. &I will not die in the night;

[rayne]

My entire life's been one big joke.

A dance that's walked, a song that's spoke.
I laugh so hard I almost choke..

Dogs. Whose idea had it been to damn the earth with their presence in the first place? What good had they contributed to the world, but to give humans--which were now extinct--a helping hand? They should have gone with them--man must be lonely in the spirit world without his best friend.
The young bengal's thoughts seemed to race, in an out of control spiral which he proudly called his mind. However, his pace was not as fast as his mind on this dazzling night. He walked slowly along the alley floor, knowing that he was trespassing far into the territory of another. However, he did not care. He'd lived in this city for quite a while, and it seemed that the only place he could trully find himself a place to think was within the pride's boundaries. Perhaps it was the strange sense of security, or perhaps it was just that most of their territory involved areas that were appeasing to the feline species. Either way, he liked it, and was willing to land himself in a tight situation should it come down to it.
Aquamarine eyes lifted their gaze from the darkened alley surroundings, narrowing their target on a set of stairs that led to a steep climb up a structure that he'd previously heard to be called by the term of 'fire escape'..Why the hell would they name it that? It didn't look like it was any sort of escape, and it sure as hell wasn't on fire. What strange two-legged creatures.
The feline gave a slight scoff at the thought, quickly leaping his way up to the staircase and winding his way up through the structure until he finally made it to its tallest point. From there on, he turned his attention down to the ground--such a long way down.. Good. Well out of harm's reach.
A small grin spread across his otherwise serious expression, causing an old spark to shimmer faintly in the depths of his eyes, which had been dulled and dulled again by a happy little thing called life.
He turned his attention back to the structure which lay above him--the rim of the rooftop; and within a second's notice, leaped up and landed along its rim. This was a bit higher than his previous altitude, but he didn't mind it--in fact, he rather enjoyed looking down at the world from a pedestal. It was almost as if he stepped out of all the drama and corruption of it all, even if for a second..bounding off along the rim of the roofto
Joker moved his libs one at a time gently, stretching them before wandering off along the rim of the rooftop.

|| Joker

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] The rooftops were a calm place to go, Florence decided as she sat at the edge of a flat-roofed rooftop and stared out at the city. There were some buildings taller than others, that reached up high into the sky, but many of them were impossible to get onto. The building she was sat atop of now was one of the tallest she'd ever been able to clamber onto, and the view was simple amazing. This was the reason why she should rule Hexasol. She could see what was going one for miles upon miles. If there was to be a fire spreading near Hexasol, it would be Florence to know first. She had the power to find out of all the dangers that surrounded the city. Feeling very powerful, she stood up to stretch her golden legs, before looking out at the ocean on the other side. Sunsets would be beautiful from up here. Eventually, after many minutes of staring out to the horizon with a blank look on her face, she turned away and began to pad towards the next rooftop. There was always a pacing thrill when she approached the gap between buildings. There was always the dangerous chance that she could slip or tumble and she'd fall to her imminent death. But that had never happened, because Florence considered herself too agile for that. Tensing her body, she crouched down, before jumping. Her body flew across the drop that would have caused her death had she not have jumped. Landing on the next rooftop with a thump, Florence grinned to herself, before beginning to run. She jumped between the rooftops happily, ignoring everything around her. On days like this, Florence felt like the only animal alive. Until she smelt a cat. Stopping in her tracks, she sniffed the air with a frown. Who was that? It wasn't a familiar scent. In fact, this kitty was a complete stranger. Not yet had this cat joined the pack nor had he applied for a place in the hierarchy. Hissing under her breath, Florence followed the scent to a Bengal that was wandering along the rim of a roof. It would be so easy to knock her off. "Do you know you're trespassing?" Florence hissed as she took a step toward the Bengal. She was always hostile to strangers, whether they wanted to join or not.

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[rayne]

My entire life's been one big joke.

A dance that's walked, a song that's spoke.
I laugh so hard I almost choke..

Joker walked calmly alongside the rim of the building, his eyes slowly rolling their gaze over roofstops and the streets that lay scattered below him. What a cluttered sight..not that he minded, it could be breathtaking at times. His attention was quickly grasped away from the horizon tholugh, by the now lingering scent of another feline--a much larger feline. His ears pricked up slightly as he came to a stop, his gaze shifting around the perimeter of the rooftops before the feline finally made its presence known. The voice had been from a lioness, one who seemed to be giving off the same kind of territorial aura that was almost characteristic of the pride and pack which populated the city.

"Yes m'am. Pardon me for any disturbance I may have caused, just out for a midnight stroll."

He said, his voice remaining at a cool, collected tone. He had no reason to run, nor any reason to feel skittish. He was a feline, she was a feline--and if something did happen, he could just shoot off back down the fire escape anyways..

The cat's aquamarine eyes locked on those of the lioness, watching as she took a menacing step towards him. Oh dear. What did he go and do now? Should have stayed behind the lines, Joker..should have stayed home.. he thought, edging away from the rim of the building in as sly a manner as he possibly could. Sure, he liked the thrill of walking closely to the edge, at a staggering height above a fatal drop into concrete--but he was far from dull enough to stay there when he'd just been caught trespassing by a much larger feline. He may have been a rather crazy, thrill-inclined cat..but he was not in any state of mind to go about and make crow food out of himself.

"Should I go? I can leave if my prescence is a problem here.."[/color] He said, trailing off towards the end of the sentence. He wanted little to no drama tonight, but if he'd wanted so, it would have been a clever choice to stay either between the territories, or in the unclaimed parts of town..

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Mental. This cat was utterly and completely mental. She stared at the Bengal for a while, wondering why on Earth he was trespassing on Iris territory. As far as Florence was concerned, rooftops were the Iris lands, whether cats and dogs liked it or not. She patrolled the place regularly, making sure there were no trespassing little rats that wanted to explore. Stepping closer, she made sure she was still fairly away from the edge just in case, but would also hopefully frighten the male and make him wary of the long drop down. How could he just waltz up here like he owned the place? He didn't own the damned place. Florence did. Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head, utterly surprised at his stupidity. "Are you slow? She asked in a patronising voice, hoping this would cause a spark. This male was utterly oblivious of territory rules. Looking out at the starry sky, Florence decided that this was probably the most beautiful place in Hexasol at the moment. Both she and the Bengal were privileged to be here. "How can you freely walk among another's lands and call it a 'stroll'? This is the Iris pack. Any felines or canines that are not members are disallowed. Do you understand?"

[/color] She blinked a few times, still unable to understand how this feline was so carefree about this. The vicious Tempest would probably shred the Bengal to ribbons if he's accidentally trespassed on their lands. This one was lucky.

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[rayne]

My entire life's been one big joke.

A dance that's walked, a song that's spoke.
I laugh so hard I almost choke..

The judging look which the large lioness seemed to be giving the cat caused a certain uneasyness to stir within his soul. Such an uneasyness, in return, caused the gears in his mind to shift and creak, almost as if asking his darker humour to shimmer through his dulled expression. No, he was not slow--the words the other feline said quickly caused a domino reaction to take place within his conscious mind.
His ears pricked forward in an alerted manner, as if his normal feline instincts were urging him to make a beeline towards the fire escape as an attempt to find his way out of the situation; but his thoughts soon shifted into his apathetic state, causing his almost feral expressions to dull once again.
"I understand, and I understand that this is for the benefit of your pride's security. However, I assure you that my intentions were solely set on finding something to do tonight."

He said, his voice echoing in a deeper tone than was to be expected of a domestic-sized cat. Indeed, he understood why pack animals would respond in a hostile manner whenit came to trespassers--and he also understood that nothing he was capable of saying could really change the fact that regardless of his intentions, he'd still managed to slither through her defences and venture behind 'enemy' lines until the leader herself had discovered him.
His aquamarine eyes blinked a few times in response to hers, almost as if the gesture had taken on a contagious quality, much like yawns seemed to have. The mere thought of yawning could cause a creature to do so, sometimes resulting in an unwanted look of boredom or carelessness. Which, he seemed to be a victim of yet again as his subconscious mind caused the bengal cat to give a slight yawn. The look of alert on his face prior to it though was rather priceless.
"That was not on purpose, I swear."[/color] He said, a tone of alert subtly ringing within his voice as he began his attempts to explain the gesture..which ended up in mostly rambling.
"You blinked so I blinked and it was contagious so I thought of yawns you know, one cat yawns and the other yawns shortly after but the thought can cause you to yawn so I did and--breathe Joker breathe.."[/color] He said, trailing off as he realized that he'd hardly taken a breath while attempting to clear his name. He shook his head lightly, setting a paw upon his head as if it would help clear the racing thoughts that had caused his sudden crazyness. What the heck had just happened there?

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Florence wasn't sure what to do with the Bengal. There could be a chance that he'd be interested in joining the Pride. She could use another few members. But... then again, was he cut out for it? Did he even have a hatred for canines like Florence and the rest of her Pride members did? She paused and tilted her head as the Bengal began to ramble. She kept silent between it all, not saying a word and only watching him, eyes mild with amusement. She did meet some strange ones, didn't she? Taking another step forward, she saw that she was starting to back him up closer to the ledge. It was always fun to torment others. "There are plenty of freelands to go without bumping into a pack member from the Iris Pride. Surely you could've gone elsewhere? She asked, honestly curious as to why the Bengal had picked the rooftops of all places. It was seemingly a well known fact that the rooftops were Iris territories. Florence spent most of her time patrolling, along with other felines, to make sure no one else trespassed. However, it looked as thought this feline hadn't caught one, and it didn't look like he was going to leave any time soon. With a frown, as he began to ramble about yawning, Florence suddenly gained the urge to yawn. She tried to withhold the urge, but she couldn't help it but stretch her jaws and let out a long yawn, showing off her powerful jaws in the process. Closing her mouth again, she stared at him. "You're an odd one."

[/color] He certainly was. Perhaps not the craziest cat on the block, but he was definitely different.

After a moment or two, Florence lowered herself onto the roof, resting her rump onto the ground. She still kept her eyes on the Bengal, and was ready to go after him if he did anything rash. Finally, it was time to talk business. "What is your opinion on dogs, Bengal?"[/color] She asked, realising that she still didn't know his name. Florence didn't really mind. She wasn't interested in names, unless he was going to join the Pride. Perhaps she'd be able to manipulate her way into getting him to join. Even if he didn't join, perhaps he could turn him into a slave. That would be interesting. He would be a pretty little slave to play with, that was for sure.

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[rayne]

My entire life's been one big joke.

A dance that's walked, a song that's spoke.
I laugh so hard I almost choke..

Joker's ears perked alertedly yet again as he watched the lioness, following her movements as she seemed to draw closer, causing him to simultaneously edge closer to the ledge. Damnit. He'd been trying to avoid getting within two feet of the ledge; as a feline, he liked heights and living on the edge. However, this wasn't what he had in mind when it came to such things.. Being backed into a dead end by something far larger and fiercer than he.
He listened attentively as she spoke, taking every word and making sure it processed in his brain. Under any other circumstances, he would have one ear listening and the other off somewhere in the depths of his mind, daydreaming and just not paying attention at all. But this was not one of those moments--she was a lioness. A lioness for christ's sake. How had such a wild creature managed to get to the depths of the city? He dared not ask--but his intuition led him to believe she'd come from a nearby zoo. However, his thoughts soon blurred as he realized that she was most likely expecting a response regarding why he was on the rooftops.

"Yes m'am, but the freelands hold a wide chance that I'll run into dogs there, and pacifists."

he said, his tone becoming tinged with a certain feel of disgust as he emphasized the word dogs. Truth be told, he would have never held such disgust for the creatures--if they hadn't gone and killed off both his mother and his brother. The thought of the incident itself seemed to dephthen the feline's eyes, giving them a much more feral look under the dim, starlit sky.

"Dogs? Oh you mean those flea-bags on the stocky things they call legs? Yes, I know them very well. Quite frankly, I believe they should stick to garbage dumps."[/color] He said, his eyes narrowing subconsciously at the thought. What an odd thing to ask--was there a feline on this earth who didn't have the instinctive hate towards canines? There may have been pacifists, but they couldn't deny the mutual dislike was by nature, therefore must stay alive or lead to doom..
"They'd be right at home.." He muttered, his voice being hardly audible, but still enough to be understood clearly.

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Florence's eyes crinkled with delight. Looked like this furball hated canines with a passion. Now that she'd figured out he disliked dogs, Florence had to try and persuade him to join the Pride. Of course, maybe he preferred to be a loner, but if he wanted the rid the city of the scummish dogs then he really should join the Iris Pride. What better place to go if you hated dogs so much? Smiling coolly, she nodded. Dogs didn't even deserve the dump. They should rot in hell for all she cared. They were scum. Worse than rats that overrun the city. They scampered about with they're filthy pride, thinking that because they were larger and fiercer they could win back the city. No, they'd never win. Cats will always come out best. Cats had more brains, didn't they? Dogs were dull and stupid. Man's best friend, yes? They should've died with the humans. "Filthy creatures, the lot of them." She agreed angrily as she backed away, but not so much that the Bengal could escape from her clasp. She wasn't going to let him get away yet. Keeping close to the ledge, she looked over at the male. "You want to rid Hexasol of those vermin, don't you?" She asked. Being a loner was pointless here, Florence decided. They didn't do anything. They were barely involved in the war. Loners had no opinion as far as she was concerned. She tilted her head and inspected him. What rank would he be good at? A spy, perhaps? Smaller, sleeker cats were always good at gaining information. A hunter? A little small, but perhaps... Already Florence was wondering how to train him up, when really she should be more focused on actually getting him to join. Sighing, she sat down again and waited for a reply. ooc; muse is killing me. blegh >.<

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[rayne]

Get rid of them? Get rid of them.. There was hardly a thing in the world that he wanted more other than to get rid of canines in the city. The thought of them alone was horrid enough to bring back hints of the raging anger that he'd once hardly bothered to cover. In fact, it drew him to question his morals when he realized that at the sight of a dog, he didn't instantly hiss, whereas once upon a time he would have dove right into the situation and leave them with at least a scar to remember him by. But alas, the world was a harsh place and a small cat such as himself couldn't afford to take on every canine that merely crossed paths with him.
"I would love to get rid of them.."

He said, his tone darkening softly as he emphasized to which degree he would like them to vanish from within the city walls.
His thoughts raced slightly, running through why she would ask such a thing. However, it didn't take too much searching for him to realize that she probably had some inclination to recruit him into her pride--either that, or she wanted to go on a canine killing spree. As different as the options may have been, he had no resistance to either and would most likely agree to whatever the lioness had to say. They seemed to be on the same page when it came to such things, or at least--that's from what he could tell.
"Are you proposing anything in specific, m'am?"[/color] He asked, flicking his ears forward in an attentive manner as she seemed to back off slightly. Perhaps his previous comments had given her reason to not send him flying off the side of the building.
Joker arched his back slighlty, giving it a stretch before he finally sat down, still within a close proximity of Florence.

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Florence let out a pleased hum. So, they were on the same page. That was good. It looked as though the dear little Bengal wouldn't mind joining the ranks after all. Licking the back of her paw idly, she thought about the tasks that had been running around her head for the past few weeks. There were plenty of ideas and plans for the Iris Pride. She was sure that she would win the war with her magnificent mind. As she thought about a little more, she wondered whether she'd be able to finally succeed in the war. Plans were already being forged with her Pride members and soon she would have Gravity with her claws inches from her neck. Her eyes swivelled toward the Bengal, wondering whether he was bloodthirsty like she was. Would he be able to fight in the war, or would he be a coward? "I have many things in mind, m'dear, but you will have to be part of the Pride to get in on it." She said smoothly, lashing her tail about in excitement. There were already plans of a kidnapping with Gravity, but Florence wasn't sure how that was happening currently. The spies would fill her in nearer the time. Other than that, Florence was still planning invasions and attacks and plenty of bloodshed. She would stop at nothing to win this war. Looking up at the Bengal from under her lashes, she eventually asked, "Interested, darling? With you in the pride there will be a higher chance of getting rid of those fucking dogs once and for all."

[/color] She said huskily as a smile grew on her lips and she waited for a reply.


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[rayne]

The devilish grin on Joker's face only seemed to grow as time passed. It started out as she asked his opinion on dogs, and surfaced more as she'd hinted and finally asked whether or not he'd like to help out by joining the pride.
The pride. He'd heard of it long ago, after the incident in which he'd lost half his family. Since then, one of his subconscious goals had been to join the feline force that was slowly working on the final solution to the pest problem.
And now, he'd finally had the chance. Through years of apathy, he'd finally taken the guts to go and explore one of their known territories. Perhaps he should have taken this step sooner.
His eyes remained locked on Florence's, keeping a watch as the devious aura seemed to be spreading.
"I would love to be a part of your pride."

He said, narrowing his eyes slightly in anticipation of what was to come upon his joining. Would there be tests? What would he be best suited for? His thoughts seemed to race on and on with all the options and things that might occur due to this new opportunity.
His curiosity as well seemed to be playing a very important factor in this, it was giving him drive. He'd heard nothing but good things about the pride, that is of course they came from canine mouths--but why wouldn't they dislike it? It was a feline force superior to theirs, and he could tell it must have made them stir with uneasyness at the thought.
His mind stopped the racing thoughts just for a moment, focusing on just one that would be important for the moment. He lifted his head slightly so that he looking up at the lioness, and asked, "Is there anything you'd like me to do before joining?"[/color]

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Success! Accomplishment flowed through Florence's veins as she stepped back from the roof, now giving the Bengal time to breath. She padded towards the edge of the roof and jumped, landing on yet another building, her muscles flexing and relaxing as she pounced and landed. Her paws took her along the roof as she turning back and twitched her head, beckoning the Bengal to follow her. Now that she had an extra cat on her side, she was starting to feel very powerful. They were all pawns in her little game, and she could do whatever she liked to them. If she really wanted, she could turn them all into stupid scum and she could torture them until they begged for mercy. Or she could use them to invade the Tempest Pack and attack their members, killing any dog that she got a hold of. "Well, I think you'd better tell me your name, first." She said after a moment's silence. It was only then had she realised that they hadn't exchanged formalities. All she knew was that he was a Bengal. That was all. His name was completely lost to her. Peering up at the sky momentarily, she stared at the twinkling stars that smiled down at her, before she turned her head to the Bengal. "There's nothing you need to do, apart from pledge your alliance to me. If you disobey me, you're out."

[/color] She said calmly. There were many felines that couldn't take taking orders, and they were out by the next day. Now, however, she made sure they were happy to follow her rules.

"And finally,"[/color] She continued, "You must have a rank. What's your desired rank?"[/color] She asked. Florence didn't really mind how many more spies she had than hunters. Spies were a far more important job than merely hunting, especially as there were yet to be any cubs in the Pride. Her only concern were the lack of warriors, however it was up to the Bengal.

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[rayne]

The bengal's aquamarine eyes quickly followed the lioness as she stepped back, giving the impression that she no longer needed to watch his every breath. That would be one of the perks of being in her pride--should he roam the rooftops, he would not be a stranger anymore. His ears flickered forward attentively as she signaled for him to follow, causing him to stand up quickly and bound towards the roof. Hardly taking a breath to prepare himself, he sprung off of the roof's trim, sending his body flying across the gap and easily landing on the other building.
From there, he padded after her yet again, slowing his pace down a bit as she started to speak.
His name! His name.. How dare he forget the single most important aspect of meeting new people. First, you start with names.
He shook his head at the thought, realizing he should have mentioned it when they'd first crossed paths on the roof's edge.
"My name is Joker, and I already know your name--you're quite the talk amongst cats.."

He said, giving an anxious flick of his tail before another idea crossed his mind.
He sat yet again, this time raising his right paw and puffing up his chest like a proud soldier would have.
"I pledge my allegiance to the leader of the Iris Pride of Hexasol,
and the cats for which it stands,
one nation under Florence,
indivisible,
with liberty and catnip for all."[/color]
His face remained unbelievably serious as he said that, having taken a pledge of allegiance and completely rewired it to fit the new standards for today's modern day. His paw lowered back to the ground, and his casual posture returned shortly after. So he had to have a rank..and she seemed to be willing to let him decide what he was best at.
Crap. Now that would be a tough one. Joker had always been used to being told what to do and complying with it, practicing and perfecting his strategies so that he would make a good candidate for whatever his job was. But now, it was up to him.. A look of undecisiveness washed over his face as he pondered, coming to the conclusion that, though small, he'd make either a good warrior or a good spy.
"If you say jump, I'll learn to jump high. If you say hunt, I'll learn to hunt. If you say spy, I'll learn how to spy. If you say fly--" He stopped, arching an eyebrow as he realized his words had begun to roll off his tongue without much compliance from his thoughts first.
"..I'll go jump on an eagle."[/color] He finished, his grin widening a bit in a sheepish manner, shaking his head slightly as if to clear his thoughts before giving a more serious--and more thought out--answer.
"I'm not quite sure, I may be small but I can fight. Or perhaps I'd make a good spy as well..or a lookout cat? Y'know, the ones that patrol the borders and follow scents to make sure no trash has waltzed on in without permission."[/color]

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[atrb=background,http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/---Kirstie---/florencemiddle-1.png] Florence stood proudly, happy that she didn't have to tell him her name. Was she really that famous? Perhaps more famous than the filthy Gravity, that was just vermin amongst the city. "Joker. What an intriguing name." She complimented. Was he funny, or was it just a name? Florence hadn't really seen much of a humour on him yet, but then again, she hadn't known him long. As Joker pledged himself to Florence, she kept quiet and watched him. It looked as though he meant it, so when he was done, she nodded and placed a heavy paw on his shoulder to show that he was now a fully fledged member of the Pride. Florence let out a cackle of laughter as he spoke again. Yes, she liked this Bengal a lot. He seemed to be worthy of any position he desired. It seemed like his intent was keeping Florence happy, obeying her, and ridding the city of stupid dogs. "Good. So you don't have any desire to be a particular member?"

[/color] She clarified as she thought about a good position for this new member. There were already many spies, although she wondered whether the Bengal would be too small to fight. Florence knew that Gravity would probably only hire the most powerful and vicious dogs to become warriors of his own pack, so she wasn't sure whether Joker stood a chance.

"You can be anything you wish. For now I'm making you into a Warrior. This also means you must guard the borders vigilantly and make sure no pests trespass. You must fight in the battles and I expect you to win."[/color] She nodded firmly, waiting for an answer out of Joker, wondering whether he'd be happy with his new Pride position.

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[rayne]

`Joker's tail flicked slightly as he watched her, noting how she'd seemed to grow a bit calmer as the time passed. He liked this, he liked this a lot. Though often cold and unappealing to strangers, he had always had a slightly warmer, entertaining side to him that few people had been around to witness. Such a side was reserved to his family and friends--and though he was rather foreign to his new pride, he knew of it well enough to consider it on the same level if not higher.
"Why, thank you."

He said, giving his head a slight bow in response to her compliment.
He'd always thought his name had been a bit odd..a cat named Joker. It wasn't as if he was a stand up comedian.. But alas, there had to be some reason behind the name, somewhere..perhaps under a rock.

"No m'am, I can be whatever you're in need of."[/color]
His eyes remained locked on the lioness, maintaining eye contact as if to let it be known that he was fully attentive--no spacing out in lala land for him. Nope--he'd had his fair share of trouble in that department, and he certainly did not want any more within what would be his new home.

"I take my new position with honor." He said, lifting his chest up a bit to give it a proud illusion.

"I will not allow a pest to get the upper paw on me, you have my word. Should it happen, you can cut off my tail and call me `Lassie."[/color]
His eyes narrowed slightly at first as he spoke of pests, but the casual expression followed soon after, sending a slight grin washing back upon his face.
So, he would be a warrior.. A warrior. It had a certain ring to it that somehow appealed to the Bengal. To guard the borders like a hawk and fight off intruders. Yes, fight off dogs and other animals that wandered into where they shouldn't belong--to protect the pride.
It was a job he only wished he could have done long ago, perhaps it would have saved him some of the trouble and angst that lurked beneath the young cat's eyes.

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