ThunderClan Territory

[lone]

Originally Posted by empty insanity

alone. that was all powdernose desired to be. he wanted away from the clans, away from the tension that was forever rising. riverclan had been driven out; what more was to come? caliaflame went missing, and passionstar had taken a long while to choose a new deputy. what was happening to the clans?
each day that passed, a new crack in the seal which held the clans together formed. they were breaking like bones, crumbling to the ground at high speeds. what were they going to do? what was going to happen to his beloved home?
home. thunderclan was his home. he may not have biological family in it, but he had felines in which he loved with all his heart. the worry bore down on him and he curled himself into a tight ball, hidden beneath a bush with only his tail visible- if anyone looked hard enough.
powdernose gave a soft sigh, his ears flattened. he had barely been in the camp since he stepped down. thunderclan needed him; his apprentice needed him. but he just couldn't bear to be around them, to feel their eyes scouring his flesh. he had failed as a deputy. he failed thunderclan. he failed passionstar. he failed himself.
he failed stonegazer.
as the grey tom came to mind, powdernose felt sadness weigh him down. he had been avoiding stonegazer, unable to face him after being too much of a coward to step up and fight. to be some use instead of a lazy waste of fur. what did he think of powdernose now? did he hate him? would the handsome tom ever want to speak to him again?
his claws dug into the ground, eyes clenching shut.
poor baby, a voice in his head purred, pulling a low growl from the warrior. what a pitiful sight, i must say. what would your dearest stonegazer think if he saw you like this? miserable little kitty.
powdernose shook his head, fighting away the voice and locking it into the back of his mind. leave me alone. you've done enough damage already.
and with that, he stood, slipping from the bush and beginning a slow journey to his next resting place. his tail swished back and forth, small form ungroomed and dirty. his eyes were sunken in with exhaustion, having not slept in quite a while, despite what he was known for. even his thick fur could not mask the fact that he was growing thin and weak. his breath came in soft rasps, his pawsteps unbalanced.
he was a wreck.

The seconds that Stonegazer had meant to spend resting turned into minutes, each one passing slower than he had thought possible. Being alone was something the tom had always enjoyed, but at the moment, it felt like a form of torture. Stonegazer didn’t get along with many of his clanmates. Most of them were too friendly, disloyal, disrespectful or stubborn for his taste. He preferred the cats around his own age, who had had time to mellow out, who were able to enjoy life without having to leap through it. And then there was Powdernose. The former deputy was everything Stonegazer was not - sweet, playful, and yes, lazy. They should never have gotten along, and if he hadn’t been so desperate to maintain a sense of respect for his superior, they probably wouldn’t have.
What would happen now? Stonegazer couldn’t imagine having less respect for the younger tom. Although Powdernose was no longer deputy, he had managed to do something no one else had been able to do in a very long time… he had gently pushed the warrior into happiness. Stonegazer had enjoyed their time together, he had come to welcome seeing Powdernose around camp, or in the territory, and had been less tense when the other cat was around. Having a “best friend” was something Stonegazer had experienced before, and this was something new and different entirely. It wouldn’t have been acceptable before, but perhaps now, it was something that he could allow himself to think about. Of course, he would have to proceed with caution.
A noise, not far away, drew Stonegazer’s attention up and away from his thoughts. A second one drew him up from his resting place, away, off to find the source of whoever was disturbing his peace and quiet. It didn’t take long for him to find the culprit. Powdernose. The little tom was quite obviously exhausted, not to mention his fur was practically hanging off him - Powdernose had always been small, but this was something else, he looked… starved. He was dirty, and looked like he was about to collapse at any moment, but he was still here. It was a split second before Stonegazer sprang into action.
Moving forward, his usually steely-blue eyes clouded with worry, he moved to the former deputy’s side. He had a thousand questions, ranging from “where were you?” to “what happened to your rank?”, but the one that came to mind first was the one Stonegazer chose. With a voice choked by emotion, and after failing to speak for a few seconds, the words finally left his mouth - painfully.
”Powdernose… what happened?”




With all the tension, Marshjump had figured that getting out into the territory would help. Maybe he could clear his head, maybe he could… well, he didn’t know. He missed Mintpaw - he hadn’t seen her in a while - and he didn’t know how she was doing. It was awful… after all, she was his apprentice. He should have been looking out for her. The tabby continued through the territory, some part of him hoping that he would see the little she-cat here… it was unlikely, of course, but he knew she’d liked it here. Marshjump felt much older than he had a couple of moons ago, and although he had only been a warrior for a few moons, he felt like he’d been one for… forever. Maybe it was everything that had been happening. There hadn’t been a quiet moment in quite some time, and Marshjump wished he had chosen a calmer time to be a mentor, a warrior, and to have the worst of all afflictions - a crush.

He was old enough now to know that it wasn’t completely horrible… but he certainly didn’t like it. Marshjump had never understood why toms and she cats would go crazy for each other, why friendships could be torn apart (or built up), and why there were cats getting up in each other’s business for something as crazy as romance. It was easier to understand now, because with his best friend - well - Marshjump would have done anything for her. He’d known her since she was a very young kit, and the fact that their friendship was surviving all of this was amazing to him. Or at least… he thought it was. Since he hadn’t spoken to Mintpaw recently, he wasn’t completely sure. And that was why he found himself in the territory, searching for the apprentice he wasn’t quite sure was there, and hoping that somehow, she would pop out of the bushes and announce herself.
@Dreambeam

[lio]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The seconds that Stonegazer had meant to spend resting turned into minutes, each one passing slower than he had thought possible. Being alone was something the tom had always enjoyed, but at the moment, it felt like a form of torture. Stonegazer didn’t get along with many of his clanmates. Most of them were too friendly, disloyal, disrespectful or stubborn for his taste. He preferred the cats around his own age, who had had time to mellow out, who were able to enjoy life without having to leap through it. And then there was Powdernose. The former deputy was everything Stonegazer was not - sweet, playful, and yes, lazy. They should never have gotten along, and if he hadn’t been so desperate to maintain a sense of respect for his superior, they probably wouldn’t have.
What would happen now? Stonegazer couldn’t imagine having less respect for the younger tom. Although Powdernose was no longer deputy, he had managed to do something no one else had been able to do in a very long time… he had gently pushed the warrior into happiness. Stonegazer had enjoyed their time together, he had come to welcome seeing Powdernose around camp, or in the territory, and had been less tense when the other cat was around. Having a “best friend” was something Stonegazer had experienced before, and this was something new and different entirely. It wouldn’t have been acceptable before, but perhaps now, it was something that he could allow himself to think about. Of course, he would have to proceed with caution.
A noise, not far away, drew Stonegazer’s attention up and away from his thoughts. A second one drew him up from his resting place, away, off to find the source of whoever was disturbing his peace and quiet. It didn’t take long for him to find the culprit. Powdernose. The little tom was quite obviously exhausted, not to mention his fur was practically hanging off him - Powdernose had always been small, but this was something else, he looked… starved. He was dirty, and looked like he was about to collapse at any moment, but he was still here. It was a split second before Stonegazer sprang into action.
Moving forward, his usually steely-blue eyes clouded with worry, he moved to the former deputy’s side. He had a thousand questions, ranging from “where were you?” to “what happened to your rank?”, but the one that came to mind first was the one Stonegazer chose. With a voice choked by emotion, and after failing to speak for a few seconds, the words finally left his mouth - painfully.
”Powdernose… what happened?”

* POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING *

the small tom almost leaped from his skin as stonegazer appeared at his side. he blinked, making sure it wasn't just another sick game his mind loved to play. no, it was him.
stonegazer.
he had a worried glint in his gaze, and the warmth radiating from his pelt sent a spiral of surprise through powdernose. when had he showed up? why was he here? a tiny glimmer of hope snuck into his once-crystalline blue eyes, now dulled and nearly lifeless. he turned away from stonegazer with a frown. he hadn't wanted the tom to see him like this.
"s-stonegazer," powdernose rasped, voice so light it could have been carried away by a gentle breeze. he curled his tail around him, head hanging shamefully. "i wasn't expecting to see you out here."
he hadn't answered the question- actually deciding to avoid it, as he did not know a response to give. what had happened? why was he allowing himself to slowly decay? who, or what, had done this to him?
the final question was simple.
he had done it to himself. the voices in his head, the constant dread pulling at him, all of it. he had lost the last bit of hope he barely even had. what was the point of holding onto it, anyway? the clans were crumbling. he was useless. simply wasting space and eating fresh-kill that came from those who actually did something. he couldn't even stand beside his best friend, his brother, and lead the clan as a deputy.
he was worthless. would anybody have even cared if he disappeared? life would go on without him, he was sure of it. powdernose doubted many people even noticed how long he had been gone, hiding out in the territory, refusing to show his face to others. unable to care if he ate or not, unable to sleep like he was known for.
he was broken.
he was defeated.
he couldn't find it in himself to care if he died.
but his eyes found stonegazer's again, and he felt a ghostly tingle dance down his spine. there was no point in denying it anymore. he had fallen for the tom, and even if the other didn't reciprocate, he wanted to see him be happy. to break the tom from his shell.
even if it meant he'd have to kill himself to do so.

[Random Melody]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

With all the tension, Marshjump had figured that getting out into the territory would help. Maybe he could clear his head, maybe he could… well, he didn’t know. He missed Mintpaw - he hadn’t seen her in a while - and he didn’t know how she was doing. It was awful… after all, she was his apprentice. He should have been looking out for her. The tabby continued through the territory, some part of him hoping that he would see the little she-cat here… it was unlikely, of course, but he knew she’d liked it here. Marshjump felt much older than he had a couple of moons ago, and although he had only been a warrior for a few moons, he felt like he’d been one for… forever. Maybe it was everything that had been happening. There hadn’t been a quiet moment in quite some time, and Marshjump wished he had chosen a calmer time to be a mentor, a warrior, and to have the worst of all afflictions - a crush.

He was old enough now to know that it wasn’t completely horrible… but he certainly didn’t like it. Marshjump had never understood why toms and she cats would go crazy for each other, why friendships could be torn apart (or built up), and why there were cats getting up in each other’s business for something as crazy as romance. It was easier to understand now, because with his best friend - well - Marshjump would have done anything for her. He’d known her since she was a very young kit, and the fact that their friendship was surviving all of this was amazing to him. Or at least… he thought it was. Since he hadn’t spoken to Mintpaw recently, he wasn’t completely sure. And that was why he found himself in the territory, searching for the apprentice he wasn’t quite sure was there, and hoping that somehow, she would pop out of the bushes and announce herself.
@Dreambeam

Mintpaw, in all honesty, was probably doing a lot better than she probably should have been. Maybe it was something to do with how calm she usually was. The young apprentice was fully aware of the tension, but there was nothing she herself could do about it, was there? There was nothing to do but stick by her Clan, and of course Mintpaw was going to do that. The young Siamese twitched her whiskers slightly, letting her paws hang down loosely from where she was stretched out on a rather low hanging tree branch, paws and tail dangling limply and her chin resting firmly on the wood, her ice blue eyes trailing around. The familiar scent it her nose before she saw him - Her blue eyes focused on Marshjump easily, gaze lighting up and her calm expression switching to excitement. But that quickly faded when she realized how worn-down he looked, a concerned look crossing the young she-cat's face as she pulled her paws up to stand up, shaking her fur out.

She gave a few firm licks to her chest, rubbing her cheek against her paws before tensing up, bunching her muscles and springing easily from the tree to the ground. She landed neatly on her paws, ducking her head before straightening up with a long, luxurious stretch. Much more graceful than her clumsy mother, the apprentice mused with a chuckle. But she turned serious again as she turned on her paws, bounding up to catch up to Marshjump from behind. It was clear she had grown, because she could now brush the side of her head against the Tom's neck, rubbing their shoulders together and flicking her tail over his flank. "Are you alright?"

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by RedHead

The deputy appreciated that Minkpaw didn’t comment on his dead leap into the air. His eartips were still pink with embarrassment from the action, and there was a noticable pink surrounding his nose, though it was starting to fade as he was reaching his dignity. Not like you have any Flint. He again laughed to himself at his own thoughts. He found himself absolutely funny. But you’ve really got to stop this talking to yourself. You’re not a lonely nerd Flint. You’re outgoing and cool, and— The warrior cut off his thoughts, rolling his eyes internally. He knew how much of a dork he could be sometimes.
As she answered his question, Flintspirit nodded reassuringly, giving her a supportive smile. He was actually kind of glad she hadn’t learned much, he would have had no idea where to start otherwise. He needed to start from the beginning and build his way up, just like how his mentor had thought him. While he hadn’t liked Darkenedheart at all, he couldn’t deny she had been a skilled warrior, and had molded him into an amazing warrior himself. Along with extra training from Rockspirit, Flint was a force not to be reckoned with when it came to battling. He was a pretty excellent hunter though. Except when it came to trees. Flintspirit hated trees. His fur got all tangled and caught in the twigs, and eyes ended up looking more like a tree than a cat whenever he had finished tree training. Definitley saving that for later. Minkpaw doesn’t need to see how much of a weirdo her mentor is. As she stated what she knew, Flintspirit nodded, before his ears flattened instinctively to his head at the mention of no longer sharing a border with Riverclan. “That is true.” He meowed, trying to keep his tone as even as possible as to not scare the young she-cat. Flintspirit knew he could be scary when he got angry. His fight with Buttercupbreeze had further proven that. “But it’s only temporary. Passionstar is upset about the whole situation, and I’m positive that he’s planning on doing something about it. And of course I’ll support him in his decisions on this subject.” Flintpsirit’s voice was bold and determined as he turned his fierce green gaze towards Minkpaw, before he swished his tail and raised his ears. It was time to get started in training. “Anyways, that’s beside the point right now. Me and you...” He have the small she-cat a playful smirk, “should be focused on training for now. I’ve got other duties as well, but I’m going to make sure we get a good amount of training in.” The dark-furred tomcat then waved his tail towards Minkpaw, beckoning her to follow him as he started to pad deeper into the territory. “We’re going to start with some more hunting practice, so we need to get away from camp.”

Minkpaw was silent as she watched Flintspirit, he was her new mentor she needed to pay attention to him. Not only that she needed to remember what he said and looked like. I wish Coldheart was still here. The thought tracked it's way through her mind. She missed her formal mentor, it wasn't that she didn't like Flintspirt but it wasn't the same. Right now, aside from wanting to put up a 'normal' face the lengthy brown molly feline wanted to figure out her new mentor. Figure out what kind of cat he was. He was also the new Deputy which put on a bit more curious nature. Minkpaw wanted to ask a thousand questions already and she'd known the dark colored tom for only a few heart beats. Where you born in ThunderClan? Who's your kin? Did you have an apprentice before? Do you have a mate? What about kits? How old are you? Why did Passionstar make you his Deputy? Are you friends? Have you ever been to the Starcave? Why do death berries kill you? Have you ever killed a cat? And so much more. Her mind just never stops.
As the tom began to speak again she drug her self out of her thoughts to soak in his words. It was true that RiverClan was driven out!? Honestly she was hoping it was false information that cats had told her but that was foolish thinking. If her Clanmates told her something happened she should believe it. Even if she did feel like an outsider. She might not feel it but she is a part of ThunderClan. At his next words she relaxed. There was no reason to get worked up over stuff like that. "That's good, I would support him to. Passionstar's a smart leader." She snuck in before the tom had a chance to continue. Though when he did she kinda listened. His smirk caught her off guard and she couldn't help but smile. Why was her smirking at her? Was he planing something? Either way Mink was actually smiling. That hadn't happened in awhile. Glancing to the sidebar twitched her ear back. So he's making time for me in his schedule? He must be busy. She realized giving slight nod of her brownish head. It'd be rude to take up his time. "Okay," Waving her tail she headed off glancing back to make sure Flintspirit approved of the way she was going. Hunting sounded fun and she hadn't done much of it so this would be more of a new experience then not.
This seems to be going well.

[lone]

Originally Posted by lacunaxx

* POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING *

the small tom almost leaped from his skin as stonegazer appeared at his side. he blinked, making sure it wasn't just another sick game his mind loved to play. no, it was him.
stonegazer.
he had a worried glint in his gaze, and the warmth radiating from his pelt sent a spiral of surprise through powdernose. when had he showed up? why was he here? a tiny glimmer of hope snuck into his once-crystalline blue eyes, now dulled and nearly lifeless. he turned away from stonegazer with a frown. he hadn't wanted the tom to see him like this.
"s-stonegazer," powdernose rasped, voice so light it could have been carried away by a gentle breeze. he curled his tail around him, head hanging shamefully. "i wasn't expecting to see you out here."
he hadn't answered the question- actually deciding to avoid it, as he did not know a response to give. what had happened? why was he allowing himself to slowly decay? who, or what, had done this to him?
the final question was simple.
he had done it to himself. the voices in his head, the constant dread pulling at him, all of it. he had lost the last bit of hope he barely even had. what was the point of holding onto it, anyway? the clans were crumbling. he was useless. simply wasting space and eating fresh-kill that came from those who actually did something. he couldn't even stand beside his best friend, his brother, and lead the clan as a deputy.
he was worthless. would anybody have even cared if he disappeared? life would go on without him, he was sure of it. powdernose doubted many people even noticed how long he had been gone, hiding out in the territory, refusing to show his face to others. unable to care if he ate or not, unable to sleep like he was known for.
he was broken.
he was defeated.
he couldn't find it in himself to care if he died.
but his eyes found stonegazer's again, and he felt a ghostly tingle dance down his spine. there was no point in denying it anymore. he had fallen for the tom, and even if the other didn't reciprocate, he wanted to see him be happy. to break the tom from his shell.
even if it meant he'd have to kill himself to do so.

There was a slight flinch as Powdernose pulled away, but he didn’t object - he wouldn’t have known what to say, anyways. When he’d first met the tom, chances were, Stonegazer wouldn’t have let the little tom be quite so close, but things had changed. Apparently, more than he knew - and the changes had affected cats in different ways. What had happened to Powdernose? This was not the way Stonegazer remembered him. The tom had always been anxious, yes, but… not like this. Never like this. This was something new, and different entirely, and he smelled… sick, almost. It wasn’t something that Stonegazer could pinpoint, and it certainly wasn’t a sickness he had smelled before, it was just… different. ”I didn’t know you would be here either.” That wasn’t entirely a lie, but Stonegazer kept himself from mentioning how he had hoped the younger warrior would be there.

”Why haven’t you been taking care of yourself?” His words turned from soft to accusatory - blue eyes hardened once more, back to the cold expression that he was named for. Stonegazer hadn’t meant to come on so harshly. He had wanted Powdernose to feel welcomed, but… this was not his strong suit. It hadn’t been for a long, long time. Still, the warrior tried to make himself look less aggressive - he loosened up a little, and allowed his expression to warm a little more as he awaited Powdernose’s response. Something was different about the tom, and Stonegazer didn’t know what it was.

He wanted to suggest playing a game, perhaps, or finding somewhere to look at the stars - anything to lighten the mood. This was not the reunion he had thought it was going to be. Stonegazer had no right to be disappointed… after all, this was ThunderClan’s former deputy, and losing a rank had to take a toll on a cat. Powdernose was not going to be the same. He knew this, he should have expected this all along… but it still hurt. ”You need to tell me what’s going on.” Again, the words came out as a command, instead of in a friendly manner like Stonegazer had intended. Taking a deep breath, the tom lowered his defenses down a little more, and said something that sounded alien coming out of his mouth.

”I need to help you. Or, I - I want to help you. So please, Powdernose, just… talk to me.” If only his friends could see him now. They would be scoffing, amused that he was taking the time out of his day to help a warrior who could be beyond help. Thinking he was crazy for helping their former deputy, who had stepped down instead of losing his rank more honorably. But Stonegazer wouldn’t have listened to them. Because for the first time in a long time, he was helping a clanmate who really needed his help. And for the first time in a long time… he could feel something exciting. Whether he wanted to or not, Stonegazer was developing feelings for Powdernose, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Originally Posted by Dreambeam

Mintpaw, in all honesty, was probably doing a lot better than she probably should have been. Maybe it was something to do with how calm she usually was. The young apprentice was fully aware of the tension, but there was nothing she herself could do about it, was there? There was nothing to do but stick by her Clan, and of course Mintpaw was going to do that. The young Siamese twitched her whiskers slightly, letting her paws hang down loosely from where she was stretched out on a rather low hanging tree branch, paws and tail dangling limply and her chin resting firmly on the wood, her ice blue eyes trailing around. The familiar scent it her nose before she saw him - Her blue eyes focused on Marshjump easily, gaze lighting up and her calm expression switching to excitement. But that quickly faded when she realized how worn-down he looked, a concerned look crossing the young she-cat's face as she pulled her paws up to stand up, shaking her fur out.

She gave a few firm licks to her chest, rubbing her cheek against her paws before tensing up, bunching her muscles and springing easily from the tree to the ground. She landed neatly on her paws, ducking her head before straightening up with a long, luxurious stretch. Much more graceful than her clumsy mother, the apprentice mused with a chuckle. But she turned serious again as she turned on her paws, bounding up to catch up to Marshjump from behind. It was clear she had grown, because she could now brush the side of her head against the Tom's neck, rubbing their shoulders together and flicking her tail over his flank. "Are you alright?"

Startled, the tom almost spun around when he felt someone brushing against him. But his fear turned to excitement when he realized exactly who it was. Mintpaw. She had grown - she was much taller now, and graceful, and… beautiful. She looked a lot like her Mother. She was growing up, and Marshjump was having trouble believing that this was the same sweet, tiny kit that he had met so long ago. She would soon be a warrior… and Marshjump couldn’t imagine anything feeling weirder. He was so busy watching her, he had almost missed her talking - even her voice sounded more grown-up, but he was careful not to dwell on that for too long. It was already becoming borderline creepy. ”I - wow. Sorry, it’s just… it’s so good to see you, I missed you!” Had Marshjump been feeling up to it, he might have tried headbutting her a little or lightly smacking her with his tail, even tackling her, but he’d been much too tired lately. ”I’ve been stressed out, honestly. And worried about you. You know, things have been… different lately. How about you? Are you taking it okay?” Marshjump moved away a little so he could inspect his friend from a difference.

They had known each other for quite a while, and at this point, he was pretty sure he could tell if she was hurt at all. But she looked… confident, and calm, and much more together than he was. She had always been calm. That sort of confidence was one of the things Marshjump realized had grown, and she was no longer small and just learning. She had to be a knockout in the apprentices’ den at this point. Marshjump could feel a small pang of jealousy - after all, he knew how toms her age could be - but he pushed it aside. There was no reason to be jealous. Mintpaw always had been, and always would be his best friend… this wasn’t going to change that. If nothing else, they would always be… friends.

[lio]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

There was a slight flinch as Powdernose pulled away, but he didn’t object - he wouldn’t have known what to say, anyways. When he’d first met the tom, chances were, Stonegazer wouldn’t have let the little tom be quite so close, but things had changed. Apparently, more than he knew - and the changes had affected cats in different ways. What had happened to Powdernose? This was not the way Stonegazer remembered him. The tom had always been anxious, yes, but… not like this. Never like this. This was something new, and different entirely, and he smelled… sick, almost. It wasn’t something that Stonegazer could pinpoint, and it certainly wasn’t a sickness he had smelled before, it was just… different. ”I didn’t know you would be here either.” That wasn’t entirely a lie, but Stonegazer kept himself from mentioning how he had hoped the younger warrior would be there.

”Why haven’t you been taking care of yourself?” His words turned from soft to accusatory - blue eyes hardened once more, back to the cold expression that he was named for. Stonegazer hadn’t meant to come on so harshly. He had wanted Powdernose to feel welcomed, but… this was not his strong suit. It hadn’t been for a long, long time. Still, the warrior tried to make himself look less aggressive - he loosened up a little, and allowed his expression to warm a little more as he awaited Powdernose’s response. Something was different about the tom, and Stonegazer didn’t know what it was.

He wanted to suggest playing a game, perhaps, or finding somewhere to look at the stars - anything to lighten the mood. This was not the reunion he had thought it was going to be. Stonegazer had no right to be disappointed… after all, this was ThunderClan’s former deputy, and losing a rank had to take a toll on a cat. Powdernose was not going to be the same. He knew this, he should have expected this all along… but it still hurt. ”You need to tell me what’s going on.” Again, the words came out as a command, instead of in a friendly manner like Stonegazer had intended. Taking a deep breath, the tom lowered his defenses down a little more, and said something that sounded alien coming out of his mouth.

”I need to help you. Or, I - I want to help you. So please, Powdernose, just… talk to me.” If only his friends could see him now. They would be scoffing, amused that he was taking the time out of his day to help a warrior who could be beyond help. Thinking he was crazy for helping their former deputy, who had stepped down instead of losing his rank more honorably. But Stonegazer wouldn’t have listened to them. Because for the first time in a long time, he was helping a clanmate who really needed his help. And for the first time in a long time… he could feel something exciting. Whether he wanted to or not, Stonegazer was developing feelings for Powdernose, and there was nothing he could do about it.

* introducing his power in this post! *

he closed his eyes, and allowed himself to lean into the grey tom. his tail lowered between his legs, frail form much more puny than it had been the last time they had spoken. swallowing the thick lump in his throat, powdernose forced himself to face stonegazer with a lifeless gaze. his ears were flat against his skull, body small and fragile as it leaned into the muscled frame stonegazer held. powdernose faintly flinched back as the tone in his voice changed, head lowering once more, almost as though a boulder was weighing it down.
"i- i don't know," he spoke simply, voice lighter than a butterfly's wing. he took a deep, quivering breath and let it go slowly. speak slowly. his nose twitched, eyes slipping shut as he relaxed against stonegazer.
"after i s-stepped down from deputy, i felt like i was a failure to the clan. i-i had to get away. these voices in my head just keeping taunting me and t-tearing me apart, but they w-won't go away. i can't face everyone, not after fleeing like i did. not after abandoning my brother and my best friend right before the tensions broke," powdernose paused for a second, catching his breath with weak heaves of his chest. "s-so i've stayed out here, where i feel most at home. b-but i can't fend for myself. i can't hunt without the voices telling me i'm not good enough to eat thunderclan prey." he clenched his jaw and forced away a sob. why was it all coming out? why was he telling stonegazer of his darkest secret?
"i-" he choked, then fell silent. there was nothing else he could say. nothing else he could use to explain the mess he put himself into. powdernose sniffled, turning to look up at the taller tom.
"please help me," he begged, before darkness consumed his vision and he fell against stonegazer, unmoving except for the shaky rising and falling of his chest. his weight fell upon the larger male, being as light as a feather compared to what he had used to be.

powdernose's eyes opened and he stood, looking around. what happened? he blinked before looking down to his paws, where his own body lay. fear immediately struck as though it were a lightning bolt, eyes widened to saucers. am- am i dead? i look so... horrible. he wildly spun around, then stopped. his gaze focused on stonegazer, and he walked towards the older feline.
"hello?" he spoke, head tilted to the side. receiving no response, he searched the area, spotting no differences.
no, he couldn't be dead. he didn't believe in starclan, and even if he did, someone would have come to retrieve him now, right?
his tail lashed from side to side and he sat down, confused, watching the scene in front of him.
so what was happening? why could he see himself and stonegazer there, but not be heard or seen?
he gulped and awaited for something to happen- anything that could explain what he was experiencing.

[Jynx]

{ @Miss Bliss }

Brilliant amber and white fur, sharp as fire against the night, shone through a dark holly bush. The she-cat, dutifully failing at a feeble attempt to hide in the undergrowth, slid forward on her belly. Her brilliant blue gaze was fixed on a nibbling mouse hunched among the roots of a twisted old maple. However, the female's short tabby tail whispered over the crisp leaves, causing a stirring noise familiar to the season of leaf-fall. The mouse jerked its head up, alerted by Thebes sounds. In the blink of an eye, the small rodent was speeding away toward a hole in the ground where it hardly strayed from. The orange tabby sprang up from her hiding place, wobbling, rather uncoordinated, on the lumpy ground. Her kitten fluff, still present, was puffed up as she scrambled in vain after the creature. A moment to late, she reached out a paw as the mouse scrambled for safety. Mousedung! She thought, peering crossly into the dark hole. If only she'd been a bit faster. Practice makes perfect, I guess.

[Madelaine]

Originally Posted by Deranged Llama

{ @Miss Bliss }

Brilliant amber and white fur, sharp as fire against the night, shone through a dark holly bush. The she-cat, dutifully failing at a feeble attempt to hide in the undergrowth, slid forward on her belly. Her brilliant blue gaze was fixed on a nibbling mouse hunched among the roots of a twisted old maple. However, the female's short tabby tail whispered over the crisp leaves, causing a stirring noise familiar to the season of leaf-fall. The mouse jerked its head up, alerted by Thebes sounds. In the blink of an eye, the small rodent was speeding away toward a hole in the ground where it hardly strayed from. The orange tabby sprang up from her hiding place, wobbling, rather uncoordinated, on the lumpy ground. Her kitten fluff, still present, was puffed up as she scrambled in vain after the creature. A moment to late, she reached out a paw as the mouse scrambled for safety. Mousedung! She thought, peering crossly into the dark hole. If only she'd been a bit faster. Practice makes perfect, I guess.

Shadowblaze padded out of the Thunderclan camp, his eyes wary to see if there was any prey. The tom sniffed the air, scenting another cat. This scent was unfamiliar to him and it didn't smell like any clan he knew. Shadowblaze crept forward silently and kept his scent away from the wind. He heard something hustling in some leaves and there it was a tail that was visible. The tom began in a run and let out a yowl. Shadowblaze jumped in front of the hole where the hole in the ground was. He hadn't realized it was a kitten. "What are you doing on Thunderclan territory?" he asked with a small hiss. After a while Shadowblaze finally realized it was a young kit. He smelled a mouse and looked down at the hole. "I see. Your trying to hunt on my clans territory are you?" he added.

[Jynx]

Originally Posted by Miss Bliss

Shadowblaze padded out of the Thunderclan camp, his eyes wary to see if there was any prey. The tom sniffed the air, scenting another cat. This scent was unfamiliar to him and it didn't smell like any clan he knew. Shadowblaze crept forward silently and kept his scent away from the wind. He heard something hustling in some leaves and there it was a tail that was visible. The tom began in a run and let out a yowl. Shadowblaze jumped in front of the hole where the hole in the ground was. He hadn't realized it was a kitten. "What are you doing on Thunderclan territory?" he asked with a small hiss. After a while Shadowblaze finally realized it was a young kit. He smelled a mouse and looked down at the hole. "I see. Your trying to hunt on my clans territory are you?" he added.

As the Orange feline peered down the hole, another sound caught her ears. The rush of pawsteps sent heron high alert. The she-cat spun around, coming face to face with a tom who looked to her like he was ready to attack her at a moments notice. Fur on end, she tried to scramble as far away from this scary tom as possible when her paw caught in the mouse hole. She let out a squeak as her paw was wrenched by her resistance. Tugging it close, the female cowered against the trunk of the tree. What are you doing on Thunderclan territory? The she-cat bristled. ThunderClan territory?! What was this crazy mad cat meowing about? She'd never heard of a Clan of Thunder; he didn't thunder, or, well, sound like it. She was about to say so when he interrupted with another sentence. I see. You're trying to hunt on my clans territory, are you? Eyes wide, she couldn't help but tell the truth. "Y-yes," she stammered, her voice but a whisper due to fright and pain. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you lived here. Please don't hurt me." She ended in a shrill wail, terrified of what he would do next.

@Miss Bliss

[lone]

Originally Posted by lacunaxx

* introducing his power in this post! *

he closed his eyes, and allowed himself to lean into the grey tom. his tail lowered between his legs, frail form much more puny than it had been the last time they had spoken. swallowing the thick lump in his throat, powdernose forced himself to face stonegazer with a lifeless gaze. his ears were flat against his skull, body small and fragile as it leaned into the muscled frame stonegazer held. powdernose faintly flinched back as the tone in his voice changed, head lowering once more, almost as though a boulder was weighing it down.
"i- i don't know," he spoke simply, voice lighter than a butterfly's wing. he took a deep, quivering breath and let it go slowly. speak slowly. his nose twitched, eyes slipping shut as he relaxed against stonegazer.
"after i s-stepped down from deputy, i felt like i was a failure to the clan. i-i had to get away. these voices in my head just keeping taunting me and t-tearing me apart, but they w-won't go away. i can't face everyone, not after fleeing like i did. not after abandoning my brother and my best friend right before the tensions broke," powdernose paused for a second, catching his breath with weak heaves of his chest. "s-so i've stayed out here, where i feel most at home. b-but i can't fend for myself. i can't hunt without the voices telling me i'm not good enough to eat thunderclan prey." he clenched his jaw and forced away a sob. why was it all coming out? why was he telling stonegazer of his darkest secret?
"i-" he choked, then fell silent. there was nothing else he could say. nothing else he could use to explain the mess he put himself into. powdernose sniffled, turning to look up at the taller tom.
"please help me," he begged, before darkness consumed his vision and he fell against stonegazer, unmoving except for the shaky rising and falling of his chest. his weight fell upon the larger male, being as light as a feather compared to what he had used to be.

powdernose's eyes opened and he stood, looking around. what happened? he blinked before looking down to his paws, where his own body lay. fear immediately struck as though it were a lightning bolt, eyes widened to saucers. am- am i dead? i look so... horrible. he wildly spun around, then stopped. his gaze focused on stonegazer, and he walked towards the older feline.
"hello?" he spoke, head tilted to the side. receiving no response, he searched the area, spotting no differences.
no, he couldn't be dead. he didn't believe in starclan, and even if he did, someone would have come to retrieve him now, right?
his tail lashed from side to side and he sat down, confused, watching the scene in front of him.
so what was happening? why could he see himself and stonegazer there, but not be heard or seen?
he gulped and awaited for something to happen- anything that could explain what he was experiencing.

A sort of warmth clashed with a dull ache as Powdernose leaned against the tom’s body. Whatever had happened, the younger tom was much weaker than he had been. It felt like he was about to break at any moment. Stonegazer knew that Powdernose needed care, and if they could just get back to camp, Tallmarsh could take care of him… but all thoughts of moving flew out of his head as the former deputy began his story. ”No one blames you. You are not a failure, Powdernose.” Stonegazer interjected when the other tom paused, his eyes growing hard with frustration. Feeling like you had failed was not something even the older tom was immune to. But at this level… he couldn’t imagine. He knew there were cats in camp who would blame Powdernose, but that wasn’t what the tom needed to hear right now. Stonegazer wasn’t good at comforting others most of the time. His words came out uncomfortably, less robotically than usual, and he always felt awkward while he was doing it. But something was different this time. Powdernose needed a friend right then… and Stonegazer wanted to be there for him. His ears went back as the younger tom continued, but his anger at how much self-loathing Powdernose seemed to be carrying was replaced by a cold wave of fear as the tom collapsed.

”No...” He whispered, his voice oddly vulnerable in the moment. Warriors died all the time. In battle, or of sickness, or being attacked by dogs, foxes, badgers… even large birds. But this was something different. Stonegazer had mourned for all warriors who had died, but he had never felt quite so helpless before. He hadn’t been there. He should have, and he hadn’t. Maybe there would have been something he could do. He could feel Powdernose breathing, he didn’t… feel dead, but Stonegazer wondered if it was just his imagination. The younger tom’s breathing was so light, shallow, that it seemed almost fake. His eyes never played tricks on him. Stonegazer’s senses were something that he prided himself on… they had always been sharp before.

Gently, he took ahold of Powdernose’s scruff and lay the younger tom down. It wasn’t because he was heavy - as a matter of fact, he was unhealthily light - but Stonegazer couldn’t stand the feeling of the no-longer conscious warrior against him. ”Wake up. You need to wake up now. This is not the time to sleep. You need help… get up!” The last word was stressed, although he didn’t mean for it to be. Such a show of emotion would have been frowned upon by Stonegazer’s friends. But since they weren’t here now, and this was such a tough situation… honestly, he didn’t care. He needed Powdernose to wake up. Logically, he knew that the tom was dying, if not already dead. That his mind or his eyes were playing some trick on him, and he wasn’t actually breathing. But… in his heart… Stonegazer wanted Powdernose to be alive. He wanted there to be something he could do to bring the tom back - anything he could do.