[Dust]

[ Spooks - 31 Moons]
He/Him | Lawful Evil | Loner
Kitty Softpaws ; Shadow Fiend [Active]

CW; General horror themes, Blood mention

The wait had been so long and so boring. At some point, after checking to see if there was still a weak rise and fall of the young cat's chest, Spooks had left them unattended to go seek out some actual entertainment. It kept him relatively entertained, all things considered - the garden outside was warm and pleasant, the squeaking of a caught mouse trapped between his claws had him watching it in interest for a few moments, and the meal that came after was delicious and juicy… Until finally the sun began to set and Spooks determined that it would be wise for him to go back inside. When he walked back in, he was unsurprised to find the stranger’s body still flopped in place. Might as well check again… Begrudgingly, Spooks approached. His eyes swept across the other’s frame, looking for those tell-tale signs of life - their chest still puffed up slowly, their skin still twitched with external stimuli - tested by running a claw across their flank - and he could hear a wheezing breath, mumbling nonsense as he leaned in close. With his ear nearly against the other's maw, Spooks still couldn’t make out what he was trying to say.

"Hmm…" The larger feline huffed as he tilted his head up in thought, fighting back the rising frustration growing in his chest. He really needed them to wake up. This long without some sense of repercussion was really starting to drive him up the wall. So… Well, he went up the wall. Sinking his claws into the support beams of the house, Spooks pushed himself upwards, and upwards, his breath hitching with effort as he climbed to the beams above. It wasn’t often that he used this way. Climbing just seemed to help him get that energy out. Once up there, he settled in his favorite spot, looming high above the body. Watching… Waiting…

After what felt like a lifetime, movement pulled Spooks from his deep thoughts - sleep still managing to evade him - followed by a loud clearing of the throat. Oh - Alive and awake finally? Seemed like the little one was trying to get his attention as well. Spooks listened on as they spoke up, staying silent… with an unwavering gaze rested on his frame. A silence permeated the air after Kamiko finished speaking.

Silence…

Silence…

“Kah…”

“Mee…”

“Koh…”

Each syllable sounded out-loud and slowly, Spooks’ disembodied voice echoing downwards from the roof. Looked like the owner of the house was finally making himself known - though for the moment he stayed shrouded in the shadows. He wouldn't let this Kamiko-cat see him just yet - damn runt had left him waiting in anticipation for so long. It was only fair to stoke the fire before the ‘grand reveal’.

“You know-” A sharp and gravely, threatening tone, “You kept me waiting a mighty long time for you to wake up… and you bled all over my floors before that.” There was a moment of long silence, before his voice rang out again, “Then assaulted my ears with your caterwauling before you promptly used my floor as your own personal gravesite…” The sounds of scraping claws and creaking wood could be heard now, the sounds crawling closer and closer to where Kamiko was resting with each second,

“I keep my home in a very specific way… everything has a place. Everything is situated perfectly for my comfort, mine alone. How do you think I feel when a stranger comes waltzing in like they own the place? Bleeding all over my garden… all over my floors-” He didn’t leave time for Kamiko to answer before continuing, “You think this is a refuge for your amusement? You love my home with no knowledge of it, except for your delirious notions of it. I could have taken a single claw to your throat or your belly and you wouldn’t have been able to do anything to stop me. I could have finished the fight that you were too weak to win. Look at you…” He spat, “Battered and bruised - you think I want to keep the air of weakness that you stink of in my home? But… no, I am gracious. I am patient and kind. Instead of letting you bleed out, I used the gifts of my home to ensure your pitiful survival… I needed you to live - to face your punishment. Death is not an escape from my wrath - nor a justice to your crimes…”

A… long… painful… silence… followed…

“Do you know what I do with cats like you, Kah - Mee - Koh?” He was close now. Maybe a few tail lengths away, shrouded in the pitch black of night. Blue eyes shone bright, piercing in their gaze as they rested upon the small cat. Kamiko’s answer wouldn’t seem to pull any response from him, if the little cat decided to speak up in this additional brief moment of silence. A single, ghostly white paw stepped forward into the illumination of the night, shining through the broken roof above. Dust particles danced furiously around in the light, though they seemed to flee as a full figure pushed their way forward now - his head tilted slightly in a posed, menacing demeanor. His pelt radiated with the moonlight, almost blinding against the sheer, stark difference of darkness that swallowed the house whole. Cobwebs hung from his pelt, swaying with each moment like a long, flowy veil. He looked positively ritualistic. Like an angel descending from heaven. The black mask across his features only deepened that threatening stare. He crouched down in front of Kamiko now staring directly at him, unblinking. When he spoke, his voice was a soft and comforting whisper - though still gravelly and harsh as he sounded out his words precisely. It was like he was mocking this cat for being so young. Like he was a newborn kitten, unschooled in the cruelty of this world.

“I take their souls…” There was a hiss to his words, “And then I offer their souls to my home… to keep me safe… and protected… and pristine…” His eyes narrowed, “The house enjoys the taste of your blood, look how it’s seeped into the floor.” Spooks gaze drifted momentarily to the floor, reaching a paw with extended claws forwards towards Kamiko. Stopping just in front of him, he slammed his paw down with a loud thud allowing his claws to sink into the wood. And then he pulled back, a horrible scratching noise filling the air as he ripped up the flooring. The floor beneath was stained red, still soft and smelling slightly of that tinged copper-blood scent. After dragging his claws all the way back to himself, he raised his chilling gaze back up to stare, uncaring and cold, at Kamiko - though there was a hint of something… more lurking behind his gaze.

“See?” He murmured, almost breathlessly, “You’re a part of it now… and I can’t deny my home what it wants. So… what do I do with you? Hmmm…?” Spooks rose from where he had been crouched, circling Kamiko like a shark in the water.

“Do I gut you like a mouse and let my home drink up what it wants? Or do I place you in my debt… with this offer of yours?”


[ Sorry this took forever!! ;0; ]

[ @Weekend-Wondering | Kamiko ]