It's been a while (Puddles)

[Carotius]

Setting: Twolegplace; Night; Hutch and Varuin meet up after the latter's hiatus from "home"
Tags: Puddlesdog
OOC: Hutch has heard rumours of a killer cat roaming the territories but doesn't know who it is. Also, Hutch knows my rogue by his birth name of Jacque. He isn't aware that Varuin changed his name while he was away.


The muscular silver tabby clawed his way up the bark with ease, his large form slipping onto the leafy branches with almost no effort. The swirling stripes on his pelt turned a luminous grey as the moonlight that filtered through the tree touched it, giving him an eerie ghostly appearance. Dark cinnamon paws padded carefully but quickly across the branch, launching its owner to the next tree, and the next, and the next...

It was strange to see such big cat leaping from one giant tree to another, the weight of his built that plunged his wooden perch downward not bothering him one bit, his big strides and leaps maintaining its composure. This cat had clearly had moons of practice. He clearly knew his abilities and sharpened it.

Varuin stopped on a low branch of a Twoleg garden tree, the sweet smells of flowers wafting into his nose from all sides. His scarred ears swivelled this way and that, searching for sounds of movement; his sharp brown eyes scanned the area for a glint of eyes or moving of paws; his nose sniffed through the scent of flowers to pinpoint one cat scent. 

One scent he had grown to respect.

Leaping down to the ground, out from the Twoleg garden, the large rogue turned towards the hard pathway, whiskers twitching. "Long time no see, Hutch."

[Puddlesdog]

Hutch had been walking in the moonlight. His eyes searched the surface of the ground around him, looking for something to get, something to slice with his claws.. His claws scraped against the ground with every step, long frustration and slyness making the gleam in the darkness. Hutch flicked his ears at the sound of paws against pavement. Hope flickered inside him as he looked up to the black sky above. He sighed starting out with a new gleam in his dangerous, judging eyes. That gleam was loneliness. Hutch jumped slightly as he heard a voice, one he had known to like. "Why hello Jacque." He said in an even tone, even though joy rocketed through his paws. How had the Tom found him? Making a mental note to hide his scent better Hutch frowned at the other Tom. "What have you been up to? Something bad?" He asked with a sly grin that he saved for this figure. "You have been gone for some time. Hopefully you did something while you were gone." He meowed icily. Although this was probably his way of saying, 'I missed you..'
Carotius

[Carotius]

Tags: Puddlesdog
OOC: Mobile can be a damper sometimes...


Ah, Hutch. The rogue tom who had taken Varuin in under his wing despite the latter's protest at being taken care of again. but he was a good cat for someone of his free-reign environment, teaching him hunting and fighting techniques, finding him herbs to cure sickness, and even scaring off big burly strangers that tried to hard hum.

Yes...He respected him much more than he respected his sorry excuse for a mother . That memory he chose to forget, to shove in the deepest recesses of his mind. This was now. He had grown stronger without her.

"Why, hello, Jacque," Varuin hid the flicker of surprise when Hutch called him that name. "What have you been up to? Something bad?"

Varuin purred deeply in his throat at the grin that decorated the rogue's muzzle. "Bad? That depends...does letting other cats know not to steal from me or you count as bad?"

There was a chuckle, one he hadn't let himself have out of mirth for the longest time. He missed his mentor; his mentor had been a good parental figure to him, and gave him the best listening ear as he grew up. Not that he would admit it openly.

"Forgive my abrupt departure, Hutch, there were matters that needed my attention. Did you enjoy the finch I caught before I left?" Varuin smirked, flicking the tom's ear with his tail tip. "Well, enough about me for a moment... How have you been? Anu kittypet tried to squash you again?"

[Puddlesdog]

Hutch found himself suprised to be here with the cat he had supposedly raised. He had taught him how to fight others, trained him. The claws that were unsheathed on his paws, well for a breif moment he considered sheathing them. He narrowed his eyes and focused instead on this cat who had come to greet him. "Ah well, no. but we did that together, so that has nothing to do with you.. but I suppose secrets are secrets.." He meowed dangerously. He smirked, what was he hiding? He had certainly become good at it, but not all to well. "Finch? Well it was quite a small one. but yes, no other injuries on it except bite marks on the neck." Like how I taught you.. he kept that part to himself. His ear flickered and he shifted his paws to stand. "Squash me? Why Jacque, you must have the wrong sentence there. Any kittypet who comes near me gets it." He said with a slight growl. His eyes tried to lock with the other cat, his apprentice if it were to get deep. Hutch felt rattled by this appearance again, how was he found so quickly? At least this time it was a friend. but next time, his gaze switched down to his gleaming claws, next time he would be prepared.

Carotius

[Carotius]

Tags: Puddlesdog
OOC: I'm growing quite fond of the two now. QuQ


"Ah, more stories to tell of the kittypets? I'd like to hear them, but not right now."

The cool night air tasted fresh. With any luck, there might be a good morsel of fresh meat to be found in the empty patches of land that surrounded the many Twoleg dens. No monsters were awake at this hour, save for one that sprayed water and had large fuzzy paws that rotated and scrubbed the acrid Thunderpaths. He remembered the stories Hutch loved telling him to lull him into slumber.

Varuin nodded in quiet approval, pleased that Hutch didn't seem to mindful of his leave. but the older tom looked disturbed, almost spooked, as if he was being tailed by something. Tilting his head, the younger tom laid his tail over his mentor's shoulders, guiding him down the hardened path. He glanced behind them just once, then faced front again.

"I tried looking for you at your den, but your scent was stale; you gave me a bit of a scare, being away too long from home," he mewed, nose twitching as he secretly sniffed their walk. He caught a tang of mouse somewhere to the left. "Wait here."

Quietly huddling against shadow of the stone wall, he lowered into a crouch, creeping forward with his muzzle forward in a snaking motion. The scent of mouse was stronger...and now he could hear its little scrabbling on dirt. In the den, huh? He silently cursed his luck of prey being inside a Twoleg garden. It was when he was about to straighten up when he spotted the cracked hole in the wall; it wasn't too big, but a small creature could easily flit in and out of it at will.

Smiling in triumph, Varuin beckoned the older tom over with a flick of his tail, motioning him to position himself opposite of Varuin. "I'm going to startle the mouse from the other side. You know what to do."

Leaving Hutch on the path, the larger tom took a mighty leap to the top of the wall, balancing on it with relative ease. His brown eyes scanned the neat plot of grass with the enclosed space. A few flowery shrubs dotted the edges, even clinging to the swinging piece of wood that led to the inside of the Twoleg den. Hutch taught me the word before... 'Door', was it?

There wasn't much time to think about it - Varuin's eyes lit up with glee when he found his target. There were two mice! Perfect for an evening meal with Hutch. Both helpless critters were close to the wall, chittering, their tiny paws squabbling over a single seed. This was going to be too easy...

Hissing, Varuin jumped downwards, forcing all his weight towards the ground, his gleaming claws outstretched. He purred with satisfaction when he felt the warmth of blood as he pierced into one of the mouse's skin, effectively trapping the squeaking prey. The other mouse, unable to help its and also not wanting to be prey, did as Varuin wanted it to do; the remaining mouse abandoned its meal, and shot out through the hole...right into Hutch's waiting jaws.

[Puddlesdog]

"Stories? More like real life." Hutch felt a cool breeze ruffle his mangled fur, for it was nighttime he supposed. He shifted his weight, paws shuffling under neath him as a sharp sigh sought its way out. "Scare? You? Haha, Jacque, I am highly doubting that." He meowed his gaze hardening as he looked over at the tom beside him. He tried to ignore the fact the Jacque had just told him to do something, well Hutch never could listen quite well.. His ragged ears perked as the words hit him sharp from his mind. "Of course I do! I wasn't born yesterday." he hissed, before slinking into position. Hutch smiled happily as he heard a sqeal of a mouse, fading as the life did. but on the other hand, he inhaled deeply, a scent of mouse increasing by the second. He snapped its spine with out a second thought, the prey lie dead in his paws. "Well, that was boring." he said with a shrug, his form being silhouetted against the moons beam. Stupid time, wish you wouldn't run out so quick! Hutch thought angrily as he looked at the moon, not central in the sky like before. He grabbed the mouse by its tail, and walked forward towards his friend, the cat who he knew so well.

OCC: Same.. Carotius!

[Carotius]

@puddledog
OOC: OuO We have a shooort time skip here - just of Varuin telling about his travels.


The mice weren't too big, but they'd suffice for the two of them. Especially for Hutch, who Varuin had observed digging through Twoleg pelts for a pathetic scrap for many seasons before leaving. He nodded towards a flimsy brown den, where the two toms settled down for dinner.

"I'll tell you about my travels. You see, I got on this Thunderpath that led out from the forest, on the far side of the crazy kittypet's den..."

---

The moon still hung high in its peak as Varuin neared the end of his recount, glowing stark white against the dark indigo of the night sky. The little stars of Silverpelt glittered icily above. The large rogue narrowed his eyes at them.

"Can you imagine dead cats living up there, Hutch? The very idea of it?" his voice was a low growl, stopping briefly as he he tore a bite from the mouse.

The mouse was warm...sweet, but lacked the rich wild tang he enjoyed during his years alone. Such prey weren't found in the enclosed clusters of Twolegplace. No. They could only be found in the wild lands, the forest and the mountains.. everywhere nature touched.

Too bad those prey were selfishly guarded by by prickly ferals. Varuin's claws dug deep into the flesh of his mouse, anger bubbling beneath his skin.

They will all pay. He vowed, lips curling to show teeth. He glared back up at the little chinks of illumination in the sky.

Varuin ripped out another bite of mouse, flicking his ears. "Bitter taste to this mouse: must be Twoleg food scent. Forest prey is much fresher."

[Puddlesdog]

OCC- Ohhh... He is trying to talk to Hutch about the clans? :3 Carotius

Hutch had seen the flick of a tail, and an ear, what not. So he ended up following Jacque into the den, lying down. He flicked his own ear in reply to the stories. Why not listen? For it was the reason he needed, and perhaps it involved revenge, revenge of the one he lost. Hearing that it didn't, Hutch wasn't suprised, it would have to be a accident, and he had never told this cat the story of his daughter. The thought made him rip at his mouse harder, then Jacques words hit him with a blow. "Cats in the stars? Answer me this, if there were 'cats in the stars' wouldn't we be able to see them?" His words were said evenly, but even the most dumbfounded cat could hear the anger hidden beneath them. For Hutch had heard this all before, the one time he had made a mistake, he wouldn't let this cat be next. "Don't you go around making up stories like that, or you should, for it can get you places. but don't belive them." He meowed firmly. His ears shot up when he heard, 'forest taste better..' Hutch growled slightly, forest cats? Why he would love to have the pleasure to rip there puny hearts out. "Sure it does." He pondered, the cool breeze from outside ruffling his fur. "Jacque, where have you been exactly? Those darn forest?" He hissed. Hutch was not in the mood for going to the clans, especially if you fell in love with one.

[Carotius]

OOC: Yyyep. It would seem the main part of our thread is at hand. :3
Puddlesdog

The conviction in Hutch's voice touched a nerve within Varuin. Digging his claws deeper, he impaled the mouse until he could feel the soft material of flimsy wood at his claw tips,and, in a fit of rage, ripped the dead creature apart, its head flying away with what appeared to be its spindly spine. A beheaded lump of ravaged flesh now rested between Varuin's unsheathed claws.

He turned an eerily calm gaze on his mentor. "Not until the past moon,I haven't. There apparently was another Twolegplace if you followed the Thunderpath, like I told you."

What would you think of me next? The silver rogue's face was stoic, but his mind was in turmoil. Hutch had not known of Varuin's killer ways as it seemed, for the older tom never truly believed in rumours; Varuin was almost distressed thinking about letting it out on him.

He pulled himself up to a sitting position, shoulders hunched stiffly, ears and tail flicking restlessly. Should he tell Hutch? Yes, that's what he came here for. but his reaction? He wasn't sure.

"You know of the Clans," Varuin observed, his lost expression hardening to a glare as he looked at the mangled prey. "They ruined everything."

[Puddlesdog]

Hutch sighed heavily, thoughts trickling into his brain like rain will drop. Slow but eventually, you become wet and sad, the rain becomes depressing. As did his thoughts. "Very well." He said his voice even with the calmness that dared to come in a screech. His gaze fell onto the twinkling stars, and he pondered himself if dead cats lived up there. What foolish stories was he telling himself? His mind had worked its way into over drive, and he shook his head slowly with a chuckle. "Yes. I do. It's time I told you something," he meowed before standing. "I knew a she-cat.. but she left me, broke me. Take my word boy, if you want to live a love life, don't you dare ever do it with a clan cat. That cat was a devil I tell you!" His ending words ended with a growl. He still felt a space in his heart where she had taken their kit, and put it in her darn clan! He hissed, "Yes, it is their fault. I want to rip those mindless hearts out." He finished. Anger still bubbled in his chest as he sat back down, now firece and perhaps murderous gaze.

Carotius

[Carotius]

Puddlesdog

Varuin's eyes glinted with nothing but pure malice at his mentor's words. With one fluid motion, took one last bite of prey and straightened up. Maybe you will join me. He glanced at Hutch, who's features were contorted in anger. Join me in eradicating the mange-pelts! Grunting, he tossed away the pathetic remains of his mouse, settling a cold but excited gaze on Hutch.

"I've never told you what happened to me before you found me. I will tell you now - those LeafClan mongrels tore my fur off for an innocent mistake; all I wanted were to see my brothers and sisters. but no, they said I was trespassing on their invisible borders!" he sneered, paws kneading the ground. "I can't believe they stayed in that stupid Clan... Mouse-hearts!"

"Oh, but you'll be proud of me, Hutch. I finally will have my claws covered in every bit of Clan blood that wronged me..."

Varuin lifted up his claws, admiring them as if the deep crimson liquid of life were already smothering it and dripping into endless puddles around him. Madness seemed to cloud him for but a moment. A single sick grin worked its twisted way up his muzzle. He would have his revenge. You will all pay. Every one of you who wronged me will suffer as I have! He was on his way. He will be ready.

Chuckling mirthlessly to himself, he pushed his head up to his mentor's, brown eyes showing nothing but hate. "I killed the loners and rogues of here, the ones you've noticed are missing. but most of all..." his black pupils narrowed like a viper's, "...I have begun my attacks on the Clan rats."

[Puddlesdog]

This was the cat Hutch had taught to fight, well, the majority of fighting, right? And here he stood ranting about the same thing Hutch had despised for moons. His tail snaked across the ground lightly, like a snake looking for its prey. His once anger was now replaced with ice. Hutch stood again, but only to twist his head back and groom his spine, for its was bristling, and you never give away your feelings. His ear flicked as if to swat a fly, but it was a sign of understanding for Jacques words. He stood and slunk over next to Jacque. "You see now how horrible they are, how mouse brained the are to have a 'scent border'." His voice was rough and low. Hutch blinked miserably at his apprentice. The poor thing was going through the madness he had once. but to get over with it, he supposed he should be there, plus it couldn't hurt to kill a few cats? "Yes my boy! That would make me quite proud, in fact.. she was from your wretched Leafclan I believe." He hissed. A beam of joy popping out of his mouth. He cocked his head in bewilderment, he killed them for fun? Would he kill Hutch? Casting his eyes downward, Hutch saw that his claws were indeed out. "Clan rats? Can't say I haven't killed any.." He trailed off with a devilish grin on his face, a horrible, deadly, grin that couldn't mean anything but bad.

Carotius

[Carotius]

Tags: Puddlesdog

---

Varuin suppressed the shudder of joy that enveloped his whole body. Instead, he shook out his pelt, as if to get off thorns, burrs and water off his fur. Hutch agreed to his hate for the Clans. His mentor approved of his view of the Clanners' tyranny. His parental figure accepted his grown ways. He smirked - he had had a good life leaving his family to this point, a decision well made.

Purring, he touched Hutch's flank lightly with his tail tip; a small gesture of gratitude that only a handful of cats ever got to observe. Well, considering he murdered the rest of the lot, obviously there wouldn't be many left. The silver rogue stared deep into Hutch's eyes. You'll join me, and we can exact our revenge.

"The Clans are unnerved by what I've done. They're on their toes...but I will keep there, as long as I want it to be. I will make them suffer," Varuin hissed, facing the direction of the moonlit forest that could be seen from their vantage point on the Twoleg hill.

He recalled the reek of Clan scent that swamped him as he was pitifully confronted by two different patrols of cats, their lithe figures covered in bristling fur. All that delicious prey running around enough to feed every cat and for what? To be wasted by their wretched borders. He let a snarl of satisfaction grace his features as the familiar howls of pain echoed in his ears when the cats turned tail and ran. More to come, friends... More to come...

Varuin draped his tail over Hutch's shoulders again. "There is a meeting of loners and rogues to be held soon. An acquaintance of mine will be presiding it, to speak of a revolution against those rats. Go, and you will find me there as well."

[Puddlesdog]

Carotius, sorry! Didn't see your reply! :C

"Unnerving them could be good or bad. Good because as you said, it will keep them at bay, in their territory.. but on the other hand, they will be on the edge, more anger, and may stray out of their territory to hunt you down." His eyes scanned Jacques face, eyes hard, unmoving, blank. but his thoughts echoed endlessly, and he could not lose another. Another what? Another cat. His ears flicked, and he shifted. His paws maneuvered against the dry ground, and Hutch nodded slowly. "I will be there. Rely on me." If you dare.. he left those thoughts unspoken. His words hung in the crisp air. "Jacque, pr-" he paused, eyes flickering to the bare ray of dawn. "Just.. count me in." He meowed. He couldn't force his true words out.

[Carotius]

Puddlesdog It's okay! ^^ It kinda sounds like this thread is about to end, looking at how our content has been phrased. We'll still have more! ^^ Eh, what did Hutch want to say?

---

"Hunt me down? I'd like to see them try, what with all the murderers we have within this compound," Varuin's eyes were malignant, his voice a low guttural growl.

Hutch was making the border attacks seem like a mistake, and Varuin didn't like it one bit. He took a threatening step towards his mentor, fangs bared, claws gleaming in the moonlight. If the one cat he trusted most was going to turn on him right at the moment of saying he'd support him, the silver tabby was more than ready to beat down this older tom into a bloody pulp on the ground. but you can't do that. You owe him.

Varuin snarled internally at the voice. Fine. Better than that wretched she-cat. He pulled away from the older tom, turning to face the direction that led down to the main maze of Twoleg dens. The gathering was coming soon, and Tiger was expecting him to attend; the large rogue in turn expected his former caretaker to attend as well, to follow and support him in his quest for vengeance against the Clans that controlled the forests.

When Hutch agreed he'd come, Varuin's felt his tail raise in genuined surprise. "You'll really come? Good! I will see you, then!"

Now I have my mentor by my side... Once I have more, LeafClan will regret ever harming me OR taking my siblings away... Nodding in acknowledgment, Varuin turned and headed for the nearest tree, wanting to traverse his way to his temporary den without needing to walk on the cold hard stone of the strange Twolegs - he needed his paws to be strong for the next quarter moon. He just hoped Hutch wouldn't go back on his word, whether on purpose or by accident.

Varuin had only just reached the tree when he heard Hutch's half-finished sentence, then continued with an entirely different one. "Jacque, pr- Just... count me in."

"Okay. You will know where the gathering is," he responded, brown eyes narrowed.

He leapt into the tree, claws hooking the low branch neatly, while his sheathed hind paws pushed him up into a confident standing position. For a fleeting moment, Varuin let a trickle of suspicion hit him. Was Hutch holding back? If he was, what and why was he doing so? but for now...Varuin let the matter be as he prepared to jump to the next tree, muscles tensed. In the very last moment, he turned his head back to Hutch, cold rage in his eyes.

"I'm no longer 'Jacque'," he meowed, his voice suddenly rumbling into a snarl. "They know me as Varuin now."

With that, he sprang away, to be hidden until he wanted his mentor to find him.