REVOLUTIONS OF RUIN [P]

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A cloudless, sweltering day bled into another. It seemed as though the Keepers--or the gods--had "blessed" the Menagerie with heat for days and days and days. The sky was a throbbing shade of blue, so bright and pure that it hurt to glimpse through the thick, bristly trees. Kajetan could sense that the forest was parched; it had seemingly shrunk into itself, as combustible as a stack of dry hay, the sun a merciless demon above. He had no doubt that Wanderer must have been miserable with her thick fur, more adapted for a winter climate. Even Kajetan, who had been born and raised in a desert, was beginning to feel the affects of the heat. It was why he ventured away from the dark center of the forest towards the river. He needed the relief of the water; he partially blamed this urge on the strange mutation that the fake-gods had given him. It was not in his inherent nature to enjoy the cool river. 

But now he did. Kajetan slid nimbly down the steep bank so as to rest knee-deep in the gentle stream. It was cool, having descended form the bird territory in the north. After pausing, he lowered himself onto his stomach. The water swelled around his chin and soaked his fur in a matter of seconds. Before he was even aware of it, he found himself dozing, awoken only by the telltale call of a raven flying overhead. Kajetan rose, shaking the water from his fur. He could only imagine what another Analoya may have said if they had seen him there, his face against the bank so as to keep his nostrils from the water, looking very much the part of a dead feline.

He snorted with the realization that he did not care what they thought. He leapt up the bank effortlessly, in one stride, and only realized something was amiss when he noticed that the birds had fallen silent. He could have easily said that this was because of him, but they had seemingly grown accustomed to his presence as he lay in the river. It may have been because he had moved but, alas! He had the tingly sensation of no longer being alone. He turned, dripping water, so as to face the river again. With a sweep of his eyes he examined the opposite bank, as still as he could be. 

Kajetan nearly missed the large, black cat. He did not recognize the species but it appeared to be an oversized, bulky kind of leopard, not unalike him... the color was all wrong, however, a mixture of black and silver. The fur at the nape of his neck began to bristle and his tail, which had previously been held upright with pleasure, drooped low and thrashed. Kajetan issued a low snarl; it took him too long to think of using shiftertongue on this stranger, but his body language was clear. This was his territory, this was his water.

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Scrounging for food was his least favorite activity. Second to the Menagerie’s poking, prodding, and general observation. Today it was “scrounging for food”. He had salvaged a carcass, licked it clean, and was on the move for water. Moving slowly through the sweltering forest, Jarek caught sight of the tree he had ravaged earlier as a way to mark where he had been. Everything looked the same. It was irritating. The wilds of Brazil were easier to navigate than this place ever was, regardless of whether or not he had marked it. Scratching through the bark with his claws initiated the trees to his marking but did nothing save for tell him where he had been. He needed to know where he was going instead. But to know that... That was impossible.

Jarek lifted his large head, peering through the canopy of trees into the bright sunlight as a raucous crow jeered at him from it’s perch. His lips twitched over his large canines, a challenge clear in his blue-teal, silver eyes. Instead, he loped down the hill toward the only water source he knew existed for miles around.

It sparkled in the sunlight, eerily inviting him in. Trepidation stole over him and he slowed, glancing to and fro for any sign of another and bent forward for a refreshing drink. Lapping at the cool substance, Jarek closed his eyes and in that momentary lapse of thought he was found. The sound of another jerked him from his stupor and he twisted, quick as lightning, to face the beige colored feline behind him that stood at the ready.
His jaws parted as his lips flickered up and down, ears pinning backward, his tail flicking angrily behind him. “See something you want, asshole?” He snarled, his claws digging into the soft loam beneath his paws before he picked one up, threateningly moving toward the big cat while alternatively desiring to be left alone.

Since his shunning, he had been getting into spats and fights. Today seemed to be no different. Jarek mewled a challenge, a low rumbling hissing growl that crescendoed ominously as though the thunder before a storm. It was as though he were preparing to go to war with his tribe again but the sick twist in his stomach reminded him that he didn’t have a tribe anymore. Where he expected Dukan at his side, there was only the ghost of his brother. Flattening his ears back against his head he lowered his center of gravity, “Move on. This doesn’t have anything to do with you, el gilipollas.” Jarek hissed, his thick accent obscuring the words even more.

All he wanted was to be left alone.

ooc - First time in a long time roleplaying big cats, PARDON MY RUSTINESS also, el gilipollas = asshole in spanish

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Kajetan's instincts overrode any conscious thought; he was an animal, after all. What occurred to him was only that there was another male in his territory, large enough to be a threat to his alleged family. The idea of this feline being near Wanderer only aggrieved Kajetan further, encouraging him to issue another snarl at the words Jarek spoke. Kajetan scarcely comprehended him; what drew his attention was the jaguar's aggression, the snarl and the lifted paw (as though in a threat). Kajetan would have none of it. He squared his shoulders to the trespasser, hissing, his ears laying flat against his skull. 

Move on. Kajetan's tail flicked scornfully. His eyes, open wide and fearless, were also full of insolence. It was the only thing he understood, the rest obscured by the strange cat's thick, lilting tone of voice. Kajetan found it all very vexing and, more than that, very insulting. Kajetan preferred to avoid actual combat by hissing and puffing as cats had a penchant for doing; it became clear that Jarek was indifferent to this and while his insults were not understood, Kajetan did know that they were not the kindest of phrases. His threats had originally been just that; threats. Now he had full intentions of backing them with action. 

Kajetan did not even bother to say what was clearly the problem; you are on my land. Instead he stalked closer, his shoulders arched and his head low, so as to better protect his throat. His posture clearly spoke of aggression and Kajetan gave a savage roar, followed closely by a second. Without further ado, he took two bounding leaps towards the thing, snarling in the process, so as to rise onto his hind legs upon reaching him. The leopard-tiger lashed out with his forepaws, claws unsheathed, fully intending to strike Jarek cleanly across the face. 

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“Did you hear me, assmunch?” He snapped acerbically, “Sai daqui, desaparece!” Jarek lapsed into his old tongue when it was clear that his challenge wasn’t being adequately adhered to, his eyes narrowing out of spite. Lashing his tail to and fro, his lips lifted as he snarled into the distance between them. Challenging Jet wasn’t that difficult, the big cat was taking the bait but he was mute. Jarek wondered if he was dumb for his lack of speech was mildly disconcerting. It reminded him of his son when he hadn’t spoken for a good while.

The thought struck him as odd and nearly took the gusto out of him. Jarek harshly shoved the thought away in favor of aggression, batting at the air with his paw as he growled. Jet’s body tensed and Jarek felt the air around them change in a moment, thickening. He reacted as though Dukan was by his side and thrust himself just as Jet lunged with his claws extended and batting for his face. Instead of getting his face, Jarek reared and caught the claws with a parry on his arms -- the slice feeling like sweet ambrosia on old wounds.

Jarek could hear the tear of his skin and he almost saw the battlefield with his brother fighting alongside him. ”Eu vou ficar do lado esquerdo, irmão.” He heard Dukan’s voice echo inside of his head. For a span in time he believed it and they stood still, two dancers in a vicious tango. Blood dripped off his arm in languid rivulets and splashed nastily on the ground beneath them but Jarek’s mind saw his brother beside them and a wicked grin split his lips. It elongated until his face hurt and he looked purely mad.
Lunging forward with a roar he swiped toward Jet, his claws extended to grasp hold of him and throwing his body weight at him to topple him. In that same instant Dukan was gone, a whisper on the wind and Jarek’s roar turned to one of fervent agony. He was alone again, bitterly alone.

Ripping free from Jet’s hold, the white-hot slice of pain danced down his foreleg as his scarred chest met Jet’s body in a slap of muscle and power. Raising his paw, claws extended, he brought it down with the fury of a thundercloud.

The agonized roar of contempt rushed from him like a hurricane, threatening to devour everything in it’s path -- including Jet.

ooc - Translations:
- Sai daqui, desaparece! - Get out of here!
- Eu vou ficar do lado esquerdo, irmão. - I'll get the left side, brother.

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Kajetan's annoyance blossomed into full-blown rage because yes, he understood Jarek perfectly until he began to speak a different language and even then, Kajetan could assume the nature of the words. The muzzle of the beast wrinkled, his lips pulling back to expose his gleaming, wet teeth. Kajetan would not stand for this disrespect on Analoya land; this was clearly a stranger, some mutant cat either newly released or a wanderer who finally lapsed into retromorph territory.

His claws snagged Jarek in the arm, ripping furrows through the fur and skin as though it were nothing aside hot butter. The black feline had risen, putting them almost face-to-face. It became apparent to Kajetan than that he was larger than his rival, easily by a hundred pounds if not more. Good. That simply meant that Kajetan would be able to persuade him to leave all the more quickly; the smell of blood both excited and enthralled him, as did the proximity that the pair of them held. He could only imagine the kind of image they must have struck, fixed there in a ephemeral stalemate, grasping one another by the forearms.

Kajetan flexed his claws, his jaws slack as he envisioned his next course of action. There was not a moment of consideration; Jarek launched his retaliation within the span of one heartbeat and the next. The jaguar's paws rose defensively, fixing themselves at Kajetan's ribs. He felt the slice of the sharp claws and blood colored his tawny coat; the pain only served to enrage him further and as Jarek issued his roar, so did Kajetan. 

Birds took to the sky. The forest around them seemed to shake as the pair collapsed, driven sidelong by Jarek's force. Jet's claws were wrenched from the jaguar's forearm in the same motion, but this allowed him to catch himself with more ease. The impact resounded into his shoulders, which quivered in both a mixture of adrenaline and anticipation; his chest pressed against the ground as the jaguar descended, a shadow over the sun. Kajetan saw--but did not entirely register--the wild swoop of the jaguar's claws towards his face. He reacted quickly, more out of muscle memory than any conscious effort.

The movement of the jaguar had slowed just enough for him to comprehend it, if only due to the false gods' enhancements; his reflexes were quicker than average. He agilely tucked his head low and Jarek's claws grazed the top of his skull rather than the length of his face, cutting clean through his right ear. In the same curving motion Kajetan thrust up from the ground, his shoulders hunched. But both his jaws and his right foreleg rose, accompanied by a snarl. He endeavored to to snag the black feline's chest with his teeth while simultaneously swatting his paw at Jarek's shoulder, an effort to fix his claws there.

ooc: when he dodges jarek's blow (the one that was towards his face but instead hits the top of his head/his ear) he is using his skill agility xD I'M AFRAID I SUCKED AT WRITING IT AND I'M SORRY IF IT IS PP A LITTLE BIT? D8 idkmanskillsarehard

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Blood rained down like teardrops, their wounds weeping into the loamy earth beneath them. The clash of titans rang out with the smack of flesh against flesh, the rattle of bone against bone, and the tear of flesh from claw. The cloying scent of blood flooded his nostrils so that Jarek could almost swear he was back with Kil’Ango. It was as though they were embroiled in bloody, guerrilla warfare. He almost heard the sounds of his fellow Jaguar’s on each side and, as before, he nearly smelled his brother. It was all ghosts of memories now, skeletons in the closet, but it all felt so real that if Jarek wanted to he felt he could reach out and touch it. Every beat of his heart throbbed with agony and in those moments his lips slipped farther back, revealing the slickness of his teeth -- gleaming wet with saliva. He drove forward with all he had until he felt them falling, his stomach rushing upward with their fall until Jet stopped them as he hit the ground and then rose just as quickly.

Jet was the tide of the ocean, Jarek the boat. Rushing upward, Jarek found himself stunned but managed some movement. He still felt his teeth, sharp and slicing, against his chest. Jarek’s jaws hung open, suspended, in a silent scream before the roar was released that shook the very firmament that they were standing on. His claws slid from his paws and he lifted one from the earth below, rearing back before slapping it down intent on wrecking as much havoc as he could while his head swung down -- Jarek’s maw sought to encapsulate Jet’s muzzle (or any part of his face) within his jaws.

The burn felt like acid creeping along his chest, tingling into his armpits and down into his stomach. He felt as though he had been dipped into the fire.

Just as quickly, claws dug into his shoulder and the inferno spread. Jarek’s teeth released whatever hold he had and he yowled, breaking free. Jerking away from the wild cat in abandon he lashed out with fearsome claws intent on ripping Jet to ribbons. Throwing his weight toward the beige leopard, Jarek hoped to bowl him over.
Grappling for a hold on the blood slick cat, Jarek sought purchase with his sharp canines. In the midst of their struggle a thought surfaced that this was his first fight for the Analoya clan. He hardly knew why he was suddenly having to defend his territory, he just knew that it was what he had to do.

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It was not the roar that caused him to wrinkle his muzzle, his posture transitioning from aggressive to defensive in the duration of a single breath. His eyes narrowed to slits, his lower jaw hanging slack. He saw this attack, he saw it, but it was too quick for him to react. Kajetan's world erupted, agony as much apart of him as his own fur. He could not see as Jarek's jaws encompassed a large portion of his muzzle, his teeth cleaving gouges into the flesh of his nose and face. During this, the claws of the jaguar rose to open another bloody wound on Kajetan's shoulder. He released a pained, furious snarl, thrashing his head in an effort to free it of Jarek's merciless jaws. Shortly thereafter Jarek released him, driven away by the pressure of Kajetan's claws. 

The China leopard shook his face; it felt strange, not numb so much as... disjointed. Blood did not drip but instead it ran, as free as the river during a storm. Kajetan did not have time to gain composure, not as the jaguar launched himself so recklessly at him. But it became apparent to Jet that the black feline was accustomed to fighting either those who were smaller than him or of equal size. The impact was certainly jarring, something that felt down the length of his spine and into his bones; his flesh opened at the touch of the jaguar's claws, evoking a pained scream from the leopard. The very foliage gave way beneath Kajetan, his hind paws sliding in the dirt. He was forced to take a backward step to regain his balance. He snarled and without hesitating, without flinching, Kajetan bucked his weight into the jaguar with one powerful thrust from his hind legs. Teeth found purchase in the muscle of his shoulder, bloodying his golden fur. Angered by this, Kajetan sought to reap his vengeance by rising onto his hind legs, his forepaws flailing out to grip whatever was available. His claws slashed, seeking to tear and wrench. 

Kajetan released a roar, one that shattered his very bones. The exhilaration of the fight was not what drove him onward but, instead, he remained so tireless due to the thought of what he was protecting. This feral stranger had no right among their land! It was as though that thought conjured up Kajetan's better senses for he inhaled deeply, trashing his body. In the midst of conflict, his heart thundering, he came to the realization that the black feline did not smell of the laboratory or the rings or the other territories. He smelt of Analoya. 

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Jarek’s jaws closed down on something soft and squishy. He felt flesh rip and tear, flaying Jet’s cheek and nose. It looked eerily similar to how Dukan had just before he had been eviscerated. But there was no time to dwell on that. Jarek didn’t get the time, he couldn’t afford the time, as he sank his jaws into the creature’s side once more and felt the mad rush of blood in his mouth once more. The leopard screamed and Jarek felt a mild sense of satisfaction. They collided again and his muscles rippled beneath his shimmering coat -- now shimmering with a sheen of blood as well as the black -- before he was forced to release his quarry.

It was a bittersweet moment, his teeth parting from Jet’s shoulder, before the cat rose up and swung for him. Jet batted toward him blindly and Jarek couldn’t move quickly enough. His muzzle took the brunt of the attack and he felt the pain blind him. His vision exploded in a whirl of stars and colors before Jet’s claws sliced cleanly through his left nostril as Jarek jerked his head to the side. It was in that moment that Jarek twisted back whence he came to capture his paw between his teeth in a bitter attempt at retribution (however foolish that attempt would be).
His world smelled of copper. Jet had ruined his muzzle for the time being and while Jet’s sudden change in action startled Jarek he didn’t take it into account. There would be another reason, surely, for him to falter. Maybe he had gotten tired, perhaps he had decided that Jarek was a worthier adversary than he had originally anticipated; even so, Jarek had no intentions on letting him win this fight without shedding more blood than he had to offer.

And so it was with that minor freeze that Jarek made for his final lunge in order to knock the feline to the ground. It would be there that he would lunge for whatever he could get, whatever he could find. Claws spread madly, jaws widened as he sucked in air (and blood), he threw himself at Kajetan with feral abandon.

Then he smelled it.

Stuck in the cloying scent of copper was the scent of Analoya. But Jarek’s claws, his jaws, were already extended to exact damage and he was but a scintilla away from Jet. Clamping his jaws shut in a begrudging show of respect, he would allow himself to slam into the leopard but realized that fighting him was senseless. It was akin to fighting one of his own tribe in Brazil.