sophisticated, manipulated -- private

[Squirrelbite]

Yellowburr ((tfw i posted this in the fireclan camp first))

Squirrelkit's fur was itching with excitement, even hours after the clan meeting had passed. She wanted to be a part of the argument, she wanted to be important. Arrowstar would never see anything in her, so her only choice was to side with the purists. There seemed to be around an equal amount of cats on each side, but she thought that the rebels were more callous and logical rather than emotional, which meant the rebels were likely to be more cruel and fight dirty, which worked. 


Squirrelkit couldn't find any interesting conversation in the nursery, all of the kits there were too soft and stupid. They didn't see this for the opportunity that it was, an opportunity for actual power.

Spotting a familiar cat, Squirrelkit wasn't shy in approaching him, the cat who was leading the the purists' argument. He seemed strong and intelligent, much more of a leader than Arrowstar.

"You're Yellowburr, aren't you?" That was a rhetorical question, Squirrelkit already knew who he was. "I heard what you said back there, in the clan meeting, and well.. I'm interested."

[Yellowburr]

It was all coming together, the plan I had been cultivating for quite a while now. It first started with my hatred for Arrowstar and my want for fame, to be in the spotlight. I wanted my name to be known (something that I'd already succeeded in). Of course, the idea of basing my rise around the controversial topic of outsiders had only taken root during the gathering. I had always disliked outsiders, though, something that came from my experiences as a child. Abuse, physical and mental, that had come from a mother and her outsider boy toy. My mother... she wasn't a problem anymore.

I wanted to wreak havoc. I wanted to pillage and fight and kill. I wanted the excitement, the power, the adrenaline rush that came from being on stage. "The world doesn't care about you. Better to realize that now." Jokes on you, pops. The world was going to know my name -- they weren't just going to know it, they were going to fear and revere it.

I turned at the sound of a high-pitched voice. "You know it," I told her with one of my crooked grins. I recognized her from the meeting, I thought -- she was one of the ones that had agreed with my views. I liked her already. "Ah, well, what would you would like ta know, kid?"

[Squirrelbite]

Squirrelkit saw experience, confidence, and determination in this cat, and above all, she saw a leader. Yellowburr was tough and smart, and he would act in the good of the clan's future, even if it weren't necessarily the best for every individual. Well, Treeclan was a clan, and it needed to start acting like one instead of a charity.

"What are you going to do? Words are fine and all, but they don't mean anything if you don't have a plan to back them up." Squirrelkit mewed, extremely bold for a small and defenseless kit. She wasn't thinking about that, though, Squirrelkit was focused on proving herself through gaining power. Though she refused to even think about it, her kit-hood had not been pleasant, and it left her bitter, vitriolic, and ambitious. 

Her ears twitched slightly as she met Yellowburr's gaze, and she kept her voice down. Anyone could be listening, and it was impossible to know where a cat's loyalties lie. "Are you going to try to become leader? What then, will you throw out every non-clanborn cat, or just disallow any more rogues from joining?"

[Yellowburr]

I smiled again, that same, wild, maniacal grin. She asked such a simple question, but the answer was far from. I planned to do many things, the majority of which this kit wouldn't be able to participate in until she was a little bit older. "Oh, y'know," I responded with a sigh, moving my head side to side as if thinking. "This and that, adult things, mainly." I chuckled, my tail flicking harshly behind me. And by adult things, of course, I meant war. And I already knew who my first target was.

I slitted my eyes, sitting down after a moment and curling my tail around my paws. I thought about her question for a moment, not sure how to respond in such a way that wouldn't give too much of my plan away. "More than that, kid. Oh, I have big plans." I grinned, a soft ha, ha, ha flowing from my open jaws. 

"Anyway, what's the name?" My face transformed from a dark look to a comically charismatic one in the matter of seconds. I leaned back on my paws, raising an eyebrow at the kitten before me. 

[Squirrelbite]

"Squirrelkit." She answered, giving a respectful nod in greeting before moving on to more important things. Yellowburr's demeanor didn't instill any fear in her, instead, it excited Squirrelkit. She wanted to be close to this tom, follow him until she was old and experienced enough not to need anyone's help. Then, she would be his equal. She would mean something, and she would make this clan a force to be reckoned with, as feared and revered as Cloudclan itself.

"Well, whatever you do, I want to be a part of it." Squirrelkit stated, her voice sure and unwavering. "I know I'm just a kit, but I'm already five moons old, I'll be an apprentice soon enough. You can train me, I'll do whatever it takes. I don't want to be just another cat, I want more. And I don't want Treeclan to be ruled by weak cats, by rogues who cling to the past." She then fell silent, watching intently for Yellowburr's reaction. 

[Yellowburr]

I nodded in response. "Nice ta meet ya, girly," I drawled in response. I listened to her speak for a few moments, my expression unchanging except for my grin. She seemed like she could grow up to be a loyal follower, someone I could rely on to follow me. Of course, there was the issue of her age -- she was almost an apprentice, but that meant she would need training, something that she wanted from me. I wasn't quite sure I wanted that. Perhaps.

"Now, that's what I like to hear." I chuckled, eyes flashing dangerously. My expression changed quickly into that of thoughtfulness, and I tilted my head comically. "Hm. So, you're asking to have the privilege of being.. the secondary character in this grand show of mine?"

[Squirrelbite]

"I know that you probably aren't going to take me seriously." Squirrelkit narrowed her eyes, a dead serious look on her face. She was just a kit, after all, and what kind of warrior would listen to a kit? Even if she was willing to do anything in order to get what she wanted.

Her tail flicked back and forth, and Squirrelkit continued to meet his gaze evenly. "If you're reject me, at least don't treat me like a joke. One day I will be strong enough that you'll wish you'd accepted my proposition." 

"I want power," Squirrelkit nodded. "And I want rogues and kittypets driven out of Treeclan, I want a new era."

[Yellowburr]

I frowned thoughtfully, shrugging. "True," I responded with a low ha, ha. I studied her with a critical gaze, trying to decide how she could fit into this grand scheme of mine. Perhaps when she was made an apprentice she could contribute more, but who was to say Arrowstar would offer her a ceremony? After siding with me? I feigned a look of offense. "I didn't reject you!" I responded, my tail twitching back and forth. The smile returned, creeping oddly across my face. "Is that a threat?" I asked, followed by one of my strange laughs. I was starting to like her more.

"Don't we all," I said, rolling my eyes -- though, it wasn't directed towards the kitten. The action was more in response to our current situation. "It will come," I promised, my grin widening. "I'm going to make sure it does. We're going to leave a mark."

[Squirrelbite]

Squirrelkit listened carefully, not taking anything Yellowburr had to say at face value. A cat like him surely didn't have any problems with lying and deceiving their way to get what they wanted, and it was more important to figure out what he was intending for his words to do rather than what he actually said. 

"No, I don't think that I'm going to hurt you." Squirrelkit said, thinking intently. "I mean that you'll regret not having me as an ally because I would be an asset. But I won't go side with Arrowstar, or form my own group. I'm not mouse-brained." Though, perhaps she could pretend to be on Arrowstar's side, or neutral. Squirrelkit had not yet announced publicly what side she was on, after all.

"Anyways, what do you say?"

[Yellowburr]

I cocked my head thoughtfully, listening to her speak. "That is, if you could," I said with a crooked grin, my ears perking as she continued to speak. "Ah, I see. Indecisive, are we?" I inquired, my tail stirring beside my hindquarters. She had seemed to be all for my ideas a few moments ago, and now she seemed intent to be on no ones side at all. "Or do you just not like me after meeting face-to-face?" I stuck my lower lip out in a pout, before my expression transformed into a more nonchalant look. "Shame."

"About what, exactly?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "I say a lot," I responded, my crooked grin returning. I held myself back from rambling on to mess with her (as was my nature), as I was genuinely curious as to what she was asking about.

[Squirrelbite]

"Well," Squirrelkit blinked, showing no signs of doubt. "I am a kit after all, I tend to be a bit indecisive."  She flicked her tail, feeling much bigger than she really was. "Maybe, when I'm all grown up, I'll decide that I'm upset you didn't work with me, and I'll kill you." Or Yellowburr would kill her. Either one, really. 

She felt that Yellowburr was taunting her, with the way he was pretending not to know what she meant. That was fine with her. "I want you to let me in on the rebellion, and when the time comes, I want to be your deputy. Galelight is likely your first choice, because he's older, but he won't live forever. And I'm more ruthless than him, and more clever. If you want me to prove myself, or whatever, fine. I can take whatever you've got."