The truth will out /// Zen and Mac

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim's first winter wasn't as shocking and beautiful as he had been expecting it to be. As the tawny lion lay on the precarious edge of the rooftop, gazing out at the city and watching as fat snowflakes fluttered from the heavens, he couldn't help but feel nothing but cold. As beautiful as it was to watch the city become blanketed in snow, Denim couldn't help but wonder about where his next meal would come from. Food became scarce in Winter, and he had heard many other Iris members whisper that their food sources were dwindling. Denim was not blind, and he had watched the Pride crumble since his mother's death. It had been months now since he had been reunited with two of his siblings, and Denim hadn't been sure how he was supposed to react to the violent death of his mother. Florence had not been there for Denim in the last few weeks of her life. She had pushed him aside, too busy worrying over her other three cubs. Once Denim was finished suckling from her, she would stand up and leave him to fall asleep alone, in a cold, bare room with no one to comfort him. As much as he hated the lies his mother spun to him about dogs, he had always longed for that rough tongue to groom his fur once again. Denim hadn't necessarily grieved for his mother, but there were times when he wished she was with him, to guide him. Denim was lucky he still had his father, and two of his siblings, yet they were both different since they had been kidnapped. They had been separated for so long, and he could see that they hated dogs more than ever. If only Denim could tell them that not every dog was evil. Not every canine wanted them dead. Closing his eyes as a snowflake landed on his lashes, Denim let out a shaky breath. The mist curled from his mouth, dissipating into the air. His mother's death had had a brutal effect on every feline, and he was well aware that they were probably at their weakest state in a very long time. The Pride hadn't gotten over the last attack, and the numbers were slowly dropping week by week. Opened his eyes again, Denim watched the lifeless city, wondering what would happen if Iris fell. Would another power thirsty feline build up a Pride, determined to become the future leader of Hexasol? Denim knew that if Iris fell, the Tempest would eventually rule, and that would probably mean every feline becoming slaves to dogs. His mind quickly wandered to the Lexis Tribe. He longed to know more about it. When he met Course, Denim had been insanely curious of the Tribe, and sometimes he wondered whether he would turn his back on his family to follow his morals. Resting his head against his paws, with one hind leg dangling over the edge of the building, Denim stopped thinking. If the Pride fell, he would go to the Lexis, and he would join Course in the war. Doing what exactly, well Denim had no idea. He was a coward, and the thought of war and bloodshed made his spine shiver. It was a wonder Denim was the product of Florence, the legendary murderer of the Iris Pride. He felt sick to his stomach even thinking of how many innocent lives his own mother had taken from the world. Denim slowly gazed up at the sky. The sun rested low in the sky, behind the thick, impenetrable clouds. It wouldn't be long before dusk. ooc // tl;dr? basically Denim is thinking and wallowing in the snow. Yay :3

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[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2rxfezc.jpg] A strong gust of wind whistled through the cracks of the decaying buildings that lined the alleys. Alexander shivered, feeling the incoming air raise the sensitive fur that ran along the base of his neck. This thing the older cats called ‘winter’ was so far proving be very depressing and uncomfortable, and he could barely stand to be outside much at all anymore. He recalled that once, when he had been younger, his father had tried to explain to him why his breed grew so weak and tired when exposed to the cold for long periods of time. He had said that lions were meant to live in hot climates, where the sun shined year round, but that this city had times when the sky would become cloudy, and all heat would leave the air. Alex hadn’t understood then, but now he was starting to see what Panja meant. Everything seemed so dark and grey anymore. He felt exhausted and depressed a lot of the time and wasn’t in the mood to play or explore as much as he used to be. Others around the pride had assured him that this winter thing wouldn’t last forever, and that he’d be seeing the sun again soon enough, but he was having a hard time believing that right now. Beside him walked Nebula, his sister and loyal comrade. He knew she was feeling the strains of the changing season just as much as him, even if she was too strong and proud to actually show any signs of weakness. The two of them had been spending quite a bit of time together lately ever since their decision to leave Iris and go hunting for canine blood in revenge of their mother and the torture they had endured at Tempest. It had been a weird moment of bonding between them; killing that dog had brought them closer together, where before Alex had been largely avoiding everyone else in the Pride. In any case, he was glad she was by his side now. But now that left Denim. Alexander frowned slightly at the thought of his younger brother. He had been the lucky one to narrowly escape being dragged off to Tempest, and Alex had to fight off the pang of jealousy that rose in him. Why had it been Denim? Not that he would have wanted his own brother to be tortured, but it did seem a little unfair that Denim had gotten to lay back and suckle from their mother while the rest of them were being starved and beaten on a daily basis. Alex and he had barely seen much of each other at all in the past months, leaving the young white lion to begin wondering what was going on with him. He hadn’t spoken to Orbit much since they had gotten back from Tempest either, and their youngest brother had eventually passed away from sickness. Alex hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye to him, and he couldn’t bear to have that happen again. He would go find Denim. With perfect feline grace, he leapt on to a narrow overhanging on one of the houses and used it to clamber up to the rooftops, stopping a moment to wait for Nebula before venturing onward. A bit later, he caught Denim’s recognizable scent and trotted over to where his brother lay, digging his claws into the icy roof to steady himself before sitting down a few feet away from the other male. “Hey, Denim. What’s up? How’ve you been?” Alex asked somewhat hesitantly. He wasn’t really sure what kind of a reaction he expected. OOC: I tried to make Alex’s depression over how gloomy the winter is be a kind of metaphor for how dark and sad his life has gotten; he misses the sun and the warm weather because everything was better for them in the summer, before the battle where they were kidnapped. There’s my lame attempt at being profound! :P

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2qbetnd.jp] The wind howled through the shells and remains of crumbling buildings, dark, ominous clouds lining the sky as snow fell. It was dark, darker than any normal twilight, even by winder standards. Nebula shivered as she padded alongside her brother, Alex. Their parents had told them that winter would be cold, but never had she imagined it would be this freezing. For once she envied the thick-pelted wolves and long-haired cats, as much as she despised the former and looked down on the latter. She hadn’t expected it to be so gloomy, for that matter. The clouds and falling snow did nothing to lift her spirits; she was almost afraid of returning to the grief-stricken state that she had been in for months after Florence’s death. She remembered what both Panja and Florence had told her and her siblings: that lions had not originally lived in this kind of climate; their proper home was much, much warmer, all year round. Right now, she wished she could go and live there until winter was over. The cold numbed her nose and paws, and soaked her fur and caused her to shiver uncontrollably. The young lioness sneezed violently, almost losing her balance from the sheer force of it. Directing her fall away from her brother, she put out a paw and steadied herself. She didn’t want to crash into Alex; that would be too embarrassing, even if the two of them were as close as they had ever been. She smiled with a touch of bitterness as she remembered their childhood; she had resented Alex’s authority as the eldest of the four of them, especially since he had been so immature. But now, after having left Iris with him for a time to hunt down a canine, to satisfy their need to avenge their mother’s death, she acknowledged his leadership. Strange, really, that such a violent exercise should act as a sibling bonding session, but it had. How close they were now proved that, and maybe it wasn’t quite so strange after all, considering that the two of them – along with Denim, their remaining second brother - were the heirs to the throne of the Iris Pride. Denim. Their younger brother, the runt of the litter, he could be called many things, including a coward, but stupid and foolhardy were not among them. Yes, he had deserted his three siblings when they had been cubnapped by the Scavengers – but really, that was what made him intelligent and wise. He hadn’t stayed to fight what had been a lost battle from the moment it had begun. He hadn’t become a burden to his Pride, and ultimately, the cause of his mother’s death. He had remained with his parents, to be the only one to be nursed and cared for by them, and Nebula envied him that. But it was not his fault that he had used his common sense instead of being brave. Part of her felt guilty that she had excluded him by only spending time with him – she and Alex had far more in common with each other than they did with Denim, and so had become a lot closer to each other. The ivory feline followed her brother, jumping onto the rooftop and hurrying slightly so that her brother didn’t have to wait for her. Soon enough, Denim’s unique scent drifted to her nose, and she hurried over to him, settling herself so that she was on one side of the tawny young lion, with Alex on the other. Adding to her eldest brother’s greeting, she told Denim softly, “We’ve missed you.”

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] As the snow continued to fall, Denim dozed on the rooftop. His mind slowly shut out the surrounding noises and smells, and instead he just focused on getting a bit of rest. He had long stopped shivering - either he had got used to the cold, or Denim was colder than he thought. Either way, his body has ceased to wrack with the violent shudders and he could finally rest in peace. However, Denim was unaware of his approaching siblings, who had become closer ever since they had been kidnapped, and seemed as though they were from a completely different litter to Denim. If Denim actually thought about it, he realised that he barely even considered them his siblings. They had different opinions, different personalities, different likes and dislikes. The only thing they shared was their blood, and Denim hated even that. Opening his eyes at the sudden feeling of two warm bodies sitting down beside him, Denim blinked up at his white brother and tawny sister. They were nowhere near fully grown, still over a year to go, however both his and Alex's necks were starting to thicken with fur. Alex's mane was already fuller and fluffier than Denim's, yet Denim's wasn't too far behind. They were still only half the size of their father, but it wouldn't be long. Besides, Denim didn't particularly want to grow up into a large, brutal lion. Although... Denim did want to fend for himself and live away from the Pride. He didn't know how his father and siblings were going to take it when he leaves. They'll have to accept that this Pride isn't for him - he doesn't want to go around killing dogs everyday! He wants to stop the murder, stop the brutal, evil slaughter that costs both dogs and cats their lives. Sitting up slightly, Denim gazed at his brother, wondering where to begin. "There's not much to say," He said slowly, looking between the two cubs, "Winter is dragging on too long." He shifted his gaze to Nebula, who had admitted to missing him. Sighing, Denim shrugged, "I've missed you guys too. Where've you been all this time?" The three of them never seemed to cross paths anymore. On the good days, Denim would leave the Pride territory and either wander or find his friends. For the first month or so Denim was aware that Alex and Nebula had been basically confined to the Pride to build up their strength. It still made his heart clench to think of their lost brother, who had been too weak to regain his strength. He didn't know how badly their father took it after the loss of his mate, but at least they managed to get two of them back. Gazing between his two siblings again, Denim wondered what went on in the weeks they'd been at the Tempest. No one had ever gone into details as to what Brooke had actually done to them. How had she tortured them? What had happened? Denim kept his lips tightly shut, however. Denim was in no way going to ask purely out of curiosity. He knew they were bad memories, and they didn't want to think about that dark time in their life. Instead, he kept his tone neutral, "Mother would be shocked - disgusted even - if she saw what has become of the Iris." Denim admitted as he looked out at the city. He wondered just how much they remembered of their mother. He wondered whether they loved her, whether they thought she was evil in her ways of murder. Denim didn't know anymore.

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[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2rxfezc.jpg] Alex nodded in response to what Nebula said, looking at Denim somberly. It was true, he did miss his brother. They didn’t have much in the way of a close bond, but they were still family, and it would be best for the three of them to stick together now most of all. “Agreed,” he said, his pink lips quirking into a sad little smile. “Winter just sucks. I dunno how the other lions are able to put up with it year after year.” Animals with white fur were supposed to be built for arctic climates, but that definitely wasn’t the case for Alex. He hated the thought that he would have to suffer through plenty more winters after this. Why couldn’t he have been born with a thick coat of fur, or in someplace warmer? Like a lot of things in his life, it just wasn’t fair. He shifted on his paws when Denim mentioned the current state of their pride. “Yeah, you're right,” he sighed, turning his head sideways to gaze out into the distant horizon. The sky was a cloudless pale grey as the snow began to fall around them in thicker and heavier flakes. His bright blue eyes turned dark and solemn. “I hope father is able to build up the pride’s strength again. Otherwise, I guess it’ll eventually be up to me.” He tried to make his voice sound as casual as he could, but nevertheless his whiskers and ears fell back in concern. Maybe in a year, maybe in a few months, maybe in a week…who knew when he would be handed the Iris Pride crown? While he tried to keep a cool and confident act in front of others, especially Denim and Nebula, just thinking about it made him sick with anxiety. What did he know about leadership? Barely anything. No one was really around to teach him anymore either. The only small bit of hope he had was that, perhaps, someone else would be willing to take over and help him until he was eventually ready to step up as pride ruler. Alex had always felt envious of the other cubs and kittens whose parents loved them and were always there when their children needed them. He had only small, foggy memories of his mother’s voice and couldn’t remember her ever telling him that she loved him, but it didn’t really matter. She was gone forever. His father cared for him dearly, he knew, but was barely around for him anymore. Alex couldn’t help but resent him a little. The old white lion had been taking more and more journeys into the countryside to avoid dealing with the pride’s problems. What if one day he just never came back? Alex felt a heavy weight in his chest at the ugly thought. “I keep hearing rumors that he’s getting worse.” He looked at Denim worryingly, then over his brother’s shoulder to lock eyes with Nebula. “I think there are some cats plotting to take away his leadership.” Alex could only wonder what might happen then. Panja still had some supporters after all. Would a civil war break out within the pride? The young lion frowned and shook his short mane, closing his eyes against the frigid wind that swept the rooftop. “Things are just crazy anymore. I don’t get anything.”

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2qbetnd.jp] Nebula sat beside Denim as she waited for him to speak, shivering with the cold that her short white pelt could not protect her from. It seemed as if it had been years since she had talked to her second–eldest brother, when in fact it would only have been a few weeks at most. Her heart twinged with loss as she realised that she and he had not had a conversation of any length since before the capture, before their mother died. She greeted him whenever she saw him, something that did not happen often these days, but that did not count as conversations, really. Whenever she thought to look for him, she didn’t find him. The feline didn’t know where he went, but she was willing to bet a juicy piece of prey that he wasn’t always in Iris territory. She hoped for his sake that he had made friends out there somewhere, but not with anyone who might cause him pain later. Florence had often warned them never to trust anyone from the Lexis Tribe, and certainly not to speak civilly to any dogs, Tempest or otherwise. Of all of Florence and Panja’s remaining cubs, Denim, she knew, was the one most inclined to get along with other creatures that were not part of the Iris Pride. The young lioness was afraid for her tawny brother – she didn’t want him to be found breaking any of the Pride’s laws and get thrown out. It would break Panja’s heart – even more than it had been already. But there was nothing she could say to him that he might not have a negative reaction to. I don’t know him nearly as well as we all knew each other as cubs, she realised sadly. She and Alex had become closer since their escape from the Tempest Pack, and, more significantly, the slaughter of that filthy Tempest dog. The little princess wondered what Denim would think of their adventure if she or Alex told him, and her stomach churned as she looked into his brown-come-amber eyes and became conscious of the fact that he, for one, might not be proud of his siblings’ actions. Shaken from her dismal thoughts by a freezing snowflake that landed on her head, Nebula shook it to rid herself of the cold liquid and listened to her brother. He was right, winter was dragging on far too long, and it didn’t help to lift anyone’s spirits. She nodded in agreement as Alex voiced his. She was glad when Denim confessed to missing his brother and sister as well, and asked what they’d been doing. “Not much,” she replied casually. “Just trying to keep ourselves occupied, mostly.” Well, it was true – the only exciting thing that had happened was killing the dog, and she’d already decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell Denim about that. “It’s true,” she agreed mournfully in response to Denim’s last comment. She glanced at Alex as she spoke, and a shiver ran through her as she recognised the truth in his words. He was too young – they all were – to lose both parents and have to rule the Pride with what little experience and skills their parents had given them. “I hope it doesn’t come to that – you’re not ready for it yet; we’re all still too young!” Her exclamation echoed her thoughts. If Panja died. . . It truly didn’t bear thinking about. She knew the white lion was old, but surely his time wasn’t up yet? The ivory female stared at the tiled roof between her front paws and heaved a deep sigh. It was a selfish thought, she knew, but she was glad, in some ways at least, that she wasn’t in Alex’s position. Nebula’s head shot up as her eldest brother spoke again, this time of rumours concerning Panja and plots to steal the Pride’s leadership. “That’s awful,” she said softly, her heart sinking in her chest as she met the eyes of her white-furred brother. “We should do something,” she said after along moment, once he had finished speaking. “Find out who they are, at least, and quietly warn Father. Otherwise everything will become more chaotic than it is already.” The cub looked from one brother to the other, wondering what their reactions to this idea would be.

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim shot Alex a sideways glance as he studied his elder brother. It was hard to imagine this half-grown ivory lion taking over the whole Iris Pride. All three of them still had a long way to go before they were fully grown and there wasn't a day that went by when Denim hadn't learnt something new, something useful. He wondered whether Alex would be a fair ruler, not as ruthless as their mother, and maybe he would even understand that canines and felines could work together as one. Chance was a fine thing, and Denim knew that Alex and Nebula had been imprisoned by canines for too long. They had caused the death of their mother and their brother, and not only that, but they had weakened the Iris Pride and was causing it to crumble before their eyes. No, Denim knew Alex would never show canines that kind of mercy. As Nebula exclaimed how young they all were, Denim's head bobbed in agreement. If Panja were to do something stupid... there was little hope for the Pride. Alex and Neb were still too young to rule, no cat would take them seriously, and the Alleycats would just spit in their faces. Denim could see the Tempest planning an attack as soon as their father snuffs it, and Denim could see the Iris falling. Mother would turn in her grave if she found out how weak everyone had become as soon as she was murdered. If she had known... Denim knew that Florence wouldn't have let the Tempest take her life for her children. She would've left them to die, just to keep the Iris running. Florence may have loved her three cubs, but she loved her power and her Pride more. The thought disgusted Denim, and he grimaced at how coldhearted and sickening their mother was. Denim turned his head in shock when Alex spoke of the cats planning to overthrow Panja. He had heard nothing of this, however Denim had been leaving the Pride daily and was barely patrolling the places he was supposed to. "Who?" Denim asked curiously, just as their sister spoke up about telling their father, "You haven't told father yet?" That was shocking in itself. As much as Denim didn't care about the Pride, he expected the first whiff of anything suspicious would be taken straight to Panja. He deserved to know exactly what was going on in all corners of his Pride. Turning his head to look back at the whitening city, Denim shrugged. "Cats are just as bad as dogs," He was treading on fragile ground here, "We can't even trust the cats in our own Pride. They are both lying, murdering little bastards." This was almost speaking treason, and Denim wasn't sure how Alex and Nebula would handle this kind of talk. He wondered whether they would shoot him down, vow him to never speak of such talk again, or whether they would actually listen to him. Before they could knock him down, Denim ploughed on, "You two may have been locked up, beaten, tortured, starved... but mother did exactly the same. I've heard horror stories of what she's done to dogs, puppies even. If cats and dogs are both inherently evil, then surely they can both be inherently good?"

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2rxfezc.jpg] Alex didn’t have an exact answer as far as the identity of the cats who were supposedly plotting to overtake their father’s position. All he knew was that rumors were festering among the guards and alleycats that they were planning to strike. “I dunno,” he answered with a shrug, “but if I had to guess, it’s probably some of the older members who were around when Mother first formed the pride." His eyes flickered between his two siblings, then closed as he shook his head morosely. Warning their father didn’t seem all that necessary to him. “I think he already knows. He just doesn’t care enough to do anything about it.” A thin wisp of fog blew out from his nose as he sighed, “I really miss him when he’s like this. I never should have taken our parents for granted…I guess it’s true that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” Meeting the other lion’s gaze straight on, he was stunned at Denim’s comment on the deceitfulness of all the Iris cats. “Not everyone in the pride is like that,” Alex countered, his voice taking on a defensive edge. Even if he wasn’t quite the new leader yet, hearing anyone talk about Iris negatively got his blood boiling – most especially if it was coming from Denim, who Alex assumed would be supportive of the pride more than anyone else right now. He was second in line to inherit the throne, after all. “And what do you mean, ‘cats are just as bad as dogs’? You’re joking, right?” His eyes were wide with disbelief until he saw his younger brother wasn’t kidding at all. Then something darker crept over his face. “Where is all this coming from, Denim? Dogs are inferior to cats in almost every single way. It is in their nature to be violent and bloodthirsty; they’re too stupid to know anything else. They’re like a pest, like those rats that swarm the alleys, and it’s our job to get rid of them.” “Luckily, I’ve seen for myself that most of ‘em are pretty weak,” he added as an afterthought, and then threw Nebula a knowing grin. The ugly face of that German shepherd they had killed flashed through his mind. That pathetic waste of life. It felt good knowing there was at least one less of them running around the city consuming the food and resources that rightly belonged to the Iris Pride. Sometimes when he sat alone at night, on the verge of crying as he thought of all his worries and the uncertainty of the future, he would remember the bitch’s dying screams and feel a bit better. Alex stood back up and walked a few paces around the outer edge of the roof to keep his legs from growing too stiff with the cold. He spoke again as he walked, in a lower tone, “I do agree with you that not everything our mother did was right. I’m not that naive anymore, I know now how unfairly she ruled over the pride while she was alive, how cruel she was to her own people. I can tell you both that I will not become like that when I’m older… at least, not towards the cats who are loyal to me. But I will do everything I can to wipe out every last dog in the city.” He smiled to himself before turning to give Denim a hard look, a look that meant he was dead serious.

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2qbetnd.jp] Nebula watched Denim's reaction as Alex told him about the rumours that other felines were planning to take over the Iris Pride. He was plainly shocked, especially when she all but admitted that they had not told Panja. Nodding agreement to Alex's response, she chimed in, "He's always so distant these days, but that's not to say that he doesn't notice things. I really wish. . ." She trailed off for a moment before continuing. "I just don't feel that we're much of a family anymore, with Mother gone and Father. . . As he is now." Sighing soon after her eldest brother did, she watched the white mist that had come from her mouth and nose unfurl and expand, before disappearing into the frozen winter air. The ivory female started and stared in shock at Denim as her brother practically preached to Alex and her that dog weren't so bad - or at least that cats were as bad as them. Nodding vigorously in agreement as Alex responded, she burst out, "Dogs are stupid and bloodthirsy creatures who have only been able to resist felines because some of them are smart enough to keep the others alive - and because there are so many of them. Alex is right, they're pests, vermin who need to be exterminated, and the Iris Pride is the only group who has the guts and determination to do it." Exchanging a smug smile with Alex as he mentioned the bitch they had killed between them, Nebula added, "Yes, you wouldn't believe just how pathetic they can be. That was the most fun I've had in ages." Her eyes shone with a savage joy as she remembered the scrawny Tempest female they had put paid to. Another canine they did not have to deal with, one source of more disgusting, driveling, savage feline-killing machine that no longer lived to be a nuisance. Rising to her paws almost at the same time as her white-furred brother, the gangly cub stretched her stiff limbs as she listened, following up his words with some of her own. "No feline who may die needlessly won't; loyalty is to be rewarded. Something that Mother taught me is that you always have to be sure your followers are willing to serve under you. When you're leader, Alex, I'll be at your side to help. I want to see the day when the only dogs in Hexasol are dead or extremely close to being that way." Nebula had learned over the last month or so to mingle with the ordinary rank-and-file felines of the Pride, and how easy it could be to stir up their anger toward canines, and how little it took for them to swear undying loyalty to their leaders. For many of them, all it took was a full belly and dogs to kill. Glancing at each of her brothers in turn, her eyes settled on Denim. Where did all that nonsense about dogs come from? He hadn't been talking to some old she-cat about such things, had he, or worse, was on speaking term with a dog? Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him, watching and wondering. OOC;; Sorry this took so long and that it's so rambly and baaad D8

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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/167uwox.jpg,true] Denim knew he was treading on thin ice, but he had been bottling this up for far too long. He couldn't keep on listening to his siblings as they discussed their hatred for canines and plotted how to kill them. It curdled Denim's stomach, made him feel sick at the thought that they were his own flesh and blood. He thought of all the innocent animals that had died in his pointless war. There didn't need to be a winner, there just needed to be peace, but trying to convince felines and canines who had been brought up with hate and anger was impossible. Denim had really hoped that Alex and Neb would still be young enough to perhaps have a change of mind, but the Tempest Pack had changed them. They only knew of the dogs who were filled with hate, not the ones who wanted to bring about change. "Who told you that?" Denim countered back when Alexander explained that it was in their nature, "Have you ever truly spoken to a canine? Ever realised that they are brought up just like us. Brought up to hate dogs, learn to fight and kill because they are the next generation of war." His eyes flashed dangerously at his elder brother before he looked away, heart pounding. He had never confronted Alexander before, and he was starting to panic. He was defying every last rule that his mother had told them before she'd died. She would be turning in her grave if she heard Denim now. Denim suddenly looked up just as Alex flashed Nebula a knowing grin, as though they had some kind of shared secret. Narrowing his eyes, Denim retraced what Alex had just said. "Weak? What do you mean? What've you done?" Denim's voice grew louder and more demanding as his fur bristled with horror. He really hoped they hadn't done anything stupid. When Nebula piped up how much fun she had had, Denim shook his head, repeating a mantra of no's. Please no. As Nebula also recited a litany of things she had been forced into her at a young age, Denim sighed. His siblings could be so blind sometimes. Bloodthirsty? If they had met the better part of dogs, they'd realise that was very far from the truth. "You're wrong." He growled at his sister, "If anything, it's felines that are the bloodthirsty ones. Have you not met half of this pride? Already you two lust the blood of dogs. Just listen to yourselves!" Denim ended up shouting, his voice echoing around the buildings. This was futile; there was no way Denim was going to be able to convince them. He daren't bring a dog to them to prove that they weren't all evil. With their mother's genes in them, it was likely they wouldn't think, and just rip the dog to shreds. As Alex explained how he would rule when he was older, and Nebula backing him up, Denim slowly shook his head sadly. He didn't want to stand by Alex's side and watch as he commanded the slaughter of hundreds of dogs. Natiri was his best friend and she was at a grave risk. He would help her, damned the cost of his family. Raising his gaze to look at Alex in the eye, then Nebula, he took a deep breath. "I will not stand at your side and watch you murder innocent canines."

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[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2rxfezc.jpg] Speak to a canine? Why do that when he could just as easily claw their face off instead? Besides, it wasn’t like a brainless dog would be capable of forming an intelligent conversation anyway. But when he actually realized what Denim had just said, he held up a paw and shook his head. “Wait. Are you saying you’ve spoken to a canine before?” Of course; that’s why Denim was saying all these ridiculous things. He must have run into a pack of dogs and become brainwashed by them. Alexander’s blood rose to a boil. His brother had wandered off and had a secret little rendezvous with a mutt, and instead of killing it like he should have, he had stayed and talked with it. It had probably put so many crazy ideas into his head to try and lead him away from the Iris Pride. The fur on his neck bristled, but as Denim managed to pick up on his sly exchange with Nebula, he forced himself to calm down and instead moved forward to begin to striding around his younger sibling, his tail swishing playfully behind him. “Well, since you asked,” he chuckled ominously, “let’s tell him all about it, Nebula. Let’s tell him how that weak little rat begged for her life as we ripped her apart piece by piece!” Alex licked his lips wickedly at Denim, making a show of it as he imagined the dog’s blood running between his teeth and down his chin. “Yeah, that was a good day,” he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling as he remembered. “I just wish we could have stayed around to see the look on the Tempest Pack’s faces when they found their poor friend. Or what was left of her.” He stopped in front of Denim and smirked as he waited for some kind of reaction. The news that they had snuffed out one of his canine pals in such a brutal fashion was guaranteed to get a horrified response from him, but Alex was done caring about his brother’s feelings at this point. His attention drifted back to his sister, and reassured that he wasn’t in danger of losing her too, his eyes softened a bit and he grew serious. “Of course there will always be a place by my side for you, Nebs. The pride might be weak now, but together we’ll build it back up to its former glory. I mean, our mother was able to form an entire pride by herself, so I don’t see why it should be any harder for us. We can make it better than her pride! We’ll be the greatest leaders this city has ever seen!” He regarded Denim to see what his final decision would be. Just as Alex thought, his brother’s loyalties apparently laid elsewhere. “I don’t believe this,” he scowled. “You’d choose dogs – the ones who killed your mother and brother – over us, your own family? Your own species? What, soon are you going to start barking like one of them too? You’re not an Iris Pride cat…you don’t even deserve to call yourself a lion! You’re weak, Denim, just like those little doggy friends of yours. You’re nothing but a weak, cowardly runt. Always have been, always will be.”

[/color] He abruptly reeled away from the other lion, letting his hateful words hang between them in the icy air. All of this must mean Denim no longer considered himself a part of the pride, or their family. He’d probably leave Iris altogether once he was large enough to fend for himself. Alex bit back another snarl, one of both anger and grief at the realization that he was losing his last brother.

“Don’t you dare mention this to Father,” he warned through his teeth. “He’s barely holding it together as it is, and the last thing he needs is to find out you’re off running around with dogs behind his back. I really doubt you making friends with the ones who killed our mother would go over too well with him. So from now on, just do me a favor and stay far away from all of us, you filthy traitor.” Still refusing to look at Denim, Alex walked stiffly towards Nebula, lightly brushing his shoulder against hers as he leaned in and muttered, “Let’s go, Nebs. I can’t stand listening to this idiot anymore.”


OOC: sorry for the ridiculously long wait on this one guys :/
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[{Mactíre}]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2qbetnd.jp] OOC;; Sorry for the huge wait and that it's so terrible! Nebula gazed at her brother in stunned disbelief. What had gotten into him? Well, of course the dogs were taught to kill. So what? "That doesn't make them like us," she scoffed. "Just because they think they can win against us." She nodded as Alex spoke, and then it all made sense. Of course! He'd been talking to canines - that was why he was like this. "Denim, how could you?" She cried, her eyes widening. " After all they've done to us, to Mother, and you go around talking to them?" She sighed, her eyes filled more with regret than hate or fury. This was their brother. Saying that dogs - it didn't bear thinking about. Her attention was distracted by the change of topic, and she grinned, her eyes lighting up pleasurably. "It was so much fun." The blood flowing, the bitch's helpless whimpering. "I bet Brooke knows who did it- she would have recognised our scents." She grinned. Revenge was sweet. The Iris princess was reassured by Alex's words. She knew he loved her, respected her - but she'd heard that power could do strange things to a creature, and she felt honoured to have him accept her as his right paw. Even though it would be a long time (hopefully) before he became leader. Her heart soared when she imagined the things he spoke of - but she still remained practical. "We'll need to let nothing get in our way - and we'll need strong allies and friends - like Sota." The cheetah had been her teacher and friend ever since that day they'd met, before the battle and their capture, and she knew she'd support them, and give the two of them useful advice. The ivory cub was taken aback by the ferocity of Denim's reply to their talk of dogs. She had to admit, it was true; but canines were equally bloodthirsty, or they could be. "Many canines and felines are like this, Denim,"

[/b][/color] she reasoned. "There's nothing wrong with it, just as long as we don't become slobbering messes of killing machines that can't think." [/b][/color]She chuckled slightly when she realised she was practically describing the average Tempest dog.

Their brother seemed to finally realise that there was no point in arguing, but his words revealed more of his intentions. Stung, Nebula accused, "What does that mean, Denim? Are you saying that you'll become a loner, or worse still, join Lexis?" She stared at him, stunned. Where would he go? If he left Iris to join Lexis, there would be no way he could come back. She nodded at Alex's words regarding their father. "You better sort out your priorities, Denim. You can't stay here with that attitude when Alex becomes leader. You'll bring the whole pride down!" She gave a slight nod as her white-furred brother padded to her side and spoke. With one last glance at Denim - the tratior - she jumped from the edge of the roof to one lower down. This was the last time, she knew, that the three of them would have met on decent terms.[/font][/justify][/size][/blockquote][/color][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/size]

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