An odd chance of fate (private for now)

[Cloud of Diamonds]

My heart is ice, my mind is fire

Ah, yes. Fox's amber eyes showed up in the darkness, glinting with malice. Now the time had come. she'd watched the ranch cats for days, not killing, though her claws seemed to yearn for blood to wet their tips. It had been hard, but the reward was knowing about the ranch cats: where they often slept, caught prey, left the ranch, etc. Armed with that knowledge, she could pick them off like so much vermin. Now, who was to be her victim tonight....she softly padded outside of the red building. A shape moved a little ways off in the half-moon light. She sniffed. A tom, that much she could tell. Flattening her ears and dropping into a slink, she began to stalk the cat she'd marked for slaughter after so many days of restraint. Perhaps she should have taken more time to follow him and learn about him specifically, but...oh, how she wanted to kill! A drop of saliva dripped from her mouth. This was it.

and murder is my true desire...

[Crowzerplorodon]

Madness.

That's all he could think.

With the silver light of the moon shining down on his dark ginger pelt, Red felt dangerous. Very dangerous. And it didn't help that he was being followed-- and he knew he was. It was instinct drilled into his skull; no one could follow him without being detected. A form of paranoia that reared it's ugly, but useful, head when the pawsteps of another were following directly in his. To top everything off, Red was sure the feline was the same one that had been scented lately. The one that smelled of blood and death. The one, because of her presence that was just so evil, the ginger tom had felt the need to constantly be around Crisp, directing the naive, peaceful tom from the scent whenever it hit his poor nose, which had been increasingly often.

Well, best give his intruder (and she was an intruder, the ranch was his territory) a warm welcome, he thought through lidded eyes as he stopped walking. "Greeting, she-cat."

[Cloud of Diamonds]

My heart is ice, my mind is fire

Surprise worked its way through every nerve in the russet-pelted she-cat's body. Hardly ever had anycat detected her before when she was stalking them. Now what was she going to do? Think, Fox, use that brain of yours. So he knows you're there, so what? You can still rip his guts out and stuff prey with them before he can blink. Fox said nothing in reply, but padded faster, coming up from her slink. She raised her chin high, showing she was not intimidated by his gruff voice. Not quite sure of what she was doing, she broke into a run and came straight up beside the growing-larger patch of ginger. "Greetings, tom." Her voice was smoother than oiled glass and her eyes were, so it seemed, lazily half-closed. In fact she was on guard for the slightest oppertunity to pounce and do what she did best. She adjusted her stance; tail low and waving aimlessly, shoulders relaxed, mouth curled in a slight smile that showed her overlong fangs. In short, a guise that would most likely fool this orange soon-to-be-dead rogue.

and murder is my true desire...

[Crowzerplorodon]

"Why," the ginger tom quipped after a moment of silence, "do you say greetings? As in the plural? You are only greeting me, after all. Unless I am worthy of... many greetings. I'll assume you're feeding my pride that way, dear stranger." Red studied his front left paw for a moment, as if it was something of interest, before bringing the dainty-looking part to his jaw and peeling off a thin claw-skin. Spitting it lazily to the ground, the tom turned to look at his... friend, he'd consider her for now. As unfitting as the title may be. She was similar in color to him, both being ginger, but it was their almost equal site that bugged him. He hated being small.

However, her scent prevented him from making a statement about size. She definitely was the cat that had been around lately. There was no mistaking the scent of death. "I will tell you now, she-cat. If you harm one cat on my territory, which is this entire ranch," for emphasis, Red flicked his tail toward the old building, subsequently claiming his protection on all the inhabitants, "I will find you. And I will kill you."

Her reply was unnecessary. But Red would humor her. He would listen.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

My heart is ice, my mind is fire

Pinpricks shot through Fox's body. How did he know?
How could he know? Or was he only suspicious? Her eyed opened wide for a moment before returning to being partially covered. She considered how to respond. The reddish she-cat's social skills were limited, which meant she had to gather her thoughts a bit before talking."No, I only meant a single greeting. And I doubt that the entire ranch is only your territory. What about all the other cats who live there, whom you so naively want to protect? I rather think you'd be better off protecting yourself. And as for killing any of the cats, what makes you think I could do such a thing? And even if I did, why should it matter so much to you, as long as you are alive, no?" She shrugged. Let him rage if he would, it made no difference to her. It might even give her the oppertunity she was waiting for.

and murder is my true desire...

[Crowzerplorodon]

Red almost laughed at the she-cat's words. Almost, simply because it had been so longed since he really, truly laughed. The noise that escaped him was more like a dog's bark-- cold, cruel, and monotone. It may have been true that the entire ranch was not his by title or even majority rule, but he viewed it as such. And he would protect it, and it's inhabitants, to the end. Sort of. Admittedly, Red only liked to think he'd die for another. In reality, that was as far from the truth as the ginger tom could get. But it was nice to dream that he had the heart.

"Naively? Dearest stranger, you have it wrong. I know full well what I do as I protect them. There is no naivety in me as I take action. And what is there to live for, if there is only yourself? A wise cat once said it is only through the bonds with others can we, if only for a moment, be truly alive. What is there to compare our life to if we refuse to meld with others? Nothing, I dare say." This she-cat must think him dumb, though. How could one not tell her malicious intents? Red was was no good at scenting, and his nose had failed him over the years. But the blood and death that reeked from her was... well, to be obvious, the scent was obvious. "You smell of forced death, dearest stranger."

[Cloud of Diamonds]

My heart is ice, my mind is fire

What the tom was saying, for the most part, was going in one ear and out the other for Fox. Much of what he was saying was nonsense to the homicidal she-cat. But she could attempt to humor him, she thought. Though his last words did make her think he probably did know her intents. Ah well. He would have no brainpower left to be suspicious, soon enough. Just play dumb, and act. "Well, I would not know, though it makes little or no sense to me. But perhaps I haven't known any cat long enough to feel these things you speak of. But, forced death?" The ginger tabby laughed as though it were a foreign concept to her. "Why would you suspect such a thing? You do not even know me." Fox smiled a smile that exposed all of her overlong teeth in a crazy-looking grin. But her tail was twitching almost imperceptably, her claws digging into the ground ever so slightly. It was getting harder to restrain herself. Patience, Fox, she told herself. Wait until he drops his guard.

and murder is my true desire...