Cass X Snow RP

<i>So annoying...</i>

Bitter thoughts were swiftly cast aside as a shower of cool droplets collided with the burning scowl of an unusually twisted face. The owner of such a face leered upwards at her grinning counterpart that was a small, sleek honeycreeper clad in the colors of indigo and scarlet. The small avian's body flitted low in the air- just above the Felmark's pointed horns- as he nonchalantly flicked his long-clawed toes, scattering wayward drops of water from his feet as a means of both irritating his friend as well as draw her attention back to the task at hand...er paw.

Hellebore's dagger-sharp gaze met with his Felmark's for a moment, giving her a stern look before Cassis pulled away and the bird with left smirking in satisfaction. In the wake of his silent victory, he touched down to the spotted she-mark's head and attached himself to one of her horns, encircling the protrusion with his thin talons. In a ow voice, he chirped happily,<b>"Don't forget- wear a smile! You <i>are</i> on a patrol with your courtmates, you know. Won't hurt to tear off that nasty expression of yours once in a while and try cooperating with them."</b> However, the wiser of the two was quickly shaken away from his perch as Cassis, scowling even harder now, stomped away.

<b>"Don't need to- I just wait for an order and then do what I'm told. No need for a conversation..."</b> the Felmark growled just loud enough for her familiar to hear her. Though he was right in a sense, she wasn't about to admit it. The patrol, although a group excursion, was a serious mission with no room for failure. And for such a mission, pleasantries such as simple small talk was meaningless. Marching along after her superiors was all she needed to do besides listening to their orders, and she wasn't about to embarrass herself by trying to do any more.

Shaking her head clear, Cassis focused her eyes ahead on the bright pelt of her patrol mate. Snowbell had been another one of the Felmarks chosen to explore the Spring River for the mysterious, thorny vines and was Cassis' director as to where they would scour along the riverside. Cassis had noted that the she-mark was a kind one, but also standoffish since the deaths of her brood- even after having a healthy, second litter- and while Cassis could relate to the inactivity the pair both shared in the court, she wasn't about to try doing anything that could possibly upset the older queen.

(oh god sorry for late reply ;w; I haven't been on dA for a while now...)

Snowbell's paws touched down onto the springy turf next to the Spring River, the morning dew having yet evaporated under the feeble light of the sun. Casey sat on her head, sleeping as usual. However, Snowbell didn't have the energy to rouse her sleeping familiar. She focused on sniffing the air for those suspicious looking black plant things.

"Oi," came Casey's soft chirp, and his beak came down on top of his Felmark partner's head. "Don't walk so fast! Remember that we have company."

"Oh." Snowbell nearly forgot. Cassis and Hellebore were patrolling with them today. Their patrol mate was rather quiet and shy, but Snowbell knew that Cassis was more than capable to do the job.

Slowing down her steps, Snowbell dropped back to match with Cassis' footsteps. "It shouldn't be long before we reach that plant thing..." Snowbell meowed, to no one in particular. She could see one of those plant things not far away now, right next to the river, surrounded by decay.

The white Felmark wrinkled her nose in distaste while Casey clamped his wings over his beak, praying that his gag reflex would hold. "This thing is so <i>vile...</i>" He muttered.

<b>"Mhm..."</b> Cassis dipped her head in a slight nod, having already noticed the rank scent of decomposing vegetation and rot that was caused to all the grass surrounding the thorny, black tendrils they were targeting. Her hackles rose threateningly as the scent filled her scent glands with a near toxic wave and sent a shock of pain shooting through her belly.

Whether it was from the fear of the disappointing her courtmates by failing or simply from the ominous plant itself, Cassis felt her paws turn to lead beside Snowbell and the younger of the two felines felt the bile rise in her throat. Stifling her need to retch, she turned her attention to her traveling partners and noted how the little sunshine-colored canary appeared to feel the same repulsion as she did. This managed to make the rosette-marked Felmark feel a little better. And the scuffling scrape of Hellebore's familiar talons on her bony horn added to the odd sense of comfort.

<b>"Indeed. Such horrid abominations shan't be allowed to live any further....if you call it living. More like the creeping dead."</b> The lilting voice of the honeycreeper tinkled like an angry little bell as he gripped his perch tightly, speaking aloud to anyone and everyone. His leering beady eyes were ablaze in a fiery rage that seem refined and nearly invisible to the naked eye, but could be felt down to the molten core by his furred partner. <b>I can't forgive such ugly pests for causing my darling garden to decay!"</b> Obviously, the angelic-voiced bird still believed his Felmark's youthful proposition from moons before and had yet to go of the thought. At least it helped to drive his urgency and seriousness.

The stench was killing Snowbell's nose. She was almost certain that the evil miasma was eroding away the lining down her throat and lungs. Clearing her throat, she looked at Cassis and Hellebore. The honeycreeper had his eyes trained on the wretched plant, with murderous intent leaking from his stiff posture.

Casey felt bile rising up his throat once again, and Snowbell took a step backward, hoping that some fresh air would help her familiar. "I think digging up this thing would be a good solution, but..." The snowy white queen eyed the plant's thorny branches, swaying in the wind like a drugged snake. "This isn't going to be an easy task..." She growled at herself, but nonetheless, inched forward and started to dig at the turf surrounding the plant. "Come on Cassis, help me with digging." She hissed in as one of the thorny branches struck her across the face.

Cassis stiffly nodded, her gaze transfixed on the barbed tendrils that bore an ominous air. Her stomach seemed twisted into enough knots that would put a gnarled, old tree root to shame as she plodded forward on fear-numbed paws towards the older Felmark who summoned her. A freezing chill run down her spine, lancing her bone and muscles with icy pain and causing her tail tip to twitch uneasily. <b><i>"S-sure..."</i></b> she replied, her voice a hoarse whisper that nearly lost nearly lost itself on the wind. Her claws slid out as she neared dusky vines, readying herself to assist in pulling up the soil just as commanded by Snowbell. Upon reaching the snowy Felmark's side, Cassis felt her face harden and hackles raise, almost as if she half-expected the vegetation to lash out at her.

<b>"Damn plant!"</b> Cassis growled, her typical scowl deep and brow tightly knitted together as her black-lined lips drew back to show two rows of ivory teeth meshed shut in a snarl. The crimson droplets drawn from the queen's face as a result of the touch from the thorns scattering across the churned earth fueled the fire now lit inside the younger feline's belly as her fear began to burn away. Lunging forward, the combatant stuck out her head as far from her body as she could manage into the throng of black vines and chomped! Biting down hard into the tough, sour-scented cord, Cassis intended to sever the piece. However, as the claw-sharp points pierced the roof of her mouth as well as her tongue, Cassis recoiled quickly. Blood trickled down from between her pursed lips and her eyes revealed a bronze blaze to match the steely daggers shot by her familiar.

After spending a moment shooting the vile vegetation an equally poisonous glare, Cassis took a few steps back and dipped her head. In understanding, the sleek creature perched atop her head dove forward towards the vines on what seemed like a twisted gale being controlled by a hardened-faced, spotted she-mark. With assistance from his feline companion, Hellebore dove through a loop in the vines and felt his sharp beak and claws shred a few parts of the succulent plant and as he took to the sky just above the scene, his keen gaze caught of a small twister whirling through the mess of black, tearing up some of the vines with the cutting winds controlled by Cassis. Glancing to the controller herself, the honeycreeper noticed that the young Spring-court was standing before the white she-mark in order to buffer the whirling winds. <i>I guess Spottie's not as aloof after all...</i>