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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 2, 2007 19:43:44 GMT -5
Munkustrap's steps faltered slightly as he approached the junkyard, but he covered his lapse by gesturing with his paw for Victoria to go first. He followed behind her, each step feeling heavier than the last. Was this how Deuteronomy felt, when he became the Leader?
"Quaxo?" Tumble frowned, looking around. No black fur anywhere. He touched his nose to a few footprints, picking out which ones belonged to his little lover (the smallest ones, duh!), and began following them, wondering where Quaxo was hiding.
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Post by [scean] on May 2, 2007 19:46:43 GMT -5
Quaxo pulled himself from the pile of snow, making sure not to let Tumble see him as he made his way in between two more piles of snow. He sat, watching the patched cat, and smiled, his ears falling back against his head to hide him more.
"Tumble," he called, his voice sounding as if it was coming from the other side of the Junkyard.
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 2, 2007 19:49:44 GMT -5
Tumble stopped, frowning, and lifted his nose from the snow, turning to look in the direction Quaxo's voice had come from. "Quaxo?" But... that made no sense! All the signs were showing that Quaxo had gone this way, just now... how could he be over there? And why couldn't Tumble see his black fur?
Oh.
Oh wait.
"Quaxo, you cheater!" Tumble called out, grinning. "Stop using your magic to help you! That's not fair!"
Munkustrap flicked an ear when he heard Tumble's call. "Victoria... you go ahead to the piano. I'll be right there." He began detouring toward the sound of Tumble's voice. He really didn't want to announce Deuteronomy's death multiple times. He'd go ask Tumble (and Quaxo) to join the rest of the tribe in the piano for a few minutes.
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Post by [scean] on May 2, 2007 19:52:30 GMT -5
Quaxo giggled, standing from his spot and curling around Tumble from behind. He licked the other tom's ear and turned himself back, nipping at it and hugging the other tom closely. "But using my magic is oh-so-much fun," he purred, going around him and pressing his lips to Tumble's gently. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Munkustrap (which only spurred him to kiss Tumble harder).
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Post by deuteronomy on May 2, 2007 19:55:25 GMT -5
Move. Move or you'll freeze. Neither of them sounded like something he wanted to do, but it was one or the other. Moving would hurt him now, freezing would take away his final chance. So he forced his limbs to work, his lungs to draw in the freezing air.
He was coughing before long; trying to run when he could barely walk. He was not old for a kitten, not days old but under a month, and his strides were small and pathetic. He had truly traded places with his human...
Deuteronomy could not find his breath. Where was he...? Close to home...? How far had he been, how far had he travelled? He inhaled deeply, trying to stop his fitful coughing, and caught a scent.
Jellicles. Junk. Home. But... Heaviside, he couldn't move. Now, when it was most important. His small body had fallen victim to the frost and the ice... Pitiful. He was pitiful.
He cried out in frustration, his fury emmerging as little more than a shrill squeak.
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 2, 2007 20:00:08 GMT -5
Tumble leaned back against Quaxo, purring. "Not when you're using it to hide from me, it's not!" He wrapped his arms around Quaxo's waist when the smaller cat moved, leaning down to return the kiss. There was no one around to watch them. He wasn't embarrassed.
He also didn't see Munkustrap, who cleared his throat as he approached. As he waited for the pair to break apart, he frowned, looking around. Was that a squeak? It didn't sound like a rodent...
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Post by [scean] on May 2, 2007 20:02:55 GMT -5
Quaxo placed his paws on Tumble's cheek, pulling away after a moment and grinning. He turned his head when he heard the cough and sneered.
"I suppose you've come to 'check on us' again, right?" he growled, nestling into Tumble's chest and glaring at Munkustrap. "Well, we don't need it. As Tumble has told you three times, Protector, we're fine. We've been fine. We'll always be fine. Not that you truly care."
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 2, 2007 20:05:30 GMT -5
"I'm not coming to check on you," Munkustrap said, distracted by the squeak. "I need you two in the piano... I need to make an announcement." He looked back at the pair with a frown. "I do truly care, Quaxo, even if it doesn't seem like it right now."
Tumble held Quaxo, biting his lip as he looked between the two. He wished Quaxo and Munkus could work out whatever issues had risen between them, because he hated feeling like he was supposed to be making a choice.
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Post by deuteronomy on May 2, 2007 20:07:31 GMT -5
Just flex the muscle... It wouldn't work. He was too weak. He was weak for healing the human in the first place, and now he was going to die because of his weakness...
He cried out again, a bit stronger this time, even though it took away was precious breath he had. Less of a squeak this time, still shrill but at least more feline.
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Post by xxelectraxx on May 2, 2007 20:09:11 GMT -5
Inside the piano, Electra bounced around trying to do flips and stuff, and Mali who had finally started walking a little better with her eyes now open, showing bright green eyes, started to copy Electra. Aprilli's eyes were open too, showing ice-blue eyes. Aprilli just sat on her mama's tail, whapping at it. || How's that for jumping in?||
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Post by [scean] on May 2, 2007 20:12:10 GMT -5
"I don't know why I ever trusted you," Quaxo murmured, resting his head on Tumble's shoulder and giving a dark glare toward Munkustrap. "I should have known you would just tear me apart."
Quaxo grabbed Tumble's paw and started for his old den. "We're going to my den. Nothing is important enough that you can't say it twice."
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 2, 2007 20:17:11 GMT -5
Munkustrap reached out and grabbed Tumble's other paw (Quaxo had moved too far away to easily catch). "Tumble, Quaxo, I need you in the piano. Now."
"Umm..." Tumble looked at the moody expression on Munkustrap's face, and then over to Quaxo. "Maybe we should go, Quacks..."
Munkustrap frowned, turning his head. There was that squeak again, but it was definitely feline this time. A kitten? One of Burelle's? "Tumble, just get Quaxo into the piano. I'll be right there." He set off toward the noise, wondering what a kitten was doing outside.
Burelle laughed and nuzzled her kittens, cooing over their pretty kitten-blue eyes and identifying everything they saw.
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Post by deuteronomy on May 2, 2007 20:19:43 GMT -5
Everlasting Cat, it hurt... His chest felt like it was on fire, and each cough only added fuel to it. This was it, this was death. True death. He was going to die...
Whimpering softly, Deuteronomy tried to move, only to fall again. So this was how it would end. Tiny and frozen on the street, a scapegoat for a human and a human's disease... Too weak to move, let alone give any decent last words to be remembered be.
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Post by [scean] on May 2, 2007 20:29:33 GMT -5
Quaxo hissed as Munkustrap slinked away, turning back to Tumble. "Let's go, then," he growled, turning back to the piano and heading toward it. He climbed into it and glanced around, spotting Burelle with a little smile. "Burelle," he said quietly, lying beside her and looking over at the kittens.
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Post by Munkustrap Etc. on May 2, 2007 20:38:08 GMT -5
Munkustrap looked around, finally catching sight of a small kitten. "Hey..." He padded over and crouched down next to the bundle of fluff, touching its back lightly. "Heaviside, you're freezing!" He carefully picked up the kitten, cradling it against his warmer chest and noticing that it really wasn't that much bigger than Burelle's Simeon. He sniffed the air, but couldn't detect a mother for this kitten. "Poor thing... come on. I'll take you to Burelle. She'll warm you up, and get you fed." He was sure his mother wouldn't mind taking on another life, even after the news of Deuteronomy's death. If anything, his loss would make saving this little kitten's life all the more important. Munkustrap brushed a kiss to the kitten's cold ears before turning back to the piano, trying to shelter it as much as possible from the cold with his paws.
"Something's wrong with Munkus," Tumble muttered as he walked beside Quaxo. He smiled a little at Burelle and her kittens. "Oh, they've all opened their eyes now!"
"All except for Leathik," Burelle said, nudging her smallest son toward her smallest grandson. "But that's to be expected. He's the runt." She licked Mirza's ears and gave him a smile. "You taste like snow."
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