Ruffled Feathers

[Storm]

Raptor
Outsider | Rouge | Tom | 24 Moons | Heterosexual

A tall and skinny framed tom deceptively disguised as a much stockier built feline under thick messy fur wandered aimlessly in the dried grass beside a gravel road.  The rouge had meandered this far from the tree he called home in the park many times before, captivated by the quieter path compared to the busy streets in town.  His long-strided gait was lazy as he padded along with a blank mind.  Raptor knew the clanners border was up ahead, not particularly interested in a fight with the cats of a lifestyle he could care less about, he had never crossed into their land before.  He honestly had no opinion on the clans, they just ganged up to survive the best way they could and he wouldn't fault them for that, but it simply wasn't the life for him.

Today the toms brilliant mixed gaze had been captivated by the big bright building past the scent marker though.  He crossed over without giving it a thought as he explored closer to the stinky place where big clumsy creatures lived.  The heavy smell he walked into nearly covered his own scent of foliage and dried blood as he neared the wooden barn painted in bright red.  Raptors yellow-blue orbs held on the color, his interest peaked comparing the bright red to the crimson blood he was more used to.  A crooked grin pulled at his pink lips as he thought, its like the place was covered in fresh blood.  The tom had come to a halt at the side of the barn, pleased with the warm sun on his pelt he turned his back to the place and sat.  Long tail wrapping around his flank the cat lifted a forepaw to chew at the sharp talons he unsheathed.  

His white pelt stood out in stark contrast against the red backdrop, but the rouge hardly cared he could be spotted.  He allowed his foot to drop back to the earth from his maw before his head lolled up and back.  Eyes flashing up and behind him he stared at the top of the barn and the pretty color it was painted again.  Not a care or worry in the world as he sat confidently in a land that was not his own.  

TAGS: gingersnapsdacat  

[gingersnapsdacat]

Stoatwhisker had to think. She needed to get out and feel the air in her whiskers, else she feared she would go mad. Somehow. Wingpaw had returned home from wherever the three apprentices, he and his sisters, Featherpaw and NEctarpaw, had run off to. Stoatwhisker still had no idea where that was, as Wingpaw was too tired and hungry to actually be of any use. But if he had returned, that meant that it was possible his sisters were still out there somewhere. Ever since the day they had disappeared, Stoatwhisker had been wondering what had become of her apprentice. No matter what others said, Stoatwhisker still blamed herself at least partially. And so, she knew that the sudden return of Wingpaw could mean great things, and an ease for her own self-doubt. 
Stoatwhisker allowed herself to get sucked into the strange, yet familiar scents of the farm. Straw, Grass, That one Barn-cat..and...
Rogue!
Her ears suddenly stood erect as a scent greeted her nose. The fur on her back was bristling, ready for a hostile encounter. 
Slowly, she followed the scent for a few fox-lengths, until she saw the offending feline. He was a brilliant white, similar to her own pelt, and stood out among the monsters like a patch of fresh snow. 
"Who are you?" she asked, voice showing no evidence of feeling. 

[Storm]

Raptor
Outsider | Rouge | Tom | 24 Moons | Heterosexual

Raptors posture was relaxed, head sagged backward as he analyzed the barn color.  One could have assumed he was hardly paying attention as he sat in enemy territory but the cat had no issue picking up the approach of another.  His big ears captured the sounds of cautious steps, clearly whomever was coming had seen the tom or picked up on his blood laced scent.  The messy-furred cat simply hadn't bothered to look up, let them come, he thought with a chuckle to himself.  

The blank tone of the she-cats voice brought the toms gaze back down from the sky, icy blue and sharp sun yellow orbs falling questionably on who he assumed was a warrior by the smell of her.  Raptors transparent whiskers twitched, he was hoping the cat would have attacked him for trespassing then he could have used self defense as his justification for a fun little scrap.  It seemed it wasn't going to come to that just yet though.

Releasing a big yawn with a rough curled tongue, the tom snapped his jowls closed before cocking his head at the white she-cat.  "The name's Raptor," he replied in a nonchalant tone.  "Who's the pretty lady asking?" he mewed with slightly narrowed eyes, but a charming side grin pulled mischievously at his pink lips.  He was hardly being a nuisance out here, not stealing prey or looking for trouble until she came along.  The tom wondered if she had backup some distance out of detection range since she hadn't struck while she had the advantage.  What ever could she want coming over to stir up trouble with an outsider minding his own business even if he had crossed boundaries?

[gingersnapsdacat]

Stoatwhisker stared intently at the relaxed tomcat, silently taking in all she could. He was certainly a self-assured one, not showing the slightest sign of distress at her arrival. He did not yet show signs of aggression either, so Stoatwhisker willed her own claws to not immediately rake his pelt. At very least, he would get a chance to respond to her question. 
"The name's Raptor. Who's the pretty lady asking?"
Stoatwhisker rolled her golden eyes, shaking her head at the tomcat's nonchalant grin. Her claws sheathed and unsheathed, wishing to scratch it off his stupid face. But she squashed the feeling of annoyed violence down. She could not attack. Not yet. As annoying as this tomcat was, he could have the answers she sought.
"That is none of your concern. Why are you on my territory?"
She pushed the questions onwards, never taking her eyes off of him. 
"Were you sent here by Honeyheart? For recruitment?"
The last word left a bad taste in her mouth, reminding her of the fact that her own apprentice was likely recruited into the rogue group. 

[Storm]

Raptor
Outsider | Rouge | Tom | 24 Moons | Heterosexual

The white tom sat unflinchingly as the she-cat flashed her weapons, oh he had talons of his own too.  They ached to play, but he remained unmoving until his head cocked to the side as she spoke.  None of his concern? How boring to act all tough. "Well that's no fun," he mewed smoothly at her refusal to identify herself.

Honeyheart… Was he supposed to know who that was- wait yes that name was familiar.  She was the queen of the hypocrites, no?  The leader of an anti-clan... clan?  Like that made sense.  What about that had made this warrior so cautious, why had she decided to question him instead of just attempting to chase him off?  Just a moon ago the rouge group had tried to recruit him, surely she wasn't suggesting that they was trying to gain new clan members. Maybe that was their most recent plot, luring clanners out to be disposed of.  

"No, I'm afraid I don't run with that group of cats.  I was just out for a stroll when this pretty place caught my eye."  Raptor mewed with a shrug that his statement neither confirmed or denied his status as a rouge.  "What are the rouges trying to recruit in clan territory?  How foolish to follow them back to their camp complacently just to be an easy kill."  His gaze held on her curiously, maybe he could gain more information on the pests of the outskirts from their enemy.  What had the clanners learn from being at war with the organized rouges?  

[gingersnapsdacat]

The white she-cat lashed her tail in annoyed impatience, its black tip twitching.
Just answer me already!
Her claws flexed, tearing at the sparse grass beneath her. Maybe if she gave him what he wanted, he would give her the information she needed. 
"If you really must know, my name is Stoatwhisker."
But of course, this proved to be all for nothing, as he was not even a member of Honeyheart's gang. He had no idea what she was talking about. 
"How foolish to follow them back to their camp complacently just to be an easy kill."
Stoatwhisker growled, hackles rising, Even if the apprentices had run off, or been misguided, they were not stupid. 
"What do you know of their ways?" she spat, "You said it yourself that you are not associated with them."

[Storm]

Raptor
Outsider | Rouge | Tom | 24 Moons | Heterosexual

Eyes complacently held on the warrior the tom held back a smug grin.  So riled up over nothing already, Raptor was pleased she showed her annoyance with him so easily.  The feline paused and nodded to her name with a sarcastically polite intent, turned out the clans did teach manners.  

Raptors square head tilted in confusion over her reaction.  Maybe the clanners didn't have any useful information about the rouge group after all... from the way she reacted they didn't seem to know that the anti-clan clan didn't like the forest cats.  All of the outsiders knew the group was out to kill clan cats, they hardly bothered the other outsider cats unless they were trying to recruit new members.  They pitched how unfair the clan cats were to the city dwelling felines and how they were seeking revenge.  Surely if they were out in the territories trying to recruit clanners it was for ill intentions.  

"Now Stoatwhisker, what's got your tail in a bunch?" The toms tone was light, but not poking fun at the aggressive she-cat.  "I told you the truth, I personally don't understand that crew, but every outsider knows that they hate the clans." His fluffy tail tip twitched up at his pawside, maybe she was just testing the water; trying to see what he knew, just as he was trying to gather intel from her.  The ruffled white furred cat decided he'd break first and share even though he hated to lose little games like this, "They're quite a nasty bunch, mostly rouges.  Doesn't make much sense to me  that they've organized basically into an outsider clan since they hate y'all so much, but whatever.  I've heard they all share their specialties so they can work together to get revenge, like one can make water kill ya', makes living sketchy huh?"  His head returned to center, maybe now she'd understand that the group was out for the blood of anyone they could lure out of their land.

[gingersnapsdacat]

Stoatwhisker did her best to push down the waves of annoyance that was constantly rising in her. This arrogant rogue was not worth her time, nor her claws. At least, not yet. She stayed silent, refusing to be the first to back down and give information. 
"I told you the truth, I personally don't understand that crew, but every outsider knows that they hate the clans."
She wanted to roll her eyes, or chide Raptor for his obnoxiously obvious statement, but she held herself firm, showing almost no reaction, other than a tail swish for him to continue speaking. 
"They're quite a nasty bunch, mostly rouges. Doesn't make much sense to me that they've organized basically into an outsider clan since they hate y'all so much, but whatever. I've heard they all share their specialties so they can work together to get revenge, like one can make water kill ya', makes living sketchy huh?"
She considered his words carefully, taking in each individual statement. She knew that the rouge alliance was strong, but by the sounds of it, they were becoming much more than that. They were becoming an organized group of assassins, bent on killing not only those who did them wrong, but also any who happened to get caught in the fray. 
She would have to be careful. Many of her clanmates had died when the river was poisoned, and by the sounds of it, they were still unsafe. 
"Yes. It does make everything quite suspicious." Stoatwhisker said, trying to sound more relaxed than she felt. She knew that it was only fair for her to now offer up some sort of information in return, so as to encourage this tom to share more of what he knew. 
"My clan suffered greatly from the killing water."
Clearly he already knew about the water, and it was only obvious that her clan would have been hit. But still, there was a thin guise of deep, important information, and she hoped that the tom would take it that way.  "And you. How do you come into all of this? Surely you must know something?

[Storm]

Raptor
Outsider | Rouge | Tom | 24 Moons | Heterosexual

Raptors mixed gaze watched as the she-cat calmed herself, but his little grin remained.  He had a feeling he was still under her skin at least a little bit, even if she seemed to be growing less aggressive towards him.  Suspicious, yes indeed.  The clanners weren't used to living with their eyes sharp and ears perked at all times like outsiders had to be.  The white tom had lived his whole life avoiding dangers so it was just a part of living to him.  

His light muscles contracted as his hind quarters lifted and he stood up into his tall figure.  He nodded to the warrior solemnly as she spoke of their losses due to the rouge group, he had no intention of treading on the dead as he knew the clanners showed great respect for cats that had moved on.  The toms pink paw pads reached forward as he took lazy steps and began to circle the she-cat.  The more time he spent seeing her act uneasy with his presence the more he felt she may be alone. He decided to put a little pressure on. His sun-ice eyes drifted back and forth between the other cat and where he was placing his paws.  His demeanor was non-threatening, but definitely would put her in an uncomfortable position and he was ready if she were to lash out as well.  If she didn't have anything more to tell him other than the clans were weakening due to this rag-tag bunch he figured they wouldn't have any information on how to get under their pelts.  

His gait slowed as he paced in front of the she-cat in his circle as she asked for more of him.  "Me?" He mewed smoothly, flashing a grin before his next answer.  He had no intent of admitting he himself was a rouge. It would only cause him trouble, here with her and later on if the clans went out to attack stray rouges. He had never bother the clans before, he didn't feel he deserved such treatment. Instead he simply answered vaguely, "I'm just an outsider, trying to see if the clans have made any progress against the cats terrorizing us all."  Raptors head shook as he continued to stroll round and round, "I've shared with you what I know."  It was rather rude to expect more from him when she offered so little, what more could she be asking of him?

[gingersnapsdacat]

The white she-cat readied herself for a possible attack as the rogue stood up, her tail twitching in nervous anticipation. As he stepped forward, her claws slid into the dirt, and did not let go. Now that they were standing, there was even more of a clear hight difference, and she found herself needing to look up slightly to meet his heteroaromatic eyes. 
"I'm just an outsider, trying to see if the clans have made any progress against the cats terrorizing us all."
Her ears perked slightly at the sound of his words, giving her an idea. Stoatwhisker took a small, but determined, forward paw step, interrupting the flow of his gait. 
"Oh really? You say that you have shared all you know, but I disagree. You say the rogue alliance has terrorized you as well?"