PAFP The Rustclaws SC DO I WIN THE PRIZE? [negotiations]

[ECHOSTEP]

x

The junkyard is a place that only the desperate would dare go, and unfortunately for Echostep, they are indeed beginning to grow desperate. The morning is cold and the prey is scarce as they stalk the pocosin—it is only when the sun begins to rise that Echostep calls it quits, and turns their attention to the land outside of ShadowClan's borders. The junkyard has proven a successful scavenging location before, leading the blue-furred thief to travel there again today. As they pass through the gates and into the junkyard, the bundle of items—gathered both from the junkyard itself and from the lands of ShadowClan, to be used for trade if they can find any willing participants—swings slightly from their jaws. And it seems, as they turn a corner and come nearly face-to-face with a pale, admittedly not bad-looking molly. A resident of the junkyard, they realize after a moment.

"Ah, good evening," they murmur, straightening to their full height as they face the stranger. They make no attempt to intimidate the other, knowing that they are well out of their element here and likely outnumbered. Where one junkyard cat lurks in sunlight, plenty more are likely to be lurking in the shadows of bent sheet metal and rusted-out cars. The ShadowClanner wastes no time in making their case: "I actually… had hoped I might come across others here. I'm looking for food, see, and I even have goods to trade in return. Or, if it's more to your speed, I could lend my strength to any projects you wish to see fulfilled." Green eyes flash in the glow of the rising sun, hopeful that something they've offered will at least pique the other's interest. Of course, there's always the chance that this molly will also be lacking food, so they can't hinge their bets solely on this cat—that's why they've started so early in the day, to give themself time to find another, potentially more gullible, cat if necessary.

OOC pls wait for @Gaia but will be open to any rustclaws

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ECHOSTEP

THEY/SHE, SHADOWCLAN THIEF
✧ sleek-furred blue lynx point with a long tail & green eyes
✧ quiet and cunning, values authority over empathy
✧ npc x npc ; no known kin
✧ peaceful powerplay allowed ; hates being touched
✧ played by foxlore

 

[Gaia]

She smells like lemongrass and sleep,
She tastes like apple juice and peach.

.

Dainty pawsteps echoed softly over the ground as Gaia turned a corner, nearly colliding with a stranger. Her brown eyes, sharp and assessing, settled on the unfamiliar cat, who clearly did not belong in these parts. A graceful flick of her long tail accompanied a subtle tilt of her head, a silent signal of measured curiosity. Her gaze drifted over the objects the stranger carried, tilting her head slightly as she examined them. Trade? Food for goods? Or labor in exchange? Food was always scarce this time of year... Her thoughts flicked briefly to Nonna, perched somewhere in the heart of the Rustclaws' domain, already calculating rations, already planning who would patrol, who would forage. Mother would know how to size this one up in a heartbeat. Gaia should do the same.

" Good evening. " she said at last, voice low, calm, carrying authority, the kind that drew obedience without effort. Her tail twitched once, curiosity masked by poise. " Food grows scarce in the biting season. " she remarked simply, eyes narrowing slightly. If this one was clever, they'd show worth quickly. If not... They were wasting time, and that was not a risk she took lightly. She studied the cat's movements, the way they shifted the weight of their bundle. What could they bring that they could not find themselves? What could they offer that would make their trade seem... Profitable?

" What is it you can offer that cannot be found by those who search diligently? And what service do you bring that we cannot provide for ourselves? " Her words were calm, measured, but in her mind, the gears turned quickly, weighing every detail, every twitch of the stranger's body. Mother would approve of caution... And so would she. She blinked slowly, keeping her expression unreadable. " Be precise. Be clear. Tell me what you hope to gain from this... Meeting. " Do not waste words. And do not underestimate me.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

72 MOONS

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RUSTCLAW

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SONG

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bio

 

[barbie]

Barbie stands by Nonna and the rest of the Rustclaws because they provided her a safe space to recuperate after escaping her twolegs - not only that, but they fed her, taught her how to hunt and defend herself, and continued to shown bits of honest hard work and compassion. The tortoiseshell molly stays, now, because she feels she has the obligation to make this junkyard a warm (albeit dangerous) home for others, too. It's what she owes the twoleg-trash laden land. She didn't think it'd be this hard, with this leaf-bare being her first... Alas, it's too late to back out now.

Her half-furred tail twitches as she turns the corner, spotting Gaia with a stranger - however quickly she finds that she actually recognizes this molly. She was one of those Clancats that stole from the junkyard not too long ago! And now she's back with gifts? It's almost laughable. In fact, the tortoiseshell even snorts as she approaches, completely juxtaposing Gaia's calm demeanor and posturing. "D'you really think anything you have is gonna get us on your good side?" The teen antagonizes, wrinkling her nose.

 

[ECHOSTEP]

x

The face they are greeted with is not a familiar one, although Echostep must admit that it is an intriguing one. The junkyard cat appears unamused with their presence, going so far as to seem irritated that Echostep would even offer something so pitiful as a trade. She even asks what they can offer that cannot be found anyway, and Echostep's jaw clenches subtly. Ah, this is no foolish cat who's cut themself on too much rusted metal—as if the thief could get so lucky. The blue point opens their mouth to respond, only to be cut off by the same smaller cat who'd come across them and Marrowpaw before. With disdain, they respond swiftly, "I don't seek to get on your good side. I seek food." Dismissal. The simplest way to deal with inflammatory remarks made by overconfident youngsters such as the one who greets them.

Swiftly their attention turns from the patched molly, returning their focus to the older feline. She doesn't seem convinced, seems more guarded than Echostep had expected. "The biting season, yes… which is why I offer these. This place seems to have little warmth, little comfort—certainly you could find use for these?" From their bundle of assorted objects comes a mass of feathers shining with the vibrant reds of a tanager, the soft grays of a junco, and even a few of the pristine whites of a swan. They gesture to the offered materials with their chin, and add, "As for labor, I can offer my strength and energy. Battle, scavenging, intel… I can aid you in any of these."

With a sigh they shake their head, unwilling to press their luck too much with this steely junkyard cat and her younger, more brash counterpart. What's keeping them from attacking her and foregoing the idea of a trade altogether? Perhaps only Echostep's willingness to back off if rejected will prevent any flying claws. "Of course, if you aren't interested in trading, I can go. Better to spend my efforts elsewhere and stay out of your fur if I'm unwanted." Their words are insouciant, paired with a shrug as they glance from one end of the junkyard to the other, unable to see past towering piles of metal and garbage. If they cannot gain anything from this attempted trade, then they shouldn't linger. Perhaps the lands further outside of the territory could yield more prey with fewer threats.

OOC —

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽♰☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

ECHOSTEP

THEY/SHE, SHADOWCLAN THIEF
✧ sleek-furred blue lynx point with a long tail & green eyes
✧ quiet and cunning, values authority over empathy
✧ npc x npc ; no known kin
✧ peaceful powerplay allowed ; hates being touched
✧ played by foxlore