Sins of the Righteous (open!)

[Cloud]

It was a meh day.

She'd eaten a few bugs, the heat wasn't too bad, but nothing much was happening.

The gray con looked up at the familiar roof, the tiny cracks of light, and sighed. She'd been so excited to join the Rebellion...but nothing was happening, just the endless dry and disgusting smells and shapes in the distance, shapes she didn't really feel like talking to about some meaningless subject or another.

Even a fight would be welcome to break the monotony. She spotted a sleeping brown tabby over in a shadowy bit of the wall and began to walk toward it - it would be fun to poke them and run away. Wait...but that wasn't just any brown tabby. Beetlepaw!

Pebbletail smiled as she walked faster...but her smile changed to a deathly serious look as she sped up even more and finally skidded to a halt (scratching her pads slightly) before the Rebellion leader.

She was dead.

How long ago it had happened, the she-cat couldn't tell, but one thing was for sure: she had been murdered. Pebbletail sniffed the wound angrily, but there was too little scent to identify it.

But whoever had done it, she would hunt them down. She would make them pay. They would rue the day they had ever murdered an innocent, brave she-cat who dared to resist the tyrannical Clanners.

[Darky [Megan]]

Licking her lips with a satisfied and still rather cutting air, Speckledclaw padded along the walls' floors, walking off the adrenaline from the hunt she had just gone on. Her claws were still drenched with blood and little stringy bits of gore and her eyes flashed as she looked around with them, carrying a jagged grin on her face. It had been a long time since she'd felt like this after a hunt, with the blood still churning and the claws still drawn and scritching at the ground with their soiled tips. She was still walking with a bit of a skulking air, still menacing enough to give the illusion that she was stalking some invisible prey, as though the hunt she had gone on had not yet finished.

The scent of blood was still in her nostrils but she could differentiate it from the dead stench that hung around the Boneyard, which Speckledclaw wasn't aware that she'd been heading towards. She made to turn around and away from the place (the sight of decaying corpses was never a pleasant one) but noticed a she-cat regarding an unmoving brown tabby with an inquisitive air. Senses sharpened, Speckledclaw detected that something was amiss and went a little closer, just to see what was up and if any consolation was needed.

ooc
I wonder if I could make SPECKLEDCLAW A MURDER SUSPECT ohohoho

[duckyaisha]

Solitude was the answer. Friends were nice to have around, but with the Other stalking around in her head sending her horrid thoughts that she couldn't shake out it was safer for everyone for her to be alone. Despite repeating this to herself several times a day and knowing it was for the best, she still longed to see her friends, especially Frozenheart. She saw them around the Enclosure occasionally, but stopped herself from walking up to them, thought the Other egged her on.

It was remarkable how much she'd changed. During her period of solitary living, Rainstripe had done little other than reflect on her past and try to drive the Other out of her brain. Before she'd met her friends, the mere sight of other cats terrified her and she stood stone-still as soon as strangers spoke to her. Now, having tasted the sweetness of friendship she found herself craving rather than fearing social interaction. She tried to distance herself as much as possible, staying close to the comforting walls and sleeping in the same corner she'd been raised in, pretending it still smelled like her mother, but in her heart she longed for someone to walk by her side.

The purpose of this self-imposed exile was to attempt to drive the Other away. It thrived on hatred, violence, gore, and death, and was at its hardest to control when she was hunting. She'd realized she couldn't even hunt lizards without the Other clawing its way to the forefront of her brain and rending the poor things limb from limb. Eventually she resorted to only eating insects, refusing to give the Other any sort of satisfaction. The extreme strategy seemed to have lightened its presence in her brain, but the she-cat had paid the price. Her ribs were highly visible beneath her dull fur and her large yellow-green stood out even more amidst the sunken-in skin of her face. One time, on a rare occasion when a cat-sized puddle hadn't shrunk minutes after the storm, she looked at her reflection and almost leaped backward. Her body was almost corpselike; as if she had risen from the hot sandy earth one day to terrorize the living.

Without any other cats to induce thoughts of agression and suspicion in Rainstripe's mind, without any blood to feed its appetite for killing and gore, the Other had slunk away into some deep, distant part of her brain, like a snake slithering into a hole when the sun was high in the sky. For the first time in moons, she felt almost safe in her head once more. Oh, she could feel it lurking beneath the surface, but the abomination had no pathway to her conscious mind. With this victory under her claws, Rainstripe set out to re-induct herself into her friends' social circle. She couldn't see them right now, but perhaps those two cats in front of her might know where they were.

At first her anticipation of a real conversation propelled her bony legs forward but she soon stumbled to a halt. Something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones, and in the hidden part of her mind where commands such as /flee/ or /fight/ or /hunt/ came from in times of need. Every tentative step she took carried her closer to some great horror, she was sure of it. The Other, too, recognized the telltale signs of fear and shock among both Rainstripe and the two other cats and grew ever so slightly interested. It was lacking the same punch, but with Rainstripe physically weakened, her mind might be easier to overthrow. Ironically, her dedication to his eradication from her mind and memory might be the very thing that allowed him to take control again.

The smell of blood tinged the air, and Rainstripe's stomach churned. Death, too, was a prevalent scent that set the she-cat on edge as she prepared for a mental battle with the Other. It could strike at any moment.

"What happened?" she murmured, stepping close to the body. A young she-cat, a smell she recognized. With a hiss and a startled yowl she realized it was Beetlepaw, one of her friends and leader of the Rebellion. A feeling of despair quickly overtook all others. "What happened?!" This time it was not a question, but a command. Her limbs began to quaver as she realized the implications of this event. Beetlepaw had been murdered, most likely by a Clanner. Not only had the Rebellion lost a valuable member, who would want to join an alliance that was being pursued by some murderer.

While Rainstripe panicked, the Other plotted. This was perfect. The glorious scents of murder filled her nostrils and traveled into her consciousness, where the Other savored them as if he himself had sunk her claws into the cat's body. It had been too long, much too long. Now he had a chance again.

[Ten]

ooc: Yeah, another character table. I think it suits him well, though. bic: For this particular tom, if there was anything more irresistible than a she-cat, that thing would have to be a group of she-cats. As luck would have it -- regardless of whether it is to be viewed as good luck or bad -- he came upon one such group just after giving himself a good wash, meaning his brown stripes were smooth and clean, the best they ever looked (for what it's worth). With his good looks and charm, how could any of these fine ladies feel anything but drawn to him and his manliness? That question would be answered soon enough. Pushing past Pebbletail, the tom shoved himself into the center of the group, beginning to ask, "Alright, gals, what's this here that's got y'all in such a---" Then his eyes fell on the body before him. He recognized her at once. Beetlepaw, the leader of the Rebellion. He struggled with disbelief, but he knew it had to be her, much as he tried to deny it. She was alive just the other day, leading the Rebellion, on the path to taking down that cricket-brained experiment nonsense before it could do any damage to their freedom... and now her corpse was here before him. Dead. What a senseless waste of life. He hadn't even had the chance to make kits with her. The tom had to tear his eyes away. Living she-cats are where it's at. Perhaps he could divert his mind from this blow to the Rebellion by cozying up to one of these sweet things. Then he noticed that one of the she-cats here was Speckledclaw, his arch-nemesis, not sweet by any stretch of the imagination. His eyes narrowed, his voice crossing the line between muted surprise and disgust as he sneered, "Ohhh," and his ears flattened on his head as he sank into a half-crouch and stepped back. "It's you." Never taking his eyes off the formidable warrior, Grimykit leaned over toward Pebbletail in order to whisper to her in grating tones. "I know that there cat. She's a Clanna'. A bad 'un. Scratched my out an' threatened me with worse. Bet ya my fur on this, she done murdered lil' Beetlepaw here, jus' 'cause she's a big-time con." Of this he was certain. Who else could it have been, anyway? Speckledclaw was the most violent and intolerant Clanner he had ever met. He wouldn't try attacking Speckledclaw alone -- he had enough brains to know better than that -- but this inflammatory remark was sure to get his fellow cons calling for her blood. speaking [bg=31261a][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Cloud]

OOC: |D You could, Darky, although Beetlepaw actually has a definitive murderer. No, I can't tell you who it is.

BIC: Pebbletail, still in grieving, didn't want to talk to others yet, but here they were. She wanted to yowl at them to go away and leave her in peace, but she knew she'd have to say something.

Ugh, Speckledclaw. A Clanner, if she remembered correctly. She may have well been the very one who had done the bloody deed. How dare she come over here. Pebbletail had always been amused by the Clanners, had disliked and looked down upon their delusions, but now she hated all of them with a vengeance. It was them and their kind who had murdered an innocent life, and she would be avenged.

"What are you doing here?" She spat. "Come to gloat, now that Beetlepaw is dead? Get out, you bloody Clanner. Go away before I slit your throat." The gray con growled at the she-cat.

Then Rainstripe showed up, and Pebbletail felt relieved. An ally. Someone to share the burden of this terrible knowledge with, and to back her up if she indeed go for the Clanner. She certainly wanted to.

"I don't know, Rainstripe." She said, voice cracking. "I just....found her...dead..." The little cat broke down completely and just pressed against Rainstripe, yowling with sorrow. Perhaps she hadn't known Beetlepaw that long, but she had known her long enough to see that she was courageous, strong, and determined to wipe out the threat of a Clan.

She was innocent. "We'll avenge her." She whispered to the other con. "They will pay." Pebbletail flicked her gaze toward Speckledclaw and back, asking Rainstripe a silent question: Should we?

But before they came to a decision, GRIMYKIT had to show up. He was a con, but a more filthy lowlife Pebbletail didn't know.

"I don't particularly give a stone, Grimykit. What I DO care about is avenging this wretched deed, Speckledclaw or whoever did it."

[Ten]

"That's what I'z sayin', ya cricket-brained she-cat," he replied in an irritated huff. "Speckledclaw is tha cat who diddit. Tha only way to avenge ol' Beetlepaw is ta kill Speckledclaw." His green eyes met hers with a determined scowl, frustration and anger hiding his grief in the same way that righteous indignation veiled his thirst for revenge. The main reason he wanted Speckledclaw dead had nothing to do with Beetlepaw, although there was the death of another young she-cat involved in the event. However, that did not mean he was not upset at the loss, and rather than delve into emotions that extended past the narrow, acceptable range of happiness, lust, and fury, he wanted to just fix it and move on. A life for a life. That's how he wanted to deal with it. Grimykit knew he'd need help in order to commit the murder, starting with Pebbletail, but he sure wasn't patient about it. He was digging his claws into the ground. "So are ya gonna back up yer words with teeth, or ain't ya?" speaking [bg=31261a][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[duckyaisha]

Conflicting emotions couldn't even begin to describe the chaotic mess whirling around Rainstripe's head like a dust storm as she stood frozen between the three cats. At the very least three vastly different yet powerful feelings were fighting for dominance in her brain, and the Other, which she had incorrectly assumed was no longer an issue, was feeding off the panic and terror her mind had also begun to generate in response. Hopefully she could bring her emotions down from their fever pitch before someone- possibly even her- did something horrible.

First, Pebbletail. After watching cats from afar for so long, Rainstripe had learned much about the minutiae of body language, enabling her to read other cats' emotions more easily. For example, Pebbletail's tension faded to relief as Rainstripe approached, which helped lighten the horror of Beetlepaw's death. Most knew Rainstripe was mentally and unstable and thus spoke and acted very cautiously around her, afraid that the tiniest thing might throw her into a murderous rampage. They were right to be guarded, considering what had happened in the past, but the fact that Pebbletail had seemed to relax and open up to her, knowing full well what she was capable of when she lost control, brought back the same warm feelings she remembered from her time with Frozenheart and her other friends. Acceptance of any sort was welcome to the she-cat, although her gaunt, haggard appearance probably inspired pity rather than fear or anxiety now.
Purring softly, delighted that Pebbletail was putting so much trust in her, Rainstripe failed to notice Grimykit until she glanced around her and felt a prickle of something unsettling.

There he was, just standing around as if he had the right to even think about showing up near the dead body of another cat. Simply being in the same general vicinity as that monster made her skin crawl and her claws itch with undiluted fury. This powerful hatred always terrified her as well- she felt, when she suffered these rages, that she was no different than the creature she despised. After all, how could his murder have spawned from anything other than the obsessive anger she herself felt in his presence? The fear only amplified her desire to sink her claws into something, especially now that the Other- which Grimykit had created; she still blamed him for ruining her life so thoroughly- was a presence in her mind. Yes, it had returned, its lust for blood as overwhelming as ever.

Pebbletail's words brought her attention back to the she-cat, and a war began inside her. Yes, we must avenge her, we have to kill someone, something, that thing over there with the smug look who murdered Branchkit earlier, he's the one that has to pay, but Speckledclaw is the clanner here, let's kill them both!
No, no, look at Pebbletail. She trusts me, you aren't important anymore, I need to prove to her that I deserve it! Besides, if I try to fight in this condition I'll likely not make it. I don't want to fight, don't want to, there's no need, I can't go back to that time-

She sheathed and unsheathed her claws repeatedly, kneading the sand with nervous claws, pressing against Pebbletail, and glancing back and forth between the three with alternating expressions of pure malice, fear, vengeance, fragility, loathing, beseeching- her muscles tensed and internally she begged for the conflict to end. "I-I-I-" her words were stuttering syllables that made no logical sense, she could barely form a coherent sentence in her mind let alone shove it out her mouth.

"Go AWAY!" she snarled, her voice simultaneously seeking relief and vengeance and blood and just wanting it all to be gone.

[Cloud]

Anger and grief were still her dominant emotions, but as her fur bristled and her claws scratched at the gravel, confusion permeated her mind as well. Was Rainstripe speaking to Speckledclaw? Or Grimykit? Certainly not her.

She didn't like either of them - though she admitted (reluctantly) that Speckledclaw was probably better than Grimykit, simply by default. Still, Grimykit was a fellow con, and scummy lowlife that he was, he had a point. Speckledclaw might not be Beetlepaw's murderer, but killing her would send a message to the other Clanners: A life for a life. It was only fair.

Part of the gray she-cat felt repulsed at the idea of killing anyone, even a Clanner, but part of her felt her bloodlust rise in eagerness to claw and bite. The two desires fought, and after looking at Beetlepaw's body again and grief once more piercing her heart, the bloodlust won out.

With a shriek she dove at Speckledclaw, ears flattened and claws out to rip open the Clanner's chest. The brown-and-white tabby might be bigger and stronger than she was, but Pebbletail's rage lent her strength, and she was sure she was faster than the Clanner.

[Ten]

Rainstripe's wailing snarl all but startled him out of his fur as Grimykit whipped around to face her. "What in th' walls is yer dirt-stoned problem?" He looked her over, up and down, with his one good eye, but he didn't recognize her. She was just another tabby to him. It didn't seem like she was speaking to Speckledclaw, either, much as he'd have liked for that to be the case. At least Pebbletail had at last seen reason. Up until then, she had been hesitating like a hopper-hearted coward, but the instant that Rainstripe lost her whiskers in front of them was the same instant that Pebbletail had thrown herself at the enemy. His enemy. Their collective enemy, as a matter of Clanhood, he would argue, but Speckledclaw was his enemy more than anyone else's. He'd been waiting for the day when another cat would join him -- or precede him -- in unsheathing claws against that stoned Clanner, and he wasn't so much of a coward that he wouldn't go up against her even with an ally, but maybe there was something to be gained from getting Rainstripe in on the action as well. With his eyes flicking between her and the fight, he meowed, "Hey, yer a con, ain'tcha? You like a lil' blood on yer tongue, don'tcha?" More than he knew. "C'monnn," he drawled, tilting his head to the side in a wheedling manner. "Don't ya ever feel like killin' a Clanner?" speaking [bg=31261a][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]