![[ Sleeping Wolves ] An Eloquence SRP](https://cdn2.scratch.mit.edu/get_image/project/1052631067_480x360.png)
"The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present." –Barbara De Angelis. ------------------- There is a phrase tossed around a lot in Eloquence's life, one he thought was ludicrous and absolutely stupid. "Let sleeping dogs lie" said with such patience and wisdom you'd think the speaker would be some innocent goody two-paws ready to mentor you and change you for the better. This was not the case for Eloquence. Those words were uttered by the most vicious and heartless of cats, ready to battle you until you're beyond recognizable with a long line of sin behind them. With this on his mind he settles into his nest beside his three kits, eyes distant and body rigid. The father knew he would not sleep well, he could tell something was off in his mind and he took a shuddering breath, laying his head down and ready to fall into a deep slumber. He told himself so many times, his dreams were the only place he could be safe, but as time went on he couldn't even be safe there. He could feel it, feel as it slithered in the shadows of his mind and slowly wrapping around it stealthily, akin to the world serpent Jormungandr. It made a fire burn in him, not one of passion but pure fury. It caused his claws to unsheathe and a hiss to grow in his throat, because he couldn't /control/ it and he /needed/ to. As the feline sat there stirring in his anger another phrase was whispered into his mind, was it from the constricting presence in his skull wanting to fuel this anger? "Good things come to those that wait" He had WAITED LONG ENOUGH! Moons come and gone as he waited, patience waning along with the moon as pain greeted him each and every sun.......... Maybe.... He should sleep this off. ----------------------- "Cruelty is a gift humanity has given itself" - Hannibal The atmosphere thickened vastly and a loud roaring crackling choked out any other noise.... Wait, THE DEN WAS ON FIRE! Eloquence jolted up and looked around in a panic, heart thundering loudly in his ears. Where were the kits? He needed to save them, his life would be over if they were go- Flame caressed his face, no pain or heat accompanying the sight. This was odd, did Hel grant him powers to save his kits before he died? Looking down it seemed he was made of fire, reds, oranges, yellows near blinding him. The loner took a moment and looked around confused, wait. He was the only fire here? What in Valhalla was happening here? Eloquence took a step further, tail brushing up against a bush, almost immediately the plant exploded into flames and soon it spread across all the undergrowth nearby, "No, no! Stop, ack Loki yeh eejit!" He attempted to pat the fire to extinguish it, him being the fire completely escaping his mind until several shadows entered his vision making him freeze in wariness. Wait, these were cats! Near.. Familiar cats. As they approached him their features became clearer, enemies from the past he hadn't even thought about til now with teeth grins akin to a sharks, their pelts made of dancing water that shined almost ethereal in the fire's light. "Go away, yer not 'elcome 'ere Eva." He hissed amongst some curses, backing away from the danger and seeming to shrink. The leader of the small vicious pack walked ahead of the rest and grinned icily at Eloquence, "What a mouse brained feline, heh, thinks his pink fur makes him look cool! Probably why his father ran away." The cat swiped at his face, extinguishing the flames there and blinding him. Soon others chimed in creating a horrid symphony of pain and venom accompanied by swipes from their watery claws until all that was left of Eloquence was a small ember, barely lit at all. "Oh, he's still here. Eh, just crush him. He's not like us so he doesn't deserve to burn bright." CRUNCH! ------------------ “The mirrors in your mind can reflect the best of yourself, not the worst of someone else.” ― Hannibal Eloquence didn't want to open his eyes, to see all the cats that hated him and wanted to see the fire in his eyes fade away like a falling star in the night sky. It was like being a young kid all over again, he hated it, please, please leave him alone! He curled up tighter and thought back to better times, of wrestling Splendor and Effulgence in the heather fields in his childhood home while their mother watched from a distance, wide grin on her face. When did he become this? A wolf baring its teeth at anyone that dared to wander close when he used to be a lamb prancing in the fields. It felt like he gradually became someone new, adopted the traits others said he had and used them to sharpen his teeth. The lamb shed its wool for a thick pelt, harder for others to sink their teeth in, and let its cloven hooves turn to claws to fight. He could no longer go back, he had damaged himself too much to, for how could you dull your +)
+) Claws and fangs? A growl interrupted Eloquence's thoughts and he slowly peeled his eyelids open, quavering in fear. Was this the creature wrapping around his mind? A stunning wolf showed off its teeth and circled the pink cat, claws clicking harshly against the ground. It was almost taunting him, its eyes filled with cruel mirth and just inviting Eloquence to try and fight it. Almost, like he was a puppet being manipulated by its puppeteer, Eloquence pounced at the wolf with anger filling every single ounce in his being. He /hated/ the look the wolf gave him, how dare he taunt him like that? This stu- As Eloquence's claws sunk into its neck the wolf morphed, shrinking until it became a familiar sight. A mournful cry echoed throughout the black void, a father's cry of grief as he held his son's lifeless body. How could he? He couldn't control- he just went out of control and- "Father?" A wavering voice pierced the dreadful silence and the tom looked up with tear-filled eyes. "Jormungandr... It was an accident! Please, don't be upset." "NO! You- You... HURT HIM! GO AWAY, YOU'RE TERRIBLE STAY AWAY, LEAVE!" Eloquence backed away shaking his head in disbelief, "no..nonono." And he woke up. ------------------ “To have a child is the greatest honor and responsibility that can be bestowed upon any living being.” ― Christopher Paolini, Eragon Decisions are tough, they're either impulsive, justified, or mournful but Eloquence had to make one. One that would derail him and his families current lives entirely leaving them gripping for some sort of sameness. In order to save his kits from himself he needed to run, run until that fire in his heart turned to an ember and there was absolutely no possibility of him hurting a whisker on their faces. And so he ran, all the way to Riverclan where he met a familiar face and pleaded for sanctuary, where he gained an alias and learns each day that maybe he could stop baring his teeth and... let sleeping dogs lie. [CREDITS] Music Time in a Bottle Jim Croce Landslide Fleetwood Mac And the Hound Yaelokre
