The queen was away from Monoceros so during the whole fiasco with the bear and leopard she was none the wiser. Of course, when she returned to her home the little mongoose had found evidence of a fight. The blood, the tufts of fur, the faded scent, and the overall wreckage of the whole place. It had set her blood boiling to know that in the Merrymen's absence with their noble jobs that someone would dare enter their home. The nerve. Still... every little event could turn into an opportunity. The little mongoose found this out now as she scrounged through the mess behind the fight and came up with a sharp little piece of obsidian. Perfect. Perhaps she could set this up as a sort of trade item or maybe make it into something else. For now she tucked it at her side into the little vine belt she wore.

Proud of her new find the mongoose set out. The goal she had for today was to find one or two of her underlings and set them to work cleaning up the mess in Monoceros. A queen shouldn't have to get her paws dirty, after all.

Her searching carried her all the way to Orion and in that time she'd seen hide nor hair of any other Merrymen. Instinctively, to match the dull grays of the buildings in the area her fur changed color. Her reddish color became more muted, a dull gray to match the tone all around, however the spell didn't work as well as she would have liked and her darker stripe remained red-brown, the same with her white tail tip. No matter, one would have to be really paying attention to see someone as tiny as her.

The small thief made her way around rubble, over rocks, and through tiny holes that larger creatures would barely notice. The agile young creature easily bounded up a particularly tall wall but one with plenty of holds for her to grab onto so that she could make her way up it. It was here at the top of the wall that she saw the Throne, the wall was in a spot slightly above the throne where it overlooked it, and upon the throne she saw a dark feline. He was actually kind of cute with his weirdly placed gem.

The mongoose lay down on her side on top of the crumbling wall. Her pink gem flashed in the light as she gave a roguish grin to the dark cat. "My my my, you're a sight for sore eyes." A wink before she rolled onto her back, silver eyes still locked onto his form. "What's your name, cutie?"

---

words: 438
tagged: Cancer
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Cancer had retired to his throne early that day. His new ward had wandered off to explore the large cavern they now called home together, and that left the leopard with some time to himself. He'd spent much of that time cleaning his armor, polishing the metal plates and taking the chance to groom his fur flat after so many days of wearing the armor without breaks. Now, he'd replaced it on his body and had curled up with his stone map to add some more details to Orion's section on the stone face. He added the throne, the tower, etching each piece in carefully with that sharpened claw. It was as he was tracing out the streams that ran through the cave that a scurry of claws on stone broke him from his thoughts. Yellow eyes glanced up as the ferrety creature- not unlike Fisher in a way- settled into place above him.

He wasn't impressed with the smile, but observed her with disinterest instead. What was it with tiny brown preythings thinking him something of interest? He quirked a brow at her.

"It's rude to ask for a name without first giving you own." He stated simply in response. "Especially in another's own home." He took a moment to slide his tablet back into his pack before sitting up to address the female more at eye-level. "I've never seen you around the caves before, yet you're no newborn. Where have you come from?"

"Speech"

Tag: Diamondfang

Hmm, her words and smile didn't butter him up? What a tough fellow... she liked tough. That cool disinterest in which he watched her only sent a shiver up her spine. That smile didn't waver as she coolly watched him. "Touche." He had a point. She supposed she was in his little domain and one should give a name first, even if they were royalty like herself. "Name's Fang... Queen 'a Thieves." The little female stood up atop her perch and gave an exaggerated bow, smirk playing about her lips. "I've given you my name an' since you're all formal an' whatnot, can I have yours now? After all, if we wanna be all polite 'an stuff, shouldn't you be a gentleman an' give your name anyway?" Her tone was spoken with some amusement and it was obvious that she was joking but not everyone appreciated her jokes and casual nature.

Fang sat on her haunches, casually lifting a claw to pick her teeth. No one could ever accuse the mongoose of being lady-like. "Monoceros is where I call home... Where my whole group calls home." Recently it had seen a lot of action and as she looked down at that black fur... she had just the tiniest bit of a hunch. "You haven't been through there lately, have ya? Someone came through my den an' had a bit of a scuffle, saw some black fur lyin' around... Looks kinda like yours." She had a keen eye for detail, especially where her home was concerned.

---

words: 255
tagged: Cancer
ooc: ---
muse: 5/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Oh, goody, his indifference only encouraged the little glorified rat. She introduced herself- oh, Queen of Thieves, huh? The cat shifted slightly, putting weight onto the items in his bag- the knife, the tablet, both on the same luckily, so as he stretched out onto his side, they became pinned beneath his weight. She'd not be stealing from him.

She went on about formalities, asking his name, accusing him of failing to be a gentleman. The cat almost laughed. Gentleman, huh?

"Call me Karkat." He offered, the fake name rolling off his tongue too easily now. He'd not trust this one. "So, Monoceros, hm?" He propped himself onto his elbows, listening intently as she explained the scuffle's evidence back in her home cave. Amazing that anyone could live there, with that dragon now roaming and awake.

"I'm surprised to hear that anyone calls that place home, honestly. Have you lot not noticed the massive, scaled beast sleeping in your back room?" His voice was sarcastic. "Yeah, I was chased that way some days ago. A bear named Leon chased me there and nearly roasted me alive." A perfect opportunity to do to them what they'd done to him- soil their reputation, destroy their 'good names'. "He got jealous over a lioness I was seeing. Guess it was for good reason, they're together now, last I heard." Then, a thought occured to him and with a sly grimace, the cat settled flatter on the stone, stretching out as if trying to displace some tension.

"Funny thing, you callin' yourself the Queen of Thieves. Seems to me like you have some competition. That same bear went home to steal my girlfriend, my home cave, my group- hell, he's probably even stolen my daughter and best friend by now. Haven't seen them since I got run out." He looked at her, and with some honest hurt in his chest, wore resentment in his gaze. "All over a childhood fling. Some people, huh?"

"Speech"

"Karkat it is then." The mongoose didn't care if the leopard gave a real name or not. As long as she could call him and he would answer, that was good enough for her. In all honestly she was hardly truthful about her own name. Fang wasn't really what she was called but she didn't want her full name to be common knowledge. It was something that she kept to herself and those she considered her closest and dearest friends. So far that was only one and she liked to keep her list small.

"Oh yeah, that big ole guy'll sleep through anything. Nabbed two gems off of 'im when the pit first formed." She said this nonchalantly, like it was nothing. As far as she was concerned that dragon was not a thread, so long as you didn't go looking for trouble. Upon hearing that it was a bear after him the mongoose gave a smirk before feeling around in her vine belt and coming up with the piece of obsidian. "This wouldn't happen t'be his, would it?" Hmm... if it was and if this one hated the bear for what he did. Perhaps she could work out a little arrangement. She would have to see first. "Pfft, don't worry about'em. If you wanna forget about that lioness I'd be happy t'help." Her voice was distinctly suggestion with a flirty wink thrown in his direction.

Diamondfang waved a dismissive paw in his direction, too sly to be lead on by this cat. "As far as I'm concerned he can steal all the ladies, homes, 'an people that 'e wants. I'll just nab the treasures within'em which it sounds like he ain't doin' so I don't particularly care." Then she peered at the leopard, leaning down as she eyed him with an appraising look. "But... I can see you're a lil' hurt by this and rightly so." Her voice was sympathetic, as if she honestly cared that he had been scorned by a lioness and hurt by a bear. "How about I help ya out, cutie?" A devilish glint appeared in her eyes as she smiled at him. "How about I off this bear for ya? He can't keep on stealin' your home 'an your girl if he's dead. What do ya say?"

---

words: 383
tagged: Cancer
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

The weasel-rat queen was sure that her resident dragon was still asleep, but Cancer knew better. He'd woken the dragon. He had to warn her. However, as she continued to speak, and revealed a piece of obsidian, he blinked in surprise- Leon's stone shard! The little piece of black rock was alluring- he couldn't let her keep it. He'd seen stones grow into gembounds over the cycles he'd been alive- coming across broken 'wombs' that had once been tiny shards themselves only a cycle before. He knew what could be done with it- though he didn't know how, or that two gembounds could make a child through combined efforts. He knew, instinctively, that this shard was precious. He couldn't let her keep it.

She then offered a delicious suggestion- she could off the bear for good. He couldn't lie to himself- it sounded like a good idea for a moment, until he considered the implications further. No, he'd sworn against being a murderer, that he wasn't that kind of creature. A monster. He wasn't. He wasn't.

But she didn't need to know that.

"I'll take you up on that." He stated simply, cooly. "I've something that might even help the task go smoother." He reached back and carefully drew the dagger from it's case on his armor. The leather between his teeth was uncomfortable now, a bitter reminder of his almost-evil-deed. He dropped it unceremoniously in front of her. He shifted upright to sit, craning his head around to bite at the leather strap that held the sheath in place there. A second later, it was removed and placed beside the dagger.

"More like a sword to you, though." He commented, amused. "I'll give you the dagger for the task, payment up front, a gift of good faith. However," He placed a heavy paw over the leather sheath. "This is in exchange for that shard. I want it, as a trophy. I won that fight, walked away unharmed while he's still got scars for it." He smiled, almost darkly. "If you accept the trade, I'll give you the details on where and how to find the bear."

"Speech"

The little mongoose waited while the leopard made his decision. There was no rush. Fang had all the time in the world. Especially if it meant she get to do something as fun as assassinating someone. Finally he decided he was all for it. "Excellent! You, my friend, have made the right choice.." She would have went on to explain that these sorts of things worked in trades with the Merrymen but it seemed that he was already on the case. The clatter of that beautiful knife as it hit the ground had the mongoose rubbing her paws together greedily before she easily made the jump down to Cancer's level. She scurried up to the dagger and placed her paws on that lovely hilt, the greed showing in her silver eyes. These blade was perfect! She had the spear but that wasn't the best in paw to paw combat but this!

The mongoose picked it up in both paws before giving a few experimental swings. She shifted it into her left paw and slashed it about as if she were fighting an imaginary enemy. "Ah, what a perfect trade. This dagger will certainly be put to use." She then sheathed the dagger in her vine belt before turning to Cancer. "Done and done! Take it!" This was a no brainer. That satchel was of far more use than the stone so he could have it. The little mongoose grabbed it and tossed it to Cancer before clambering over to the bag.

"Seems you speak the Merrymen language. Give me the details and I'll be off." All business now as she stared up at him. An evil glint in her eyes.

---

words: 280
tagged: Cancer
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

OOC: ARGH Ignore that roll, I was gonna write the post differently, leave it all open ended with his bluffing, but when I changed it around, I forgot to uncheck the box! |D

This was too easy.

Fang immediately agreed to the first trade- the dagger for the bear's life. The next was also a clear winner on his end- she tossed the shard at him and he caught it with his paws, delicately holding it between his toes as she examined her new set. He smirked- yeah, y'know, it suited her better, come to think of it. She looked rather dapper with that new sword. Heh. He sat upright and reached back, grabbed a leather strap now useless since removing the sheath, and wrapping the obsidian shard with it, to keep it secure as it sat temporarily in the extra pouch- Quix's old saddlebag, where once she would've rode along with him on adventures. Now, it was ghostly empty, light, even with the inside.

"He's a black bear, lots of fur along the nape, some brown mixed in near the stomach. He's missing his left ear." He explained, bit by bit, making up what he'd perhaps liked Leon to have looked like- Ugly and barbaric. "His eyes are green, and his gemstone is an obsidian spike from his elbow." He turned to Fang with a smile, his lies for this all too easy. "His name is Gunther. You'll likely find him in Polaris- he likes the Spire's glow, and it isn't far from my home tunnel. He may be with a female leopard, with blue eyes and an orange coat, smaller than me. Stone on the right ear, just below the lobe. She's got water magic, so be careful." With that said, Cancer rose to his feet.

"If that's everything you need, I'll be off to find some fixings for my armor. It's all uneven now." He raised an elbow to show off the revealed leather, the broken plate of steel too short to cover where the sheath had sat. "Quickest route is through that tunnel there. Keep on past the fern growth, and it should spit you out right in Polaris proper." He paused, waiting to see if she was indeed content with the information he'd provided. He work a sleek, boyish smile- friendly but not intimate, clever but not guilty- he was far too good now at hiding his shame.

"Speech"

@Diamondfang

At his first words the mongoose was suspicious. A black bear? Wasn't there brown fur all throughout her territory? If his fur was black there would be at least a little black fur of his around but there wasn't. The tufts of black she'd found had matched the leopard's shorter coat, not a bear's longer one. She said nothing at first, perhaps she was indeed mistaken and the bear's fur was short. She could look past that. What she couldn't look past was the fact that he was now changing his story. A leopard? Didn't he just previously talk about a lioness.

The mongoose gave a grin, a far too sweet one as she sauntered forward on her rear legs. "Karkat, Karkat... I don't believe you're being truthful." She came to rest right in front of him, peering up with that pink gem-tooth exposed. "Two parts of your little ah--shall we say, tale, don't add up. For starters, you say this bear is black? Why is it that I found brown fur all over my territory? Brown bear fur. Also, he's with an orange leopard? You told me before that he took your lioness girlfriend... That would make more sense if he was with her, wouldn't it?" The little creature gave a carefree chuckle. Despite her positive-looking demeanor she was quite annoyed at being lied to. So annoyed in fact that she pulled out her spear and held it to the leopard's leg, threateningly. "Listen, I think you're cute an' all but don't lie t'me. I don't like my time bein' wasted on chasin' imaginary black bears. If you ain't tellin' me the truth an' I go on a fruitless search for this Gunther then you better believe that I'll come back t'find ya... Then I'll be ticklin' you with this poison spear instead, capiche?" It wasn't poisoned yet but he didn't have to know that.

Easily she tucked the spear back at the vine belt as she looked up into the leopard's yellow eyes, a no nonsense expression on her face. "Now, anything you wanna change about your story before I go? Karkat... if that's really your name?" Eyes narrowed as she stared up at him. He was cute but she was not about to be lied to. If he wanted her service then fine but if he said he wanted it and wasted her time... well... that was unforgivable.

---

words: 401
tagged: @Cancer
ooc: ---
muse: 7/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Fang called him out on his bluff, but the cat was quick to recover.

"Black Bear is the species. If you'd have been listening, you'd have heard me say he's got brown fur on his chest and legs. Only the fur on his nape and back are black. I hardly had the chance to pull that out while he was hugging my throat." He retorted. "As for the leopard, she's not the lioness. She's his adopted sister... daughter, thing. He's not known for staying home. It's kind of his job to wander, but last I heard, his interest was about the Spire." He lowered his gaze to her, brows picking up at her brandishing the spear. His claws came out of their sheaths in turn, a warning of his own- did this little lady really think he'd be afraid of her? Maybe if she came back with some poor black bear's pelt, he'd reconsider, but all he saw was a moody female only a fifth his size. Not threatening.

"I didn't want to send you into an ambush. If he's with the lioness bitch, then they're both with the group I came from. Not a smart move, attacking a group in their home cave." He scoffed and pointed back towards the tunnel again. "You can turn down my offer if you want. I'll take my knife back and do the job myself. No need for all this attitude and distrust, Miss Fang." He then turned to her and with a sneer, mimicked her tone. "If that's really your name?"

She had her instructions, he had what he wanted. She could go about his task, or else leave and head home. It was her choice now- and if she did try to sneak back and attack him, he'd pop her like a blister. He wouldn't even need his magic- thing was so small, she was easy prey compared to the cave rats and deer he hunted these days.

"Speech"

@Diamondfang