a whole new world }} nezzy

Two trespassers. One cat killed in the road when a car swerved to hit him. Now he had been given reports that a toms had been caught sneaking around with one of his queens. His day had started bad, shifted to worse, and was quickly making its way to absolutely hellish; and it was only a few hours passed sun high. Or at least that what Wolfsbane assumed as he couldn't actually see much of the sun for the black-out curtain of clouds hanging in the sky. For a cat who liked to know everything before anyone else, not knowing something - regardless of how unimportant it might seem - held the dangerous possibility of sending him into a mood. No cat wanted him to be in a mood. The last time even the idea of being irritated had crossed his mind the black-hearted alley cat had almost killed someone. As it was, they stray had been severely wounded, and taken the scuffle as a sign he was no longer welcome.

'And good riddance.' A snide voice sneered within the dark shadows of the tom's mind, the memory laying a foul taste upon his tongue as if he had just eaten a piece of twoleg garbage. 'I don't need weaklings like him hanging around.' And there it was; the beginning of a mood. Wolfsbane sighed loudly, shaking his head and glaring upward as if all his troubles were the fault of an overcast day.

How annoying. All he had wanted to do was spend the day lounging, being waited on by his she-cats, maybe take his sister out to see what kind of trouble he could get her into, but no. Instead, his entire territory had to flip upside down and step all four paws out of line. It had been annoying to chase off the cats stupid enough to step paw on his turf without permission, though, he had to admit the delicate ribbons of dripping red against their fur had cheered him up a bit. It had been annoying learning that one of his favorite grunts, at least favorite this week, had gotten his stupid self ran over by an even stupider car. And now the most annoying of all, that one of his queens had thought herself at liberty to fraternize with another tom. Well...he would just have to inform her she didn't possess such freedoms. In fact, he guessed he would just have to make her so ugly that no tom would ever want her again. Of course Wolfsbane himself had no taste for ugly she-cats, but he was making a point and it was more than likely that he would chase her off now anyway, which great! Just one more bullet point to add to the list of annoying. 'Hell...I'm even starting to annoy myself..'

Oh how he hated his moods.

The midnight hued tom had almost reached his own particular alleyway, where he made his personal den along with the higher ranking cats of his not-so-little, little gang, when another cat came running up with - 'Oh let me guess...' - more annoying news. Wolfsbane snarled, the guttural noise ending on a hiss as he whipped his body around, using inertia to add strength to a raised claw which sliced across the cat's cheek. Caught unawares by the unsuspected attack, the cat was knocked of his paws at the blow and rolled a few times before springing to his feet to cower next to the alley wall. "Whatever you've got to say better be good, or so help me, you're roadkill." The Leo growled, spittle flying into the face of his could-be victim.

It was common knowledge that the alley king could fly from gracious to murderous in the span of a heartbeat, and his threats were always taken as gospel no matter if he swore death with a smile on his maw. That his anger was so obviously displayed was as good as a death sentence already, and fear scent washed off the other tom in tepid waves. "I'm losing my patience..." Wolfsbane warned through gritted teeth, his lips pulled back in a wrathful sneer.

Choking on his own terror, the other cat choked out an explanation. "Some of the boys found a housepet in one of the alleys."

Wolfsbane was honestly amazed. How could one cat be so completely idiotic? His fur puffed up, making his already incredible size even more intimidating. Tail lashing, voice raising closer to a yell with every word, "You interrupted me FOR A HOUSEPET?! You should have just ran him off you stupid-!" A claw had raised while he fumed, bearing every intention of slicing this cat into nothing more than a few fur lined ribbons, and he loomed over the cat preparing to end his life right there. However, it seemed the smaller tom had picked that moment to grow a brain as he screeched out desperately, "It's a she-cat!!" The devil cat instantly composed himself, any hint of his previous furry disappearing in the twitch of a whisker. All at once he was stately and dignified with not a piece of hair out of place, a smile even tugged at one side of his dark maw. "Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" The massive tom purred, though the noise sounded cruel and sinister coming from him, and trotted off in the direction the missive had come. Passing through the mouth of the alley, he paused by one of his more liked toms to whisper a clipped "Beat him." before continuing on to see just what sort of she-cat had been unlucky enough to find herself on his turf.

It wasn't much of a trek from his main haunt to the alley where the cat had been cornered, and though Wolfsbane would have liked to have Plague with him - perhaps he would add a new scar to his brother's collection for making him inspect this intruder alone, even though it was on the Leo's errand for which his right paw was absent - he was almost eager to be the first of the brothers to inspect the new breeding stock. Because that's what she would be of course, just another queen to produce kits. His black form was a mere silhouette in the dim lighting, and it took almost two steps before his presence was noticed by the cats present in the alley. It hadn't even been an hour since he was informed of the she-cat, but already she had attracted quite the crowd of "cat callers." Wolfsbane gave an almost reptilian hiss and the cats scattered to various vantage points along the walls and garbage bins, though he was amused to find their curiosity kept few from actually leaving.

Wolfsbane took his time with his final approach, his massive form moving with languid ease. Muscles rippled beneath the layered midnight of his fur, the white patches on his chest and paws standing out with stark contrast. His jaw fell open a bit as if he were silently laughing, a sinister smile curling up with the corners of his lips. Head lowered to fall even with the long line of his back, he could have passed for a panther approaching a wounded animal, readying itself for an easy meal. In some ways, perhaps he was.

"Here kitty kitty..." The blackhearted tom drawled in mocking slowness, even his words lazily reaching the she-cat, as he came to a stop a short distance away from the box - close enough to possibly make her uncomfortable, but far enough away that he would have plenty of time to dodge any attempts at aggression. "Come on out.. We don't bite.." His claws eagerly raked against the alley pavement, and his fangs gleamed white in an eerie sort of glow. This she-cat would be an idiot to take his words for truth, for while his long, thick fur might have hid his scars well, there were more than a few cats that had been present showing off his handiwork. He was an alley cat, a devil cat, and he was in a mood. There was no telling what he would do.

A chorus of wickedly gleeful snickers had chortled through the air at the stuttered warning the fae managed to spit out, and Wolfsbane too took some amount of humor from her show of bravado. The word here being “some.” It was one thing for a cat to play tough, but when doing so conflicted with his wishes? Well… He just hoped she was pretty, for her sake.

The midnight tom called her out from her haven, not expecting that she would heed his command right away, but what a pleasant surprise when she did. A fluffy head jutted out from the box, a delicately hued mask of tabby marked brown pristinely adding contrast to her white markings. At least in her face she was nice to look at. Wolfsbane grinned victoriously at her appearance, as if he had played some part in the designing of her make-up, and a purr that sounded threateningly close to a growl spilled satisfaction from deep in his chest. It was always nice to be obeyed, it would have been a hassle trying to pull her own by force and he might have ruined her good looks if he had tried. Thinking about it now, he definitely would have ruined her good looks, his claws were far too long and far too sharp for genteel.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one appreciating her attractiveness, though, curiosity and lust slowly began to wear at the good sense of the other cats in the alley. One by one heads started to poke around garbage bins and out of shadows. Everyone was interested in this she-cat, and if he didn’t take her there would certainly be quite a fight over who would. If Wolfsbane was to be honest, some part of him almost wanted to toss her aside – to claim no right to her womb – if only to sate his cruel desire for violence. To see these cats brawling over a housepet that would probably only last a pawful of days on the streets would be quite entertaining. Amusement aside, however, greed was the black hearted cat’s most defining quality – ’And cunning, and underhandedness, and devilish good looks.’ His inner voice added boastfully. – and if he was not to have this fae, then he would be sure no tom would. Still, there was the problem of the she-cat’s own intentions. Would she accept him willingly? Or would he need to make a point? He was very adept at making points.

At last finding her voice, the trespassing housepet cooed what Wolfsbane added up to her kind of a greeting. She spoke like blood tasted, the underlying tones in her voice silken and sweet like honey coated fresh-kill. It made his fur tingle with anticipation; he didn’t want her to ever close that beautiful mouth of hers again. Her words were not the only revelation, it seemed she had a body to go along with that furry head and what a body it was. Malicious delight colored the Leo’s eyes an eerie sort of bright as he took in her full form, appreciating every supple curve and arch of her structure with relish. Absently he wondered if she was doing this on purpose, then realized with some fair amount of maleficent glee that of course she did. There was no way on earth that a cat could look like that and not know how to use it against an alley full of toms. His thoughts derailed from affection and lust filled nights in throes of passion with sudden severity; she was playing them.

”So many strong alley cats…I never expected such a fantastic group to choose from!” She flashed a wink at one of the toms present and Wolfsbane was almost smug with the contentment of being so right. The wayward cat she had chosen to cast her seductions upon instantly puffed up, the attention layering upon him a false sense of bravado. As amusing as this little she-cat’s game was, he would not have her toying with other males in front of him. She was his, even if she didn’t know it yet. As the femme’s gaze passed onto another, he seemed to deflate as if she had just ripped out his heart. Perhaps Wolfsbane would turn the simile into reality later as punishment for stealing the lovely queen’s attention, but for now he was more interested in playing her little game.

It was obvious she was trying to talk her way out of a sticky situation, any fool could see though. Well..perhaps aside from the majority of fools present in the alley. Although the devil cat was filled with an arrogant sort of pride that the two higher ranking cats that had accompanied him from his previous..engagement were looking at him expectantly rather than paying this tabby any attention. They had far more experience in dealing with his many moods and the violent swings with which he flew between them. As such, they knew better than to be swayed by anything unless he deemed it allowed, and even then they often showed a fair amount of hesitation. Finally, though, the Leo had had enough of her coy tricks and sticky sweet purrs to any cat but him, he had grown tired of her eyes brushing past him but never meeting the venomous smolder of his gaze. She had his attention, the game was over.

”Rune. Jet.” The two toms trotted briskly to stand on either flank, something abruptly offensive in the way they held their bodies. Wolfsbane still posed in the somnolent pose of a leopard playing at docility, his head lazily held with only mild interest showing in the backlight of his eyes. Predatory threat radiated from him, though, a deadly promise silently crashing down upon the whole of the alley. Though the white-pawed male may have shown every sign of lethargic indifference, there was no mistaking the presence of his avarice. His malice even took physical bodies, bleeding into the muscular shapes of the toms at his flank. Seeing the proof of his irritation, a few of the smarter cats took their exit leaving only a small few either too ignorant or too stupid to heed the unspoken warning. His patience had ebbed, the game would be finished one way or another. ”Remind this filth what happens when a cat looks at something that is…” He didn’t want to lay claim to the queen just yet, doing so might frighten her off and it was far easier to lure them in when they wanted to be lured. Instead, his muzzle curled into a Cheshire grin, and his gaze fell unwavering and heavy upon his desired prize. ”Not theirs.” He finished vaguely. Yet somehow, even through his attempt to remain distant, there was a distant roar of mine beneath his words.

As his thugs lunged at the cats, their claws flashing and slicing in their Leo’s bidding, Wolfsbane watched the tabby marked queen for any sign of flight. He would not let her escape even if she tried to run, and his eyes relayed that truth to her like an oath. ’You are mine, princess. You cannot escape that.’

The skirmish was a short lived one, his cats soon returning to his flank with shallow panting and even more shallow cuts. With a flick of his tail he sent the back to stand near the mouth of the alley through which the remaining cats had fled where they would sit licking their battle wounds until the Leo called for them to do otherwise. Their blind obedience was convenient if nothing else, these two didn’t have the most smarts but their brawn certainly came in handy and they were rarely smart enough to get in the way.

Finally, it was again his turn to address what he could only assume to be a terrorized housepet. Wolfsbane could just imagine what she was thinking; he had just ordered an attack, after all, and he knew how that must look to an outsider who couldn’t understand the normalcy of these types of commands. He wanted to reassure her, though, that as long as she respected his superiority and will, that no harm would come to her. ”I hope you’ll forgive me; it is quite rude to take out the trash in front of guests, after all…” His voice was a slow roll of the tongue, each syllable tasting perfectly of deception with just a hint of intimidation. The bulky tom padded a bit closer to the pampered housecat, his eyes never leaving her. ”It must be such an inconvenience, what with your obvious interest in those low lifes, but perhaps you might instead enjoy a meal with me?” The upward inflection labeled it as a question, but there was something forceful in his voice; something that made it clear this was not a request, but a demand. Even the level influence of his weight stated silently, ‘You have no choice.’

As he commanded his thugs descend upon the rabble, the she-cat’s eyes turned to him for the first time since she had made her appearance from the box. For the first time since her stunning form had materialized before him, she seemed to fully absorb the beast standing in front of her. His dark pelt, the snow dipped paws, he lifted his head – but only just – to unveil the splatter of white which also colored his chest. If she was going to examine him, the proud Leo wanted her to do so fully.

Of course the irony that the pale marking, which was often used to represent purity and innocence in the old kit stories his mother once told, was located directly in the center of his chest. It was as if it was trying to hide the blackened husk of his true heart with something gentle and kind, keeping the truth of his spirit concealed by a lie of a metaphor. He watched her face, thinking of this, as Rune and Jet committed his evils. Their claws were extensions of his own, their fangs pulled from his own mouth to sharpen their bite. Wolfsbane hoped the she-cat understood this fact, that though they were the tools of these cats’ destruction that was all they were; tools. He was the true voice behind the order. He was the true mastermind behind the madness of these murders. By him all things were done, and by him alone.

Eyes widening at the beautiful dance of massacre, the fae’s shock was evident. The devil cat could have purred, but he had already slipped such a pitiful noise far too often for one night. Still that look, that beautiful alarm that flashed across her chocolate gradient features, sent a shiver of fulfillment along his spine; and when he watched the wave of movement at her throat, the telltale of a struggled swallow, he fought the tingling urge to bristle his fur. His only sign of emotion was the careful back-and-forth tic of the his tail tip; a delicate counter that paced along with the beat of his impious heart.

With the deed done, and apologies uttered for such dirty business taking place before her eyes – those beautiful amber eyes – she once more returned his gaze and with the reestablished connection came a gesture of understanding, of acceptance. ”I understand.” Wolfsbane clenched his jaw to keep it from dropping. She understood? How could she understand when so many before her had failed to comprehend his madness, his vicious lunacy? All at once he wanted to scream and yell and snarl and roar, and demand she explain herself. How dare she be so calm, so coy, waving her tail like a lure that he might trail along after her like a kit? How dare she patronize him with praise and adoration, layering her attention on him now as he had deserved in the beginning? Understand? ’You understand nothing!’ The voice raged inside his head, a demon slamming bear claws against the bars of its cage.

And then she faced him again, and he wondered if he saw something almost pleading in her eyes, as if she were begging for him to relent, to be seduced and played. She wanted him, and at least for now he wanted her. With the decision of his desire confirmed, a refreshing calm fell upon like a hand stroking down his back and the fury dissipated like rain on hot pavement. Fine then. He would be soothed. He would be toyed with and led about, and he would believe her when she whispered how strong he was, how tough he was. If anything these were at least words he wanted to hear, and already thinking of all the compliments he might receive worked like a soothing balm to alleviate his temper.

So why not? Wolfsbane invited her to share a meal with him, though perhaps commanded is more of an appropriate word, and her bantering return brought a dark glimmer of amusement to his eyes. ”Well it is very tempting indeed! But I know not your name…” And then came her name, as airy and full of itself as she was. ”Fifi La’Belle.” ’Perfect…’ The voice cooed within his mind, contented thoughts at how perfectly she aligned with herself.

The devilish tom gave a low rumbling of a wicked laugh, reveling in how naïve she was. A part of him wondered whether or not she would recognize his name even as he began to give it following a seemingly sincere compliment. ”An exquisite name for an exquisite cat.” His voice was a velveteen purr of seduction, his muscled frame stepping closer with a turn to follow her teasing retreat from before. He stood near her, every inhale carrying the suffocating perfume of her gender and lifestyle, and when he spoke again he leaned almost offensively close. ”You may call me Wolfsbane, and I can assure you, the pleasure is all mine.” He stared at her for a moment longer, not expecting a response and lacking any want for one. The battle hardened tom merely wanted to soak in her beauty for a moment longer, and see what kind of reaction might register in the sultry flames of her searing eyes.

Turning away at last, after a few heartbeats of steady gaze, Wolfsbane motioned for her to follow with a flick of his tail. At his approach, the two burly toms he had commanded before trotted to his side like loyal dogs, their eyes awaiting instruction. ”Go find my brother. Tell him his Leo requests a meal of fresh kill tonight.” He glanced back at Fifi and continued, ”Something delicate… For our guest.” The two cats gave curt nods before racing from the alley in opposite directions. They might not have known where to find Plague, but the midnight furred tom was confident they would find his right paw. He looked to Fifi then, and cast her a wry smile. ”Good help is so hard to find these days.” A note of seriousness then dropped into his voice as he continued with, ”Now why don’t you tell me what brings you to this side of the street, princess. You’re far too lovely to be an alley cat.”

The seductory words rolled from his tongue like quick silver coated with chocolate, his praise meant to distract her from the less tasteful aspects of his style. Let her see him for what he was, an average creature of monstrous reputation, but let her see it through a haze, shrouded by sweet words and kind gestures. Each word would be heavy with a threat, but its bloated weight would be sugar coated by delicate promise. Watching her response, the slight heightening of her stature and the glow of pride which draped like a halo across her pelt, and Wolfsbane felt every bit of satisfaction. He might have smiled, but that was a bit much, after all he had just given a compliment she couldn’t receive a smile in the same breath. What would she think? How large might her head grow then?

The midnight covered tom kept a subtle watch over his feline fancy, the corner of his eye a pointed target in her direction. He made his commands, cooed his invitations, and when all was said led her in the direction of his den.

”Truth be told I’m not much of a city cat, as if you couldn’t guess. This would be my first time roaming the alleys. Though I must say, I find it rather pleasing.” The alley king grinned in wicked delight at her words. So she enjoyed this world it seemed. Despite her feminine appearance, the gore and cruelty didn’t shock her beyond her wits. She was strong in an appealing sort of way that left the dark tom curious and interested to learn what else she might find pleasing. All the things he could offer her… All the cats he could kill for her. But he was getting ahead of himself. He had just met this she-cat, and here he was thinking about…about what he wasn’t even sure. Asking her to say? Then again, when did he ‘ask’ anything. Yet the desire was there, the vague craving of her companionship with as brief of an encounter as he had experienced so far. She had surprised him, a feat most cats were incapable of, and the Leo wondered if she would continue to do so if she remained near to him. He sincerely hoped she would. Boredom was a terrible emotion for one as violently whimsy as he, and more than once he had stained his paws a lovely shade of crimson due to cats turning boring. It was annoying to lose interest in something, and being annoyed put him in a mood. Being in a mood was…dangerous for a cat like him; or rather, it was dangerous for the cats around him. Ah, but now he was getting off track in his thoughts, and she was talking again.

Wolfsbane drifted back into the conversation around the tail of her teasing acceptance of his offer. ”…a fine meal I’ll deign to share more with you.” So this was the game she wanted to play? Very well, he would bite. The black pelted tom gave a cruel chuckle, the sound of mirth tainted with an unspoken bloodlust; the sickening curl which perverted every vocalization to come from that Cheshire grinning mouth. ”Well then I will make sure you have the finest meal the allies can offer.” He assured her with a coiling flourish of his tail, the long thing trailing upward behind him like a banner of his night world.

The walk to his alley would be a short one, though it was made longer by his lazy pace due to his feminine company, and Wolfsbane sought to fill the empty time with equally empty conversation. This might have been his territory, and every loyal tom within his gang knew it was veritably suicide to attempt harm against the battle hardened Leo, but that didn’t mean he didn’t get the occasional stray wandering in. Even if he was entertaining a guest, it wouldn’t do to let his guard down and be ambushed by some ambitious cat arrogant enough to think themselves his equal. While violence wasn’t something required of him any longer, a privilege he gifted to his favorite “generals”, it wasn’t beyond him by any measure. Though it had been days since his last involvement in a brawl, his claws were by no means dull, and his fangs were by no means unused. Every step, every roll of sinew and muscle beneath the feathered layering of his dark fur, spoke of a readiness for the fight. He almost wanted to be set upon, better to exercise his considerable prowess, and what better time to do so when in the view of a lovely young she-cat?

Even though a burning adrenaline flooded his veins at the idea of a fight, no opposition appeared before him, and his voice was distance with an almost nostalgic desire as he prompted Fifi into conversation. ”I know you’re keen on remaining an alluring mystery, but perhaps you might idle a cat like myself?” Wolfsbane drawled, his eyes scanning the streets absently though flitting back to Fifi in between every breath. He couldn’t let her think he wasn’t interested, after all, and to be honest he enjoyed the sensation of his eyes playing upon her figure. Every move she made effected to draw him in more, egging on an insatiable curiosity and intrigue. What had brought her into the allies? Had she known whose den she had stumbled upon when he appeared? Did she know now? Was she figuring it out? What if his name had never crossed her ears? That thought was distasteful for the tom, and he hurried into a question that seemed harmless enough. Surely she would pause the game long enough for an answer. ”How are you enjoying your little excursion across the street thus far? Are you yet sufficiently entertained?”