- This Jay's Not Singing || Open

[- Leafy ღ]

The creamy she-cat crouched low in the reeds that lined a bit of the river at the Skull River Watch, her mouth slightly cracked open to breath in the scents around her. Vole, stale fish from some cats catching them, letting them flop on land for a little while, and then eventually departing with their prey, and the main item of food she was focused on, a loner that had come to drink from the black river. Dawn's scent was long hidden from relaxing in the water and then shifting to her hiding place to patiently wait for something to stumble across her view. This was that cat's first mistake. Dawn was about to make sure that it would be their last. There was a line of duty that marked them all in Break's tribe.. And when it came to hunting, that was her and the other Death Hunter's job. It was a fairly cruel cycle of life, especially when the weakest of them were picked out to be killed and eaten, but it was something that everyone eventually got used to.

Dawn had been managing with her for a plenty of moons now to know how everything worked and she had no intentions of letting herself fall behind now. She shifted slightly in her place to get a better angle on her target before taking a slow step out of the reeds, making note to stay quiet in her stalk. She was behind the cat so she was out of the vision of the lone she-cat, her pelt dripping slightly with water as she moved slowly around to when she struck she wouldn't launch the both of them straight into the river. Her ears laid back against her head before she launched herself at the cat, pinning her down to the ground with ease after a bit of thrashing and and cat scratches later.

She immediately lunged, hurrying to finish the job of killing her prey, unable to help the small ripple of satisfaction when she heard the faint crack of the neck bones. Her head lifted up briefly to glance around and make sure no others had accompanied the now dead female and had decided to check out what was going on. She blinked carefully before grabbing the dead cat's body by her neck and dragging her back to the camp with a bit of effort and time on her part. Letting out a low sigh of relief she dropped the body by the fresh kill pile to be devoured when the time came before calmly walking over to the river in the clearing and cleaning the blood from her pelt before lapping up some of the clean and refreshing water. Once she had cleaned the blood from herself she stood up and stretched, figuring now that she had handled this situation that the tribe would need a bit more prey then a simple cat. She walked from the camp, carefully picking her way back to the river at Skull River Watch and sitting down to position herself in ready to catch a few fish and waste a bit of time.

Word Count - 523
Comments - N/A

[Valk]

BANE

Sentinels and barren pines rose all around him, towering green-clad spears thrusting toward the sky. The forest floor was a bed of fallen needles as thick as the Palace walls, littered with pine-cones and choked by a caliginous grey fog. Silent, Bane padded lazily through the emerald gloom, weaving in and out amongst the trees. Too many, the dismal land of bogs proved treacherous to those not accustomed to it, but he’d been a child borne into the mist. Its winding passageways came to him like Riverclanners came to water.

His ears pivoted to the eager chatter of the forest, jaw twitching open to drink their scents. High in the trees, an owl hooted—hwoooo, hwoooo, plump and pompous upon its bracken throne; to the East, a mother fox wailed mournfully for her kits, and the patter of tiny feet scraped listlessly through the undergrowth in the form of rats and mice and frogs. Like him, the woodland was alive, eager and buzzing with midnight oil, though none quite as hungry for blood as he.

It was no uncommon thing to see the loner out on his nightly escapades. When the cloak of darkness fell, he much preferred to stalk alone beyond the lush, warm walls of his homestead to answer the evening’s calls. A terror by night, a terror by day, he’d often smirk while enforcing the principle; “Evil never sleeps.” And right he was. There was far too much fun to be had when the woods were choked with mist, fog thick enough to smother. Stormy darks bred stormy dreams, and Bane did so adore being hailed as the stuff of nightmares.

His lips twisted, curling fondly—his presence betrayed only by the glow of those bright, golden eyes. They looked almost molten in the darkness as he dropped to a prowl, and slid slinkily through the thicket on his haunches. He was hungry, though not for rabbit, toad or sickly carrion. This new forest offered him other such delights to wet his palette. Like a fat litter of newborns for instance, that he had all intention of taking for his own. Silent as a shadow in the oppressive haze, if left undisturbed, he’d be in and out within minutes and in the morn a cacophony of wailing she-cats would cry out in his wake! The big tom cackled.

What great fun it was being a monster; yet he couldn’t always be the monster his body longed to be. He had only rare moments like these to become the darkness within him. Otherwise he was acting very “model” like to teach his daughter that she didn’t have to be as evil as he. He didn’t wish for her to think that was the only thing in life, evil. He often wished evil hadn’t sought him out and conquered him but then again he wouldn’t be as fun as he would soon be.

He paused effortlessly silent in his motions as his ears caught the vibrations of what would be paw steps from a cat. Parting his lips to inhale the scent fully he let out a small purr of amusement, a she-cat was nearby and she smelled delicious. Alternating his position to line up with the direction of which the scent had led him, he heard the whistling of the river before he saw the dark depth of liquid. His eyes rose to catch the sight of the light that flicker in all the darkness’s power. The petite cream she-cat was beautiful, and so young. He could tell by the glow in her pale pear colored eyes that she wasn’t as old as her stance showed. He purred in amusement as he slipped through the tall damp grass, how he was position wouldn’t have allowed her to catch his movement till he was already to close. “Why are you out her in the dark little kitty, not afraid of what lurks in this darkness?” He spilled out his voice soft and amused as he settled a few tail lengths away from her. What fun it would be to actually play with your food before you eat it.

[- Leafy ღ]

Dawn focused her murky green eyes on the water in thought as her tail slowly twitched back and forth in a constant restless motion. Fishing had never been one of her best tactics as she couldn't stand the constant stillness of everything. It made a minute seem like an hour and an hour like an eternity. It practically killed her a little on the inside to endure the task on certain days. Days when she could be running out her energy by chasing down a mouse or taking out a cat that would actually put up a fight when they knew they were in danger.

Now, that would be a nice challenge, wouldn't it? Caught in her day dreams and with Bane out of her vision she hadn't even noticed the ocelot creeping into her presence until it was to late. She almost didn't want to turn and meet his dark gaze as her heart pumped roughly in his chest, almost making it hurt as her eyes shifted ever so slightly to meet the male's eyes as he spoke. She bristled slightly in alarm as she slowly rose up to her flighty paws and took a few steps back after she had turned to face him, her guard up and tail puffed out to be twice the size it had been a few seconds ago. So.. This was how a cat was supposed to feel when they were staring at the Grim Reaper. There was no sense in lying about it, it was as obvious as the green in her eyes that she was scared of the ocelot for a number of reasons. The main ones were the fact that he was much larger then her and could end her life in two swift blows. One from a paw to daze her and one from the teeth to snap her neck. She swallowed as her throat suddenly felt dry and her clear claws that proved no match for the much larger cat slid out. She could practically hear him laugh in mockery when she began to act all tough. "Hunting for the tribe." She managed to sputter out after a seconds pause.

Word Count - 362
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[Valk]

BANE

He’d tasted his little preys fear upon the sweet summer air before he’d heard her astonished voice. Her scent was thick, cloying—delectably out of place amongst the musky pines and reeking bogs. Lips curling, the brute sunk back to play amongst the mist as the she-cat spoke to him; dissolving into the shadows with a few slinky steps away from her almost in a mocking manner. He chuckled in response to let her acknowledge he was mocking her so. Almost daring her to speak about it in his presence.

“Hunting for the tribe.” His golden pools flashed in curiosity, so there were more like her. More little things to toy with, how delightful. A harbinger of death to his inferiors, the ocelot let a grin play over those lips of his as his eyes prowled what was given to him to gaze upon. The fluff of her tail held tension as did her body and he felt the desire to relieve it for her, she was frighten, anticipating her death that would or would not happen. The tom hadn’t really decided just yet, he wanted to stalk about his prey a little more. Rising to his paws to show his effortless full extent of height he cocked his head at her. “The tribe? Do tell me more…” He crooned, and was upon the other at once. Their body tangled together by force, his hulking form slithering about the lesser’s like snake. He circled her closely in swift movements dancing to the drum that spawned the beat in her trembling heart. His body weaved dangerously closed to her nearly touching the she-cat with his own body as he unveiled another devilish temptation, “Do not let the fear contain you, I don’t bite…”

There was a moment’s pause before his lips peeled back from his teeth; his chest rumbling with laughter. In a heartbeat it was gone. “Much that is.” When he pulled away from the other he gave her a scrupulous look, molten gaze raking nigh hungrily along the elegant curve of her back and shoulders. “Now what do I owe this pleasure, as I believe isn’t my pleasure alone. Unless you are deliberately trying to entice another hunger in my belly, but I think not.” His voice dropped, polluting the wood with that intoxicant baritone. He saw the flash of amazement in her eyes, she feared yet in a way found a way to worship his might as all his little "companions" did. He was alluring vex and left you often wonder if you were to survive the encounter with him or not. Especially as he had that glint in his eye, dark and adulterous. For a second, one couldn’t be sure if he was going to lunge at or merely lick his beloved prey.

[- Leafy ღ]

Dawn tensed in alarm when the tom approached her, circling her as a predator would do their prey. She shrunk back slightly in alarm, not daring to move anymore after wards should she make a wrong move. The Tribe? Oh God, she'd let on to the tribe. Her eyes glinted in alarm at the thought. If she lived through this Break would kill her for endangering the Tribe! "I don't know if I should." She squeaked lightly, her voice quiet and trembling as she tried to calm herself and distract herself from how close Bane had gotten in the last few seconds. If she told him about the Tribe.. They would surely be in danger as it seemed killing cats would be on of the ocelot's prize plans.

Surely a cat like this couldn't fill up on mere rabbits and mice, therefore a cat would be the next best thing for him. She shuddered slightly at the thought of her bones breaking under his teeth and once again came to the thought of how this was probably what that she-cat she had killed felt like. Terrified and praying for her life. But.. Dawn wasn't dead yet and the best thing she could do was hope that Bane had some kind of sympathy and spared her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the tom let out his boomed laughter and stumbled back slightly in an attempt to try and distance themselves, as if it would even help. Her creamy fur bristled in alarm at his words and she swiftly shook her head no in response, restraining the words as if they came out they would be trembling like her whole body with fear.

Word Count - 284
Comments - N/A

[Valk]

BANE

“Little one didn't I tell you not to fear, I have no interest in harming you you've provoked a different desire for you.” He spoke soft, words vibrating ponderously through the midnight still. Ghosting a breath against the shell of the tabby’s ear, those golden pools of his flashed tantalizingly before they were once again swallowed by the dark. With his white teeth glinting in the moonlight, Bane looked positively fiendish as he fluttered the tip of his tail against cream tabby’s cheek. "Do tell me your name if not anything about the tribe.” Simpering, he stalked lightly in a circle, surveying his companion as if she was a prize, one ripe for the taking. His prize that he had won. Yet he hadn't won her over just yet, that would come in due time. For now he was merely toying with her emotions. In reality Bane had no interest in snapping her neck for the pleasure of hearing her bones crack. He didn't wish to taste her crimson blood flooding him mouth hurriedly as it exited her soon to be lifeless form.

He was just teasing her phobia of death itself, she was quick to be a killer but when it seemed her time had come to its own end she was fearful. It interested him in how her little mind processed it all. Besides when he first inhale her aroma he caught the stench of the tribe she called home and if he wanted to eat them all up he would just follow her scent home. Honestly it wasn't that hard which was why badgers usually found camps of any sort when they went on a rampage. Locking onto one scent and trailing it wasn't the most difficult task in the world. In fact it came natural to most felines therefore for the cream cat to deny him the information of her clan only led him to be more curious and be tempted to "check it out" later. Letting a small sigh escape his mouth he settled to his haunches watching her carefully before he glanced at the dark river beside him. "This little act you’re pulling of not knowing how to talk is boring me. If I were to kill you it was to be done moments ago calm your prickly fur and settle down or I’ll do it for you.” He snapped at her suddenly annoyed, she had let her fear stain her too long just like his daughter had. It was beginning to make him angry all over again. Which was perhaps the reason why he daughter wasn’t speaking to him now, he shook his head at the words she had shouted at him. She was far too emotional for her own good but she would learn eventually or so he hoped.

His eyes rose to roam over the small feminine body only a few paw steps away from which he sat. He had only frightened her more and knew it but his temper was not something he could often control although he tried a many of times it seemed that the task could never fully be completed. His temper was just as bad as his fathers except he had sense enough to realize it, yet he was too stubborn to fix it entirely. He merely kept it on hush when he could and well right now wasn't the time he could. He perked his ears waiting for her response patiently but also impatiently, he wished for her to spit out whatever she had to say but he knew it would take her time to form it completely. She was evaluating every response hoping not to provoke him when in truth she had already provoked him and he was going to be after her till he found something else to do.

[- Leafy ღ]

Dawn frowned quietly and stared at the ground at his words, her eyes slightly laying back against her head in response. "It's Jay That Sings in Dawn. Tribe names kind of go like that, but they're shortened. People call me Dawn." She stated softly after a second, nearly dying of shock when he suddenly snapped at her. Her pelt bristled in surprise, her eyes glaring at him in slight annoyance. "I am talking- Don't snap at me!" She growled at him in response. She frowned softly in annoyance as she sat down, her tail wrapping around her paws as she glared at him. "As for the tribe.." She sighed, shrugging slightly. "As long as you can ensure me that they will stay safe without you bothering them I'll tell you some stuff, but until then it's not happening."

Word Count - 138
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[Valk]

BANE

Bane watched her as she caught her temper once again. Her growl was more than squeak compared to his own but he could tell she wasn't the type to care for that. She just wanted to get her point across which she had. The glare she casted at him only made the ocelot smirk in amusement. She had a feisty temper and seemed tempted to rival his. His ears flicked forth as she continue on mentioning the tribe once more. He hadn't really wished to know about the other felines similar to her. They would be a waste of his time until he became hungry once more or longed for a thrill.

"Dawn..." He slithered out through his clenched teeth. It didn't seem to suit her but that was yet again a personal opinion. He would have granted her a more useful name such a viper. She spat like one and rallied up fear just similar to one. "Interesting name for someone who doesn't symbolize the cheerfulness and brightness of the sun...then again they could be referring to that blazing temper the sun has." He mocks her voice giving her a faint smirk as he glanced back to the river and then back at her almost as if he knew something she didn't. He sliced the river pulling his paw back towards him in one quick motion revealing not one but two fish flopping on the ground before him. Showing his fangs politely he nodded to her, "Would you like to eat or should I eat this myself?"

Nudging the fish away with his paw in her direction his eyes bore into hers pressuring her to make her move. Bane wasn't entirely heartless, he had manners to a certain extent and it was always being nice to be polite if you weren't going to kill your prey ruthlessly that is. Aside from the fact he didn't have interest in killing her; the feisty attitude had sparked a different interest in her. She did not only remind him of one had long to forget but she-cat held information that could be useful for him.

[- Leafy ღ]

Dawn's eyes watched the tom in slight annoyance while her fluffed out tail silently flicked back and forth on a low sigh. There was nothing she could do about his mocking as she saw no sense in it. Her tail slowly curled around her paws in response as one of his large paws dipped into the water and almost immediately scooped out two fish, her green eyes immediately widening in slight surprise at that. She glanced up to search his face when he questioned if she would like one. "Oh, uh.. No... It's best that I don't. Break will be mad if I feed myself before the rest of the tribe." She stated swiftly in explanation. She had grew up knowing this and abiding by that rule. Cats got snapped at and cuffed daily for feeding themselves before feeding the tribe and Dawn was never excited to be one of those cats one day as she could never deal well with yelling and snapping if it was towards her. "You can have it. I'm fine." She stated, gently nudging the fish back towards the ocelot in response.

Word Count - 187
Comments - N/A

[Valk]

BANE

Bane smirked in amusement as she rejected his offer over a character named, Break. Well didn't he/she just sound so frightening? What could this “Break” possibly do? He certainly wouldn’t harm her; even Bane being as evil as he would isn’t the type to kill another just for nourishing their body. This brought a peaking curiosity to his mind as he wondered how this little group of cats functioned. He didn’t like groups of cats as group always had problems dividing power but if you were within the power you could be quite the master there. Perhaps he could relieve this “Break” of his duties as leader and claim a throne he would never grow accustom too. Yet he could make them grow accustom to him; his littler followers always did or they would be drained of their life. No one wanted to lose their life over being idiotically stubborn unless of course you were an idiot. He hoped that their leader wasn’t such but then again he hadn’t met a leader that hadn’t become so wrapped up in power they became an idiot. Letting out a chuckle at her before his eyes roamed towards the trees, almost as if he anticipated someone to be appearing from between those trees.

"You mean to tell me that you'll reject my offer over a mere code by a cat named Break?" He sneered as he drew closer to her pushing the fishes along with his tail. He slithered closer to her till his body was nearly touching the she-cat’s petite frame. He took notice of the rigidness of her body as he glanced down at her in curiosity. “You think I would let Break harm you over an offering I proposed to you?” Bane was fairly serious now and his tone showed it, if he had placed a claim on anything he wouldn’t allow harm to come to it unless he harmed it himself. Then again he wouldn’t do such horrible things to his prize unless the prize acted out of character in which he commanded it. He shook his head at her before glancing back at the smaller cat; she didn’t even realize what danger she was in. She was to be his alone and if anyone or anything placed harm to her they would not see the next light of day.

[- Leafy ღ]

Dawn gave a small and hurried nod of response to Bane's first question, her eyes serious as she quietly searched his face for a few seconds. "He'll be mad if the tribe isn't fed. Death Hunter's hunt first and eat later. If he is mad and takes out anger on one of us we will be weak, and if we remain weak we will be killed and eaten during Leaf Bare." She attempted to explain, her ears lightly flicking back against her head. Her death was always something she sent panic throughout her cream body. Just the simple thought of not existing anymore made her shiver, and therefore she always attempted to abide by Break's rules and not fall behind in the tribe, should leaf bare come along and her existence be forgotten. She frowned faintly when he once again stalked closer to her, her eyes staring hesitantly up at him as he spoke. He was serious and it immediately made her wonder why he could possibly be so possessive on the thought of that. "Even if it did happen how would you know?" She sighed as she shrugged her shoulders unsurely. She didn't see why he was even offering her the protection should she be injured by someone. What? They had only known each other for about.. Ten minutes? And the beginning of those tens minutes was when she was scared silly, though it had died off into hesitance and cautious moves.

Word Count - 243
Comments - N/A

[Valk]

BANE

Bane grunted at her shaking his head. His body slithered around her like a serpent, his tail resting on her paws. If he had wanted her dead he would have already taken her into his jaws and snapped her pretty slender neck. But no he had other intentions with her; she seemed to be so easily manipulated with simple threats such as death. It was fairly good she feared death but her ability to be so easily manipulated made him smile. Not to mention all this talk to her tribe eating other cats was just a new break for cats of her kind, as for him it was nothing new something he was born into. He smirked faintly at the thought of one little cat suggesting the become cannibals, he bet they thought they were clever and would strike fear into many. As if, he could strike fear with just being in another presence these little tribe cats had tried to bulk up their front with this little "let’s eat our own kind". It amused him at how clever they thought they were. Yet they would all soon learn, once Dawn returned to her clan he would soon follow after and remove this Break from his throne. "I would always know, I always keep up with and protect what is mine." He hissed into her ear, his hot breath making her ear flinch. She allowed such a mere cat the same size as herself or "Break" to claim power over her little petite body. He wondered if Break did anything else with that small body of hers, and it almost caused a growl to rise in his throat. Bane had always been the type of feline to want to keep things that he found precious. She-cat had fallen victim to his prize box; if you sparkled differently than the rest you'd be scooped into the paws of the giant cat. Besides if he ever found such interest in one other than himself it was mainly because he found potential or he was feeling extremely possessive for reason he would decipher later. He knew she was still tickled with fear but she had caused it to subside which he took note in.

"Aside from the fact that this little "eating other cats" isn't anything new to me. No matter how much he attempts to strike fear into you and the tribe of yours with that nonsense, he doesn't have it in him to murder and eat a healthy cat; he'll let you become weak first so he can show that of course you deserved it. Whereas he is still trying to adjust to his new diet, I've been feeding of the likes of cats similar to you for more moons than you and your silly tribe." He spat his voice dangerously rising yet laced with soft notes every few words. He didn't mean to cause her to desire to flee he was more so proving a point to her and soon to the rest of her clan that they couldn't strike fear if they held fear of the deeds they so preformed to "survive". He wondered how they first learned what feline taste like or was it a desperate attempt to survive and unintended. He shrugged perhaps both he didn't care all that much he was far more curious now on what this Break character was like. He couldn't possibly be scarier than Bane, unless of course he was another Ocelot, but Bane highly doubted that. Most Ocelot strayed away from this area of land which was exactly why Bane roamed it, he liked to terrorize solo with no backups. He didn't need back ups he never had he never will, he was his own shield and sword, not to mention he liked it that way. Whereas this Break character wasn't anything more than a threatening figure head or an idiotic "monster" who was brawn over brains any day of his useless life. The difference between Break and Bane were simple, Break needs a tribe to attack and defend, Bane did not and never would. Now that wasn't to say he would grasp one to enjoy the luxuries of ruling over idiots but he preferred not to have to worry his brain on the lives and mouths of others in which he didn't take interest or care for. Breaking his thoughts he spoke again no longer in slight anger as before. "You fear this Break over me?" He asked calmly, he didn’t care for her answer as either way her answer was to be wrong. She should fear neither of them but yet fear herself. She was allowing herself to be controlled by one who didn’t propose a threat first-hand but only second had and as for Bane if he had wanted to taste her blood and flesh the task would have already been done. He settled down onto his haunches before her. She would learn soon enough, as he was going to take the time to teach this little cat a lesson.