Blood from Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

Carver, hoping to help cover for him, adds, "We have Don safe. Here, this way," he says, leading them back toward Beth. "He's been hurt bad -- his claws, and uh, other bits."

[GamesMaster]

The new cat stops, tail lashing. "He's been declawed?" he asks, in a hushed tone. "I would never have expected it."

[Bethany]

Beth glances over, eyes dark and shadowed. She offers a nod to Cadmus, but simply continues to stroke Don's head.

[NPCs]

"I... I see. But he is... alive and... himself?" Cadmus asks tentatively. "There have been... rumors going around, of nightmares and... deals."

[Carver Amell]

"He held out until we could rescue him," says Carver, a little proudly. 

[GamesMaster]

Don lifts his head, just a touch, at the sound of his father's voice, then drops it again when he sees who also came along. He closes his eyes, wishing he could hide from this reckoning. 

The cat-cat tilts his head, tail darting about. "It suits him," he says, after a moment. Never was much of a cat-cat. Poor hunter, poor leader, poor cat. "Now they match," he adds, eyes darting to Beth. Two skins.

[Bethany]

Beth doesn't think, doesn't consider, she just reacts instantly to what her heart judges as an attack on her family, her Don. Her hand snaps up and a beam of azure colored energy impacts the catfolk dead-center in the chest.

[GamesMaster]

The cat takes a half step back, eyes narrowed, hissing at her. "That bitch attacked me!"

[Carver Amell]

Carver, reacting to the threat against both Beth and Don, steps between the cat and her, moving to draw his sword.

[GamesMaster]

"Wait," croaks Don, struggling to sit up. "Don't-- Ren-- Arenai is right, I--"

[Bethany]

"My apologies," Beth says softly, the entirety of the sofa not touching Don sheathed in hoarfrost. "Next time I shall be sure to kill you instead." In her free hand, a glimmer of blue-tinted light dances. 

[NPCs]

"Enough. All of you," Cadmus snaps. "Arenai, if you disrespect someone so gravely in front of their family and don't expect claws, then you're a fool." A heartbeat later, Cadmus backhands him across the temple. "All of their family."

[GamesMaster]

Ren hisses again, stepping back further from Cadmus. "He's no fit son to you. Declawed and unmanned? He's barely a cat at all. Let his skin bitch have him. Cattown doesn't need a traitor like him."

Miki gets to his feet, then, unsheathing his claws. "And what have you done for Cattown, Arenai?" he snarls in Catfolk. "I'd rather a hundred clawless like Don than a sniveling suck-up like you."

Don swallows, unable to believe the scene playing out before his eyes. "But-- Arenai's the Keeper-to-be," he says, slowly. "And I'm... as he said."

[Carver Amell]

"Nothing wrong with you a few spells can't fix," snarls Carver. "That asshole? He's never going to be better than that."

[Bethany]

"I don't know... we stuff him, he could be a serviceable enough tuffet," Beth offers sweetly, still holding that ball of light.