Deep in the Tunnels, Loveless follows a Voice

[Runfast]

Deep in the tunnels, Loveless had followed a voice (OOC: See how nicely that tied in with the title? ).
Now he was lounging in an interesting sub-tunnel-den-thing that was lit by an abundance of interesting glowing plants.
"I'd like to learn about these," he'd been speaking his thoughts aloud for the fun of it - Back in the camp or even the territories, Loveless was forbidden to speak his mind. "I think it would be interesting to know why these plants glow - but who would know? Those Above?" The dark brown tom laughed aloud. "Yes, indeed, dead cats knowing why plants under the ground glow. They'd probably say it's the spirits of dead plants." Loveless stopped to consider that then threw his head back and laughed. He went on for a while then sighed. "I wonder if my brother and my friends have won..."

OOC: NKNinja - post here after Meany and I are done!

[Meany]

"You sure like talking to yourself, Legless." The raspy voice came from a bit further down the tunnel Loveless had come from.
A shadow emerged from it, translucent even in its' darkness. When it got close enough to Loveless, it became clear it was the shape of a cat, and the face was familiar.
Viletongue. "You might be crazy or something. Or dead. Like me." He seemed very okay with his current state of being.

[Runfast]

Loveless twisted his neck around to see the shadowy figure - "Viletongue? How did - " Loveless stood, "How did you find me?" His ears drooped. "Did we lose?"

[Meany]

Viletongue rolled his yellow eyes. "D'ya think I'd be all smoky if you tick-eating Servants hadn't?" He didn't wait for a glimmer of recognition to grace the eyes of the Servant. "I'm dead, eejit. Your little plan worked out fine." Again, he didn't seem to mind.

[Runfast]

Loveless gasped, remembering how Viletongue had just showed up out of the dark to join the patrol. "...Uh.. How... was it?" Bad question, Loveless knew. REAL bad. He felt stupid.

[Meany]

Viletongue let out a long, ripping laugh. "How was it? Hahah - cold, shocking, heart-stopping - but I'm better, thanks." The thank-you was almost genuine. "It's actually kinda nice to not have to worry so much about everything from enemy Clans to loners to bad blood to Servants with funny legs and dung like that." The tom sighed. "Of course - I gotta stay down here if I want it to stay that way." That irritated him and it showed on his face and his lashing tail.
Stupid Above - all those damn rules.

[Runfast]

Loveless was relieved that the dead Warrior probably wasn't there to kill him. But now he was a bit confused. "W-why do you have to stay down here? Of all places? Why don't you join Scourge?" Yes, Loveless knew the whole story about Scourge, as told by Shadowstar to Sinface to him. "Why don't you join your old Clanmates in the stars instead of being in this musty old place?"

[Meany]

Viletongue sighed again and padded up to sit next to Loveless. "I guess dying makes me a little more open - guess this little story won't hurt my reputation these days. Sit down, and I might tell you my reason."

[Runfast]

Loveless glared at the dead Warrior but sat anyways - he was curious.
"Well?" Yep - revolutions were just so freeing.

[Meany]

Viletongue's ears flicked. "Cocky." He swept his tail so it was resting over his paws, a strange pose for one who was such a formidable Warrior in life. "I like it down here. We only have legends about this place - what better place to spend the rest of your remembered days, where all secrets and answers may be found?" The look of excitement in the black tom's eyes was like when a kit looked at the world for the very first time.
"But... it's more than that." A look of sadness flickered across his face - then stayed. "When I was younger than you, a Choosing called 'Vile', I was friends with a she-cat apprentice from Tawnyclan." Viletongue didn't want to pause long enough to give Loveless enough time to say something.
"Her name was Sandypaw - she had an attitude and pelt to match her name," the was a tinge of wistfulness in the Warrior's voice. "I met her at a Gathering not too long before I was given my Warrior name. She was the only apprentice there brave - or stupid - enough to stand up to a Warrior from our Clan. Don't remember his name," scorn in his voice. "I guess it was obvious to Sandypaw that I admired her for what she did. We insulted each other a few times before the Gathering was over. I thought I'd never have to see her again, but I was wrong. Even then I helped with patrolling, and apparently patrolling is a big part of training in Forest Clans. We kept seeing each other across the borders, and while the others fought, there was nothing said between us." Viletongue had a far-off look, gone back in the days of his training.
"I... don't know how it happened, but suddenly we were both sneaking out to meet up. Sometimes I swam the river to see her, other times she ran across the Battlefields to meet me. I told her everything about us - and she told everything about life in Tawnyclan. It was all so foreign to us, how the other went about daily life, how differently we were raised."
Viletongue sighed sadly. "Then I told her about these tunnels. I'd never been inside, but I knew where an entrance was... We were young and curious... We both went inside... Only I came out."
The tom looked and felt more broken than he had ever in the presence others, but it was nothing new to him.
"Hence my name. It was my words that brought Sandypaw here, and it was my words that killed her."
The tom suddenly laughed. "And now I'm here, spilling my tick-filled guts to you. I really am dead."

[Runfast]

Loveless's eyes looked upon the Warrior with sadness. "I'm sorry, Viletongue."

[Meany]

Viletongue batted at Loveless - his paw went right through his head, of course. "I don't want your pity. She doesn't want it either," he looked to an empty space next to him.
Loveless couldn't see it, but the lovely Tawnyclanner was sitting next to him, her sandy pelt glowing like she was standing in sunlight.
Earlier, Sandypaw had forgiven him, saying it hadn't been his fault - and she also made fun of him for getting so OLD.
"So, that's my little story, Prince. Haha, yeah. I know who you and your brother are, sneaky badgers. Good luck - and take care of the cats who are living down here, would you? It's creepy having four kits and two she-cats here with us ghosts." The black tom's image dispersed quite suddenly, like wind blowing away smoke, only his raspy laugh telling that he had been there.

[Runfast]

Loveless blinked in surprise - but in his heart he was glad the rough-edged Warrior was happy, even if he hadn't been very nice in life.
"It's the way we're raised," the brown tom murmured to himself. Wait... four kits and two she-cats?
Loveless got to his paws again, looking around like he expected said cats to suddenly appear out of the walls. "Is anyone there," he risked a loud call. Mistake - it echoed creepily.

[Longstorm]

Not too far down the tunnels, Terra, Cityclan she-cat nursing four Abyssclan toms, woke up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. "S... Searingeyes?"
She looked down at the four toms nestled in the crook of her legs - they were so precious, nearly three moons old.
And she would do anything to protect them.
Terra, not wanting to do anything rash, looked around for the other she-cat who lived with them. "Corrupt? Corrupt, where are you?"

[Loki]

OOC: I love RPing these guys
IC:
"Attacker!" jumped Fresh nearly bowling over Thistle who snorted; "Most unlikely."
The word 'unlikely' had occurred to him when listening to conversations from his
mother and of course, Thistle was the wittiest of the four picked the definition up after a while.
Fresh only eyed him confusedly but Bark jumped, "They come through walls!"

Thistle rasped his small pink tongue over his shoulder and rolled his eyes, looking to Terra in a
I'm-smarter-than-them-because-I-know-that-can't-happen, sort of way.
Torn hopped up and looked thuggishly around him, "They'll wish they didn't cross paths with us! The mighty three!"
At this Thistle jumped up, "Mighty four, mighty four!"
and jumped over to join in with the tussling.

[NKninja]

Corrupt as always was exploring the tunnels again, remembering each root, each stone as she trailed along. She paused as she heard the strange, firm voice not far ahead. Her eyes lowered and she instinctively unsheathe her claws and slowly padded forward. As she got closer, she recognized the familiar scent that Searingeyes had brought nearly each day.
She stopped harshly, picking up dirt as she did when Terra's voice ringed in her ears, "Oh come on!" she softly murmured to herself, looking back from where she came. Even though Corrupt thought it was a bad idea, she kept walking towards the scent until she saw a brown figure in the corner of her good eye.

[Runfast]

Loveless turned to see the silhouette of a fluffy cat. Because of the size her fur made her look, Loveless assumed she was an adult. "Who are you," he mewed to the she-cat, trying to look both calm but tough at the same time, putting his disfigured leg out of sight a bit. "Who gave you leave of our tunnels? And who else is here? And why are you here?" The questions had begun to just pour out of his mouth so he clamped his jaws shut, forcing the fur on his neck and shoulders to flatten.

[NKninja]

Corrupt turned to the tom, Standing upright attempting to look big as she got closer to him, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea, kept repeating in her mind until she calmed down. " I'm Corrupt, and I don't understand what you mean by 'Our'. Wait, do you know Searingeyes?" she cooly mewed, but flicking her fluffy tail back and forth on the dusty floor.

[Runfast]

The tom eyes narrowed slightly as he mewed, "He's one of our spiritual leaders on the surface... How do you know him?"
If these people had a legit reason to be in these tunnels, then they'd have an even more legit reason to live in the Abyssclan camp now that things would be changing.

[NKninja]

Corrupt looked up at the ceiling for just a moment, remembering the blur of how she got here, " Well, when I instinctively came into this territory with an injured leg and all, Searingeyes found me and brought me here. Strangely he didn't tell me why"

[Runfast]

Loveless relaxed and sat down, wincing in the pain that lifting his shriveled leg to his rough tongue brought. He licked his small pad a few times and mewed, "Yeah - Powerfuls are known for being irritatingly secretive." He took on a more friendly expression. "So what's your name - I'm Loveless, by the way."

[NKninja]

"The names Corrupt." She sighed, " and I know what you mean! Staying cooped up in an unknown cave can get irritating for 3 moons."
For how small she was back then, it was easy to travel through these tunnels, but now since she grew, some small enclosed areas were very tricky to go through.

[Runfast]

Loveless's ears pricked in surprise. "Three moons? Daaaaayyum... But yeah, that's just like the Powerfuls." He paused. "Hey - do you wanna come to the surface withe me? I mean - I think that's why I'm down here. To bring you and the she-cat with the four kits to our camp... I hope I'm not being too forward - but then, this is my territory."

[NKninja]

She warily looked at Loveless, then smiled happily, " Of course, I'll go get them. You can come if you like, it wouldn't matter either way" And she turned around and walked the way she came, taking short, small glances to see if he was coming or not.

[Runfast]

Loveless looked surprised - Well, good thing she's a trusting cat.. Otherwise this would have been far more complicated. "Hey, wait up," he called to Corrupt, whose legs were longer and without hindrance. "Some of us have disabilities," he managed to add a purr to show he wasn't upset.

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