The ooze between my toes {OPEN}

[Aloka]

Hazelstar
Don't question my actions, question my intentions.

Her white paws touched the mucky ground silently as Hazelstar stalked throughout the land. Her white paws were soon an off grey and they were soaked but she secretly loved it. Marsh oozed between her toes and she smiled softly as she continued. The sound of the river running nearby was loud in her ears but as she continued to walk along the streams the sound disappeared slowly. Soon she was all alone in the forest and marsh, the only sound being the sound of her heart beating and her slow, steady breathing. She was alone and it was how she wished to be for some time.

Her hazel ears pricked at the sound of a bird but she noticed it flying away before she even had a chance to consider catching it. A soft sigh escaped her jaws and she looked around with her one green eye and her one brown eye. She wondered where the other two members of her Clan were but she hadn't seen them and didn't have the time to worry about them right now. She was hungry, the leader had not eaten in days and she wanted to eat now. A slight hiss of annoyance entered the air as she saw another bird fly away.

She shook her head and looked at one of the streams near her. Her reflection stared back at her and as she looked past her reflection she saw fish swimming underneath. The fish were of all sorts of colours and patterns and she smiled as she realized that they were all hers for the taking. She raised her paw and steadied herself before striking with a fish stuck in her claws. The fish was blue and spotted with some white, it looked edible and a sniff told her it was so she put it down and began eating. Her ears pricked once more as she looked up from her meal and towards the trees near her. Reveal yourself. Her words sounded bold but one look at this adorable cat told you she could be a pushover.

[A B S T R A C T]

Rhapsody
I don't wanna live by coping, I'm done with hoping.

It was such a horrible day, in Rhapsody's opinion. She had skipped her meal, and was suffering a stomach ache because of it. Her limbs felt sluggish because she had little sleep the other night. Normally, she would have ignored it as she faced these sort of feelings every day, but someone in her gang had to make it worse. One of the Guardians had disobeyed her and went off to do his own thing. When he came back a day later, he had the nerve to disrespect his leader. That was when Rhapsody had it. She attacked him, and when she was done with him, he wasn't able to lift a paw. Much to Rhapsody's distaste, the medic took care of him.

She always did hate the foreign wild cats.

To make things better, Rhapsody had decided to lurk in RiverClan's lands. She figured some teasing, maybe a death or two would cheer her up. Just the thought of a Clan cat's blood rushing out its body thanks to her made her excited. But first, she'd have to eat.

Rhapsody stalked various animals before aiming for a bird. Before she leapt at it, she caught the scent of a Clan cat. Rhapsody ignored it, wanting to eat. She crouched down, ready to leap, but stopped immediately when she heard a voice. She stood at her regular height before looking at the cat. The female was many feet away, leaning over a fish from the stream. Rhapsody flicked her tail in distaste.

"I don't think you'd want me to 'reveal myself'," she purred. "If you want to see me so badly, you should come closer."

She was testing the female. She wanted to see if the cat would actually come closer, though she would be labeled stupid if she did so.

[Songmorning]

Quasarspot lay in the refreshingly cool river under the shade of a spreading tree. He had just been hunting. After catching two birds and a mouse, he had longed to relieve himself of the oppressive midday heat. The river was perfect for that.

After a few moments, he decided he had wasted enough time. The more freshkill he caught, the better. Swimming smoothly to the shore, he leapt up onto it. The white spiral marking on his back glinted brighter than ever from the water soaking it.

Just then, he heard a she-cat's firm voice, calling out, "Reveal yourself." At once, he recognized it as Hazelstar.

Is she talking to me? he wondered, but just then, he heard a smooth growl respond from the woods nearby. Its words caused a shiver to run down his spine. He didn't recognize the voice. Quickly, he dashed to the place from where he had heard Hazelstar's voice.

"Hazelstar!" he whispered urgently as soon as he saw her.

[A B S T R A C T]

Rhapsody
I don't wanna live by coping, I'm done with hoping.

Rhapsody's ears perked at another cat's exclamation. This was going to be interesting, she mused with narrowed eyes ablaze with fury. What was he getting at, interrupting her conversation with the clan cat? Surely he had learned some sort of respect, right? Apparently not.

Thus was the reason she strolled closer to them, concealed fire dancing in her eyes. She didn't take notice of the female, her eyes solely set on one cat and one cat only.

"Have you any sense of respect, cat?" she growled, "In case you didn't notice, I was having a conversation with this piece of scrap and I'd like to continue it without your interference."

She figured he'd be furious. The young male was just what she implied: young, naive, and disrespectful. How did he expect to live in the wild if he acted on instinct like he did? Such was to expected from a clan cat. Mentally, Rhapsody calmed herself, but her tail still lashed furiously as she waited for him to respond.

(occ: i hope you don't mind that i kinda ignored hazelstar a bit or that it's rather short. :c)

[Songmorning]

Immediately, both of Quasarspot's ears turned toward the source of the voice. He didn't move, however, standing stiffly in one place and feeling the hair along his bristle. He could tell by the cat's deep, growling voice that she was a wild cat, and if there was one thing he was truly afraid of it was a wild cat. His deep blue eyes wandered to and fro across the woods, hoping to catch a sight of the source of the voice. Yet not the slightest movement was visible between the thick, rainforest trees.

Glaring, Quasarspot managed to get enough control of himself to disguise the fear in his voice. He stood his ground and angrily called out, "Who are you and what do you want? Show yourself!"

[A B S T R A C T]

Rhapsody
I don't wanna live by coping, I'm done with hoping.

Rhapsody watched the cat with narrowed eyes. She wasn't quite as angry as she was before. She was now more annoyed than furious. The cat better be grateful, she thought.

She got closer to them, her full appearance revealed. Her orange and brown fur glistened in the daylight, her tail swaying back and forth. Her pink tongue swept across her muzzle as she viewed the two cats. They would be easy pickings. The younger cat could be taken out with a few swipes of her claws, but the older, more experienced one she'd have to look out for. Rhapsody wouldn't die from such a small cat, but she could get injured.

"It's polite to share your name before you go asking for your guest's name, cat," she growled out, insulted. "As for my reason, it's my land, not yours, so I should wonder what you're doing here."

[Pureyy]

Tigertail was walking through the forest, enjoying the fresh air. He heard commotion coming from somewhere up ahead but tuned out and decided to ignore it for now, he had to concentrate on hunting so he couldn't go hungry. He sniffed the air, the scent of mouse drifted atstily into his nose. "Perfect!" he thought. He pinpointed its location and slowly crept up on the poor creature. He was about to pounce when the commotion started up again and the mouse darted away. Lukily he was fats enough on his paws to get the mouse before it hid somewhere he wouldn't have been able to get at it.

Since he had the mouse he decided to go up and check out what all of the noise was about. With the mouse firmly in his jaws he crept up through the undergrowth and stopped a few paces short of a large bush. He peered around it to see which cats were there. At once he noticed Hazelstar and Quasarspot, but there was one other cat he didn't recognize. "I wonder who that could be?" he thought to himself. He decided to sit behind the bush, peering out to see if anything happened, there was no way he was going to let his leader stay there with some unknown cat and very little back-up.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Songmorning]

Quasarspot froze at the sight of the huge tiger. He had never seen such a large wild cat since he had been driven out of his home so many years ago...

The fur along his spine prickled uncomfortably. Slowly, he also stepped out into the clearing so that Hazelstar could see him as well. "My name is Quasarspot," he told the tiger, somewhat shakily. It was getting increasingly harder to disguise the fear in his voice. Steeling himself, he continued on to inquire, "What makes you say this is your land? It has belonged to Great River Clan for longer than I know." He knew the reply could be offensive, but something in him rebelled against the idea of the tiger claiming that territory as her own.

[A B S T R A C T]

Rhapsody
I don't wanna live by coping, I'm done with hoping.

Rhapsody's tail flicked again, this time in a pleasant way. The younger cat, Quasarspot, had obeyed her subtle command, even if it didn't seem like it. Yes, she thought with glee, he fell right into my trap.

She sat down, her posture showing she wasn't about to attack anyone. It was simply a matter of ruffling their fur. After all, it was one of her greatest pleasures.

"Quasarspot, is it? Tell me, how old are you? Three years? Four? Two?" She said, counting off the numbers which her sharp voice. "I have been around much longer than you or your leader. I know these lands far more than you. My ancestors even knew it before me."

Rhapsody remembered her mother, who passed down the legend of a time when the clan cats and foreign cats didn't exist in the large forest of rain. She had told her it wasn't just a legend, but a fact. And it infuriated Rhapsody at that age to think that her home was infected with foreigners.

"I originated from here, but you--you all came from someplace else. This is not your home." She growled.

[ooc: by the way, song, Rhapsody is a Jaguar. xP]

[Pureyy]

Tigertail listened to what the jaguar was saying and couldn't help but disagree. "Didn't all things come from somewhere else, nothing could just start from a place that it wasn't before..." he thought. Tigertail became infuriated at the thought of this jaguar telling them they had no right to be here, after all this was their territory, not the territory of this intruder! He had been so drawn into the conversation that he didn't notice he had eaten the mouse he caught earlier. "Great, now I'll have to catch two to make up for that one," he said out loud, hoping no one heard him. He buried the bones quickly and lifted his head back up to see what was going on and he pricked his ears to see if he could hear better.

[Songmorning]

Quasarspot glared at the jaguar. "I had a home before this one," he told her, "And I was driven from it--by wild cats, just like you. But I'm not about to let that happen again. Last time, I ran. I ran from my friends, my family, my clan. I will not be a coward again. I will fight for Great River Clan, if I must. I will not abandon them.
"But why should we have to fight? What is it about this part of the forest that you would be so willing to fight for? Go find another place in rhe forest. This is Great River Clan's territory now." He looked back at Hazelstar for confirmation. "I'm right, right?"

[A B S T R A C T]

Rhapsody
I don't wanna live by coping, I'm done with hoping.

Rhapsody nostril's flared as another scent came into mind. Another cat, she noted, deciding to ignore it. They were a coward and eavesdropper for not coming out, and Rhapsody didn't like dealing with such things.

"I had a home before this one," he told her, "And I was driven from it--by wild cats, just like you. But I'm not about to let that happen again. Last time, I ran. I ran from my friends, my family, my clan. I will not be a coward again. I will fight for Great River Clan, if I must. I will not abandon them."

Rhapsody's eyes narrowed as she listened to the young cat. Something akin to knowing flashed through her eyes before disappearing into her amber abyss.

"Then we can come to an understanding, Quarsarspot." She said with hidden emotion. "I have a home, too, one you're in. Like you, I will not stand down. For me, for my fellow kin, for future kin."

"But why should we have to fight? What is it about this part of the forest that you would be so willing to fight for? Go find another place in the forest. This is Great River Clan's territory now."

Rhapsody huffed, her claws digging into the ground. "You don't get it, cat. It's not this part of the forest that concerns me, it's the whole forest. I fight to change things, to convert things back to the way it was. You're territory disrupts my kins' roaming, our hunting. We are limited because of your kind. Many have died from your patrols, simply because you are selfish."

[Pureyy]

Tigertail was outraged by what the jaguar had said. He thought it over and knew he couldn't stand this, being behind the bushes. He had to be able to get a word in, he had to help stand up for his clan.

He nonchalantly strolled out into the small clearing, where the debate had been and still was, taking place. He stopped beside Hazelstar. "What on Earth are you talking about? This forest is absolutely huge! You say there is no place for your kind to roam and hunt, however when you compare the territories of the clans to the whole forest we're barely a spec of dust in the desert!" he blurted out. Quickly, regaining his composure and trying to mask the whole fury of his anger Tigertail continued, "I would also like to point out that we have never killed any of your kind with our patrols, if I recall correctly. How do you think one of our patrols could even stand up to a cat as large as you? I don't see why you can't just leave us be and get going onto a different part of this vast forest!"

There was no way he was going to just stand there blatantly taking insults on behalf of himself and his clan when he could be doing something about it.

[Songmorning]

Quasarspot looked back at Tigertail in grateful amazement. Rhapsody's sharp accusations had awakened a tinge of guilt in him and for one fearful moment, he had begun to doubt his own position. However, with Tigertail's argument, his doubt vanished and he understood.

Turning back to Rhapsody, he said, "Tigertail is right. We have done you no harm, and it would not be hard for a roaming cat like you to move to another territory. However, it would be difficult or even impossible for the whole of Great River Clan to move. There are so many of us--not only warriors, but also kits, queens, and elders who would not be able to endure a long journey. And how would we know that our new home would not also hold jealous wildcats? We cannot simply leave at the whims of the great wandering cats. No, I for one will defend my new home even if I have to die for it. I will not run this time. I will not be driven away again!"

With that, he planted his paws firmly on the ground and unsheathed his claws, preparing to defend himself against a sudden attack.

[A B S T R A C T]

Rhapsody's eyes rushed toward the new cat that came out. casual yet eyes blazing with fury. Great, she thought, another mindless goon.

Her tail flicked in annoyance, lips pulled back to show her sharp teeth at his speech. Her overall expression screamed of mock. "I'm glad you think so highly of my kind," she spat, "But despite our greatness, we have been taken down before. Many of my people came to me and my leader before us, hungry, exhausted, and wounded with wounds that could only come from your tiny kind. Few have died from such wounds. What can you say about that, insolent cub?"

Her eyes glanced back toward Quarsarspot, taking in what he said with growing animosity. "Calm your claws, brat. I am not here to fight, only to kill you," she growled, pausing before adding, "Besides, wouldn't it be best to move? If what you say is true, wouldn't losing those who were weak be a good advantage? This is a world of survival, brat. The top of the world must maintain that rank, no? So perhaps losing your weak links would be good to move from your low position?"

It was true, though. Having the highest position in the world was good. It meant you'd have a low chance of dying, and while Rhapsody's kind didn't have the highest position (something she loathed to admit), they stood a good chance of surviving. But with these cats and their sheer numbers, they had lowered. Fewer of their kind were alive.

Rhapsody was desperate to have her kind survive. The clan cats were small and easy to kill, and she had contemplated wiping them out of the Amazon, but knew such bloodshed was not right. Though her anger, her sheer hatred towards them, she could not bring herself to slaughter each and every cat there.