xx plush [open]

[vena sera !]

out of character:
This is an open thread. I made Android a long time ago, and am just now getting around to playing with him. So, whatever, anyone can post. Please do, in fact! The song is Plush by Stone Temple Pilots. [[God it's a good song... anyways...]]

**

and i feel that times a wasted go
so where ya goin' for tomorrow?
and i feel that these are lies to come
so would you even care?

The moon was full, high, looking down with cold condescension at every living, breathing organism in the forests, in the moors, hell, even in the ocean. The birds had nested for the night, yet the prey was running thick in and around the old Faithful Shadows' grounds. Despite the fact that there had been many Shadow Snares, whom all had eaten heavily from the food supply, had since been farmed to rich opulence in their absence.

Not a single soul had trespassed here, it seemed to the loner, as he carefully scented the land and tasted tentatively of the air. There was a very, very stale trace of she-cat scent on some of the leaves; presumably the infamous Stormfaith, or perhaps one of her slutting Snare girls? He couldn't tell; then again, he had never scented one of them in person. He could remember, faintly, his father, whom had been a trainee in the Faithful Shadows, taking him here and leaving him for dead as a kit. Lovely thought to have, but dark grounds provoked dark ideas, as Android often thought to himself. He lifted his slim, nicely shaped head and looked around, feeling a chill crawl through his fur as the ghosts of his father's broken past slide past him.

Here there be demons.

A terrifying thought, but maybe so, maybe so! After all, breathing demons had nested here, had raised bloodthirsty young who went on to infest the Clans he had heard so much about... he knew this to be true, for what good could come out of this rat's hole? He narrowed his single eye, the consolation prize for having escaped his demonic father, born from Furyscar -- a big orange tom, son of Flame and Onyxpelt, grandson of Scarpelt, deputy of ClawClan... and Twilightsong, the petite and lovely gold tabby, daughter of Ruinedwing and Mudclaw, granddaughter of Gustwhisker and Soulkeeper, and therefore also related to Shallowheart.

and i feel it, yeah
yeah, i feel it
where ya going to tomorrow?
where ya going with the mask i found?
and i feel, and i feel
when the dogs begin to smell her
will she smell alone?

He sighed.

What blood to have in your veins... traces of Shallowheart and both of his deputies -- Scarpelt and Gustwhisker. Guess that means I was related to Stormfaith, loosely. Oh, the irony. The irony... that a good-doer, with heavensent sight, could be cursed with a bitter heritage such as mine.

The leaves whispered with the wind, as it struggled to speak to him, tell him of the wicked beings that still roamed this air. He could almost taste the scents... Wingedflight, Squirrelpelt, Swiftcloud, Hazelthorn, Shallowstorm, Mudclaw, Furyscar... evil lurked in every shadow, and the bare beauty of the starlight was lost in the vast expanse of ink-black intentions Android could see through.

I wish someone had burned this skeleton of a memory long ago, he thought distantly, feeling distaste crawl up his throat like bile and make his hackles rise like quills on a porcupine. He swallowed, examining his surroundings with a dark interest. I'm not going to burn it -- I wish I could. Instead, I'll seek out any demons lurking in these shadows -- if an innocent Clannie seeks a place to romp or play, or explore, I shall keep them safe from the devil here.

and i feel,
so much depends on the weather
so is it raining in your bedroom?
and i see that these are the eyes of disarray
would you even care?
and i feel it
and she feels it, yeah

Android slipped into the den before him, a large one, not well built, however. The Faithful Shadows had not been resourceful, apparently; their choice of cement had failed long before Android's visit. This was Stormfaith's den, for sure; her faintly bitter queen's scent still permeated the air. Wingedflight's looser smell, too, lingered, but he had died long before his gray colored wife. Their kits' stronger smells surged beneath those undercurrents, their gray warrior son, stupid and careless, and their slutty red daughter, snakelike in all ways a cat could be.

He turned around, not liking the feelings of neutrality there. Stormfaith, whom had felt she was doing right by herself and the other cats who were mistreated by the Clans because of their heritage, may have gradually become dark and evil, but her intentions had not always been evil... had they? And besides, she had felt some love for her kits and husband. Love was never evil, unless it was for yourself.

He paused next to the Snare and Trusted den. Too many scents here... all of them bitter, resentful, uncomfortable, though some loyalty and love reigned. Loyalty and love to their mates, he suspected. Scarface always said Furyscar had used his children as tools, but had loved Twilightsong endlessly, would have died for her if he could have -- if he hadn't been killed just before her. He suspected most Snares and Trusteds were similar in that respect; their children respresented pawns to be moved and manipulated, but their wives and husbands were the only things giving them light in the dark life Stormfaith spread before them, and that they took regretfully from.

so where ya going to tomorrow?
where ya going with the mask i found?
and i feel, and i feel
when the dogs begin to smell her
will she smell alone?
when the dogs do find her
got time, time, to wait for tomorrow
to find it, to find it, to find it
when the dogs do find her
got time, time, to wait for tomorrow
to find it, to find it... to find it, yeah

To the Trainee den he slowly moved, scenting only three cats here. Two females and a male; the female scents were odd. One was softer, the other fiery. The male scent only seemed lonely and cold. He wasn't sure who they had been; Scarface only knew so much. Wait... Scorchedpaw, Leafpaw, and Flamepaw? My father's sister... he hated them all. They ruined his face, he said.

He laughed softly, turning abrubtly.

I have a new respect for my aunt, wherever she is now, as well as her friends, he thought coldly, going to the queens' den. Empty-smelling; there had been few queens in here, it seemed. Squirrelpelt, Stormfaith, Shimmerplume, Twilightsong... their scents were weak.

when the dogs do find her
got time, got time, to wait for tomorrow
to find it, to find it, to find it
yeah, oh-whoa, whoa-oh-oh
mmm, yeah, oh-whoa, whoa-oh-oh
to find it... to find it... to find it

What a graveyard this place is... though, I don't believe any were buried here. Only their souls, their memories... their loves... or what was left of it, anyways... hmm...

He halted, tail twitching, standing in the center of the camp.

Here there be demons.

[.* Hidden *.]

A twig snapped as a gray-brown she-kit stepped on it. Oops, she thought, pausing for only a moment before continuing on her merry way. A moon or two ago she might have been worried by the sound the stick had made, but these days nothing lurked in the shadows but darkness, and everyone knew that darkness couldn't harm a cat. Her robin-blue eyes scanned the trees around her, but, as usual, there was nothing. She sat back on her haunches and stared up at the full moon. Pretty, her kit's mind thought uneloquently, but the sight was soon forgotten. Tonight was a good night to go exploring, for Wren knew that all the Clan cats would be away from their territories. She could go anywhere she wanted and no one would get in her way. Truthfully, she didn't mind cats getting in her way; it was more when they attacked her that it became a problem.

A ways away she noticed a dense wall of foliage. It reminded her of one of the old Clan's camps, back before they'd reformed. The last time she'd seen them they'd been overgrown. Could there have been a fifth Clan? she wondered. No, that wasn't possible. Still, she often found it was worth her while to go looking through that sort of place. Once before she'd found a small natural den sheltered by a bush's branched, and another time she'd found an abandoned tunnel. Then again, she'd also ended up with more thorns than pelts and nothing to show for her escapade. Not that there was anyone to show anyways. Since the Clans had been reborn there hadn't been hardly anyone.

The kit burrowed her way between a couple of branches. To her surprise, the undergrowth parted almost immediately into a large den. Wow, she thought, her eyes widening. Someone must live here. The kit sniffed the air of the den and was surprised to find only one fresh scent. Why would one cat want to live in such a big place? she wondered, but was distracted by another thought. Someone's here! The kit had to stop herself from running out the entrance, remembering that not all cats were friendly. Instead the she-cat crept silently out of the den and ducked into the shadows.

Wren peered out into the clearing. It looked just like the Clans' camps, but that wasn't what caught her attention. In the middle of the camp stood a tom. He didn't look dangerous; at least, he wasn't killing anyone at the moment. Standing up as tall as her four moons of life would allow her, Wren puffed out her fur slightly, then let it lie flat again. She wasn't quite sure what to do; she just didn't want to get herself ripped to shreds. Some cats wouldn't attack a kit, while others would be less likely to strike if they thought the other cat looked intimidating. Wren sized up the cat again, and decided that she was better off not trying to look intimidating. She wasn't very good at it anyways.

Not giving herself time to hesitate any longer, the kit stepped out of the shadow she'd been hiding in and marched up to the older cat. "Hello," she chirped, looking up into his one eye. I wonder what happened to the other one.

[vena sera !]

Ears that had to compensate for the loss of an eye strained to catch every whisper on every breeze, but Android had terrible hearing as well as terrible eyesight. He stood in the camp, his four legs sturdily clutching the grounds that seemed to him haunted by things unspeakably evil... and he thought he stood alone. A small noise alerted him, the youthful voice of another presence.

Android perked his ears. Hello! A she-kit stood behind him, small and gray-brown tabby in color. She looked friendly, and oblivious to the demons dancing in the dark. He felt a smile brush his maw; obviously, she did not have The Sight, as he did, the sight very few cats were gifted -- or cursed -- or burdened -- with. Nevertheless, the brown striped tom nodded to her briefly, wondering why a kit that young was not by her mother's side, but off in the late territories of old rebellions.

Hello there, the one-eyed tom meowed, struggling not to pull his eye back into the infested dens. Did I disturb you here? He twitched his ear, finally allowing himself to stare into the oppressive shadows that teemed with malevolence. Is there actually something here, something that wants the kitten? He wasn't sure, but he tensed slightly, knowing he would defend the little she-kit, for no one deserved to die in the clutches of a demon, nobody.

[.* Hidden *.]

Wren relaxed at the tom's friendly reply. "Hello there, did I disturb you here?" The she-kit let out a mrrow of laughter. "Nope," she said pleasantly, "Did I disturb you?" Just then the kit seemed to notice the tom's unease, and she followed his gaze to one of the dens. Wren peered into the shadows curiously and sniffed the air, then looked back at the tom questioningly. "Umm, what are you looking at?" she asked, following his gaze once more. Yes, he was definitely looking at the den. "There's nothing in there. If there was, we'd be able to smell it, right?"

As if to prove her point, the kit bounded over to the den in the scampering, somewhat clumsy gait mastered only by kits. Fearlessly, she marched into the den. It took only a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darker interior. Wren paused in the middle of the den and looked around her, and suddenly she wasn't so sure that dashing in there had been a good idea. It wasn't that she had seen something. On the contrary, she had seen absolutely nothing. Then why was she suddenly afraid? Afraid of nothing? That didn't even make sense.

Pushing aside her irrational fears, Wren examined the den once more. Here and there a thorn jutted out of the den walls. The den was both overgrown and too sparse to provide adequate shelter. Shafts of moonlight clawed their way through the roof and landed on the moldy floor in jagged patterns that looked like they would swallow her whole if she wasn't careful... No, no, she snapped silently at herself. This den is empty. Nothing in an empty den is going to eat me.

[vena sera !]

Android's muscles tensed at the young she-kit's blatant bravery. She darted forward with a naivete only a youth or a sheltered individual could maintain, and he resisted the urge to leap in front of her and knock her back, though he did start forward. Waiting with bated breath, he realized she remained unharmed. What? Perhaps the demons can't sense her presence... what if she's an angel? An angel from that starry clan in the sky? Reborn? It's certainly something to think about. Android sighed and padded after her, wearily sticking his nose in the den.

There's nothing in there. If there was, we'd be able to smell it, right?

He flinched. Most cats believed this. Mistakenly, of course.

Not necessarily, no. Not every danger in this world has a scent. He was sure she was to disregard this; as long as she didn't have to see it, she was probably 'safe'. He felt so sorry for cats who felt this way... evil sensed security and sought to tear it asunder.

[.* Hidden *.]

Wren looked back at the tom, confused. She couldn't think of anything dangerous that she couldn't smell. She'd found that most dangerous things--foxes, dogs--smelled quite a bit. And they smelled bad too. She decided not to continue the subject, and instead sat down. Now that she wasn't alone, she felt more secure. "So what's your name, anyways?" she asked, hoping to get away from his confusing statements. Maybe he knows something I don't, she thought. "Oh right, I'm Wren." The kit flicked a piece of moss absently. She found it hard to believe that cats had once slept in the mess that covered the floor.

[vena sera !]

out of character:
Song is Creep by Stone Temple Pilots. I finally made a post that is a little long! [[coughthankstothesonglyricscough]]

Forward yesterday
Makes me wanna stay
What they said was real
Makes me wanna steal
Livin' under house
Guess I'm livin', I'm a mouse
All I've got is time
Got no meaning, just a rhyme

My name is Android, he meowed, smiling at the kitten. She was awfully friendly, despite his malformed visage. Kits were like that, though. He grinned at her name -- Wren. Fitting, somehow. She was like a little bird. He flicked his eyes uncertainly back to the dark, then said, It's nice to meet you, Wren... but I have to ask... do you live here, in this Faithful Shadows camp? I have never been here before, so I wouldn't know. Do you live alone? He certainly knew what it was like to be a young child on its own, with no parents and no one to care where you were and what you did.

It wasn't fun.

Take time with a wounded hand
'Cause it likes to heal
Take time with a wounded hand
'Cause I like to steal
Take time with a wounded hand
'Cause it likes to heal, I like to steal

So he was worried for the youth of today. Were parents' morals just getting worse and worse? Or perhaps she did have parents, and had simply wandered from them. If so, he figured she would be found, but suppose they were dead...? Ah, he thought with a small sigh, she might even be a Clan kit! He was not a narcissistic tom, and he had too much troubling time on his hands. Befriending a she-kit may have murderous or pedophiliac intentions with some toms, but with Android he figured he needed all the friends he could get. And if the girl needed help, well, who was he to deny it?

I'm half the man I used to be
This I feel as the dawn
It fades to gray
Well, I'm half the man I used to be
This I feel as the dawn
It fades to gray
Well, I'm half the man I used to be
This I feel as the dawn
It fades to gray
Well, I'm half the man I used to be, half the man I used to be

The darkness around them -- and I speak not of visual darkness -- seemed to fade a bit. Aggression that was unseen and unfelt by most also relaxed, and Android wondered again if Wren did that, or perhaps just the presence of another brought peace to his troubled mind. If so, he certainly didn't mind her company -- he had been by himself ever since his mother was killed by rogues.

Feelin' uninspired
Think I'll start a fire
Everybody run
Bobby's got a gun
Think you're kinda neat
Then she tells me I'm a creep
Friends don't mean a thing
Guess I'll leave it up to me

This is no place for any living creature, he meowed quietly, unintentionally allowing the eerie camp to get to him. Too many have been born here, and too many have been killed. The demons that lurk here are probably the ghosts of those who were.

Take time with a wounded hand
'Cause it likes to heal
Take time with a wounded hand
Guess I like to steal
Take time with a wounded hand
'Cause it likes to heal, I like to steal

[.* Hidden *.]

"No," the she-kit shook her head. "I don't really live anywhere... I just wander around on the unclaimed territories." Wren examined the one-eyed tom, curious. He seemed to relax briefly, but he still looked pretty spooked by this den and the camp in general. She wondered what he was doing in a place that he so obviously didn't like. His next comment made her fur tingle. 'This is no place for any living creature...' Wren wondered if he was trying to scare her. "Why not?" she piped up boldly. "There's nobody here, but the foundation for a home is here. If we fixed this place up, we'd have a pretty nice den."

((Aaah, fail. Oh well.))

[vena sera !]

((Haha. Ditto.))

Android smirked, stepping forward. Why not? Well, let us count the ways... His ear twitched amusedly. Do you know who used to live here, Wren? He meowed in an empty-sounding voice. Would the little loner know of the Faithful Shadows? So many cats today had some time to them. And ClawClan, for that matter, though he didn't know about them. He himself had ties to Scarpelt, the first deputy of ClawClan, as well as Gustwhisker, his murderous replacement. Actually, Shallowheart, too, and the rest of 'em. Ah well. I agree, but would you want to live here? It's... it's protected, I suppose, he meowed uncertainly.

((UGH, terrible post... oh well. ^-^ A bad post is better than no post! Haha!))

[.* Hidden *.]

Wren hesitated, then said cheekily, "Uuumm, cats maybe?" Her tail swished across the den floor; clearly the kit was pleased with her answer. "What do you mean, would I want to live here? There's nothing wrong with this place." Wren looked around, as though confirming it. "Although I have to say, I like that old twoleg barn better."

((This thread is boring.))

[vena sera !]

((Very much so. Still, Wren and Android are inactively frozen. So, maybe they should... join a Clan. You think?))

[.* Hidden *.]

((Yes. I need a GC kitty.))

[vena sera !]

((Well, I have a cat in every Clan and two in GorgeClan, so I can't do GC. Wren, by all means, should join, though. ;]

Umm... Android will join... erm... WillowClan, I guess, since I just have Dawnbreak there.))

[.* Hidden *.]

((Sounds like a plan. Which reminds me, I had a plot idea.))

Wren TO: GorgeClan territory

[vena sera !]

((Tell me?))

Android to: GorgeClan terra