. It's eyes glittered with hunger and menace as it sniffed us out...." Captain fluffed out his fur and let out a growl for emphasis. He loved to tell stories. "It came closer to our hiding place in an old, dead monster. We could feel its huge paws as it stomped closer, and closer..."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 19, 2024 12:01:03 GMT -5
“A story?” Nettle asked, easily enticed by the invitation. He fearlessly leaped down into Captain’s yard, unknowingly facing the cat he had wanted to know his entire life. As of now, this was just another kittypet, and he found himself distracted by the prospect of a story to remember the main goal of his exploration. He approached the porch, looking towards the older tom. “Care to share it with a stranger?” "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to share," Captain said kindly, shifting so the other cat could join him on the table. "Now, I might not be so adventurous now, but I had my fair share of tales as a young tom," he began, a twinkle in his eye as he decided what story to share today. Yes, this one would do. "I wasn't always a housecat, I'll tell you. Despite the appearance," he patted his round belly with a paw and a chuckle. "No. My littermates and I - there were five of us, see - we were born in a scrapyard behind an old house. Our mother was very careful to keep us hidden, but one day the dog that lived there found us." He adjusted himself more comfortably. "It was an ugly brute. Huge, stinking, with horribly slobbering jaws and razor-sharp teeth. It's eyes glittered with hunger and menace as it sniffed us out...." Captain fluffed out his fur and let out a growl for emphasis. He loved to tell stories. "It came closer to our hiding place in an old, dead monster. We could feel its huge paws as it stomped closer, and closer..." Nettle was quickly drawn over to the older tom, eyes flashing with interest at the prospect of hearing about the tom’s past adventures. He snorted. “A dog, huh? Always a pain in the tail. Clearly, you escaped with your life in tact, but what happened? Did the dog spot you?”
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Post by thistle on May 19, 2024 12:40:02 GMT -5
"I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to share," Captain said kindly, shifting so the other cat could join him on the table. "Now, I might not be so adventurous now, but I had my fair share of tales as a young tom," he began, a twinkle in his eye as he decided what story to share today. Yes, this one would do. "I wasn't always a housecat, I'll tell you. Despite the appearance," he patted his round belly with a paw and a chuckle. "No. My littermates and I - there were five of us, see - we were born in a scrapyard behind an old house. Our mother was very careful to keep us hidden, but one day the dog that lived there found us." He adjusted himself more comfortably. "It was an ugly brute. Huge, stinking, with horribly slobbering jaws and razor-sharp teeth. It's eyes glittered with hunger and menace as it sniffed us out...." Captain fluffed out his fur and let out a growl for emphasis. He loved to tell stories. "It came closer to our hiding place in an old, dead monster. We could feel its huge paws as it stomped closer, and closer..." Nettle was quickly drawn over to the older tom, eyes flashing with interest at the prospect of hearing about the tom’s past adventures. He snorted. “A dog, huh? Always a pain in the tail. Clearly, you escaped with your life in tact, but what happened? Did the dog spot you?” "Just when we thought we were going to be this mutt's next meal, a gray and white blur flew out from the shadows," Captain went on, clearly pleased this cat was interested in his tale. "It was our mother. She jumped at this dog, all teeth and claws and fury, and gave it a scratching it won't ever forget!" He twitched his tail with excitement as he remembered that day. "After the brute went whimpering off, though, the Twoleg found us. He was an ugly, mangy thing, too. My mother, fiercest cat I knew, tried to hide us, but when she fought that dog it revealed our hiding place." He became more subdued as he went on. "The Twoleg was mean. He snarled at my mother, and chased her off with a broom. He scooped up all five of us kittens and bundled us into his monster. I'd never been so scared in my whole short life. But I did my best to stay strong, since I was the biggest and first-born. We were in this horrid crinkling thing and couldn't see, and no matter how loudly I yowled the horrid Twoleg wouldn't let us out." "I don't know how long we went like that; but eventually, the Twoleg picked us up and tossed us from his monster. When we finally stopped moving, I ripped and tore at that thing trapping us and got us all out," he shuddered. "It was terrible. For the first time in our lives were were truly alone, and we were hungry and cold. We were still drinking milk. We weren't even a moon yet."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 19, 2024 14:51:55 GMT -5
Nettle was sobered by the tom’s story, his voice honest and mournful as he mewed. “I’m sorry that you had to go through such an awful thing. Your mother sounds brave. Braver than most cats I’ve met, that’s for sure.” He looked at Captain, impressed by his ability to save all his siblings. “What happened after, if I can ask? Did you all find somewhere safe?”
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Post by thistle on May 19, 2024 15:10:57 GMT -5
Nettle was sobered by the tom’s story, his voice honest and mournful as he mewed. “I’m sorry that you had to go through such an awful thing. Your mother sounds brave. Braver than most cats I’ve met, that’s for sure.” He looked at Captain, impressed by his ability to save all his siblings. “What happened after, if I can ask? Did you all find somewhere safe?” "She was a good cat, though that's really the only memory I have of her," Captain answered. "Like I said, we were young, much too young to be far from our mother. There were other cats in the alley we were left in, but..." He shrugged. "None of them could, or simply didn't want to take in a litter of five kits." "A night passed, but luckily we weren't in the city so we were safe in our little bed of leaves we'd scraped together. The next day, I saw a pair of Twoleg kits coming through the alley. I did the only sensible thing I could think of," he gave a wry smile at that. "I walked right into their path, stood my ground, and I yowled my head off at them. I said, 'Listen here! A Twoleg got us into this mess, so you're going to get us out of it, got it?' And would you believe it? They listened!" "Their eyes got so wide I thought they'd fall right out of their heads! They scooped up all five of us, took us into their nest with them, and we slept with full bellies and a warm bed that night. The milk they gave us wasn't as good as our mother's but delicious all the same. That little Twoleg from before, the one I yelled at? She'd the very same housefolk I have now. I owe her my life." Captain gave a self-satisfied sniff. "She still listens just as well, too."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 19, 2024 17:18:34 GMT -5
Nettle was sobered by the tom’s story, his voice honest and mournful as he mewed. “I’m sorry that you had to go through such an awful thing. Your mother sounds brave. Braver than most cats I’ve met, that’s for sure.” He looked at Captain, impressed by his ability to save all his siblings. “What happened after, if I can ask? Did you all find somewhere safe?” "She was a good cat, though that's really the only memory I have of her," Captain answered. "Like I said, we were young, much too young to be far from our mother. There were other cats in the alley we were left in, but..." He shrugged. "None of them could, or simply didn't want to take in a litter of five kits." "A night passed, but luckily we weren't in the city so we were safe in our little bed of leaves we'd scraped together. The next day, I saw a pair of Twoleg kits coming through the alley. I did the only sensible thing I could think of," he gave a wry smile at that. "I walked right into their path, stood my ground, and I yowled my head off at them. I said, 'Listen here! A Twoleg got us into this mess, so you're going to get us out of it, got it?' And would you believe it? They listened!" "Their eyes got so wide I thought they'd fall right out of their heads! They scooped up all five of us, took us into their nest with them, and we slept with full bellies and a warm bed that night. The milk they gave us wasn't as good as our mother's but delicious all the same. That little Twoleg from before, the one I yelled at? She'd the very same housefolk I have now. I owe her my life." Captain gave a self-satisfied sniff. "She still listens just as well, too." “A twoleg saved your life…” Nettle mused with inquisitive eyes, stunned by the realization. Clan life taught kits to reject any notion of a kittypet’s life, that twolegs could not ever be trusted. And yet, it was twolegs that saved this kittypet, not a loner or rouge, or certainly a Clan cat. Nettle found himself warmed by the tale. “I’m glad that you found your way to your twoleg, then. If you’ve been happy, then that’s all that matters, right?” He grinned, before asking. “Hey. Uh. What’s your name?”
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Post by Icefire15 on May 19, 2024 17:39:36 GMT -5
"Anything for you, my dear." Revy mewed smoothly to Magnolia, his tail flicking gently against her side as she padded past him and into her personal den. He turned then, gliding towards one of the many overturned steel drums within the factory. Inside, a rich scent of prey came up from the piles where the younger Night Strikers who exclusively hunted for the group gathered up their catches. Alice's system of piling the prey allowed for even distribution, which was not common in the city. Most cats caught and ate their own prey, but Axel preferred his mother's method, to entice joiners to stay, knowing they wouldn't go hungry even if they were better suited for fighting or spying instead of hunting. Revy picked out a large rat and a pigeon and carried them back over towards the Clan cats. "A delicacy. I made sure this one was very fat." Revy invited, placing them politely before his guests, unaware that Skyclan and Thunderclan cats didn't hunt rats much. It was assumed all prey of any kind was eaten by every cat, at least out here. He flicked his ear lightly as he watched Jadefeather's muzzle grimace a bit at the rat. He hummed thoughtfully. "Odd. Are you not hungry, dear ones? I promise, I would not taint it if I desire you alive." "A successful ambush is the mark of a skilled fighter." Axel mewed as he approached Obsidian and their kits, a simple brush to his mate's side showcasing his liking of her, the only kind of affection he liked to show in front of their Gang. He looked at their kits, nodding once to Blizzard. "To come out with hardly a scratch too. That is how my kits should fight." He praised with a smirk. "Of course! That one furball was so easy to play with. He was like an angry kit." Harlow sneered as she described Manx. Shadow was quiet like Nightmare, allowing their more talkative siblings to explain what had happened. He did feel a warmth in his chest, seeing how proud their powerful father looked. --- Carrying his own pile, Sable also mumbled around the herbs. "Yes. They'll make your tongue feel funny, and taste strongly. Just ignore it, you gotta get used to it anyway." He decided, weaving around a few old car parts as he grumbled each step of the way back towards the center of the junkyard. "I always have good plans." Jax joked gruffly, his humor a bit dry as he easily made his way through their territory. The alleyways they frequented often had plenty of twoleg scraps to eat from if blooded prey was getting a bit too boring, but it also meant that stray loners and rouges liked to frequent them too. This meant either a battle, or a new recruit. Jax was hoping for the latter, they were too weak to fight again. He mewed simply. "Keep a nose up for any new scents that aren't frequent kittypets that live in these nests. Last thing we need is an angry twoleg again. I nearly lost my eye." He huffed at the memory. Whitesun had already lapped up the offered poppy seeds and quickly slipped into unconsciousness, his breathing becoming slow and steady. Arcticbreeze lifted her head when Revy returned with the prey, eyeing the rat briefly. At his last statement, she rolled her eyes and dragged the rat closer to her. "Whatever. Are you done now?" She asked, hoping that Revy would leave them alone now. Obsidian glanced at her mate with a small smile before she turned her attention back onto her kits, "All four of you did well. You should go get some rest now, I believe that you've earned it. Don't you agree, Axel?" She prompted, looking at her mate again as she finished talking. Blizzard lifted his head proudly at his father's praise, but looked at his mother when she suggested that they rest now, "I'm not all that tired! I can even do some more patrols right now." He purred, the adrenaline from the ambush still coursing through him. ---------------- Kyra bounded after Sable, having to almost run to keep up with the much taller cat. She blinked up at him with wide eyes, "Are you going to teach me to be as good of a healer as you are? How many injuries have you treated before? Oh! What's the worst one that you've seen?" She rambled, her curious nature starting to get the best of her. "You should know better by now to not mess with the kittypets." Skyla said with a snicker, lifting her muzzle to scent the air. She caught the faint scent of an unfamiliar cat, but it was rather far away. Glancing at Jax, she gave a flick of her ear, "I think we got one. Doesn't smell like a kittypet though, must be a different cat that's wandered in. They must be at least a few alleys away though." Skyla said with a small nod in the direction of the strange cats scent. Asha paused and tilted her head, having heard some scrabbling coming from behind one of the metal cans and dropped into a hunting crouch that her foster mother had shown her growing up. Spotting a decently sized rat, she narrowed her icy blue eyes and pounced at it, killing it quickly. Lifting her head, Asha gave a small smirk as she examined her catch, glad that she had actually managed to find something.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 19, 2024 18:34:52 GMT -5
Jadefeather watched closely over Whitesun, though her attention was drawn to the prey that Revy brought. She quickly accepted the pigeon, looking sheepishly at Arcticbreeze, who had accepted the rat. She shook her head, reminding herself not to be picky. She humored a bit at Arcticbreeze's strong remarks. That was the kind of attitude that would work surprisingly well around here, headstrong and sharp.
Revy looked at Arcticbreeze with a simple smile, humored by her anger. He knew they would be crabby of course, but it was also rather delightful to see as well. He flicked his tail leisurely. "Oh my dear sister, around here, my work is never done. Don't worry. When I leave in a moment, you won't be alone. There will always be eyes on you, just to keep you safe." He mewed smoothly, turning then to nimbly leap up the steel bars and look down with a curling smile. "Rest well. I want to see all you can offer tomorrow." He slipped into the shadows like a ghost, as Azalea took up one of the posts, peering down at the Clan cats in silence.
Axel glanced at Obsidian, knowing that even if he wanted to feed Blizzard's desire to go on more patrols, Obsidian would never let him hear the end of it. He respected her too much to anger her, and so he mewed gruffly. "Your mother says rest, you do it, got it? I might need you for far more work tomorrow, and you'll need all your energy."
Shadow silently dipped his head, quickly slipping over to his favorite spot to sleep, right up on top of one of the factory's internal balconies connected by some metal stairs. He liked looking out over the factory, eyeing the weeds and sunlight that broke through to give it a natural yet twoleg-made look.
---
Sable waited until they had returned to the junkyard before finally placing his pile down and cuffing Kyra's ear gently. "One question at a time, got it? Hmph. I have to teach you to be as good as me because I'm old and could die any moon. I've treated dozens of injuries because you all are brutes with eachother, and the worst one I've seen was when a cat got glass stuck in his eye. Needless to say, he became a one-eyed cat that day." He answered bluntly, not one to beat around the bush.
"But they're just so fun to mess with." Jax snorted sarcastically, before he stilled and lifted his muzzle. "Yep. That's a new one. Doesn't smell funny like kittypets do, and I can tell they're new since they've got such a strong scent coming downwind. Not even trying to hide it." He grinned. "Probably a young one. Easy recruiting, let's give it a go." He waved his tail, stealthily following the scent.
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Post by thistle on May 19, 2024 18:54:25 GMT -5
"She was a good cat, though that's really the only memory I have of her," Captain answered. "Like I said, we were young, much too young to be far from our mother. There were other cats in the alley we were left in, but..." He shrugged. "None of them could, or simply didn't want to take in a litter of five kits." "A night passed, but luckily we weren't in the city so we were safe in our little bed of leaves we'd scraped together. The next day, I saw a pair of Twoleg kits coming through the alley. I did the only sensible thing I could think of," he gave a wry smile at that. "I walked right into their path, stood my ground, and I yowled my head off at them. I said, 'Listen here! A Twoleg got us into this mess, so you're going to get us out of it, got it?' And would you believe it? They listened!" "Their eyes got so wide I thought they'd fall right out of their heads! They scooped up all five of us, took us into their nest with them, and we slept with full bellies and a warm bed that night. The milk they gave us wasn't as good as our mother's but delicious all the same. That little Twoleg from before, the one I yelled at? She'd the very same housefolk I have now. I owe her my life." Captain gave a self-satisfied sniff. "She still listens just as well, too." “A twoleg saved your life…” Nettle mused with inquisitive eyes, stunned by the realization. Clan life taught kits to reject any notion of a kittypet’s life, that twolegs could not ever be trusted. And yet, it was twolegs that saved this kittypet, not a loner or rouge, or certainly a Clan cat. Nettle found himself warmed by the tale. “I’m glad that you found your way to your twoleg, then. If you’ve been happy, then that’s all that matters, right?” He grinned, before asking. “Hey. Uh. What’s your name?” Captain purred briefly, always happy to boast about how wonderful his housefolk was. "My name's Captain. And yours?"
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Post by thistle on May 19, 2024 18:58:20 GMT -5
Jadefeather watched closely over Whitesun, though her attention was drawn to the prey that Revy brought. She quickly accepted the pigeon, looking sheepishly at Arcticbreeze, who had accepted the rat. She shook her head, reminding herself not to be picky. She humored a bit at Arcticbreeze's strong remarks. That was the kind of attitude that would work surprisingly well around here, headstrong and sharp. Revy looked at Arcticbreeze with a simple smile, humored by her anger. He knew they would be crabby of course, but it was also rather delightful to see as well. He flicked his tail leisurely. "Oh my dear sister, around here, my work is never done. Don't worry. When I leave in a moment, you won't be alone. There will always be eyes on you, just to keep you safe." He mewed smoothly, turning then to nimbly leap up the steel bars and look down with a curling smile. "Rest well. I want to see all you can offer tomorrow." He slipped into the shadows like a ghost, as Azalea took up one of the posts, peering down at the Clan cats in silence. Magnolia nodded, pleased to see the Clan cats had been properly fed. She suppressed a sigh over Azalea's hovering; she knew the injured tom was in no state to travel, and had a feeling the others wouldn't leave him so easily. She gave a twitch of her bobbed tail to Revy as he departed. "If y'all need me, just poke your head in an' wake me, got it?" she told the Clan cats as they ate. "I won't be bothered none." With that, she brushed through the blanket hanging over her den and made her way to the end, fluffing up her nest to settle down into and sleep.
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