( a merry chase | open )

[TOADWHISKER.]

GOTTA TAKE SOME TIME TO REALIZE

THAT MY FRIENDS THEY COME

AND THE LINES THEY GO BY

Palmclan.

Departure based on the fleeting whim rooted within days of false bravado, a notion dismissed and mocked in part, worry invading the low tones of those few to which courage had visited. It mattered none the manner time had warped the delicate collection housed in locked away memories he had known a good place had given rise to such comments, blind had he been to it all, however. In the moment it had seemed slight against him in every conceivable manner, a child still even as he had boasted highly of his accomplishments.

Dark the amusement that seeped throughout short chuckle, self mockery performed with ease. A year had passed since those days and mature had he grown, widened beneath the hard won lessons rather happily spearheaded by the occupants of the boardwalk, time in which his desire to return to them had dwindled. Yet such is the irony for wildfire had been the news of strangers upon their shore.

Maybe this was a sign from the benevolent Starclan it was time he rejoined their ranks, the lost sheep drawn back to flock.

Banished the idea with a rough shake of his dark head, the mice he carried by thin tails swinging with the movement, peace offering of sorts. Toad was not among those first acquanted with the beach dwelling folk, unnecessary introduction if to be believed the information given to him second hand, worry festering in his gut, tightening at the paths meeting may take. Unavoidable a confrontation, unfortunately, and thus best option he had was chosen.

"What the…" Briefly halted his forward momentum, the silence that had prevailed with the departure of the overflowing rat population broken by sounds familiar and despised. Scowl across and he pondered for a moment making an easy meal out of the grey rodent that stared at him with beady black eyes, that idea abandoned rather quickly at a sharp pain radiating through his paw. Even as he lifted it, and was met with another rat that had afixed yellowing teeth into his flesh, his mouth opened and opportunity was seized.

Rather comical the chase that came to ensue when Toad realised stolen his peace offering, the squeaking calls the rats omitted almost mocking as they scampered along wooden walkways. Thunderous the steps rage filled feline took, left slowed by the need to keep bitten paw from touching the ground for a prolonged time, spat any curse he could think of though those were in somewhat short supply.

( set at the boardwalk )

code by Reggan

[VASS .]

rats where common here, it would seem.

Along the boardwalk, old rotted wood sighed against the weight of the boss group's; a stranger, such as it were was no uncommon. They passed through like litter; a paper bag drifting through the vacant streets and just as plentiful in what was once an abandoned twoleg place. Now the concrete jungle along the southern front was stolen for the homes- structure they would allow. Impenetrable to rain or sleet or snow.

Vaas was not ignorant to the plight of the rats. Skittering, fearful creatures that they were didn't bother him. In his jungle made of stone and rotting wood; they didn't dare encroach upon his sights, and those that did where quick to scatter at the sight of the large feline. He understood it was a problem, they festered and bred within his walls, and such a plight was something that shouldn't be ignored when one was the boss.

His own clan had discussed ideas of how to rid them. Chasing them out seemed easy until you realize just how large an area of the boardwalk is; how many tight spaces. There were not place Vaas could chase them from that they wouldn't return to when the boss turned his back. It made him... frustrated- to say the least.

But they were getting bolder by the day, here along the border; there was almost a resurgence as of late. Wherever they had come from- they had returned here, in his home. They came back less scared, and more aggressive. Arrogant.

He watched Toad for a moment, onl to let out a hiss in sympathy at the sight of one grabbing hold of the smaller tom. Yes, the rats where almost as big as Vaas' own paws, at times. They were getting larger, braver, and now they were attacking strangers, lovely. He streatched along the rotting wood plants. Claws raking against it before he punctuated his presence with a loud roar.

It broke the stranger's reverie, and would scare the vermin far enough away for the moment. " ya should get that looked at, forastero" He replied, his voice gruff in comparison to the loud shout he earlier punctuated. a slow, sly grin scratched across his maw as he looked down towards the stranger, passerby- really. They all usually were quick to move along when they got a good look at the boss, as it were. And if the boss didn't scare them off- well, the rats were usually good work to finish the job. 

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"take me into your heart , accept me as your savior nail me to the fucking cross and let me be reborn" — an antagonist with a silver tongue , a pirate with nothing to loose and everything to gain .  vaas montenegro ; he who lives to fight demons should be weary he himself does not become one ." it's not like i am fucking crazy — "

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[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Toadwhisker. It was not a name that had passed through Rhine's mind in many moons, although that wasn't from hatred, or disgust. The leader still loved his brother dearly, although he couldn't help the pain that festered in his heart at the thought of his littermate. On some level, he understood why Toad had decided to do what he did. He needed to go, and find himself, and mature, and evidently he couldn't do that within Palmclan. That did little to soothe the sting that Rhinestone had felt in his heart when the other had walked away from them all, however. Especially not when that sting had been followed up, some time later, by the hurricane devastating the territory. Rhine had been forced to wonder if Toadwhisker was okay wherever he was, or if he had been swept up in the winds, dragged off to his death. That was why the tom found it better to simply not think about Toad, because if he did, he knew his mind would be clouded, and he wouldn't be able to focus on the task at hand. Or paw, rather.

Thus far, Rhinestone's travels about the boardwalk had been... complicated. Things certainly weren't going exactly to plan, especially with the collapse of Palmclan's most reliable exit back to their territory. That wasn't even mentioning the members of the other group that he and others had noticed in the shadows – or in some cases, in the broad daylight. It was clear that the boardwalk held a lot more secrets than the clan had ever bargained for, and Vass was the big bad leader of one of those secrets. Rhine still wasn't sure what he thought of the male, but he certainly knew being around the other provoked some level of anxiety – both because of the mystery surrounding the boardwalk group, and because of the other's massive size. However, Vass could be a valuable ally, especially considering Palmclan still didn't know of a safe way to get back to their territory. That was a discussion for another time, however, when he wasn't looking straight at the face of his brother that had left many moons ago.

At first, the rusty colored male was hesitant in his approach, as if he half expected Toadwhisker to just disappear if he got too close. With a bit of distance between himself and Vass, the Palmclan leader came to a stop nearby, feeling his breath faintly hitch when he saw that, no, he wasn't imagining Toad's presence. Nor was he imagining the litany of curses falling from his sibling's mouth in response to the bite that he had been given. Rhinestone hesitated for a moment before he spoke, his voice cracking a little bit before he quickly steadied it, "He's right, you know. Rats can have... diseases. Rabies..." He hesitated, wondering briefly how to proceed. It wasn't as if there was a manual for reuniting with the sibling that had left you a year ago. So, he just continued, smiling weakly, "It's... good to see you again, Toadwhisker. I had no idea that you were so close." There was a small part of Rhine that was just burning inside, with hot flashes of anger that wanted to lash put desperately at Toadwhisker for leaving him. For leaving Redpond, the sister that he had been forced to grieve all on his own. He forced those urges down for now, however. This wasn't the time to go screaming at his brother, not when he was trying to hold a clan together.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan

[TOADWHISKER.]

GOTTA TAKE SOME TIME TO REALIZE

THAT MY FRIENDS THEY COME

AND THE LINES THEY GO BY

Stranger.

May he had plucked from the ceaseless stream of thought populating crown adorned in faux regalia amusement would all the beast receive. Among rotting boards he had lived for a year, more if his calculations and poorly kept tallies had been corrected, not of them but an outsider. Befitting that for outsider along shore dwellers had he been as well, the lesser liked among trio, pitied and despised dependent on whose opinion one asked for. Here, at least, all were reduced to such, aside pushed until the outskirts claimed them where time had wrought its terrible consequences.

Slowed his tread with the ringing vocalisation, a sound heard if at distance, call not meant for him but that which scattered with stolen feast. Annoyance was brief, surfacing along severe curl across dark lips, the smoke hued feline already formulating a response. Words died upon tongue, however, fractional the widening of eyes as vision beheld the boss, as he cared to deem himself, known only by snippets he had picked up from those he met in passing. At the least somewhat his preparations for this meeting, one he knew was necessary in due time, but he had not thought he would be caught unawares.

"You got a healer hidden in all that fluff or are you just big boned." Poor may be the result of rather senseless joke, yet such was a more pleasant thing to settle upon than the creeping terror encircling constricted chest. Reminded of the prior transgressions downward diverted his attention, looked upon the sluggish stream crimson wove along pale flesh. "Had worse, comes with being an older timer." Punctured his words with direct contact, held if only for a moment.

Cruel the reconnection, time not the healer befitting the closure of all wounds as some had grown fond of deeming it, rather it seemed an accelerant, ever festering the deeply down rot.

Thoughtless the placement of once aloft held paw, tip of tongue caged to halt any further outburst that may arise alongside the agony licking along broken skin. Grateful was Toad, at the least, for the distraction as once more observed the sustained wound. Never enough time. Forced upon the flame hued feline his narrowed eyes, false the smile painted along dark lips, jovial the lilt he injected into ground out words.

"Long time no see, Rhine." Heavy sat the word for the brief time it lingered against his tongue, barely snuffed out the desire simply to leave as though he bore any right to such. "Funny seeing you here," empty chatter, something to push further back the need to explain even as words crept up his throat, attention flicking once more over to Vaas, an imposing intruder within a conversation he wished not to have. "Yeah, things… Didn't exactly go as planned." More was there Toad knew he must speak, apologises and lies building behind closed teeth.

"I can explain." No , he couldn't, but Rhine at least deserved an attempt.

code by Reggan

[VASS .]

Vaas had his own thoughts, on the clan that bordered his group's territory, had plenty to say- to spit about it. As much as the boss would gripe, it wasn't up to him, it was up to his group. They all wanted to work together, thrilled at the prospect. The numbers of the clan that bordered them, the lands that sprawled along under Rhine's rule. His group was greed, and Vaas could understand that if nothing else. The want for more room, to get away from the rats- the tools to rid them of their territory entirely. Vaas didn't deny anything that was said, to aware to understand the want of falling under a stronger force- together. As it was his small group wouldn't dent the natives of the typhoon island- if any of them survived that fuckin' volcano, anyways

There was the drag of Rhine's voice, soft-spoken- distant in a way that cut across to The boss' attention. Deep sea-green eyes looked on. His tail curling in curiosity behind him in interest. He flashed his fangs at Toadwisker- the stranger and let out a humor-filled hiss between the show of dangerous threatening fang. "you're small enough to be considered a cacharo still." He drawled the words out, punctuating them with steps closer towards the pair. Hearing rhinestone speak and toad both converse made him impatient worry.

He clicked his tonged, a slow drawl in his next statement as he thought it aloud. "'ve got some shit back in the stone trap, but we'd have ta go through the... what you kittens call it- twoleg place?" Vass' own den was there; a Wearhouse of rusted steel and painted concrete walls. It was a thing of beauty, and lit up like a bomb when under the right influences. it held enough to cover Vaas if he sliped and fell onto rusted metal, but there wasn't much in the way of herbs. Just some cleaned out packs of rolled gauze, and enough fresh water to clean it. If nothing else it would give them the chance to look at it better.

The group Vaas led had little in the way of a medicine feline- but they had enough, creatures who practiced the witch-shit of herbology; mostly to find a better high, sometimes to heal others, if they could be persuaded to be parted with their own batch of herbs. He let out a hum, seeming more amused by Rhine's... shall he put it- fretting- over the other one: Toadwisker. Vaas found it interesting, a key to the leader, a hidden secret that Vaas would love to pry apart. 

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"take me into your heart , accept me as your savior nail me to the fucking cross and let me be reborn" — an antagonist with a silver tongue , a pirate with nothing to loose and everything to gain .  vaas montenegro ; he who lives to fight demons should be weary he himself does not become one ." it's not like i am fucking crazy — "

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[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

I can explain. Toadwhisker's words were enough to cause a wince to flash across Rhine's face, his pale gaze darkening briefly. He quickly shoved aside the bile that rose up in his throat, accompanied by the raw anger and the cacophony of different words that threatened to spill over. In most cases, Rhinestone was calm and collected, trying to approach things with the rational thought that was expected of a leader – even before he had actually been one. However, there was a part of the tom that often went unnoticed, intentionally kept hidden away by the flame colored feline. That small part of him that wanted to rip, and tear, and truly be furious at Toad for not being around. That wanted to scream in his brother's face, and ask him, where the fuck have you been? Or, if you've been here the whole time, why'd you never come to visit? He wanted desperately to ask why he had been left all alone, with the responsibility of not only the clan itself shoved upon his shoulders, but also the responsibility of putting his sister to rest, all alone.

Now wasn't the time for that, however. There would be plenty of time for such things when they weren't in the presence of another. Or when Toadwhisker wasn't bleeding, and Rhinestone wasn't looking for a way to get half of his clan back home. Looking down briefly, Rhine closed his eyes, silencing the sickening static in his mind and sinking his fangs down on the inside of his cheek. As he felt the tension in his body release somewhat, he finally looked back up at Toad, making a valiant effort to keep his voice steady as he muttered, "Save it. For another time... you're hurt. You should... you need to get that looked at. Not spend a bunch of time talking to me..." It was the leader's not so subtle way of saying that he wasn't ready for that conversation yet, especially with all of the emotions it would entail. While he didn't think of Vass as an outright bastard – after all, if he had been, he probably would've killed Rhine and the entirety of his party by now – but Rhinestone also didn't exactly want to have emotional family conversations in front of him.

Turning to the man in question, Rhine hesitated briefly before speaking directly to Vass, questioning, "You and your group... you've got medics?" It made sense that they would, especially with all the vermin the leader had seen scampering around, yet it still caught him off guard. With how loose the boardwalk's structure as a whole seemed to be, it seemed odd that anyone would take it upon themselves to be the dedicated "medicine man," so to speak. Although he supposed he could understand it on some level. After all, he enjoyed caring for others, and he imagined that any sort of medic type must've enjoyed it too – why else would they be doing their jobs? With that in mind, Rhinestone turned his gaze back to Toadwhisker, voice slightly hoarse as he meowed, "Should probably... go with him. Just to make sure that doesn't get any worse... an infection can be deadly anywhere." Rhinestone considered going along, but found that he was still mulling it over. On one hand, he was pissed at Toad, and still found Vass's presence slightly unnerving. On the other hand, Toadwhisker was his brother, and it'd probably be best not to show fear to the face of the boardwalk group.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan