What's This? [Open]

[Deleted]

Vex hadn't been spending much time in DeathClan lately. She had wandered from place to place, visiting the plains before moving on to Twolegplace. There was less prey here - but she discovered that it was possible to scavenge from the scraps around the nests. Well… provided she didn't get caught.

It was about moon-high, and the grey tabby was digging through an overturned garbage bin. She was so keen on tugging out a piece of burnt meat that she didn't hear another cat coming up behind her.

[Crow]

    The one thing Crow found deathly in her favor about Deathclan, was there was no age restrictions. She could speak free-willed - though narrowly escaping a cuff over the ears by Drought - and go where she pleased as long as she didn't spill her guts about the power-hungry group and it's, in her opinion, non-optimistic training methods. Please, Crow thought agonizingly, Just because I'm a youngling doesn't mean I'm not a genius. I'm more intelligent then most of the adults around here. 
    It wasn't lack of something to do - of course she was bored - that drove Crow to the outskirts of the Deathclan camp, to roam the nasty streets of the Twolegplace. Not to scavenge, but merely to explore, to gather information.
    Rustling of garbage and an awful waft of rot beckoned the Peasant to what looked like an ally. Keeping her black pelt smoothed, she approached the can and smirked. The she-cat so intent on covering herself in stink smelled fainting of Deathclan, the musk of Twoleg dirt and old food masking it lightly like a veil.
    "Well, this is exciting," Crow squeaked in a voice she despised. She hated being stuck in a tiny, frail body when her mind was as powerful as any group of leaders and as quick as a fox. "Who knew Twolegs have the right to throw out Deathclanners?" Crow's voice was tainted with mocking, teasing, but a kind of joking as well. Lets hope this one's smarter.

[Artemis]

Typically, Artemis didn't like going into the Twolegplace unless required to. It held unpleasant memories, and she had never cared for the kind of food Twolegs left lying around. It was often bitter or stale or both.

However, sometimes a scent trail when hunting would bring her here. Sniffing after a mouse, in this case, had led her to the garbage bins around the Twoleg nests. The smell was still fresh, so Artemis supposed she'd just have to go through the trouble of scavenging for it.

But more scents had joined the tangled web of aromas that always made up the Twolegplace. She picked them out easily as two other she-cats, neither of which she was familiar with.

Artemis squinted, moving a little closer. There was a tabby currently going through the garbage--Artemis halfheartedly hoped she wouldn't turn up the mouse first--and a smaller, almost punier cat behind her. There was no telling if they were allies or strangers.

"Hello," she said, as casually as she could manage while pawing through some scraps. She heard a bit of scratching, but nothing else to indicate the mouse. Frowning, she moved aside several more bits in search of it.

[Deleted]

The bobtailed feline smiled to herself as she successfully extracted the piece of roasted chicken and began to gnaw on it. What a prize! There was an abundance of food here if you were willing to put the time into digging through Twoleg leftovers. Though it seemed weird that they charred their meat, it was still edible.

Vex turned, chicken still hanging from her jaws, when she heard the voice of a much younger cat. "Learn some respect, huh, youngling?" she stated dismissively before returning to her munching. But movement made her glance around the heap of garbage - it looked like somebody else was here to join the feast.

"Evening," the grey tabby called to Artemis. "Find anything good?"

[Artemis]

It didn't take quite as long as Artemis had expected to find the mouse. It was chewing on something in its paws, tucked away in a corner almost completely below the pile she was going through. With a quick lash of her claws, it was now a meal.

She picked it up in her mouth just as she heard the first she-cat speak. Pausing, she put the mouse down on the ground and began to pull the fur away with her claws.

"A mouse, but it's good enough," she replied. She tilted her head slightly, seeing that the other had also gotten her food. How she was planning on enjoying something like that, Artemis had no idea. But then again, she had never really understood how anyone could enjoy Twoleg food other than Twolegs themselves.

"My name is Artemis," she said formally as she tore into the mouse. "What is yours?"

[Crow]

    Respect? Please. She'll have respect from me once she learns to fly, Crow thought bitterly, a smirk to her own thoughts pressed to her smooth face. She watched with keen teal eyes as the conversation passed between the two cats, apparently forgetting she was even there. They'll regret that someday.
    "Oh, no, don't worry, I'll just talk to myself, thank you very much," The youngling snorted, absently picking through a black sack with a long gash along it's side, trash pouring out of it like some strange corrupt waterfall. It did suddenly occur to her that she had not been trained whatsoever, despite learning to hunt on her own. It wast fairly frustrating, and that's what forced her to decide to calm down and at least act more friendly. "I'm Crow, if that important to you two."

[Deleted]

Hearing a tiny squeal, Vex realized that Artemis had caught something. Live prey? Guess it's not too much trouble since it was right here, but digging for scraps seems much easier.

"Vex. I'd catch something if there wasn't enough here already - but the Twolegs have left out a bunch of tasty stuff. Wanna try some of this?" She tore off a chicken wing with her claws and pushed it towards Artemis. There was enough food here for everyone, so why not?

The other peasant's meow reminded the grey tabby that there was, indeed, a third cat in the alley. "Crow… never heard that name before. I do know of you, though, Artemis - aren't you sorta close with Drought?"

[Artemis]

Artemis's good ear twitched as she heard the cat--Vex--introduce herself. She took a bite of the mouse and swallowed before speaking, pausing only to glance at the offered chicken wing. "Ah...thank you, but it's alright. I have my food here, you can have it."

She wasn't the type to roll her eyes often, but she would have when she heard Crow speak if she had not been more focused on her mouse. She'd heard that kind of tone all too often with young cats like her in the past. Crow was clearly yet another wannabe genius, nothing special at all. She'd end up like Strike at that rate.

"Hello, Crow," she said blandly in between several more bites of the mouse. She gulped them down again when she heard Vex's question. At that, a rare smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," she answered, almost casually. "I knew him when he was a kit. When he became leader, he gave me a position in DeathClan's royalty--a sort of payment to debt, you could say."

[Crow]

    Crow narrowed her eyes further, ground her teeth slightly. They're ignoring me. Ignoring me!? She could hardly resist from making a loud exasperated release of air between a gasp of shock and a hiss of anger. The black youngling, took a few steps closer, now forming an invisible triangle between the three of the cats.
    "That's interesting," Crow lied, a vain attempt at appearing more humble. "I come from a distant land of 'Nobody cares about younglings'. It's quite great, thank you very much." It wasn't easy - or common - of Crow to even attempt at being hospitable, but she wouldn't get anywhere, she knew, by being rude. Not yet, anyway. She had come close with Drought, but... Well, she was fairly patient-
    To put it terribly. 

[Deleted]

Shrugging, Vex dragged the piece of meat back towards herself and tore into it hungrily. She wasn't about to offer any to the younger she-cat. Crow could find her own meal if she was hungry.

The grey tabby blinked and returned her attention to the royal. Wait, what? She must be older than she seems. "Wow, that's quite the history. I wish I was around back then," she commented.

Vex stifled an irritated sigh when Crow piped up again. "If you want somebody to care about you, being rude generally isn't the way to go about it."

[Artemis]

The pale-furred cat took another bite of her mouse, chewing as she listened to Vex's response. She smiled faintly after she swallowed. "I don't think you--or Crow, for that matter--would have liked to be around then," she answered. "It was a very...difficult time for DeathClan then. Much more so."

As she finished her mouse, leaving only the torn fur behind, she heard Crow. Almost instantaneously, she thought of Blaze and what she would have to say to this younger cat for her blatant rudeness. Knowing Blaze, there was no doubt it'd be a tongue-lashing. If one of the older DeathClan cats was here now, Artemis reflected, Crow would be grievously wounded. Perhaps even killed. Respect was the most important thing to them.

"Oh, I assure you, Crow, DeathClan is not like that land," she deadpanned. "Many older DeathClanners care very much about their younglings. Enough to rip their eyes or ears off for speaking so disrespectfully to those older and more experienced than them, in the times I remember. You happen to be very lucky, for I am not one of them..."

She paused, if only for dramatic effect. "...Yet."

[Crow]

    Crow had been about to thank Artemis for accepting the fact that she was there when the old cat began cautioning her on attitude. What is it with all these cats and thinking they're so much better than me?
    "And for that, I thank you," Crow acknowledged, dipping her head, ignoring Vex. "Though I insist I'm not treated as a youngling. It's highly infuriating. Be fair."

[Deleted]

Vex wolfed down a few more bites of the roasted chicken while Artemis spoke, ears angled towards the royal. She certainly did have some interesting things to say. The older female seemed… sharper, somehow, as though she was a notch above most other DeathClanners in terms of intelligence. That was a rare thing indeed.

Licking her lips, she replied casually. "Well, I think it would've been worth it. Those days sound like they tested the loyalty of many cats, and being around to see some of DeathClan's older history would be an honor in itself. It's too bad we can't go back in time…"

She promptly closed her jaws when the royal addressed Crow, but couldn't stop herself from growling at the peasant's response. "Well that's tough luck, isn't it? You are a youngling. Get over yourself."

[Artemis]

Hunger fulfilled, Artemis thought perhaps she would bid farewell to these two cats and be on her way back to her den. She disliked being out longer than she needed to be--although her hearing had improved in one of her ears, she was wary of what dangers could still befall her on her weak side. She doubted her other ear would ever heal, anyway.

Her good ear pricked as Vex spoke. "Oh, it did test many loyalties," she replied softly. "Everyone took sides or stayed away. And that's only without our own conflicts with the Clans."

She didn't like to think much about the Clans, other than when she was going out on a mission with others to attack in a territory. But she didn't hate them passionately like some did or had or sympathize with them like a few--she just did not care. They did what they did, and so did DeathClan.

However, it wasn't even a minute after she'd spoken when she heard Crow. Her eyes narrowed, even as she heard Vex respond.

"Be fair?" Artemis repeated, spitting the words out like venom. "Be fair? Is that what you want, youngling? For me to give you special treatment, to fulfill your delusions of being better than others your age? You have done nothing, nothing to warrant such respect. You have not fought any battles, you have not saved any lives or sacrificed anything for DeathClan. Why should I treat you differently than other cats your age when you have done nothing to deserve it?"

She paused to take a breath, her glare never wavering. If there was one thing she hated the most in particular, it was younger cats who felt entitled to respect. That attitude was what got them killed. The last thing DeathClan needed was more pointless death, more wasting of young lives.

Artemis exhaled. "I will be generous," she said, much more calmly. "You are young, and you will learn. But I will warn you for the last time: speak like that around any other DeathClan senior, and you will be beaten. Killed."

With that, she slammed down her paw and aimed to rake her claws down the side of Crow's face--below her ears and eyes but above her mouth. It would not be a very serious or deep injury, but it would leave its mark. A warning. If Crow was sensible, she would not get much worse than that as retribution from any other older DeathClanner.

(oh wow artemis has some issues :'D)

[Crow]

    "You're right," Crow agreed, her gaze never faltering, meeting Artimis's with keen admiration. "I haven't. Because being as young as I am, I'm not permitted to." She smiled cruelly, tiny claws digging into the ground as best she could. "And I'm well aware other seniors would think nothing of me but a pesky, intolerable youngling. Because I am. Like most cats. Everyone's annoying in their own way."
     Crow had grown extremely bored. She hated being young. It made everything so difficult to deal with. She wasn't treated like anything but a distraction, when she knew that she could be worth something if only someone trained her. Worth more than I already am, Crow corrected herself internally. She sighed quickly, a sign she really didn't care about the conversation much more.
    It wasn't that she was off guard that let her get so caught easily in a quick slash across the cheek, but more like she hadn't anticipated it from someone of a more noble rank. Crow hadn't doubted she would bare a few consequential scars from her open mouth, but not so soon. Well, I should have seen that. You fool! The wound stung, but she held it back, channeled her voice, and decided against making another smart-mouthed remark.
    She let the beads of red on her cheek remain, and embraced the warmth radiating from it. Crow just held her head evenly, bit her tongue, and kept her gaze steady. "Now, I'll best be off, seeing as you two don't care for my presence."