The Colony Everything sucks || food aggression

[viperhowl]

It was a small morsel. The only one he had gotten with his brother earlier on their hunting expedition. Through the bramble, the water- they had spent all morning hunting, and he had only caught a sliver of meat. A small mouse that itself looked thin, and moved slow. Probably sick, much like their leader at head. But it wasn't as if Viper knew anything about sickness. He was just a kid, as others called him.

His red and black splattered maw snapped shut in a harsh click as eyes of fire snapped towards another approaching cat. "

Mine

," he growled lowly, his mouth dripping water and his belly felt like it was roaring in hunger from the mere inch he was away from eating it. "

I hunted for it- it's mine

," he snapped again, ears pulling back atop his head.

Viper was not keen to share such a small morsel, nor words with with how ravenous he felt.

 

[SHADESIGHT]

☆ Shade stares on with a measure of being unaware- he wasn't sure when his eyes drifted towards the food. He hadn't been approaching for that reason, no, really. He swears he hadn't, no matter how his stomach grumbles. Shade wishes he knew other sources of food, like what birds ate. Maybe he wouldn't be so hungry, then- they were all hungry. Normally, he was better at this, normally, he kept himself held a specific way. He was normally above being hungry.

Viper's snap caused his ears twitch and head to whip around, but he does not bare his teeth, despite the bristle to his pelt. "... Then eat. Stop looking at me like I'm food. I am remiss to remind you I am not food." He isn't angry, or even argumentative- no, Shade is deadpan in his words, blinking at the other. He genuinely thought Viper looked at him like food, not an enemy.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ HOW AM I SUPPOSED ☆ TO LIVE LIKE THIS?

• "speech"
  

• 

• SHADE AMAB he/him, LONER of the COLONY, seventeen moons.
  ☆ An average sized dark pelted tom with heavy bangs over gray eyes. A notable scar on his left cheek. Looks at you with skepticism (and awkwardly.)
  ☆ mentored by npc / mentoring no one (currently)
  ☆ npc x npc / no mate currently
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Straw]

Straw cannot initially parse whether this is an altercation or merely a peculiar exchange. When he happened upon it as a casual passerby casual passerby, it'd initially sounded as though Vulture were at the edge of a threat. Harsh-spitten words, a bitter defense put up to keep another from what is his. Not to mention the snap of his jaw, and the curling of his lips to bare his teeth. The fella's clearly agitated.

Yet, Vulture isn't being met by hostility. Or, anything, really. As for the cat across from the young feline, Shade stays blank and untouched by the moment.

Now at a standstill, the golden-furred tom leans an ear in and picks up one of the most damning counter-arguments he has ever heard. Shade is not food, therefore the dispute has no reason to continue. But this is what Straw latches onto. A small, off-colour remark, and one that plants a roguish glint in his smile.

"I mean..." he drawls aloud, with his fluffy tail arched and curled high over his back. He need not finish the thought. A hooded glance, a teasing flick to the brows, and a meagre smirk, his bodily mannerisms speak for themselves.

Now, for the overly-defensive pipsqueak. He has to give it to the kid, Vulture does look hungry. Famished, even. With an intense gleam in his eye, his ravenous stare remains fixated on the morsel. The young cat looks desperate for the sustenance—like he could hardly stomach another word, much less another interruption. But what's one more? "No one's gonna' snatch it from ya, ya doof." His words carry the faintest note of reassurance, with an undercurrent of playful mockery to follow. "You're fine."

(penned by willie)

 

[Lowlight]

☼ ✧

Hunger is a shadow hanging over them all, like a talon-bird ready to strike. It makes Dunny's fur prickle and his face ache with a near-permanent frown: he worries about Viper, who needs all the food he can get -- he remembers how hungry he got, at that age -- and about the colony, straining under the weight of it all. They ought to branch out, extend further away; but Fray's been too sick to do any of that for a while now, so things are more likely than not to stay just like this until something gives. And it'll probably be them: leaf-bare's coming fast, and it gives no quarters.

Perhaps they should strike out on their own, just the two of us -- or as many cats as want to follow, though the thought of being in charge of more than one brother is already giving Dunny hives. But it doesn't feel right to leave everyone to fend for themselves while they try their luck elsewhere. Doesn't feel right to stay, either. There's not much he can do, in the end, except what he's doing: trying to keep his brother fed, and trying to keep the peace, in his own way.

He hears Viper's hiss before he sees his brother, and he makes a sharp turn to head for his direction -- he doesn't like that sound. But when he gets there, there's not much happening: no claws out, and no teeth barred.

"Hey, hey, settle down, little scale,"

he rushes to say, padding up to his sibling. Honestly, he gets where Shade's coming from: Viper can work up one hell of a glare when he wants to, and he does look a little bit like he wants to bite throats rather than his small bit of freshkill.

"No one's stealing your meal-- right?"

Dunny's chuckle has an undercurrent of placation -- he doesn't think these two are likely to pick up a fight for so little, but there have been a lot of stupid fights, lately, as the prey gets scarce.​

✧ ° . ☼ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —

• DUNNY — HE/HIM･ 25 MOONS ･ COLONY CAT ･ PENNED BY @Kangoo

  A solidly built flame point/red tabby chimera with golden eyes and a small nick across his lips.