Yellow Submarine [open]

[Pesty]

[no I've never seen this first paragraph before in my life officer, you must be mistaken]

The lady is always in motion. If you watch her and turn away to take care of something, once you turn back, she's gone. A blur of sugar brown and dove white as she goes to sink her teeth into some discarded cotton, back peddaling furiously to encourage her petite frame to yank it all inside of her hovel. Her past has stuck with her on a small level; she adores soft bedding. Cotton and cloths above all. Still her home is woven with wild grasses and some aromatic seasonal herbs. Dainty paws pad down the cotton as she hums softly to herself, quite pleased with the promise of a warm nest tonight. Ms. Cassie has always kept a warm home. It's simply expected really...she has visitors without warning and an unexpected variety at that. Yet the lady is completely comfortable with these strangers always trafficking through her home. It makes her feel that she's never alone and it's a wonderful way to meet new rats.

Some such examples are the bustling family seeking refuge in her hovel. A rat's dwelling is always large and Cass' has become dauntingly vast. On slow days and in her spare time she's usually in a back tunnel digging further. She never wants to have to turn a rat away because she's reached capacity level. The new young parents Cass is currenlty focused on are well relaxed and playing with their ten pups. Watching them whistfully she's acutely aware of the dull ache in her back. It's a nasty habit lately to ignore her body while she's working. And if she doesn't take care of her body she won't be able to work well at all. Cass excuses herself from her guests. She lives relatively close to the rivers for not only incognito from the rebellion group, but also for her love of water and the sake of keeping her childhood home.

It's around noon and some animals are sleepily lazing about. Cass briefly has a race with a butterfly that sadly ends as said butterfly finds a new racing partner of its own species. Not put off in the least the lady scurries her marshmellow and coco body across the grassy terrain. Her whiskers are humming with an electric blue to show her excitement, eager for a swim and for relief in her protesting back. As the river comes into light in a glorious banner of shimmering water Cass feels she can't run fast enough to reach it. Tail lifting in such a thrilled state she barrels right over the gritty bank to dive into the shallows, kicking and burrowing into the cool waters. Water presses in on her flattened ears and she hears nothing but the current. Cass drifts there underwater for a moment, paws kicking absently as she stares down at the forgotten trinkets down below herself. It's wonderful to see such treasures. Her ribcage throbs and she wriggles up to submerge quickly. "Pfwah!" new air is welcomed into her lungs as the supple femme glides across the surface of the water. Her whiskers are a blinding golden hue now to show how happy she is.

[Hoax]

News of a birth had reached the dump a few hours ago, nothing was more important to the brute than life. As today's schedule had nothing of importance on it, he had decided it would be a nice gesture to greet the new arrivals that had blessed Ms. Cassie's home. Before he could leave the dump, a twinkle of light had caught his eye. Digging through the muck and mud, Voss pulled out a trinket of some kind. Clearing away the crud that covered it, he still couldn't figure out what it was. He shrugged and carried it with him. If anyone could identify it, it would be Cass.

As he was strolling across the riverbank on his way, the sound of a splash had caught his attentive ears. Scurrying to the edge of the bank, Voss peered into the water. If nothing else, but the glow of whiskers he had become so accustomed to, shown throw the waters. Pressing his body against the cool earth, he waited for her to resurface. As the dainty rat popped up to the surface, the golden glow of her whiskers brought a smile to Voss' face. "Hello, Cass!" he called to her. Glad that she was finding enjoyment in today's nice weather as much as he was.


OOC: Yeah.. I'm feeling lazy today and my mind is being sluggish x.x

[Pesty]

[Pfft you're fine. -w- *patpat* And do you care what the trinket is or may I make it up?]

A familiar voice makes her paddle to the shallows, squeaking curiously. Her rounded ears perk as she pulls herself out of the water and shakes her now heavy pelt, taking great care not to spray the darker male rat in the process. Droplets of water slide along her golden whiskers and appear as darkly shaded beads on the ends. Cass tsks herself and paws off her whiskers to sip the gathered droplets before padding over to Voss. Her whiskers continue to glow, she's still jubilant and full of mirth after the brief swim and now the presence of her leader and friend. "Voss, good day to you." it feels strange for her to be outside of her hovel. She spends so much time in there...but today surely is a justified day to be taking a break.

Sugar brown eyes drift down to the bizarre clump in Voss' paws. Cass loves deciphering items and fathoming their use, she's glimpsed many before. Still her curiosity makes her set out a paw passionately. "Oh what have you got there? Might I see it?" she sees this as not only a chance to have something useful for the rebellion, but also to help a friend with a new item. Even on her time off work makes the lady happy. Busy paws and a busy mind keep you out of trouble. Well normally. With a leader like Voss trouble seems to find her quite often. Not that she'd ever blame him nor the rebellion. It comes with the trade and it's something exciting. "That mother had her pups last night. Ten in total and all a healthy pink color. They'll be getting fat soon off of her milk." she smiles at the thought of her hovel bustling with the new family. Being nurturing she loves the smell of pups, but knows she'll need to give the new mother time to adjust lest she become aggressive and try to defend her pups from every other rat.

[Hoax]

{I couldn't think of anything good, so I thought you could come up with whatever trinket you want}

The look of amusement stay upon his face, as he moved to the side to avoid the spray of water. "How are you today, Cass? I see you're enjoying the good weather," he said, as he stepped closer to her. "Oh, this? I haven't a clue," Voss said of the trinket as he placed it in her outstretched paw. "I found it at the dump this morning on my way here to congratulate the new parents." He knew she would be able to figure out what it was and what it could be used for. And if nothing else it could be used for decoration.

"Ten you say? That's a lot of mouths to feed. If you need any help, just let me know." Voss knew Cass would do everything she could to provide comfort to the new parents while they stayed with her. Yet she was but one rat and couldn't do it all herself. He also knew that he brought a bit of trouble her way, helping her out with things was his way of apologizing for any inconveniences. When you worked with the Rebellion trouble seemed to come knocking on your door when you least expected it. Other times refugees would come knocking instead. Ms. Cassie being the motherly type that she was, she would always help as many as she could. And for this Voss was grateful.

"Shall we head back to your hovel?" he asked, gesturing with a ghostly gray paw towards her home. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have any apples would you? Those humans hardly ever throw them out anymore." A sheepish grin played across his face as he asked. Apples, even before decay sat in, was one of his favorite things. He didn't know why, but the taste of them seemed to comfort and soothe him. Being the leader of "outcasts", he was always in need of some sort of comfort.

[Pesty]

[Can do~]

She smiles at her friend with a placid visage. "I'm very well, thank you Voss. I hope you are as well...it was such a lovely day I decided to take a short break." Ms. Cassie hums as he hands it over. Her nose twitches sporadically as she turns the besmirched disc over in her pink paws. It has yet to feel decay upon it and just needs a good wash. The femme loops her tail between the two rats in order to use her blue ribbon to clean it. If it's what she thinks it is, she doesn't want to get it wet..."Mm? Oh don't you trouble yourself...you have bigger things to focus on. They're doing just fine. The new father insists he go foraging with me at all times though, to make sure I pick the finest scrappings. As if I don't do that on my own." the rat snorts indignantly as a film of sludge comes off of the now shiny item.

Voss' question earns a warm laugh from the lady. "If you're not following your nose to danger, you're following it to food. Be careful." she teasingly reaches over to pat his belly, indicating he will become fat in due time. Yet this is only a jest between friends. Ms. Cassie is quite certain the brute has just enough self-discipline to keep his body maintained. "Yes, I do happen to have a caramel...erm...an apple...stored away.", suddenly becoming embarrassed she clears her throat, "It was a caramel apple but I've already chewed away the caramel." one paw still holds the glimmering disc as Cass meekly inclines her head apologetically, opposite paw wringing her marred tail. With a light shrug she throws her ugly tail behind herself to hold up the disc victoriously, squeaking excitedly as all the clues come crashing together. "Voss! You've found a battery! Oh this looks like it'll fit just right into...ah, quick. Let's go to my hovel. After we nestle in the new family I have a surprise to show you." her whiskers have again flared into the electric blue tinge of excitement, but the quarter ends of her whiskers maintain that sheer gold hue of joy.

The little lady doesn't hesitate to dart away from the river bank with the battery gingerly clenched in her teeth. Cass weaves through the grass and ocassional litter as she rushes Voss towards her hovel, bounding and diving as needed. Her hovel is situated within a grassy knoll overlooking the stretch of land leading out to the waters. Overhead is a vast willow tree which serves as a beacon at night to signify the safe haven for weary wanderers. Cass noses her way inside the warm tunnel, reaching the main chamber. Here is where she hosts meals usually. A padded spree of lounging nesting is strewn about and meant for entertainment. For now Cass covetingly places the battery on a box of game cards she uses as a storage surface. "Come, they're this way..." she waves her paw over her shoulder, glancing back at her stormy leader before leading him further into a nursery safely hidden in the back.

The new pups are all bright pink and sniffling against the belly of their heavy mother. Smiling at the sight she greets the new mother carefully so as not to upset her before explaining Voss' arrival as well. "Get comfortable Voss, I'll be right back." busy, busy, busy. She scurries away down the storage cellar in the main chamber and grips the stick of the ex-caramel apple. Cass stubbornly wrenches it up the ramp of wrapped pencils all the way into the middle of just outside the nursery chamber, not wanting to force her leader to eat in front of the new mother and her pups. The dainty rodent paws her way to the newborns, getting permission to fuss over them, fawning and warming one against her own belly. Her whiskers have lulled into a gentle lavender as she glances at Voss. "That apple is just out there for you to snack on. I've already fed Medea here. Her mate is out scavenging for treats at the time."

[Hoax]

Watching as she cleaned the disc with the ribbon she had tied around her tail, the distorted mirror like metal began to shine through the muck. "I'm quite well, thank you.. You deserve a break every now and then. You do so much." The thought of the new father standing over Ms. Cassie's shoulder induced a laugh. Voss could imagine her becoming annoyed with him and sending him back to the burrow to wait.

The pat of her paw upon his cement colored stomach brought a smirk to his face. Perhaps when he'd aged a few more years and there's no longer rigorous work on his agenda, Voss would allow his belly to grow. "A fellow's got to eat, Cass. And if my nose were only good for finding danger, what a horrible nose it would be," he said this with the same smirk upon his ratty face. "I could do without the caramel, else I might become pot-bellied sooner than acceptable." Caramel wasn't a favorite of his, although it was a nice treat once in a while. Her sudden excitement about the disc slightly surprised Voss. Before he could ask what it might fit into, she was scurrying away.

Quickly following after Ms. Cassie, Voss took care to follow her movement as best he could. Though he had grown up on the river bank, he had come accustomed to the dangers of the rubbish dump. The willow tree was familiar and felt welcoming as it over looked the entrance to the hovel. Squeezing in after Cass, he followed her to the nursery, and peered in. Smiling to the new mother, "Congratulations on your new family." His voice just above a whisper, as not to disturb her.

Once Cass returned and began fussing with the little pink creature, Voss excused himself and left to snack on the apple. The sweet fruit tasted refreshing upon his pallet. He hadn't eaten before he left the dump because he knew Ms. Cassie always had something better laying around or stored in the storage cellar. Once he had his fill, Voss poked his head into the nursery. "About that battery, Ms. Cassie?" Again his voice was just above a whisper as not to disturb the new mother and her brood.

[Pesty]

Her sweet tooth would have made her portly long ago. Thankfully sweets are perhaps more rare than the apples Voss so cherishes. That and Ms. Cassie is a busy bee at heart. All of the calories she burns while awake keep her frail frame thin. Voss' remarks made her chuckle and chitter softly. He's always had refreshing wit. In the nursery the new mother was very subdued. The new mother smiled at the cloudy male with a pleased squeak. She had come to see Ms. Cassie as a midwife of sorts. Despite the fact the tiny rebel has never had any young to rear on her own she does have the sense obviously. Maternal instinct kicking in she noses the young gently, only coming to when the Rebellion leader reminded her about the battery. Her whiskers hum a soft bubblegum pink. "Oh yes...sorry.", she bows her head to Voss before smiling at Medea, "Keep resting."

Ms. Cassie then makes her way out of the nursery, kindly nosing Voss along the way. "Last week I found this wonderful instrument I've seen humans create light from. I was thinking we could use it at some point ourselves." she wanders into the main chamber and plucks up the battery. With it in her paws her whiskers erupt into glowing gold once more. Smiling at her superior the agent trails with him to a storage. It's dark in there save for the vibrant neon illumination from her whiskers.

"Where did I...oh here. Please hold the battery, Voss." Ms. Cassie turns and holds out the battery for the male. Once Voss would take it she turns and begins to rummage furiously in a heaped pile of metallic tools. The femme squeaks slightly when she feels something jab her, losing her footing a bit before finally latching onto a cylinder object. Ms. Cassie tugs it out into the open to reveal a small flashlight. Peachy paws roll along the large end to twist it open. Wheeling it aside she moves and flicks her ears in anticipation, whiskers reeling into the sparkling sapphire color. "Would you like the honor of putting it in place? I was thinking the others could use it to surprise an enemy or make some form of ambush..."

[Hoax]

Following the petite female into the storage area of her hovel, the peppery male listened as the use of the battery was brought to light. Following the illumination of her whiskers and the sound of her voice, the possibilities it could bring to them ran through his mind. Voss took the battery from her, feeling its smoothness in his paws.

Cass' squeak made his ears twitch with worry. "Be careful," he scolded with a tone of concern. Once she had pulled the cylinder out of the heap of tools, untwisted the end, Voss inspected the hole where the battery would go. "So I just stick this in there and light should come out of the end?" He seemed a bit skeptical about it. With a shrug, he placed the battery into the slot and waited for Cass to screw the end back on.

"If this works, there's millions of possibilities for its use. We could use it for an ambush, to stun the enemy, a way of communication. If we used it for communication, the humans would just think its some child playing with one of these." Voss rambled on for another few minutes about how they could possibly use the flashlight. Voss caught himself rambling and stopped. "Sorry, I just got a little excited."

[Pesty]

His concern had been met with a light-hearted chuckle. Perched atop the flashlight now she nods at Voss encouragingly. As she slips down and rolls the flashlight to point away from the two rats her slender paws hastily screw the other end on. With the Rebellion leader raving onward about the ends and odds of this human device, Cass smirked as she listened. She's always been the listening type, but this was something beyond being that rock others need from time to time. As impulsive as Voss is he is still the rallying leader of their alliance. The femme hadn't even considered using it for communication until he had said something anyhow.

"No need to apologize. It's good to know those gears in your head are still turning, despite how rusty they are." a playful jab at his age despite him still being in his prime and only a year older than herself. Ms. Cassie then goes sniffing around the flashlight, learning its shape and weight again before finding a little rubbery mound. Pressing a paw against the button she frowns as nothing happens. The button didn't depress into the device since she is too small. Still the femme gives Voss a 'don't-interfere-I-can-handle-this' expression. The determined femme then flattens both front paws against the button and grunts a bit, pushing her weight down from the ground into her arms.

A fat beam of light engulfs the storage room. Flashing off of some metallic objects and supplies it creates a warm glow. Cass ducks her head and rubs at her eyes slightly, still a tad pained from the brightness. "Hm...I'll need to find a few more for them to be of real use...I just hope they already have batteries."

[Hoax]

The light-hearted teasing brought another smile to the stormy male's face. Sometimes he feared others might be a bit afraid to treat him as if he were just another rat; his title didn't mean all that much to him, other than that he was responsible for those who wished for a better life than what was provided for them by the Rat King. Voss refused to call him by name. He thought of Cane as just another rat pumped out by select breeding of the hierarchy. A hierarchy meant to lead them and guide them to happy lives. Yet had failed with the last two kings and queens. Cane was no better than they. An insult to their species, in his opinion. A tinge of anger surged through him as he thought about it.

Cass' don't-interfere look brought him back to reality, the smile was still frozen upon his face. Voss hoped and slightly doubted that she had caught the transition between humor and anger. Suddenly the room was flooded with light, a squeak of surprise emitted from his throat. Blinking a few times, Voss looked about the room. He had never seen all the trinkets and gadgets all together that Cass had packed away. "Even if they don't have batteries, I know what to look for and will keep my eyes peeled for them." Thinking about, he mentally calculated how many flashlights they could put to use. "How many of these do you think we could use?" Voss asked, looking at Cass.

[Pesty]

Ms. Cassie had inclined her head with some empathy tweaking as her glass eyes adjust. It's more than female intuition, but she had been unable to ensnare the full front of Voss' befuddled switch. Dismissing it as discomfort from the light the femme rubs her snout, grooming her whiskers as she hums in thought. "Perhaps...four for now. We're all still preparing for the inevitable. Supplies and training are our main concern, I don't want to get everyone distracted at this point." she basks in the ruptured light with a casual sigh, ceasing her grooming.

Next Cass moves over to begin grooming Voss, pawing at the studs lining his ears. Her own treasure-decorated ear flattens back in concentration as she makes the little orbs shine. They're good enough friends that she feels comfortable doing this. Of course the femme would never do this if others would around. In a way it'd feel disrespectful to do to your superior. Still she is focused on work. "Things have been rather quiet...I haven't seen any trouble going on. I hope they aren't planning something elaborate." in this situation she doesn't have to explain who 'they' are.

[Hoax]

Thinking about it, four sounded like the perfect number. It would take two rats to carry it without noise. Supplies and training were a must. As Voss could not send untrained or unarmed rats into labs or after Cane with a clear conscience. The thought of going into a lab slightly disturbed Voss. He had seen some of the lab rats beyond Mako's group. Scarred or with weird mutations. A shiver ran down his spine. Cass' grooming forced Voss to hunch down a bit to allow her access to the studs in his ears.

"I doubt they're planning anything. What reason do they have? No one's directly threatened them or their kingdom.. as of yet." Voss doubted that they had solid reason to plan against the rebellion just yet. They were too focused on the lab rats, or that's how Voss made it seem to most of the outside. He didn't want to give them any reason to believe they were up to anything; as it would spoil most of the plan that he had concocted. Cass' grooming brought a sense of calm over the rat, reminding him of simpler times. Heaving a content sigh as thoughts of labs and the others drifted to the back corner of his sigh.

[Pesty]

The femme works diligently to get the studs all shiny, licking a couple while her paws rest on his shoulder to hold herself up. Everyone is just a giant compared to her. His sigh gives her a thought. This is probably a rare time for Voss to be able to relax. What a sad thought. She has no idea what all he does with whatever time he doesn't visit her hovel for spare apples or to visit newcomers, but it most certainly couldn't be all that calming. If his stress escalates too swiftly and at too great a level, overflowing from the brim...she ends the grooming after nosing at his cheek gently. A distressed, vexed leader will do the rebels no good.

Cass goes to the flashlight, scuffling on top of it to turn it off. She then returns to Voss' side haphazardly. The sudden lack of light dims her sight considerably so she wills her whiskers to glow without color. Just simple, sheer illumination. Her sight will adjust in time but for now she paws at his shoulder inquisitively. "Say. Let's go back down to the river for a swim. I need to work off all that caramel anyhow." she doesn't want to think too much about the planned mission. Isn't sure if she could go back to hell. However, Voss did promise Mako the rebels would help. Ms. Cassie will be of use one way or another.

[Hoax]

{Sorry for the uber short post.. x.x}

The thought of a swim perked up the cement-painted rat. Voss stretched out his back, and climbed over the flashlight, careful not to cause it to roll. Holding out his ghostly paw, to assist Cass over as well. "I didn't mean to bring you down, or dampen your spirits. It's just been a long few weeks." Said with an offer of a smile, Voss hated to think of his presence or even his work as depressing. Though at times, both were enough to make the cheeriest of the cheerful a bit gloomy. Without having openly discussed how they would get into the labs, most of the fine tuning had been worked out, at least in his head. Voss would have to discuss a few things with Mako.