Spiderpaw's Campaign {The Experiment}

[Brain]

Rockpelt looked at Dullpaw with an air of indifference. "Look, no cat is going to vote for you, so why don't you just leave? Go start your own clan, see how many cats show up."

OOC>> Who else will answer the question? Rockpelt's not liking what he's hearing.

[Gosh]

ooc| beware of long post xD

bic|

Bronzefoot got some inspiration. This was his chance to not look stupid after accepting Patchfur's nomination. It might also get some of them to back down a little, although since it was Patchfur whose claws were unsheathed, he might lose the support of his original nominator.

Nevertheless, he meowed, "Look here. This is a fellow Clanner. But with a few words you all seem to think he's despicable. Now, I was taught that the Clan was supposed to be peaceful and kind unless violence was the only option." This was a lie, of course - his parents had taught him nothing of the sort, at least nothing that he could remember. "Yet before you even know this cat-I'm sorry, I don't know your name," he added to the tom he spoke of, "-you scowl at him! You unsheathe your claws! What kind of a Clan would it be if we got ready to attack at the slightest hint of opinions that you disagreed with! This, my friends," he meowed, although he certainly did not consider them his friends, "is why many cons prefer not to deal with Clanners." He decided not to mention that he was a con himself and of that opinion; after all, not all of them knew, and perhaps he should keep it that way. For now.

Of course, normally, he would probably have unsheathed his claws himself. Not quite because of this tom's opinions; after all, Bronzefoot didn't really think about 'respecting the dead' and all that either. But he didn't like this cat. He didn't like the way he talked, and he did not like the way he acted. This tom reminded Bronzefoot of Grimykit, which was definitely not a compliment.

Spiderpaw looked at Bronzefoot for a moment but didn't quite know how to respond to him, so, keeping herself cool and collected, she turned to Rockpelt. "In response to your earlier question, the stories always said that the deputy gains the place of the leader if the leader dies. However, I do not think that the deputy should be guaranteed this leadership spot due to what Patchfur said; a leader may choose a deputy for their hunting and fighting skills. The deputy would certainly be welcome to run for leader in the next election, though. Also," she added as an afterthought, "I think that until the next leader was voted on, the deputy could be a kind of substitute leader while the issue of the new leader was sorted out."

[duckyaisha]

"I only did so because of the ridiculous things he was saying! Would you stand by and let another cat proclaim that he's better than everyone and that leaders are the superior cats? I nominated you becuase I knew you wouldn't let a leader be controlling. And now you're supporting this cat who wants leaders to do just that! I understand where you're coming from, but when cats like this are involved, I'd think you would put your paw down and stop him from thinking that he's the best cat in the enclosure." Patchfur was still angry, but now that he was dealing with a cat he actually liked, he found it much easier to control himself. Slowly he retracted his claws, ready to listen to Bronzefoot's reply.

[Darky [Megan]]

Redstream nodded at Spiderpaw. "I agree with you, you make very good points," she said. She also nodded at Patchfur, whom she was recognising as a very reasonable tom - with a bit of a quick temper, but that was no matter.

Then she turned to stare at Bronzefoot. She had almost forgotten this cat was a nominee, but was interested to hear what kind of tom her was like. She was thoroughly confused at what he was saying.

"... I see what you mean," she replied somewhat slowly, "but this cat has said a few things that are quite - forgive me - outrageous. He is indeed proclaiming that the Clan revolves around the leader, and that they exist to serve the leader only, from what I can hear. The opinions of a cat are a very good clue as to what kind of person they are underneath. Also, as I have said many times before, some kind of discussion has to take place in any awkward situation before further action can be taken - which includes violence." And at this her eyes flickered for a fraction of a second over to Patchfur. "Now, you speak of cons not liking to associate with Clanners because we react rather strongly to opinions that contradict our own - but I ask you, what cat wouldn't? We react in our own individual ways - every cat in the enclosure is an individual, there is no one group that would all react the same way. Some cats react unreasonably and some cats don't! Please don't assume that all Clanners will react in some kind of fixed way!"

Speckledclaw riled at Dullpaw's proclamation, but caught herself as she heard Redstream's words. "I know that tom. His name's Dullpaw, and he's everything he appears to be. I'd like to add that he's got skin as thick as rock, and an empty 'ead, too," she said shortly.

Orangestorm decided to speak up. "I'd like ter see what this kind o' cat thinks is the right way to run a Clan. So, I nominate this, er, Dullpaw for leader." he said promptly.

[Gosh]

Spiderpaw gaped. "You nominate him for leader? What in the walls?" she blurted out, astonished. She could do nothing but stare at Orangestorm uncomprehendingly. Finally, she realized that she probably looked stupid, and tried to look cool. Calm. Reserved. She wasn't quite sure whether it was working or not.

Bronzefoot almost gave Orangestorm a weird look himself, but he had to deal with Patchfur and Redstream first. "I can understand what you are saying," he meowed after listening to their arguments. "although both of you seem to exaggerate what both I and this cat say. But that is irrelevant. Besides, I never supported this cat. I just pointed out some things; he just happened to be the cat who wasn't on your side. And just because I said something that you were opposed to that regarded him doesn't mean that I'm on his side. If I had the time and power to put my paw down on cats who think they're the best, this cat-I mean, Dullpaw-would be far, far away. And Grimykit would never mess with me again. Now," he meowed, "I wonder - why are we all fighting? We are all on the same side, are we not? At least for the moment, anyways. Even if we are not all Clanners, we are all-" He paused a moment, trying to come up with something that didn't sound lame- "Experiment..ers. Experimenters. So why are we all arguing? Why can't we just get on with the election so that the Experiment can start!" He took a deep breath, looking around, and then remembered the orange tom and his strange nomination. He meowed to Orangestorm, "Do you disagree with Patchfur and Redstream, then, on the matter of Dullpaw's opinions?"

This cat was interesting. Even he, Bronzefoot, wouldn't have thought of nominating this cat into the Experiment. Even though Dullpaw certainly wouldn't be elected leader, he would still probably cause a lot of trouble - perhaps even ruin the whole thing. Whoever the orange tom was, he had done well. 'Perhaps,' Bronzefoot thought, 'I should talk to him privately. Perhaps he is another con wishing to mess up this Experiment.'

[Thistle]

"Now, now, no need to be all bristly..." Dullpaw pulled back his lips in a careful smile as he backed away a pace or two from the angry cats. Actually, he wasn't really sure why they were acting like that. Was it something he said?

But anyways, the gray tabby knew that he was starting to dislike the ginger-and-white tom quite a lot. "'Course nobody's totally puhfect, but there's always some cats that are betta' then others. An' those cats are able to get a chance of bein' the leada'... like meh." He puffed out his chest, not realizing that his presence was just making them more irritated by the second. He continued, this time facing Rockpelt, "Can ya see the future, ugly-face? How do you know that no one's gonna vote for meh, huh? I has already gots a cute lil kit on my side. An' me'thinks that the kitten got more sense than you!"

He was almost out of breath by that time, but Orangestorm's words brought him back to full alertness. Dullpaw began prancing around the other tom, obviously delighted. "Ya-hooey! I'm gonna be a leada'! I'm gonna be a leada!" He had no idea that Orangestorm had only nominated him for leader, and thus he wasn't officially a leader yet.

"Why dun't ya think again 'bout bein' meh deputy, eh, sweetheart?" he meowed to Speckledclaw, lolling his tongue out at her.

[Gosh]

Spiderpaw meowed through gritted teeth, "A nomination only means that you are one of the choices for leader in the Experiment. Everyone votes on who gets to be leader. The choices are Redstream, me, Bronzefoot, and now, you. But you don't get to be leader unless a lot of people choose you." She shot Orangestorm a nasty look. If this cat was going to participate in the Experiment.. well, he was already getting on her nerves, and everyone else's too, by the look of it. Well, except Orangestorm and Bronzefoot.

[duckyaisha]

Patchfur was shocked by Orangestorm's nomination. "What?!" he screeched, more out of astonishment than anger. He knew fully well that Orangestorm was a Con and that he probably hated the idea of a leader as much as he himself did. So why in the walls was Orangestorm nominating Dullpaw? Maybe, because Bronzefoot and Orangestorm were both Cons, they were trying to prove to the Clanners that Cons /did/ treat cats fairly. Patchfur, however, agreed with Spiderpaw; this cat was grinding on his last nerve.

[Darky [Megan]]

ooc
Thistle [Skyriver], the way you handle Dullpaw is hilarious. xDDD His skin seems impenetrable.

bic
"I ain't no one's sweetheart!" Speckledclaw snapped harshly, her fur positively bristling at the arrogance of it all. It was taking every last bit of her self-control to stop from lunging at the tom. Logic was being deafened by the roaring in her ears. Her claws were already unsheathed.

Orangestorm cast a rather lazy look over the rest of the crowd. He was confident no one was bent on ripping off his fur, so he decided to speak up since many of the cats seemed to be wondering about the reasons behind his nomination. Anyways, he didn't want any more looks like Spiderpaw's. "This tom," he started, "though aggravatingly unreasonable, obviously has some kind of reason as to why cats like 'im would be fitting for the position of leader. I'd like ter know why, and what can be taken to 'elp cats like 'im, 'oo are blinded thinkin' they're destined to be leaders and just become annoyin'."

Redstream was speechless. She stared at her brother quizzically, narrowing her eyes. It was quite obvious to her that he had some other secret motive or motives than what he was publicly announcing. She would keep an eye on her brother. He wasn't ruining the Experiment for her.

[duckyaisha]

"Wait, what?" meowed Dingypaw in shock. "So you nominated him /because/ he has an aggravating superiority complex? You do realize that this will only inflate his ego more, right? You say you want to help him, but nominating him is only going to reinforce the fact that he thinks he's better than everyone," she meowed patiently, though her old gravely voice made her words sound a little more intimidating than she wanted them to.