A Thief in Your Midst

[Ten]

ooc| edited version, because Cloud posted right before I finished this.

bic|

If Dottedfoot missing a meal was reasonable, then he wouldn't advocate a different course, but Spiderstripe had asked him to explain, and so he would. "W-well, uh, it's j-just that D-Dottedfoot likes the stuff P-Patchfur says," he stuttered, a bitter expression on his face, "and he's what st-started all th-this. It'd be t-taking away s-something that she r-really wants to k-keep, which is p-p-punishment, and I th-think if she stayed away f-from him, she w-wouldn't do this sort of st-stuff anymore."

Shortwhisker wasn't sure if Spiderstripe would be upset now that Dottedfoot was agreeing to his suggestion instead of the reasonable one, and he sent her a nervous, apologetic glance, feeling as though he had slighted her. But the good news was that he wouldn't have to worry about Dottedfoot consorting with Patchfur now. If she would stick to that promise, there might be hope for her yet.

[duckyaisha]

Anger was too weak a word for what Patchfur was feeling. It was as if a great storm was swirling around inside him, igniting the flames of his fury until a raging blaze made his blood boil and turned his eyes to chips of ice. At first he had been only slightly irritated by the tom; now his entire mind had been overrun with the outrage he felt at Shortwhisker's incredibly imbecilic comments. It took some effort to restore rational thought to his mind, but as soon as he did, words poured from his brain and out of his mouth, a torrent fueled by infuriation.

"What? WHAT?! How is it that I started this? I didn't even know what was going on until you ran over here crying for Spiderstripe! You can't get your tail in a twist every time someone decides that my ideas make more sense than yours. And besides, why is it that you automatically assume my ideas are causing violence? I could easily say that your ideas are the ones causing violence because every time I make a point you can't argue with, you finish the debate with your claws! That is violence too, so maybe you should stop talking to whoever it was who gave you those ideas.

One of the benefits of a Clan is that we all get to discuss our ideas together and come up with what's best for everyone. How can we do that with you wanting to block every word that comes out of my mouth? I will admit that my ideas are radical and that not everyone might see the sense in them, since you've all been taught differently, but at least let everyone listen before you condemn them as heresy!

Cats need to have experience dealing with different opinions. Otherwise, how will we recruit cons into our Clan? If you won't let Dottedfoot listen to someone who wants a Clan but not a leader, a relatively minor deviation, how will you be able to convince the Cons to join our Clan? We can't have one voice, one opinion, one set of ideas and then expect to be skilled enough to persuade them. In fact, we can't have one voice, one opinion, one set of ideas at all. It is completely unreasonable. And of course, because I'm the minority, it's my ideas that get automatically rejected without a second thought. If everyone believed what I did, you'd be the one Dottedfoot would be forbidden to talk to.

Why do you assume it was my words that made her behave this way in the first place? Perhaps she was just feeling irritated, like she said. Believe it or not, not every negative action that happens within the enclosure is my fault. Spiderstripe, if you agree to these ridiculous demands and censor from Dottedfoot my every word, I am leaving, do you hear me? If I am forced to agree with you and not speak my own opinions even though you're allowed to, this is not a Clan I want to be in!"

[Gosh]

Spiderstripe was a little alarmed about how quickly the question about Dottedfoot's punishment had escalated into an intense argument. Trying to sound cool and collected, she meowed, "Shortwhisker, I'm sorry, but I don't think that's reasonable. Patchfur should be able to express his own ideas, even if you don't like them or think they're wrong. And whether or not some of his other ideas are wrong, it is true that if we want cons to join, we shall have to be more accepting of their ideas. For if we do not accept their ideas, why should they accept ours?" Looking back at her improvised speech, she thought she had done quite well. She hoped she would be able to appease both parties. "Dottedfoot, there's no need to agree to Shortwhisker's request. Because of your small violence, you shall miss your next meal; I do hope that nobody else will have to be punished. Patchfur, I hope that this appeases you; there is no need to leave.

[Ten]

Shortwhisker blinked at Spiderstripe, confused by her words about accepting the ideas of cons, but he decided it was because he wasn't smart enough to understand what she really meant and he looked to Dottedfoot, begging her, "T-tell them! You kn-know that you liking P-Patchfur is a b-big part of why you g-got so m-mad at me! It w-wouldn't have happened if you'd n-never t-talked to him! Tell them!"

[Gosh]

Spiderstripe hastened to interrupt, as she didn't want the situation to escalate any further. "Shortwhisker, I'm sure that association with Patchfur would not suddenly make her mad at you. I've given her punishment; she'll be missing her next meal, I assure you. Speaking of food, why don't we organize another hunt?" She hoped that this would settle the issue, although she was not sure that her ventures would succeed. Why did Shortwhisker have to be such a cricketbrain?

[duckyaisha]

There was nothing Patchfur would've liked more at that moment than to start screaming in Shortwhisker's face, digging into his flesh with burning words that sliced right through him, ricocheting around in the emptiness of his head where other cats had brains. It was both satisfying and hilarious to see him get so worked up over a difference in opinion- you'd think he was advocating kit killing by the way Shortwhisker responded to his comments- and twisting Shortwhisker's tail was especially fun since he didn't have any deadly words of his own. It was like taking a strong, able-bodied, large tom like Frozenheart and putting him in a fight against someone like Dottedfoot or Dingypaw. The elder didn't stand a chance. And in this scenario, Shortwhisker was the elder. Mentally, at least. Physical fights between the two were rare, though it was Shortwhisker who started them, presumably because he had run out of arguments that made sense and didn't want to make himself look like any more of a blithering idiot.

It took all his restraint to stop Patchfur from clobbering the poor defenseless tom with his words- though it could be considered self-defense, since Shortwhisker had insulted him first this time. He literally had to grind his teeth to stop the cruel phrases piled up in his mouth from breaking free and wreaking even more havoc. For once, his logical side won the argument over the more instinctive part of him. Usually, words took that route, completely bypassing logic as he spoke directly from his mind, without softening the merciless mental blows.

Spiderstripe's 'authority' as leader was not what compelled him to stop and think for perhaps the second or third time in his life. He would've listened to her even if she had been dubbed Clan Cricketbrain, for her argument actually made sense. After suffering through Shortwhisker's ridiculous blabbering, intelligent ideas sounded like the seductive meow of a stunning she-cat. Why had no one else realized that he was not to blame for this mess? Now that Spiderstripe had sorted it out in a much kinder way than he would have, Patchfur took a deep breath, counted to twenty, and opened his eyes.

"That's a good idea Spiderstripe. Some members of the experiment still didn't get any of the last rat. How about you, me, and, um...anyone else that can hunt and is in the Experiment that we find? Sorry Dottedfoot, I don't think you're up for hunting rat's with that injury. And Dingypaw's obviously out." He deliberately left out Shortwhisker's name, hoping Spiderstripe wouldn't notice. If he had to be near that imbecile any longer, he would go insane.

[Gosh]

Spiderstripe nodded, relieved. "There are quite a few members not present at the moment - perhaps we could find one of them to participate?" She, too, avoided mentioning Shortwhisker, as she could see that if him and Patchfur were in the same hunt, some fight or other would arise. But she also recognized that he wouldn't appreciate being left out like this; perhaps she could send him out to find water or something? No, he wasn't that stupid. Well. He might not be that stupid. Maybe. Okay, she was seriously overestimating his mental capacities, but she didn't want to be rude. She sighed inwardly and wished Woodstripe were here; surely she would be able to solve this problem.

[Cloud]

The elder blinked as the conversation proceeded. In a way, she was relieved - no one seemed to have noticed that she'd agreed with Shortwhisker, least of all the tom himself. She did want to keep talking to Patchfur - but on the other paw, she wanted to appease Shortwhisker as she still felt a bit guilty for biting him, albeit lightly.

She noticed they did not mention him as they spoke of things to do next...she felt a bit of sympathy for the gray and white tom. Though the mention of her injury was a tiny bit annoying, not to mention obvious, at least it showed they were thinking of her. They all seemed to be hoping Shortwhisker would not even notice them ignoring him. As...underdeveloped as he was, he would probably realize.

But perhaps she could occupy him.

"Shortwhisker, I think you're taking this the wrong way. Don't blame Patchfur so much. He's...different than what you think he is, I promise. I...will stop talking to him, but only for a little while. Most of what I said came from my own heart, he has simply opened my mind a little. Yes, he made me think of other ways to run a Clan, but quite honestly, I might've been driven to nip you anyway, though I regret it and truly wish I hadn't done it, because it was wrong. Trust me, you'll see I'm quite myself. I simply enjoy the company of many, Shortwhisker, including you. I will listen to you too, you know, provided you're willing to learn from your mistakes."

It was a hint, if a light one, toward his having mated with the unknown con.

[Ten]

ooc| "gray and white tom" <-- he's black and white, just like his view of the world

bic|


"D-don't think I t-trust you!" Shortwhisker spat, in response to Dottedfoot's offer of a "promise". What use was a promise from a traitorous anarchist? Not picking up on the hint, he blew her off. "Y-you are so m-messed up. L-leave m-me alone." He recoiled from her and turned to walk away again, yelling over his shoulder, "D-don't b-bite me this t-time!"

[Gosh]

ooc| Dottedfoot is too nice. d:

bic|

"Shortwhisker," Spiderstripe called, inwardly moaning. "Dottedfoot is trying to say she's sorry, and I believe her. She even tried to agree to your demand that she not speak to Patchfur. It's okay if you want to be by yourself for a while, but I ask you to think about forgiving her." This, she thought, is not how a Clan should be. All this fighting.. She felt disheartened; how could their Experiment succeed if they could not unite?