Control

[SMIFFAGRIFF]

Requesting Picasso

THIS IS OUTTA CONTROL
Why Can't I Ever Get It Though?
Damn, Why Can't I Ever Get It Though?

It was dawn, and Francis was at his wit's end. This was foreign territory to him, and once again, he had to wonder how he'd managed to find his way here. Unpleasant memories made their way to the tom's head as he recalled his rendezvous with disaster. He shook his head to clear his mind, and set his emerald eyes straight ahead of him. If he was indeed in unknown territory, then he needed to be on alert. Already, he'd smelled the scent of wild cats, and having dealt with everything from dogs to lynxes, Francis knew that he needed to stay sharp... not that that was a huge challenge for him. This particular tom had a bit of a reputation for being the 'cleverest bastard' around, as his good friend, Bluebeard called him. A purr of amusement escaped his maw as he thought back to his friend that he'd left so long ago. He was crippled, but in no way was he discouraged from life because of it. Bluebeard was perhaps the toughest cat he knew... with a vulgar and obscene tongue to boot.

An echoing sound of footsteps cut off Francis' thoughts however, and immediately, the tom whipped around towards the sound, ears pricked in alertness....

Nothing....

Wearily, Francis continued along, tasting the air for any signs of brother or sister cats. Deeper he went into Hexasol, his tail swishing behind him gently as he shifted his gaze around. Something... no someone was stalking him. The mere thought made Francis' fur fluff out and a chill roll down his spine. He hated the feeling of others watching him. After his very first mystery, where he was completely unaware that the enemy was watching his every move, and manipulating him, he was paranoid of the same thing happening. In the back of his mind though, Francis could not imagine another cat as horrible... corrupted as the one he met. Pascal....

You were once innocent. I once thought of you as my brother, he thought solemnly. Even I cannot condemn you to a life in hell. It was not your fault that you lost your innocence...

And then, more footsteps sounded, this time much closer to him. Francis hissed, stopping in one spot, "Brother or sister! I know you are there! Please, reveal yourself!"

GUESS THAT'S HOW LIFE GOES
Every Time I Walk Poetry She Walks Prose And Too Slow

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Dawn approached the city of Hexasol, and Florence was in her favourite place, sat atop of the rooftops. She looked down on the city as sky began to lighten. The sun wasn't even above the horizon, yet already in the east, the sky was mingling with burnt oranges and fiery yellows. The sky was quickly changing from a blanket of midnight blue to a musky blue. It wouldn't be long before the sun would appear and another day would be pronounced. Her eyes squinted as Florence stared at the looming mountains in the distance. Even now, when the weather wasn't all that cold, the tips of the mountains were covered with snow and ice. Florence had always wondered what it would be like to climb right to the top. It would be higher than the rooftops, and the rooftops were the highest that Florence had ever seen. Imagine the sunrises and sunsets from the peak! Her calming thoughts were suddenly taken away from her from the betraying scent of a cat that wasn't meant to be there. Lashing her tail angrily, Florence spun around, head raised into the air as she sniffed, trying to follow where the scent was coming from. It had been a boring few days, so maybe a trespasser might interest her. Florence grinned to herself and jumped away from the edge of the roof, following the scent downwards. Florence was intent in giving this trespasser mind games, seeing as there was no reason he should even be there. The scent got stronger and Florence was sure that he would be able to hear her large paws thump against the ground. However, Florence didn't let him know that she was there. Instead she followed him, making him paranoid. What was he even doing there? This was her territory, and her territory alone, yet he seemed to be walking within it as though he didn't have a clue. Finally, Florence decided to let her presence be known when he spoke. Frowning a little, Florence stayed within the shadows and proclaimed loudly: "If I was your sister, I would have to kill my family," Her voice taunted, echoing around them, "What I'd like to know is what you are doing here. Give me three reasons why I shouldn't rip you limb from limb.

[/color] A smirk grew on her features. Oh how she wanted to turn him into a lovely little slave there and then. He couldn't outrun Florence.

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[SMIFFAGRIFF]

Don't Fret Precious
I'm Here.
Step Away From The Window
Go Back To Sleep...

Francis' ears perked atop his head as his call was answered off to the right of him. Turning his frame to get a better look at what was out there, the small feline responded, "Sorry sister. It is a force of habit to call all the felidae species my family...." he trailed off as Florance came into his field of view, and for a few moments, Francis was shocked to one spot. A lioness! A lioness in a city! What a fearful thing to run into, yet also so powerful... so beautiful... the icon of his long lost wildness.

Still, Francis could tell she was agitated, and he wanted nothing to do with violence if he could help it. He'd rather live a few more days anyway, though, he had seen the other side... briefly. What waited for him was nothing bad, yet... there were still so many mysteries left unsolved. It was the only reason he refused to accept death as his fate back then... and he would refuse to accept it now if he could help it.

"What I'd like to know is what you are doing here. Give me three reasons why I shouldn't rip you limb from limb."

A smirk worked its way onto the lioness' features and Francis knew that there was nothing he could do if she decided to attack him. His only hope was to use his natural charm and superior intellect to wiggle his way out of this situation, "Sister, if I may be so blunt, do you have a reason to hurt me so? I'm a newcomer here, from a foreign country, and did not know until recently of the war plaguing this area. Just because I am taking no side in the war does not mean I should not be able to come and speak to my fellow Felidae, right? I was curious about the Iris Pride, and wanted just to see... observe if you will. My name is Francis. I'm a bit of a mystery solver, so this is just another one of my habits. I can leave peacefully if you'd like... but I am of no threat to you, so I'd like to explore, if that is possible. Who might you be, powerful lioness... and perchance, do you happen to know where I can find the leader of the Iris Pride?"

He hoped his polite words were enough to sway some of Florence's anger, but little did he know that he was indeed, talking to the leader he was seeking out for a bit of questioning. It wasn't that he was interested in the war too much, though, he would be more upset if the dogs took over Hexasol... but he was much more interested in what had killed off his owner, and the rest of mankind. It was so familiar to him... these kinds of deaths. He'd seen death in more gruesome ways then most others, and too many times now for him to count. Yet he still could not desensitize himself to it.... at least, not until he knew some way to understand it.

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] The way this cat spoke... it confused Florence. He seemed well educated and well spoken, as though he was brought up by a posh, pompous mother. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Florence cocked her head to the side, trying to work out what was mentally wrong with him. To have the bloody nerve to stroll into the Iris Pridelands without a second thought. It seemed he didn't even have a clue who their leader was. How dull was he? Florence resisted the urge to throttle him as she stood still, just staring at the other cat. Honestly, the mad ones that she attracted here. Was it her personality that brought them along? Her mind flickered to Gypsy, the crazy and obsessed spy cat. God, he was mad, but she kept him purely because his spying skills were outstanding. Florence wondered whether the cat had even breathed in the whole monologue-thing that he'd just spoken. Was he the type that just loved the sound of their own voice and would keep talking and talking for hours on end. They could probably talk to a brick wall and still have a good conversation. Rolling her eyes, Florence stepped forward threateningly, "Of course I have a reason to hurt you. You're trespassing, and trespassers must be dealt with." She took another step, so her face was pressed up against the male's. She idly wondered whether he could smell the stench of her rotten, meaty breath. Oh, how Florence hoped so. Snorting, she pulled back her head a little so she could look right into his eyes. The leader of the pride,

[/color] Florence started, pausing for a dramatic effect, "Is standing right in front of you."[/color] Smirking, Florence really did wonder how any old cat could wander into a Pack and not expect to be attacked on first glance. The only other thing worse than this would be a stupid, filthy dog lumbering into the Pride without a second thought. Now, they would be stupid. Absolutely stupid.

Florence now waited for a reply, a reaction, anything. She half expected the cat to turn around and flee like a coward, yet the other half was curious as to how he would react now that he realised that she was the leader, and she wasn't happy.

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[SMIFFAGRIFF]

OH SO MANY WAYS
For Me To Show You How
Your Dogma Has Abandoned You

Francis, while being a super-genius of a cat, was surprised to note that this was indeed, the leader of the Iris Pride. He blinked several times in astonishment, and then with a dip of his head said, "I'm sorry for not realizing that before. Excuse my rudeness sister." He lifted his gaze to her after that, noting that she was no in the least dissuaded by his politeness. In fact, she seemed more ticked off if anything. Still, Francis was a glutton for punishment... he wanted information. He craved it like a rat craves a trash bin.

"I apologize for bothering you," he started carefully, wondering how to best communicate his questions without educing Florence's wrath. He didn't pause for long though. Francis was a genius after all. Speech just came to him, "And by every means do you have the right to kill me, but before you do, would you be so kind as to help me solve a mystery I've been wondering about? I am curious about the Iris Pride... how you've managed to create and uphold such a powerful force. It intrigues me how many of our vast species have decided to work together for a noble cause like yours.... especially because many Felidae are solitary creatures. Ah, but I'm rambling. It is your choice what to do with a defenseless old cat like myself."

[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Florence twitched visibly when the imbecile of a cat called her a sister once again. Who did he think he was, claiming that he was related to her? The thought of being related to such a fool made her skin crawl and fur stand on end as she glared down at the smaller cat. What the hell was he talking about anyway? He seemed to be rambling and Florence was about to cut him off when he stopped, probably sensing her discomfort. She'd really enjoy biting that neck and tasting that blood. Florence hadn't murdered or killed a canine nor feline in a very long time, and was aching to sink her teeth or claws into some flesh other than her prey. "If you call me 'sister' one more time, your neck will be ripped open and you'll be cut limb from limb." Florence said coolly, eyes fiery as she waited for a comeback. When Florence remembered that this cat was still waiting for an answer from her, she tried to trace back her thoughts and remember what he said. Ah, so he wanted to know the secrets of her Pride. Pah! The cheek of it. This feline had travelled right into the heart of the Iris Pride just to find out that? What a complete and utter fool. The chances of him leaving the Pridelands unscathed seemed to be getting lower and lower as time went on. "Why are you being so nosey, kitty?"

[/color] She asked tauntingly, "I never reveal my tricks."[/color] Pausing for effect, then continuing, "I'm sure a clever cat like you must've heard the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat'?[/color] With that, she began to stalk forward, having every intention to hurt the cat in front of her. He could run, or he could let himself be tortured by the large lioness. His choice, really.

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