For a moment those golden leopard eyes continue to rest upon the wolf, watching each flick and wave of the thickened plume of her tail, the feline readily captivated by such moment as a curios purr rises within his throat, one paw lifting experimentally to batt at it like a curious child. He hardly makes any move to grasp the appendage, merely toys with it, pawing at the waving tail as she seeks to explain why it does such a thing- her explanation perhaps, lost entirely upon the creature as he focuses on his game alone. The play bow the canine offers is at least understood, a similar gesture of sorts existing within his own language, the wolf following after him as he moved to hop away in the manner cats so often do, the girl far less silent upon her paws as the leopard moves to seek to engage Nadya within the same game. The Panther's ready hiss sees Birdie's own happiness diminished perhaps, Tobias providing no move to defend either companion. That is for the women alone to deal with, soothing bristled fur beyond what is necessary of no concern to the creature, leaving the girls to deal with each other, content in merely having earned Nadya's favour this single time, manipulating the panther towards his own desires in this regard. Birdie, after all, is his thing, his belonging, his possession and Nadya's approval of such a thing is required and yet beyond this the male makes no move to assist wither woman in sorting out their own positions within the rankings, allowing the panther to correct the wolf and demand her space.

That Naddy may desire space even from him however, has clearly not been considered, one paw lifted in an effort to engage his pack mate and previous lover in a game of sorts, seeking to further sooth the tensions within the pack, if only to better facilitate his own purposes. He is so often written off as foolish, so often underestimated for his childish ways and yet the dark haired deviant is nothing short of cunning. He desires Nadya's good mood only because he desires Birdie's attentions and affections, clever mind assured he cannot have one without the other and yet Nadya's refusal to play seeks only to agitate him slightly. Her paw waves towards him, warning him away before the female cat leaps easily upward and into the tree, the Leopards tail lashing in momentary agitation. He is...spoiled perhaps, used to being given what he desires, used to having others bend willingly to his never ending list of wants and even this- Nadya's refusal to engage with him sees his volatile nature flare ever so slightly, a hiss of sorts offered in her direction, voicing his displeasure in her before his attention returns to Birdie, assured he can still draw a game from his newest pack mate- padding back towards her now until her voice finds his mind, tail lashing once more.

Naddy is....not above...me. I am Second.

This alone he manages to speak entirely without stutter or pause, chaotic mind assured of this. Golden eyes slide briefly towards the Panther within the tree, meeting her gaze for a barely a moment, that cunning, devious gleam within, a rarely seen awareness of the world around him seeming to reflect- if only for a moment, assuring indeed that he knows entirely what he says along with what reaction his words are sure to cause.

I am....boss of pack....when Tetra is gone.

His form tenses ever so slightly, muscles readying themselves less the other feline take offense to his words, there brief moment of surrender surely ended with the innocent words of the wolf and Tobias seeking to assert his dominance once more. He may be unable to boast such a pedigree as Nadya and Tetradore, his lineage unknown and yet perhaps within it exists a ruling bloodline, one nurtured by Mom and Dad, raising the orphan child as their own, the boy treated as if he too was an heir to something more, a future ruler of pack and blood or not such a thing is not easily forgotten, the boy unwilling to yield to anyone save his favoured companion. Determined that Birdie too will understand just who is Second in Command.

madness, as you know, is like gravity: all it takes is a little push