! c l a i m i n g . l a n d . ( o p e n )

[;;CONFLICT]

! q u e t z a l . t h e . l o n e . m a l e
^{! i . d o n t . n e e d . t o . d e a l . w i t h . y o u}
A dark blue figure padded across the floor of The Unknowns. Small streaks of blue and dark green spots were faded within the figure's pelt. His dark green eyes were glowing, and from a distance, could be described as pools of green venom. He had been looking for a territory to claim for days, and it was obvious my the way he walked. His steps were silent and cautious, going as slow as possible so he wasnt noticed my another lone tom. He had come across The Unknowns only a few moments ago, and already he liked it.

This cat was Quetzal, a lone tom that had been wandering for his whole life. Sure, his life seemed pretty good, but it was actually very hard and frustrating. Still, atleast he wasnt his father. His father had died protecting him. All memories of his mother had been completely erased, so he never even thought of her.

Quetzal continued to move fluidly, graceful and silent. He hadnt smelled another male scince he entered The Unknowns, so obviously this territory was unoccupied. Venomous green eyes gleaming, he yowled with triumph. He had finally found a territory he enjoyed that wasnt occupied. He sat down finally and peeked around. His ears were pricked, and his tail was in a dominant position. If any other lone males or cats were in this territory, he needed to warn them to watch out. Sure, he wouldnt fight them, but he would try and drive them away. He waited, patient and determined.

[;; P H E O N I X]

;; X a v i e r . & . X e n a ;;

you feel so . l o n e l y .
and you lay here . b r o k e n .
but know that you'll never be . a l o n e .

Silence. The cold winter air swirled around the unknown to the west of Twilight's realm. Tall pine trees loomed over the rocky ground below, leaving the forest with little light. A feline form slid across the ground and into the canopy of trees, his green-tinged fur seen easily in the darkness. A faint bit of movement could be seen right on the toms left, and if you looked closely, you might find a flame colored she-cat seemingly glued to his side. Red eyes were wide with fear, and the tom glanced at her comfortingly. His paws carried him forward, and a determined look hung on his face. This, was a cat on a mission.

Food...Xena needs food...All this traveling is making her weak, she needs food... The she-cats safety was all that Xavier could think about. If Xena needed food, it was food she would get. "There's food in here, Xena, I know there is! I can smell it!" he meowed into her ear, blinking as his blue and green eyes adjusted to the darkness here in the covering of pine trees. Well, despite the darkness, they block out the cold pretty well... he told himself, scenting the air. Suddenly, a look of pure annoyance flickered on his face. "W-What do you s-smell?" The soft, shaky voice reached his ears, and he turned to look at Xena. "Oh just a tom up ahead. Don't worry, he can't hurt you." Xavier's voice was sure, as if he never even considered that this tom might be stronger then himself. His gaze grew stern has a loud yowl rang in his ears, and his claws dug into the ground. "Come, the food is this way." he said, flicking his tail towards the scent of the tom. Xena quickly rushed to her brothers side again, head hung low and pawsteps cautious.

There he was. The lone male Xavier had scented. Huh. Seems like he thinks he owns the place. he thought, perched on a tree branch partway up one of the towering pines. Is he friend or foe? he wondered, glancing at the trembling figure of Xena to his right. "H-He looks aw-awful m-m-mean..." she stuttered softly, peering down at the blue and green tom. "Oh don't worry about him, Xena. I won't let him lay a claw on you." he hissed with a faint hint of amusement ringing in his voice. "Stay here. I'll go see what this tom's up to." he growled, and without waiting for an answer, he slid out of the tree and approached the tom. "Oh, looks like you're the boss around here, eh? Oh dear me, am I intruding? Oh well. So you are?" he meowed, a mischievous look in his eyes. He hadn't gotten to really speak with a cat other then his sister i ages. This, would be fun.

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The flame colored calico watched with wide eyes as her brother slid out of the tree and sauntered on up to the tom. Oh! He's going to get hurt! she thought, tail twitching nervously. Oh how she hated when Xavier would just leave her alone, even iff he was no more then a few tail lengths away. She dug her claws into the branch she was perched upon, feeling at a loss without the familiar warmth of her brother next to her, his comforting scent, his gentle gaze...Xavier, watch your words! Don't anger him! Oh how Xena wanted to warn her brother before he did something more foolish, but as typical when around another cat, all Xena could think about was him, and that fateful day. "Be careful..." the two words that escaped her lips were barely a whisper, nearly to quiet to be heard. She waited nervously for the tom's reaction to her brother's appearance, and hoped for Xavier's safety.

word count; 636 words
comments; Rawr. I haz come to invade your threadz, Zal! -officially haz new nickname for you-

[;;CONFLICT]

Quetzal, upon hearing and smelling the trespassers, flicked his tail, landing it in an upwards, more dominant position behind him. "Yes. I do own this territory, and yes, you are trespassing. he warned, a faint sign of a hiss hidden deep withing the words. His eyes, dark green pools of venom, flicked across the clearing. His fur rose once he caught the scent of another cat. The slightest grin spread across his muzzle. His fangs glinted in the faint light that seeped through the trees above them. Silver and sharp, with faint signs of having ever having killed a cat. His teeth definately didnt give away what he was about to do. Of course, though, if he didnt move, his position would.

Smooth and with fluid-like grace, he spun around to face the male, his venomous eyes burning through his new enemy's blue-green eyes. This cats eyes... they were as if the colors were divided by an invisible wall, the blue seperated from the green, unable to mix and create the proper color, and the pelt of this cat... it was even worse. He was longhaired, and his pelt was white with a slight greenish tinge... but that wasnt the part that caught Quetzal's attention. As his venomous green eyes scanned the male, he spotted dark grey dragon-like markings scattered throughout the male's pelt. The markings were truly interesting, and caught even Quetzal's curiousity. Still, a few special markings wouldnt stop Quetzal from doing what he needed to. In order to get this male off his territory, he needed to threaten him, and in order to threaten him, he would need to either badly injure the female, or fight the male.

Now it was time. Quetzal stood up, scenting the air slightly to detect the female's location. She was in a tree just outside the clearing. He took off, not towards the tree, but instead in the opposite direction. He didnt even bother to check if the male was following. Quetzal moved like running water- silent, quickly, and with a fluid grace that was noticable in every pawstep. His long fur was pressed against his sides as he ran through the trees. He had a plan, but surely the male would notice. Quetzal made a sharp turn, his fur changing direction with the wind. Now he was headed towards the tree, but now he was hidden by the trees and undergrowth around him. Despite all the broken branches and stones underpaw, he managed to avoid them all and move silently.

He slowed his pace as he approached the tree, a water faucet being turned to a lower speed. He was near invisible now, and he stopped. The tree that the female was in was right in front of him. He set a paw forewards, no sound made, a faucet that wasnt turned off completely. Then, another paw was sent foreward. This continued until he was right next to the tree, the scent of the bark left going through his mind. The scent of the female was stronger, though, so Quetzal wasnt worried. He silently climbed up the tree, branch by branch, continuing on until he was on the branch right behind the female's.

The female didnt look any better then the male. She was small and covered with scars, and her pelt had a white tortoiseshell look. Quetzal's fur was standing up straight when he saw her, but smoothed it back down immediately, being cautious so she wouldnt scent her. He set a paw foreward, once again a faucet being left on low. His venomous eyes were set on the small female, and nothing could take them off. This was what his mind was set to. He grinned slightly, his sharp, shiny teeth the only light in the tree. Then, he leaped. It was all up to accuracy, stealth, and state of mind wether he hit his target or not. And so, he waited, his venomous green eyes set on his target and his claws out, gleaming as the small amount of light hit them.

[;; P H E O N I X]

;; X a v i e r . & . X e n a ;;

you feel so . l o n e l y .
and you lay here . b r o k e n .
but know that you'll never be . a l o n e .

Eyes rolled in annoyance, and a scowl took the place of mock worry upon the toms face. To serious. Long black claws flexed in and out, eyes stared at the tom before him. The slight grin that slipped across the toms face revealed fangs. Fangs that made Xavier nervous. He barely noticed the tom staring at him with genuine curiosity, for he was too busy trying to predict what he was going to do. Gah! This is impossible. He’s going to do something that’ll make me furious, I’m sure, but I have no idea what. So long as Xena stays safe though…

Possibilities bounced through his head, and Xavier missed all the signs of a cat about to run. He nearly leaped out of his pelt in surprise as the blue tom barreled past him towards the trees in the opposite direction of Xena. What is he doing? He’s not fleeing in surrender… Xavier listened as the sound of pawsteps drumming on the ground moved around the clearing. What in the world was this tom thinking? Then it dawned on him. The light bulb lit up inside his head. “DON’T TOUCH HER!” Xavier’s yowl rang around the clearing, and almost instantly he sprang into action. His claws unsheathed, a loud hiss escaped his jaws. He leaped towards the tree, but he knew he was too late.

I’m a failure. She trusts me to protect her…And now I don’t have time to save her! Oh he better not hurt her… His worried thoughts didn’t show on his face as he ran towards the tree, oh no. Fury was apparent, and within his eyes, a glow of something was there. A glow stronger then the fury, it seemed. Was it love for his sister? Determination to save her? It couldn’t be placed, but it was there. And it was burning, blazing, fixated on the place where he’d left Xena. “Watch out!” His warning was probably too late, as he thought he caught the flash of a blue tail as a feline slid up the trunk of the tree. Faster…Faster...Faster… Xavier willed his paws to carry him to the tree faster, but they simply wouldn’t. He watched as Quetzal leaped into the air, and winced at his sisters fearful squeal.

I’m gonna kill him…There’s gonna be nothing left…He never should have touched her. That was the worst mistake he could ever make. Xavier leaped into the tree, slipping onto the branch next to Xena and Quetzal. His gaze leaped between the two branches, and as he watched the branch bend under the weight of Quetzal and Xena, he realized he was powerless to help her. If I try to get him off of her, I’ll only make the branch break and hurt her more. Oh dear me…I hate this. I hate watching her so afraid. I hate not being able to help. Gah! I’m going to go insane if something doesn’t happen soon. He barely noticed the growl rumbling in his throat, and did nothing to stop it. As soon as he gets out of this tree…I’m not going to let him escape alive.

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Xena’s red eyes glimmered with a mixture of fear and concern, and she flexed her claws nervously. She watched the lone male as he assumed a dominant position, and barred his fangs in hostility. Xavier, Xavier run! You don’t need to get yourself hurt, he’s causing no harm to us! Just leave him! Her mind screamed at her brother, but not a sound escaped her lips. She trembled in fear, and her dark red ears were flatted against her head. The tom scented the air, though it seemed as Xavier missed it. Had he scented her? Was he going to attack? What he did surprised her, but surprise, soon turned to pure terror. She watched him run in the opposite direction, and her eyes followed the movement around the clearing. He moved with liquid-like grace, and it mesmerized her, but soon she realized what he was up to. H-h-he’s going…Going to…H-he’s going to come up here! she thought with alarm, eyes growing wide with horror and pure terror. Not a hint of anything else could be seen. Her gaze darted towards Xavier, who seemed to have noticed what the tom was doing to, but she knew, he wasn’t going to get there before the other tom.

She couldn’t move. If Xena could regain control of her limbs, she could leap from the tree and run towards the protection Xavier provided. But she couldn’t move. Her muscles were tense with fear, and yet, she had no control. She closed her eyes. She’d felt this way only once before in her life, on the fateful day that made her who she was now. Images flashed through her mind, and she winced as the memories played back in her mind. She could almost feel claws ripping through her flesh, and fangs digging into her pelt.

A green tom covered in yellow dragons, tumbling around and playing. The playful taunts, and suddenly, pain. Claws flashed, nothing but fear. She couldn’t move, couldn’t fight back, she was caught so off guard. Pain. Pain was all she could think about, and then it all went black.

She opened her eyes again, and all she saw was a blue shape leaping towards her. What happened in less than a second, seemed like hours for her. Paws hit her, and she felt the branch bend under the new weight. A high-pitched squeal escaped her lips, and she stared up at the tom. “D-D-Don’t h-hurt m-m-me. P-Please, I-I-I want t-t-to live.” She was surprised she managed to utter even those eight words, normally she couldn’t come anywhere close to making a sound when in the presence of another cat. She heard Xavier leap into the tree, and willed him to help her. But instead he just stood there. He seemed troubled, and she wondered why he didn’t leap at the tom standing over her. Any other time he’d be tearing this tom apart with a strange determination, why was he just standing there now?

word count; Xavier - 520 / Xena - 493 / Total - 1013
comments; Crazeh muse attack!

[;;CONFLICT]

Quetzal smirked slightly, his venomous green pools staring back at the female's fiery red eyes. "Dont worry. Im not actually going to hurt you. I just saw how protective your friend was being and got... curious. I couldnt resist, really." he mewed. He knew he sounded childish right now. Did that matter? No. He just had the most fun he had in a while, though. His eyes flicked over towards the odd looking cat, who was still standing there, obvious fear for his sister in his eyes. Quetzal slowly stopped himself from towering over the she-cat until he was sitting next to her. His venomous green eyes slid across the male's pelt, examining all signs of aggression. "Oh, calm down, furball. Its your fault you werent paying attention. Your lucky im not an aggressive cat." Quetzal meowed, his ears shifting slightly to listen the the sounds around him. He could hear a few birds and mice down on the ground, probably eating, but that was it. From what he could tell, they were the only ones on his territory. Blue tinted whiskers twitching, he looked over towards Xena. "So, what are your names?" he meowed. He was a lot less hostile now that their little scuffle was over. Sure, the male would most likely be a little edgy now. Thats why he was talking to the female. Then again, she was probably a little startled, too. He was slightly amused by how she was begging him to let her live. Still, that thought had completely passed now. He scented the air, awaiting an answer and keeping his gaurd up in case anybody was trespassing.

(( Short. ))

[;; P H E O N I X]

;; X a v i e r . & . X e n a ;;

you feel so . l o n e l y .
and you lay here . b r o k e n .
but know that you'll never be . a l o n e .

Xavier’s fearful stare quickly turned into an annoyed glare as Quetzal spoke. “You shouldn’t toy with other cats tempers, mousebrain. It’s not a good thing to get in the habit of.” he spat, a bit annoyed with himself for not noticing the obvious signs showing no real aggression. His tail lashed back and forth it utter annoyance, and his fur bristled as Quetzal seemingly ignored him and Asked Xena their names. “Xavier. I’m Xavier, not that it matters to you, of all cats.” he meowed, a bit of an edge to his voice.

The long haired tom nodded as Xena confirmed she was fine, and continued watching Quetzal carefully. If he so much as touches her again...Gah! Stupid toms. Care about nothing but their territory. Look at him, eternally checking for intruders. Next thing you know he'll be running us off his territory! he thought, digging his claws into the bark beneath his paws. "If it's all the same, I think we'll be going now..." he growled, flicking his tail to summon Xena.

'No. I-I'm staying h-h-here'

"What? I said, we're leaving!" he growled, staring sternly at his sister. Why was she suddenly refusing to listen to him? Stupid tom. Now he's hypnotizing Xena or something...

'I'm staying h-here. N-no reason to a-a-abandon this tom n-now, just as he's t-trying to be p-p-polite.'

"Gah! Fine. You can stay for a bit. I, however, am going to go find some prey in this stupid forest." he hissed, slipping out of the tree. What's gotten into Xena today?

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A sigh of relief slid through Xena's lips as Quetzal spoke. "I s-see..." she said softly, her voice still shaky and her eyes wary. She watched as Quetzal moved, and considered leaping towards her brothers safety. But one part of her wouldn't dare move, as if Quetzal may be a snake sitting in the grass, and any sudden movements would make him strike. "I-I'm fine, Xavier" she mewed before Xavier even asked the question. Xavier still appeared a bit annoyed, and was clearly not the happiest cat in the world, but Xena was at least glad no one had gotten hurt.

Carefully smoothing out her ruffled fur, Xena was a bit surprised at Quetzal's question. "Oh...Um...W-well...Um...I'm X-Xena..." she stuttered, perhaps the first time she'd actually introduced herself in ages. Shifting her weight around nervously, she waited for Xavier to do something. Conversations really weren’t her most favorite thing, especially when they’re with a cat who just attacked her.

As Xavier stood to leave, Xena stiffened. She wasn't ready to go yet, she was tired, and there was something about this tom she liked. "No. I-I'm staying h-h-here." she replied, a determined look upon her face. She wasn't going to leave, not now. With a flick of her tail, she watched as Xavier left. It had been moons since she'd been more then a few feet from her brother...Just watching him go was like watching a little part of herself fall apart. But at least she wasn't totally alone, and this tom seemed pretty friendly. "W-Well then..." she said simply, the few moments of silence starting to make her a bit uncomfortable.

word count; Xavier - 253 / Xena - 271 / Total - 524
comments; Gah, it took me forever. Threw in Xavier leaving just so it would be longer! Bwahaha! xD