misunderstood. [coyote/inferno]

[Dawn]

More rain. Did it ever stop raining? How he hated rain. Then again, there weren't many things that Coyotesmoke liked. How could he? His clan mates were all out to get him, only paying attention to him when they were bored and needed someone to pick on. The prey was scrawny and this took the thrill out of catching it. The weather and season could get no worse. There was nothing, he was sure, that he hated more than rain in leafbare. Give him snow, give him wind, give him hail. But not ice cold, bitter rain, turning the already fallen snow to a disgusting, churning sea of brown mush. When that happened, he hardly dared leave camp. Every step brought the soft, weak texture to him, the mix of warm and cold. It was so irritating. Whenever he hit an island of space, he was forced to stop and groom himself furiously. Bottom line, he hated it.

Now, standing under the mild falling water, he glared down at a puddle. In a dip in the earth, water had pooled. However, the bottom was grassy, not just dirt, so it remained clear enough to reflect the images around it, rather than turning dark and murky. It was about two fox lengths wide, and three long; the depth, however, was no more than a mouse length and a half, if that. Coyotesmoke had journeyed out by himself, sick of listening to the other cats babble on about how great the new deputy, Infernochaser, was. He didn't give a flying mouse tail about who would succeed Havocstar. Things never changed. Baring his teeth at his reflection, the tom growled out, "Hello, I'm Coyotesmoke. I have no friends, and that's because everyone hates me." His tone rose a pitch, to appear mocking. Then he brought his paw down on the image, shattering himself as cold water splashed up. It landed, creating ripples within the ripples that spread outward. What a never ending cycle it was. "Of course, even the new deputy's lost whisker is ten times more valuable than myself," Coyotesmoke snarled softly, turning away from the puddle.

NOTES. Only Swifty, with her Zephyrclan character Infernochaser, may respond to this post. All other responses will be removed. Thanks! (:

[Swift ✱]

INFERNOCHASER
and you can't save me now
i'm in the grip of a hurricane
i'm gonna blow myself away
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Infernochaser had been out to see if she could catch a little something to bring back to the clan. But with the weather, most prey were hiding away, out of reach. So, she wasn't having much luck. Winter was a hard time for the clans, but Zephyrclan had it tougher than most. Their moors that were usually crawling with hares seemed more barren than they were during the other seasons. The little wooded areas scattered through the territory were more promising than out in the windy, wet, sweeping moors. But the new deputy had decided to see what she would find out there. What she found was not a hare, though she might have preferred if it was.

The she-cat spotted a small, grey-ish tom standing beside a puddle. Coyotesmoke was inmistakeable. Not only from his voice and what he was saying, but from his size and colour. "Hello, I'm Coyotesmoke. I have no friends, and that's because everyone hates me." Infernochaser rolled her eyes up to the sky. This tom took self-pity to a new level. Did he ever think that if he was more pleasant then others might like him more? She began to walk forward through the pelting rain. She sat herself down a good few fox-lengths away, paying little attention to the rain pouring down on her, making her fur go a deeper brown.

"Of course, even the new deputy's lost whisker is ten times more valuable than myself," The she-cat lifted a brow curioiusly. She didn't take his comment too seriously because she knew that Coyotesmoke could say things that he doesn't really mean. Or, at least he said things he didn't mean for her to hear. Maybe. She would see how sincere he really was. Infernochaser was larger than the tom. I wouldn't be hard to teach him a little lesson. tShe stood up and walked towards the tom slowly as he turned around. "I take it you're having a wonderful day," she meowed evenly, but she narrowed her green eyes slightly. "I know I am. Listening to your complements sure brightened mine."

✱

[Dawn]

Grumbling to himself, Coyotesmoke was startled as a voice spoke in front of him. He jumped, muscles tensing, and let out a loud hiss. His enormous green eyes lifted to gaze spitefully at the deputy herself, Infernochaser. She was attractive enough, small like himself but slender rather than scrawny and underfed. Her looks were striking, and he could tell from the set to her jaw and the look in her eyes that she, like everyone else, despised him. Coyotesmoke did not fear her, for he knew she was a clan mate, besides the deputy, and could not attack or injure him. However, he inwardly cringed at what was likely to come. A battering of his emotions, no doubt. He'd heard all of the insults before, and each weighed on him heavily, further pressing down his self image. What would it be? Rude? Ugly? Stupid? Mean? Bitter? There was a perverse pleasure in trying to guess at her words. Of course, he'd never been good at reading others. He'd never really been good at anything. Hunting, maybe. He had fair skill in that, but that was all.

"I take it you're having a wonderful day," He bared his teeth slightly in distaste. "What do you care how I feel?" He spat, tail beginning to lash. Coyotesmoke clawed at the wet earth, angry that she had heard him, angry that she was here, and had found him. "Oh, just get on with it." He added to the slightly older cat, looking anywhere but at her. Of all the cats to disturb him, why did it have to be her? Why wasn't she back at camp, soaking up the praise of their clan mates? "I know I am. Listening to your complements sure brightened mine," the deputy continued. Of course, she was leading up to the insults. He could wait, patiently. If he turned and tried to get away it would be 'disrespectful' and he would probably be called a coward. Running away from this was like running from a battle, even if it wasn't at all a fair fight. "Glad to hear it," the thin cream tom hissed quietly, not at all glad. Not only was he in for a brutal verbal attack, here he had given her something to fight with, words of praise from his own mouth. That settled things, right there.

[/center]

[Swift ✱]

INFERNOCHASER
and you can't save me now
i'm in the grip of a hurricane
i'm gonna blow myself away
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

"What do you care how I feel?" Infernochaser tilted her head to the side. "How do you know I do?" she countered, chuckling to herself. "It was a simple comment on my part, don't jump to conclusions." A calm smirk unhurriedly spread over her features. As Coyotesmoke seemed to get more aggravated with her, she simply sat down on her haunches and smiled coolly, unfazed. "Oh, just get on with it. She twitched her whiskers absently as her gaze drifted from the tom to look around the moor, still checking for signs of prey, but she doubted anything would come by. His loud hissing would make the prey hide as much as the rain. "Not my style, Coyotesmoke." she began, drawing a quick breath. "I don't like to rush into anything, you see. I’d rather take my time because if I’m going to do something, I like doing it right," she said steadily as she narrowed her eyes further, even though she wasn’t looking in his direction. She felt that if her first act as deputy was to attack a fellow clanmate - no matter how irritating he was - then she would certainly be frowned upon. But it wasn't like she was about to let him get away with anything. If he thought so, he was remarkably mistaken.

"Glad to hear it," She scoffed at his sarcasm and disdain, glancing enquiringly at the tom. She would give him something to be really 'glad' about. But instead of hissing at him, or attacking him, she sat calmly and tapped her tail on her paws, as she often did. "It seems to me like you're encouraging me to have a go at you. It's almost too easy," she started casually, gazing away absent-mindedly, as if pondering the situation. "But I prefer a challenge than to take things for granted," she continued.

The tom was quite frustrated with her sudden appearance - she could tell without glancing at him. Infernochaser shook her head. "Calm down, for Starclan's sake, Coyotesmoke. I'm not going to eat you just yet," she meowed, rolling her eyes. She knew that Coyotesmoke wasn't a bit afraid of her. He was just frustrated after her overhearing him complaining about her. But the tom’s self-deprecating manner wouldn't get him very far. But then, she didn't suppose he was going anywhere. But he was digging himself into a deep hole. In her opinion, he was selfish. He really only thought of himself. Things like: 'I have no friends', 'Everyone hates me' and 'I'm not valuable' wouldn't get him out of the situation he had gotten himself into. If he really wanted friends, he'd try to be a little more pleasant. But she wasn’t sure he’d be thankful if she pointed that out for him.

✱

[Dawn]

He narrowed his eyes to show that his question had been entirely rhetorical, and also code for 'Get the hell away from me.' Coyotesmoke never went out of his way to be mean to others, so he couldn't understand why they had to step in his direction just to bully him, especially when he was defenseless. It wasn't like he was going to fight and argue against them. It was all true; the problem was, he got tired of hearing it all the time. Didn't he hurt himself enough for others to see they didn't need to? And then there was his parents. It was their duty to kick him down, he guessed. They had been responsible for his birth, and even if they were dead, or missing, or gone, their ever present voices in his head assured him they were also responsible for making his life miserable. Still, he wanted to please them. He tried his hardest, honing his hunting skills for a clan that he didn't care to feed. He ate when he needed to; he was efficient. Coyotesmoke wasn't respectful, but that was only because he purposely put off the air that he didn't want anyone around him, and he figured that if they came close anyway, they were just looking for a good time making themselves feel better. It was sort of like, "Ha, ha. I know I'm screwed up, but boy! At least I'm not as much of a lunatic as Coyotesmoke!" That was what they called him, if anything at all. Lunatic, simply because he heard the voices he ought to. It didn't drive him mad, now did it? He had no desire to kill or harm others, not a shred. So, if said cats came by to yowl at him this way, he figured they had his cold front coming to them. Sure, he wouldn't run, but he wasn't going to roll over, show his belly fur, and say 'Put me out of my misery,' either, now was he? "Actually... it's not really a bad idea..."

After he spoke, he remembered that the deputy was there, and sighed. Coyotesmoke had missed her first few phrases, those that came after her own rhetorical question which denoted the fact that she didn't care whatsoever. Her attitude was so familiar that he almost felt comfortable with her- only she didn't have as easy a pass as the other female that had treated him this way did. Barely catching at her words about a challenge he simply shrugged, turning his green eyes back to her. She wanted something from him- of course, they all did, the ones that took note of his existence. They all wanted something. The pale warrior grimaced, giving his pelt a shake to throw off the dreaded rain. "No, I suppose not. You'd like to do some damage first, right? Only I can't figure if you like to get physical to make yourself appear more dominant, or if you prefer playing mind games. I'd bet it's the second, considering who you remind me of." He chuckled, though there wasn't any humor to it. "So, I guess you want me to jab you so you can jab me? Claim I started it all?" His voice softened, lowering, eyes dark. "Because it's always Coyotesmoke's fault, isn't it." It wasn't a question, and he didn't want an answer. Knowing her though, he'd get one. She thought it was her duty to take him down a peg. Little did she know he was on the bottom row already. There wasn't any lower he could go. Then again, she liked a challenge, didn't she?

[/center]

[Swift ✱]

INFERNOCHASER
and you can't save me now
i'm in the grip of a hurricane
i'm gonna blow myself away
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

"Who do I remind you of?" she asked curiously, head tilting to the side. But once she said it, she wondered if she really wanted to know. She really wasn't sure that the answer would be one she wanted - if he answered. The she-cat was starting to feel something close to pity for the younger tom, but she knew that her pity could only extend so far. He seemed to be a bit of a loner in the clan; very unsociable, he kept to himself, hardly trying to get along with anyone else. She was wary of him, since she did not know him too well and didn't know how he would behave generally. But she drew some comfort from the fact that she was slightly larger than him, so if it did come to blows, she would have the upper hand. She didn't intend on a spar, but if he wanted one so badly, so would only happily oblige.

"So, I guess you want me to jab you so you can jab me? Claim I started it all?" The she-cat scoffed. "Not everyone is out to get you, y'know," she pointed out impassively, chuckling lightly. Just because he was so pessimistic gave him no right to believe everyone else would be the same. "Because it's always Coyotesmoke's fault, isn't it." Infernochaser simply ignored this comment. Nothing nice would come out of her mouth if she were to open it and reply to him. And she still thought that if anyone else found out that she had attacked a fellow clan-mate - verbally or physically - then she would be frowned upon, so decided that she would leave it.. But then, how would they all find out if she did? The abyssinian dropped the thought for the moment. She would come back to that. She glanced back at the tom. Why was the tom such a sour-puss? Couldn't he even try to act normally, or was it beyond his capabilities?

✱

[Dawn]

He noted her curiosity with a startled expression, large green eyes widening even more as he looked at her. Did she really care? She was probably just being 'polite.' As if he couldn't feel how much she loathed him, and being in his company. All time spent in his presence was unbearable, and most all cats hated it, some more than the newly named deputy, some less. He couldn't help but think Infernochaser was a pretty poor deputy, diplomatically. She was willing to beat up on a cat that wouldn't care anyway just out of aggression, to prove she was stronger than him? Great Starclan, he knew she was stronger. He'd been told all of his life what a worthless weakling he was, Coyotesmoke didn't need a beating to remind him. Then again, maybe she'd hold herself back, contain her pride. He might have a shred of respect for her if she could, but he doubted she would. If it came to a fight, it would be initiated by her. The pale tom would never raise a claw, nor would he defend himself if she insisted upon waling on him. After a minute of consideration, Coyotesmoke murmured passively, "No one. She's dead now."

He frowned at her. "Not everyone is out to get you, y'know," In a completely serious tone, the young warrior questioned, "How can you be sure? He took a tiny step back, distancing himself from her slowly. "If I give you enough cause to, you'll claw my ears off, just for a good time. Don't you consider that 'out to get me?'" He hissed suddenly, halting in his careful steps backward. Something sharp dug deep into his back foot, causing pangs and a familiar wet feeling. Fearful that the deputy might consider his outburst reason to attack, he leaped backward several mouse lengths more, then fell back on his haunches and lifted his paw to examine it. It was bleeding from a shallow cut, likely inflicted by a shard of broken rock or perhaps even glass. Coyotesmoke licked it tentatively, tasting the salty zest of blood. What a bother it will be now, getting back to that cursed camp. Maybe I'll just sleep out here, until it heals. He would make no complaint of it to her. All she would likely have for his minor injury was scorn, and he wasn't about to bring any more of that on himself. He would just sit here in his silence, licking his paw, and maybe she'd get bored or remember something else she had to do and go back to camp.

[Swift ✱]

INFERNOCHASER
and you can't save me now
i'm in the grip of a hurricane
i'm gonna blow myself away
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

As Coyotesmoke pushed her question aside without giving her any idea who it was, she just shook her head witheringly. Starclan above, he was depressing. How anyone could be expected to get along with someone with an attitude like that, she didn’t know. She didn't feel like attacking him any more. She wouldn't get much joy out of it. And by the looks of it, she wouldn't get much of a reaction from her opponent; he had practically offered for her to attack him. She didn't need to fight to get her point across, either. He'd cop on sometime, she hoped. Someone would set him straight. Maybe just not Infernochaser, though. "No one. She's dead now." She reminded him of someone who was dead? How lovely of him to voice that comparison. Maybe that was alright for him not to tell her who it was she reminded him of. Maybe she didn't want to know. After all, who knew what he would come out with?

"How can you be sure? If I give you enough cause to, you'll claw my ears off, just for a good time. Don't you consider that 'out to get me?'" She was sure, of course she was, but she said nothing. He could surely figure that out for himself. The she-cat looked at him silently for a moment as he backed away. Was he trying to get away without her coming after him? Or did he think she spooked at anything that moved. She raised a brow at him questioningly as he retreated. Infernochaser liked a chase, no matter what the prey.

"I never said anything about me. I said 'not everyone', but nothing about me personally," she retorted calmly, still tapping her russet tail on her paws and her gaze fixed vacantly on the tom. Twice now, he had basically told her that she was going to attack him - predicting it, almost - and twice she had shot the idea down. If he wanted his ears clawed off, he'd have to wait a while, and for someone else. She refused to respond negatively to him. But the tom's ears were fine at the moment, so why didn't he use them? That was the second time he had misunderstood what she meant. Would he get the point or would she have to drill it into his brain?

✱

[Dawn]

Coyotesmoke glared at her for a short time, before he realized how entirely pointless it all was. What did it matter if this new upstart of a deputy tore him apart or not? He already knew his faults, she was only validating them for him. "Yes, well, it's good to know that the deputy is looking out for her clan mate's best interests," he snarled bitingly, flicking an ear at her in discontent. He licked his paw, attempting to staunch the bleeding there. It was going to be a long, miserable walk back. Miserable. Oh well. The pale tabby turned to the side, gazing off in the direction of camp. Ah, the distance. But it was worth it, to seek shelter from the other cats, which apparently were now bent on tormenting and bullying him even when he was out in the territory, just trying to hunt for the clan. Why he didn't just become a rogue, he wasn't sure. Probably because he was still seeking something important here, in the clan. Coyotesmoke just wasn't sure what it was yet. "Bye, deputy," he announced shortly, padding off toward camp at a moderately quick limp, hind foot held aloft awkwardly. "It's been fun." He waved his tail, expecting anything from her, including an attack from behind, but not caring anymore. If she decided to pursue him, so be it. Infernochaser could hound him clear back to camp, but eventually she'd have her own duties to attend to, he was certain.

OOC; You just wanna be done now? Cx

[Swift ✱]

OOC: Yeah, sure. I haven't got much to say anyway (: