Chasing the Sunset [important!]

[[don't]fear[the]reaper]

[[Yes. Yes, it is.]]

Chaospaw smirk grew at his sister's words. He twitched his tailtip as he thought of his next move. This was a game they were playing with their father, their mother, their Clan, though he'd deny it belonging to him if ever questioned. He hadn't chosen this fate, after all. They were fencing with words, careful darts that could kill with far more accuracy than tooth or claw ever could.
It was his favorite pasttime, by far.
"I hope he isn't," the small tom remarked, looking at Hellpaw with an expression of innocent surprise replacing the smirk. "I mean, look at GorgeClan, dear sister! A handful of warriors, led by a muscle-bound tom too wrapped up in his own ego to see the foxes waiting outside his own den!" He gestured with his paw towards their surroundings, keeping his tone at one matching his current facial expression. "No, Hellpaw, our neighbors seem to be in much better shape than we are. They don't take in every raggedy stray with a couple of claws in their feet. They look for real fighters." The words, though seemingly directed at his littermate, were barbed arrows, sent from the bow of his mouth to strike his parents' hearts.
Words, Chaospaw mused, were much more fun to fight with than claws could ever hope to be.

[/blockquote]

[angels.to.demons]

OOC --- Mrr. Crimsonstar maybe the lord now, but wait until the next plot... xDDD Muahaha.

Thinking about Chaospaw's explanation for a minute, she wordlessly shook her head. No, they're all pathetic, she mewed disdainfully, straightening her spine to stand taller than her brother. They're all StarClan-worshipping, worthless machines working for dead cats and honoring their ancestors. All of them... he's right about that, I guess, she mewed, glaring up at her father, who smirked.

Crimsonstar leapt down from the Highrock, letting his tail trail behind him. Standing above his children... seeing it from Hellpaw's view, it appeared as though she were a pebble before a mountain, despite her elongated, sinewy body. Instead of cowering under him, she glared hotly, poising herself to run if he chose to strike either of his kits; but instead, he laughed in a growly mrrow sort of way, then drew his head up, ears back.

Ain't none of us different. We're all t'same, no matter which Clan ya run to, little kits. MireClan? Plaguestar's a wuss, not a leader. StreamClan? That pretty boy Vastflame can lead himself into a she-cat's den, but that's about it. And WillowClan? Mintleaf is as good a leader as that twig over there. Smirking and drawing his height to its fullest, he leered over his son and daughter, almost wishing they would leave his Clan.

Maybe it would anger Demon to see her children leave her, but Crimsonstar knew he could do just fine without the plague of his unnecessary offspring. Fine, go t'MireClan; be a lying, deceitful wimp. Go to StreamClan; swim with the fishes and the freaks. WillowClan? Go chase the rabbits with the rabbit-hearted. See where it'll get ya. Then ya'll realize you both were wrong, and ya'll come back t'GorgeClan, where the fighting machines we are will drive ya inta extinction.

Narrowing his smoldering amber-green glare, he snorted, And don't think I won't be at the head of the army, rippin' ya t'shreds.

Never had Crimsonstar spoke truer words to his kits. Hellpaw flinched, but she inwardly spit, Yeah, you've been waiting for that chance since the minute we were born! Well, I don't know about Chaospaw, but I don't think we should leave just yet. Let us grow stronger, smarter; then we'll take care of this idiot! She glanced at Chaospaw to see what he thought, hoping he wouldn't do anything rash. His words were harsh, but Crimsonstar was a brute with strength, not fluency. He very clearly wanted both of his offspring dead in the ground or at least out of sight, out of mind, and he wouldn't hesitate to put either of them in what he believed was their place... under his paws.

[[don't]fear[the]reaper]

[[And now, for some more father-son lovetime. XD]]

Chaospaw didn't flinch at his father's words. He didn't even move the tiniest fraction, just sat there calmly, staring back at Crimsonstar. After a moment, he replied, his voice cool and level as before.
"Whoever said we were interested in leaving GorgeClan, dear father?" The words held a mocking edge, despite the clear 'innocence' they were spoken with. The small apprentice smiled then, his condescending grin that appeared on his maw far too often for many a cat's liking. "And doesn't a machine need someone with brains behind it? I think, father, that you'll need me and Hellpaw here to make it work properly. Otherwise," he shrugged, feigning sadness with the skill of an actor, letting out a small sigh to go with it. "That machine might just backfire and destroy itself."
He looked up at his father, the sparkle in his green eyes malevolent and mocking, so much like Gustwhisker's, it could sting. "Don't you agree?"

[angels.to.demons]

Crimsonstar twitched his tail, fur rubbed in all directions by Chaospaw's creepy smile. How could he do that? It was the only look in the world that made the mighty, brash leader's skin crawl under his crimson fur. Pulling his lip back from his fearsome teeth, he snarled lowly, You think I'm stupid, do ya, Chaospaw? Ya think that 'cause I talk like a ClawClan cat, huh? Sitting down and curling his tail over his paws, he continued bitingly, Well... think again. I was chosen by Thistlestar to lead this Clan. Sure, when I was ya and yer sister's age and callin' myself Redblood, I was brash, stupid and reckless, like ya think I am t'day; but...

Looking around him, feeling his fury grow, he swallowed and glanced behind him. His Clan had dissipated now, knowing better than to join in the family feud; lucky for them. Crimsonstar knew it was embarrassing, and he hated Chaospaw and Hellpaw for making a mockery of him. That was something that irked him beyond anything else his lovely son did to him.

Twitching his tail before turning back to his child, he sneered, ...If I was as stupid as I was then, I wouldn't be standin' here, callin' myself leader and answerin' to my ungrateful children. Got that, son? Feeling his hackles rise, he urged them down again; why get all riled up for Chaospaw? It was exactly what the devious demons wanted him to do, after all! However, it was kind of late; Crimsonstar was obviously miffed at being called out by his son and daughter.

Hellpaw said nothing, still glaring at her father. Redblood? Interesting name. I'm sure he chose it himself, trying to sound tough, she thought sullenly, not voicing this. It sounded like something her father would do, after all, even today. Honor his father. Psh. What had his father ever done for him, but die with his mother and leave him for dead? Why honor a father like that? Well, Hellpaw sure wasn't going to name herself Helldemon to make her mother happy!

[[don't]fear[the]reaper]

Chaospaw shrugged, unaffected by his father's words. "Thistlestar and StarClan chose you, right." The tone he spoke in was skeptical, at best. The swirled orange tabby stood, stretching in a clear show of disrespect before glancing back at the furious tom before him.
"Look, Crimsonstar, I know you think that there're a bunch of dead cats in the sky telling you what to do and all that crap, but I'm not going to buy it." Chaospaw shrugged. "The dead are just that, Dad: dead. Oh, don't worry," he added in a disdainful tone. "I'm not questioning your leadership, if that's what you want to call it. You want to lead this lot through fear and superstition, be my guest." He flicked his tail to one side. "Just don't expect me to follow your lead in this dance of life."
He smiled again, taking a hidden pleasure in the look he got from Crimsonstar everytime he flashed that grin, before finishing his rain of parries and thrusts of the verbal sword with a two-handed slice.
"And, yeah, I do think you're stupid. Got a problem with that?"

[angels.to.demons]

OOC short post, live with it. you post, then Crims will leave.

Crimsonstar pulled his head back at this last comment, lips curling from his impressive teeth. Instead of retaliating with a Yeah, I do, you little bastard! Why don't you and your whore sister leave my Clan now!?, he grinned demonically, sending Hellpaw into an uneasy scowl. She was not as brave in the face of her father as her brother, and this the dark red tabby tom took advantage of. He swung his eyes to meet someone he could bully and intimidate -- his daughter, rather than his son.

What's wrong, little Hellion? he mocked, narrowing his eyes into a sleazy glare that rivaled the devil's, for sure. Hellpaw glanced at Chaospaw, swallowing. You need your midget brother to ? You have to back up his every word, can't speak yer own? He looked rather amused, but suddenly a light lit up his face entirely. Oh, I know, you two are going to start your own little business! Chaospaw will line all the toms up at the entrance, and Hellpaw will wait inside with favors of her own... Here he grinned darkly at his newly apprenticed daughter.

Hellpaw, cowed, lowered her head with drooping ears. Glancing at Chaospaw warily, she thought, Oh, come on, Hellpaw, don't let him get you down. You know he's a liar... he just wants you to think THAT about yourself... which you don't. Hellpaw was not verbally abused often, but tonight, as Chaospaw taunted their father and rolled off useless insults, Hellpaw took each one like a nail in her coffin. She shifted into a shrunken, beaten position. Or DO you? Maybe you are... what he says... what he says about his dad's mum... Silenced for once in her life, Hellpaw waited for her brother to retaliate, for she had nothing to say.

[[don't]fear[the]reaper]

[[Hoo boy. -cracks knuckles-]]

"That's enough." Chaospaw snarled suddenly, hackles raised. It wasn't what he'd said about what he'd end up doing; it was what he'd said about his sister. Oh, Crimsonstar could insult him, say anything he wanted, but bringing Hellpaw into this...

That made it personal. Beyond personal, actually. Nobody touched his twin, and the small tom wasn't going to tolerate any bullshit from Crimsonstar, no matter how much stronger the older tom was.

But Chaos wasn't going to start a fight, either. That outburst had shattered the cool shell he'd so carefully constructed. He flicked his tail, signaling for Hellpaw to follow him as he stalked off to his rock outcrop. No chance of catching him in any den but this one he'd made himself. Before he got to far, though, he turned his head around, staring Crimsonstar straight in the eye without a hint of fear in their cold green depths.

"You can say what you want about me, but you bring Hellpaw into it, and, well," he smiled, eyes narrowed in a look of glee that seemed more of a challenge than any expression of genuine happiness. "We'll see how far you get then." The undersized apprentice turned back to his sister, as if the conversation had never happened. "C'mon, Hell. Don't want to keep any of those toms waiting, huh? You claw 'em up, I'll get rid of the bodies. That's our line."

Around his sister, Chaospaw was... different. Not by much, but enough that he cared. The two needed each other, more than any cat could understand.

Certainly more than Crimsonstar ever could.

[/blockquote]

[angels.to.demons]

OOC how cute. <3

Crimsonstar narrowed his eyes without further comment, the cruel smirk still on his muzzle. He watched Chaospaw slink off to his den, then eyed Hellpaw curiously when she watched him fondly for a moment. Sending her father a hateful blue glare, she stood and quickly followed Chaospaw, not bothering to snarl a reply at her father. Her brother had taken any words she could have said and put them into better ones; it was his art. She had other traits, but not any quite as special as that.

Crimsonstar snorted, then whirled on his spawn, whom he considered now, more than ever, hellspawn. So, would they even last their training stage? Hopefully not, he thought, rather miffed by the events, and more glad than ever that Chaospaw and Hellpaw were Coalclaw and Pouncetail's problems now.

to -- gorgeclan territory, somewhere else

Hellpaw watched her father leave, still stinging from his demoralizing comment. She decided not to mull over it; he had never had a kind word for either her or Chaospaw, anyways, and knew it would be useless to complain about it. She wordlessly followed her brother's lead, answering his statement with a grateful, relief-drowned, Sure thing, Chaos. That's what we do best, eh?

to -- wherever Chaos is goin' -- the little den, I guess

thread's over, right?