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Post by neffy on Sept 12, 2008 23:41:45 GMT -5
Tawnyfur sighed and looked up from the rat. Her whiskers twitched about her face in response to the mess that littered them.
"It doesn't matter who suggested it; we all pitched in to kill it," she said with a cross tone. Tawnyfur never liked how cats talked of structure and leadership, and the she-cat grew irritated as Woodstripe flaunted her abilities. "He's your brother. Move him yourself."
Tawnyfur returned to the rat and busied herself with a mouthful of flesh.
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Post by jamie103 on Sept 13, 2008 17:29:26 GMT -5
Blackfur looked up, her eyes wide in surprise. That was no way to treat someone—especially such a leaderly cat as Woodstripe! The she-cat knew that deputies would have to sort out problems, and if they were too big to handle, it was up to the leader to fix it. This—a simple disrespectful gesture—could most certainly be sorted out by Blackfur.
"Watch yourself, Tawnyfur," she warned. "Woodstripe needs to eat, too. Or are you so selfish as to gorge yourself while others starve?"
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Post by Ten on Sept 13, 2008 17:30:30 GMT -5
"You have my appreciation, Blackfur," Woodstripe mewed, stepping toward the flesh offered. However, it being a mere chunk, it wasn't enough to satisfy her.
"All right, you've had your share, all of you." She pressed her paw against Frozenheart's ear, pushing him to the side. With the same paw she clawed the dead rat closer to herself and dug in.
The tom was not any more pleased with his sister's treatment of him than she was with the two she-cats. With a grumble he flattened his rising fur and stepped aside. His keen blue eyes met Tawnyfur's, reading her defiant expression. He had heard none of what she said but saw it in her face. There he found a reflection of some of his own beliefs.
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Post by jamie103 on Sept 13, 2008 17:42:59 GMT -5
"Thank you, Woodstripe," Blackfur mewed. "It was simply a kind and honorable gesture." She willingly stepped back when Woodstripe took the rat. These actions—unknowingly to Blackfur—showed her old personality traits with every aspect of performance.
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Post by neffy on Sept 14, 2008 0:14:27 GMT -5
Tawnyfur crunched through a bone, swallowed, and then looked up. Her eyes descended, giving them a hollow, disproving appearance. Was Woodstripe's aura so high and mighty that Blackfur had to defend her as if Woodstripe beheld some invisible bastion of authority? The brown tabby was no different from the others—just another cat. Oh, Tawnyfur would watch herself alright; in the sense she wouldn't throw herself at Woodstripe's paws as Blackfur so blatantly displayed. Her fur spiked at the mention of being selfish.
"If Woodstripe wants something to eat, she'll get it somehow, I'm sure," said the feline loudly to Blackfur, and then under her breath, "Even if it is through other cats."
A growl bubbled in her throat as the rat slid closer to Woodstripe. But she didn't comment, nor did she reach for more after Woodstripe's order. Tawnyfur refused the idea of causing a scene and deepening the line that had begun to form between herself and the brown she-cat. 'Let it go.' She fixated herself with this internal message and began to groom.
Only then did she feel something, an invisible pressure. She dropped the paw flattened from her tongue, and met Frozenheart's gaze. The she-cat knew he hadn't heard a word of their discussion; she frowned at the obviousness of it. What it must be like to live in a world of silence. As if life among a roof and four walls wasn't terrible enough. She pursed her lips, acknowledging him, and then returned to the steady laps of her bath.
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Post by jamie103 on Sept 14, 2008 6:56:39 GMT -5
Blackfur nodded approvingly. She had done a good job of sorting out the problem. Oh, she just hoped that Woodstripe would pick her as a deputy—if she ever became leader...
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Post by Ten on Sept 14, 2008 19:36:56 GMT -5
As much as she was enjoying the warm, bloody flesh, Woodstripe's mouth would always prefer to profess. She needed to finish assuring them of the necessity of teamwork. At the lull in conversation the tabby looked up and noticed Tawnyfur's acknowledgment of Frozenheart. "Oh, don't mind my brother," she mewed, licking her whiskers. After the calico's disdainful murmurings, Woodstripe hoped to prevent further negativity. "He tends to stare at some cats. Since he's deaf, he makes extra use of his eyes. Overuse, really. You can tell him if he's making you uncomfortable; he can read mouths."
The white tom hadn't taken his gaze from Tawnyfur. He blinked once - a slow movement - but continued his scrutinizing stare. His observations were unreadable.
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Post by neffy on Sept 14, 2008 22:19:35 GMT -5
Tawnyfur finished washing behind her ear before looking up. She held Frozenheart's gaze for a moment, and then shuffled her body so that she glanced at Woodstripe. It made sense, but still—his quiet observations warmed her flesh.
"He's no bother," she murmured.
Tawnyfur shook out her fur. Out of her peripheral vision, she could make out his unwavering, white head. She stared at the ground and looked at her paws. Curiosity bubbled behind her lips, stirred questions that washed over her tongue. What are you thinking? she asked silently, still studying her feet. The urge to ask him was overwhelming. What are you looking for? Why are you staring? What really is there to look at?
She stirred, danced from one paw to the other, and then settled down again. Her ear flapped at the discursive babbles of distant conversations.
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Post by jamie103 on Sept 15, 2008 14:28:48 GMT -5
Blackfur studied Tawnyfur and Frozenheart closely. What was going on? They kept glancing in each other's direction, as if they shared thoughts and questions. Did they have different beliefs than Blackfur's? Were they thinking of rebelling against the idea of a Clan? Questions buzzed around in her mind like beetles. If she was ever going to convince Woodstripe to help her get the Clan back together, she would have to do it fast—otherwise, Frozenheart and Tawnyfur might revolt.
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Post by Ten on Sept 15, 2008 17:06:50 GMT -5
"You're sure?" Woodstripe asked. She stood, stretched, and rubbed against her stark-white brother, breaking his concentration. He jolted and looked at her.
"It's not polite to stare," she told him.
Frozenheart closed his eyes.
Turning to the black cat, the tabby continued to speak. "I see a lot of passion in you, Blackfur. Perhaps you'd like to discuss some things with me? One of the issues on my mind as of recent is procedure concerning the dead." She tilted her head, waiting to hear the she-cat's thoughts.
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