SkyClan Territory

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by Flameleaf

@Nighty

Goldenpaw led the way out of the entrance and into the territory. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Chirppaw was following. Where to go.. Where to go...

Chirppaw had never been on an actual hunting session before, only practicing in the training plateau. Of course, she was only six and a half moons, but still. This was her first real hunting session in the territory. She glanced around, getting her bearings. Auroraflame had at least shown her the basics of the territory. "Want to head towards the trees? There could be some mice there?" She said, her voice sounding mature and professionalized now. She was acting serious, like a warrior, except for the fact that she still had hits of her squeaky kit voice.

[Ludicrous Lunacy]

[cont.]
...he remembered the blood on his paw... not just his paw, all over his fur. He was pretty sure it was his own blood. Wait, that meant he was bleeding. Staring at her he stumbled back, unconsciously going deeper into SkyClan territory. Pardus blinked and shut his eyes, over and over, but he could not get the image from his mind. Shaking himself, he straightened. What was he, a kit? Blubbing about a dead enemy? You should be happy she's dead.
[ @fenic! ]

[Fel]

Originally Posted by Ludicrous Lunacy

[cont.]
...he remembered the blood on his paw... not just his paw, all over his fur. He was pretty sure it was his own blood. Wait, that meant he was bleeding. Staring at her he stumbled back, unconsciously going deeper into SkyClan territory. Pardus blinked and shut his eyes, over and over, but he could not get the image from his mind. Shaking himself, he straightened. What was he, a kit? Blubbing about a dead enemy? You should be happy she's dead.
[ @fenic! ]

Cinderpaw could still remember the attack. It was when him and Ashenpaw were younger, when they'd tried to go off by themselves without a warrior escort, and they'd been ambushed- they were bloodthirsty rogues, and they'd been attacked, having to retreat to Stormlight's den after they were all cut up, broken. But they had each other, and that was what mattered. Cinderpaw loved her, and they were about to become warriors together, days from getting their full names. He wanted to spend his life with her, making sure she was okay, that they'd never be as vulnerable as they once were ever again. That won't ever happen again, huh? She's gone. It was only a few moments ago that he'd seen her body. The patrol was already gone, but her killer was slinking away, and a flash of rage tore through his mind as he raced after him, green eyes lighting up with absolute hatred. "You... you just killed my best friend." He snarled behind the tom, tears staining his fur as Cinderpaw growled. "I hope you remember her face when I do the same to you."

[spade]

((*sniffs* they never got to admit their love for each other we nEED to do really in depth dream rp's with them where they finally admit their feelings okay? okay.c: ))

[Ludicrous Lunacy]

Originally Posted by fenic!

Cinderpaw could still remember the attack. It was when him and Ashenpaw were younger, when they'd tried to go off by themselves without a warrior escort, and they'd been ambushed- they were bloodthirsty rogues, and they'd been attacked, having to retreat to Stormlight's den after they were all cut up, broken. But they had each other, and that was what mattered. Cinderpaw loved her, and they were about to become warriors together, days from getting their full names. He wanted to spend his life with her, making sure she was okay, that they'd never be as vulnerable as they once were ever again. That won't ever happen again, huh? She's gone. It was only a few moments ago that he'd seen her body. The patrol was already gone, but her killer was slinking away, and a flash of rage tore through his mind as he raced after him, green eyes lighting up with absolute hatred. "You... you just killed my best friend." He snarled behind the tom, tears staining his fur as Cinderpaw growled. "I hope you remember her face when I do the same to you."

The dull-furred silver tom whipped around, startled. His eyes darkened slightly at the word "killed". Tail lashing, Pardus responded, "There isn't just one cat dead, you selfish little fleabag! You have another Clanmate lying dead, but no, all that matters is one cat. One, single, pathetic cat." The trainee's olive eyes glinted with an emotion hard to identify, for he hid it so quickly. "And," he added, voice dangerously quiet, "If I killed her, why do you think I can't kill you?"

(Gtg, can respond later)

[lone]

Originally Posted by Noire

Silverpaw watched the two felines with steady eyes. Though they hadn’t told her exactly what she wanted to her, she simply twitched her nose, but kept her delicate green eyes on them, observing their next moves. They both seemed tired. Exhausted. Especially Azulpaw. The poor tom who was constantly getting abused--though it only happened twice, which was enough. All for the same reason! She did not understand what was so special about the blue she-cat. She did not understand why ever would Azulpaw want to lay down his life just so he could protect her. It wasn’t as if he were carrying out that job. Once he was dead...she was alone. He wouldn’t be able to protect her if he were dead, right? Though the silver apprentice believed in starclan...she was influenced that they hardly came into contact with the real world. Something she picked up from Azulpaw a few moons ago. Those moons where he was that sardonic tom before he met the white and blue cats. That satirical tom she’s grown to love and care for.

Now look at him...seeming hopeless, but smiling all the same as if he’s never been hurt. Silverpaw really did wish she could applaud him on his hard work. On his determination of believing he was doing the right thing. Silverpaw didn’t think anything negative of the blue cat. In fact, she didn’t know her that well to have a viewpoint on her. However, she did consider Asterpaw as a distant friend. She could see that the blue cat held a genuine care for Azulpaw--something they had in common, and she was thankful that there was another cat that cared for the tom. ‘’As far as I’m concerned, why don’t the two of you just go to the apprentices’ den to sleep? Nestle up together and take a nap...or something.’’ The feline gave a nervous laugh. She knew that Azulpaw was hurt, and that he could barely walk. She didn’t want him to go a distance--the thought of carrying him made her own body ache! He was, indeed, a heavy cat. Though he would get larger, only being so young, but she wondered how large would he grow out to be?

‘’It doesn’t sound like a bad idea.’’ The tom mewed, growing quiet once more. It would be better to be out of the inquiring eyes. Especially if Alabasterpaw or Bluepaw were still lurking in the shadows, blending in like they fit the puzzle piece in a perfect manner. Just the thought made his fur bristle to no end, but he felt at ease upon feeling Asterpaw against him. His breathing slowed down, and he pulled his head up, tilting it a bit as he stared at the silver feline. ‘’But, I don’t know if I could walk the distance.’’ And, to prove himself, he tried to stand up, but he almost toppled over the blue she-cat, and he mumbled an apology and settled back down again. ‘’Yup. Still as useless as I can be.’’ Silverpaw snorted and rolled her eyes. She knew that one thing that would never die, was his sarcasm. And, she was thankful for that, earnestly. Her ears pinned thinking back to earlier, that he almost looked dead with a haunted look in his eye. She would have no idea what would happen if this grey tom left her...on her own...in this world...without any of his magnificent lectures. Though she could stand without the lectures, she couldn’t stand without him. As much as he hate to admit it, she would had blamed Asterpaw for everything. For his death. For toying with him. For getting to know him. Though as selfish as it seemed, the silver feline believed that Azulpaw would be better having to not know about Asterpaw and her sister---what was her name? The white feline.

‘’Well,’’ Silverpaw begins. ‘’At least you’re good for one thing; dying for someone.’’ though her voice carried a chirpiness of light tone, it dawned on her that she said it in a disturbing manner. She didn’t want to annoy them or constantly remind them of the endangerment Azulpaw was going through. She also meant for it to be a joke. A twisted cruel joke was what came out. Not even deserving the title of a joke. The she-cat gave a sheepish grin, and she pinned her ears, ‘’Sorry! I-I didn’t...mean for it to come out in that way.’’

‘’Well, heh.’’ Azulpaw shakes off her comment with a flick of his ears. It wasn’t the first time that the she-cat had said something out of line, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last time. The only thing he did care about is if her little comment offended the blue cat next to him. To him, he shook it off. This was because he new the silver feline. He knew the way her mind worked, he knew the way how she would react at certain situations, he knew what annoyed her, made her agitated, he knew what made her happy, cheerful. He knew what hurt her, what she treasured, what she loathed. He knew all these things about her because he knew...her. ‘’Besides, I don’t like to think that I’m just dying. I mean, come on, I’m like a hero.’’ The tom gave a haughty laugh with a shrug. ‘’You should be thankful that I’ll be willing to save your behind whenever you’re in trouble.’’ He says. The tom was speaking in general, though he was addressing Silverpaw. He wanted them both to know that he would always be there for them, no matter if the mountains are in his way, or the rivers are flooding. He would make a way there to be the rock they leaned on. Because everyone needed someone to lean on. ‘’Just askin’ that the two of you don’t go ‘round looking for trouble. I don’t have that much energy in me as I had before.’’ He told them, adding authority to his voice, with a taint of playfulness. The tom rolled onto his side, grunting in the process. He let out a content sigh, and blinked his eyes a few times.

Where had the time gone? First it was morning. The sun at its highest point, and he had been doing fine that morning. He woke up, decided he would train, went hunting...bumped into Silverpaw and Asterpaw. He had a pleasurable time with the blue cat until Bluepaw showed up. Then, the whole thing with Alabasterpaw. The way he was ready to lay down his life, and give it to the paws, greedy to take them. Other than that, it was still morning! The sun was up, it was a bit chilly, but it was still morning! Had everything happened so fast? His life flashed before his eyes? The day truly had gone by slow, and his eyes weigh heavily. It would be nice to sleep, but he wouldn’t want to sleep knowing Asterpaw was tired and willing to stay up and keep guard. As for Silverpaw, he doubted the small she-cat could even stand up for herself, let alone them. Yet, she did throw herself at Bluepaw, which Azulpaw was not happy to hear. Silverpaw did have a spark in her, that was for sure, but he couldn’t risk her getting hypnotized by Alabasterpaw. That was the last thing he needed in his life.

‘’I’m…’’Azulpaw yawned softly, dropping his head. He laid them silently on his paws, blinking per usual. ‘’I’ll stay…’’He yawned once more, getting annoyed with himself. Was he that tired? Of course he was. He dealt with some killing blows, and his body ached everywhere. He deserved a little break. He promised himself that he wouldn’t sleep that long. Just a small cat nap would do, and he’ll be better in when he awoke--yup! That was the plan. He would be much better when he awoke. ‘’Ah, screw it. I need a little bit of sleep. Sorry, gals, but this tom is ready to drop.’’ Though he could had used a more sensible saying than ‘’ready to drop’’ the meaning sounded harsh-like. As if he were ready to drop dead. He once more blinked his eyes towards Asterpaw, providing her with a sleepy smile. ‘’Wake me up soon. If I don’t awake, pound me into oblivion.’’ He said, joking tiredly. And, he curled himself into a tight ball, allowing his tail to gently lay upon the blue-cat so that he could feel her near. Silverpaw watched the scene played out, and a smile crossed her muzzle. The moment would had been perfect with it just being them three, but she got the abnormal feeling that someone was nearby. A scent she knew all too well, but she flicked her tail, ignoring it. Perhaps, she had been wrong.

And, perhaps she haven’t seen those blue icy hues laughing in the shadows.

Asterpaw definitely could have gone for a nap in the apprentices' den. But it was obvious Azulpaw was still too weak to walk that far-- and so she was willing to stay here. It was somewhat comfortable here. And, after all, she was fine to stay awake. She glanced over at Silverpaw... sure, the cat was pretty friendly. Helpful. She cared about Azulpaw. The blue feline was exhausted, and felt like she could have slept forever, but she needed to stay up. Needed to keep guard. Just by looking at Silverpaw, not to mention having seeing Bluepaw slam her into a tree earlier, she could tell that the younger cat wasn't strong enough to keep them at bay. Was she? Possibly-- then again, maybe not. It would all depend on how determined they were...she would just have to rely on her speed. Her agility. Which would probably be down because she was so tired. Was that how Alabasterpaw had gotten ahold of her earlier?
　
If she had just been a moment quicker...just a flicker of a second swifter...she could have avoided the she cat altogether. And none of this would be happening. Then again, she might still be with Bluepaw... well, one good thing came out of it. This would be the first time she had ever broken her word. She just couldn't stay with a cat like Bluepaw, though...he was pure evil. And she'd thought he was such a great tom, truly thought that maybe she could grow to love him. But now? The thought was sickening. Horrible. She was glad Azulpaw was nearby now, and it was almost comforting to feel his tail on her. Something rustled in the bushes, making Asterpaw's ears flick in that direction.
　
"I'll...be right back..." She spoke in a low tone, her eyes narrowing at the bush and she glanced back at the now-asleep Azulpaw. Honestly, she would have preferred to curl up with him-- it really didn't sound too bad right now...but she had already said she would keep guard. Which meant checking out this rustling in the bushes. Stepping over them, she saw a flash of fur and the next minute was staring into a familiar face, one that was grinning down at her. "Asty! Did you miss me? I know you did. I missed you!" The overeager tom laughed, looking as though he were going to touch noses with her. She groaned and pushed him off her, rolling her eyes as she got to her paws. "Good grief, Foxpaw." She sighed.
　
It had been forever since Foxpaw had been around Asterpaw. And he had missed the blue feline-- though he didn't truly love her in that way. It was fun to mess with her, though. "And if you ever call me 'Asty' again, I'll tell everyone your name is Squeakaroo." She snapped. That was a nickname that Foxpaw had recieved from Asterpaw for his higher pitched voice when he was younger. And he hated it. A shudder went down the tom's spine at the memory of the awful nickname. "Don't you dare!" He mewed, his voice coming out in a true squeak. She laughed and pushed him. Foxpaw knew the two of them had their differences-- his personality annoyed her, and she tended to make fun of him too much-- but they were close. "C'mon, Squeaky. You know Silverpaw, don't you?" She asked with a snort. Silverpaw. The name rang a bell, Foxpaw knew a lot of cats-- did he know her? Oh yeah! Now he was sure of it.
　
"Oh yeah! I definitely know Silverpaw." He mewed confidently, glancing at Asterpaw again. Since her sister called her 'Ast,' he had taken to calling her 'Asty' just to annoy her-- and he would constantly flirt with her. Sometimes underhandedly, which was the most fun of all, and sometimes straight out. He was always flirting. No matter who it was, even if it was obvious someone else was in love with them or they were in love with someone else, he would go ahead. It didn't have a boundary to him. It was love! Well-- one sided, most of the time. "Hey...Asty, you want to make me look good, don't you?" He asked, stopping her before she left the bushes. "That depends. Keep calling me Asty, and I promise you you won't get another chance. The day you break a heart is the day you get a smack in the face." She told him, narrowing her eyes.
　
While Asterpaw liked Foxpaw, she didn't like his flirting. And while he hadn't had much luck-- yet-- he seemed to remain optimistic. Very, very optimistic. Too much for her to deal with, at any rate. "Pleaasee?" He begged, looking at her and making his hues very, very big. Ugh. She thought, flicking him lightly with her tail. "Fine..." She growled. In the next moment, she and Foxpaw stepped out of the bushes, her with a disgusted expression on her features, and him with a bright smile as he headed over towards Silverpaw, Asterpaw trailing behind. "Oh, Foxpaw! Your eyes sparkle like--" She stopped, making a face when he turned the other way. "A thousand stars. You're so strong, and handsome..." Her voice trailed off for effect, but instead of making the shining, warm smile she was supposed to, she began shaking her head and mouthing the word 'no' to Silverpaw.
　
Now was the part she was dreading most. The tom came and brushed himself along her, winking at her and glancing at Silverpaw. StarClan help me. She thought, pretending to swoon. "And your pelt! It's so soft, like--" She cut herself off and stopped. "Forget it, Squeakaroo. I'm not doing this." She mewed, pulling away from him and sitting down, beginning to clean her pelt. Well, he had certainly woken her up. He seemed to have that effect on she cats. "No fair calling me Squeakaroo, Asty!" Foxpaw complained. Her hues snapped and she got to her paws, glaring at him. Good grief, she thought as he ducked and ran around beside Silverpaw.
　
"Silvster wants me to stay with her. Don't you, Silvy dear?" He asked, peeking around anxiously at Asterpaw. His green hues looked so pathetic that she began to laugh, backing away. "Next time you need someone to build you up, let me know. This is hilarious." She snorted, before stepping away from him with an amused expression. Part of her wanted Silverpaw to get away from him as fast as he could, and the other part wanted to see how she would react to this. The funniest thing was, Foxpaw thought he was being cool when he did all this. He thought he was StarClan's gift to every she cat around the Clans. Stupid. She thought. He probably would end up being quite handsome when he was older, but right now? Nah. Not her type at all.
　
Foxpaw looked at Silverpaw, his green hues as pleading as he could make them. "Aw, c'mon, Asty. Tell her I'm not so bad. Remember?" He asked, winking at her. Him and his flirting. She thought with a roll of her eyes, but figured she owed him at least one favor. He was a source of amusement and cheer for her-- someone she hadn't seen since she had first become an apprentice. "He's really not bad, Silverpaw." Stupid, but not bad. A complete idiot, but not bad. A terrible flirt, but not bad. She thought. She could have added all of that, but she didn't. "You did it! You do love me, I totally knew that!" He mewed happily, bounding towards her, but she pushed him away. "Take it easy there, dude. This she cat is not available." She laughed, while the tom pouted.
　
"So you're taken? By Nightpaw?" He teased, with a smirk. Nightpaw. Asterpaw had seen him more recently, but hadn't heard his name in all that time... what had happened? "Absolutely not. And no, I'm not taken." She growled, glaring at him. "Well you can't be neither!" Foxpaw exclaimed in frustration. Asterpaw knew that he wasn't that annoyed. She knew he didn't actually care that much whether she loved him or not, or he wouldn't go off and flirt with other she cats-- then get shot down. Part of her wondered if that was what he loved about it, getting shot down. "Oh yes I can, Squeakaroo. I'm on reserve. For the one who deserves my heart." Not even realizing it, she glanced over at Azulpaw.
　
Foxpaw saw this and glanced at Silverpaw with a questioning look. The last time he had seen Asterpaw, she had looked ready to swear that toms were bad news. Except for Nightpaw. But what had happened, anyways? They'd been so close-- and then just sort of fell apart. And now she was looking at Azulpaw like he was the best thing ever... which Foxpaw didn't understand at all. "I missed something, didn't I?" He asked Silverpaw in a low voice. He did like the she cat. Just...no more then any other pretty, fiesty, interesting cat that crossed his path. He absolutely loved some she cats. In a friendly way, of course. They were interesting, and fun... and Silverpaw was one of them. "Nightpaw's not going to be happy," He warned. And it was true. The black tom was selfish, like he had always been...constantly angry until he met someone he loved. Which had been Asterpaw. Growing up as kits together... he wondered if she had mentioned that at all.
　
Of course Asterpaw hadn't mentioned it. What reason did she have to? "I don't want to hear that name aga-" The blue feline took a step back and felt herself bump into something soft. And big. And it had a familiar feel to it. Foxpaw was staring at her as though she had just walked into Alabasterpaw. Or Bluepaw. But considering he had rarely seen either one of the felines since he had always been hanging around with her and Nightpaw, she doubted it was them. "What were you saying about my name?" A quiet voice asked from behind her. Now, despite her being older, Nightpaw had constantly been her companion. Her shadow. And... they had quite the history, some good, some bad. He had been her best friend. And he had... broken her heart. First him, then Lionpaw. Though not quite in the same way. Or maybe she had loved Nightpaw, she wasn't sure. "You." She spoke in a cold, quiet voice.
　
"Who's he?" Nightpaw's hues narrowed in the direction of Azulpaw. "A better cat then you." She retorted, her own hues snapping like miniature grey-green flames. She looked like Alabasterpaw... quite a bit, to be honest. She had never wanted to see the tom again. Not after the awkward history the two had. A bad history. A history that she hoped would never be repeated. "Oh come on now, Ast. You don't mean that." He purred in a rich, deep voice. Nightpaw always had been more mature then most of the others around his age.
　
"I do. Please, Nightpaw, just leave me alone."
　
"Can't we at least discuss this?" He took a step closer to her, looking as though he wanted to brush himself up against her and just be around her...but Asterpaw stepped back again.
　
"There's nothing to discuss. You left. I stayed. You moved on, and I didn't. It's your fault I'm like this now." She snapped back angrily. She hated him. Everything about him. And yet, he had been her first friend. Even before Alabasterpaw. In the nursery, he had always been there. Grumpy, but willing to talk. And he'd shown her the stars, the sky...he'd been the one to get her into all of that.
　
"Well you aged nicely." He purred, looking her over. "Can't we be friends again?" He asked, taking another step closer to her. Please. I'm asking you to give me a chance. He thought. Nightpaw hadn't spoken a word to the silver cat or the grey one, or given so much as a friendly nod. Because he was afraid of losing Asterpaw to them. He'd lost her to Lionpaw before, and what had the stupid tom done? Gotten rid of her. She had been his treasure, and now she was reduced to...whatever this was. Hanging on to a shadow of a tom that looked pretty beat up to him.
　
"Get away from me."
　
"That wasn't what you were saying before. You used to care. So much. We could be like that again, Ast! Remember?" He asked, searching her face for any sign of recognition.
　
"I remember." Her voice was soft, and worried.
　
"So come on, then! What are you waiting for?"
　
Asterpaw glanced back at Azulpaw, and her expression looked as though it were going to crumple. Would Nightpaw have done anything remotely like what Azulpaw had done? No. He would have stood by her, but not in front of her. He wouldn't have blocked her. He wouldn't have come running. He would have already been there, and he would have gone to get help. Leaving her behind...as usual. "I'm staying with Azulpaw, Nightpaw. You left when I needed you the most. You just walked away. We can be friends...but it won't be the same." She told him. Nightpaw continued to nod, listening to her words, and then sighed.
　
"I understand. But I'm not giving up."
　
Foxpaw, his timing as perfect as always, chimed in. "Awkward!" The tom crowed. Asterpaw's grey-green eyes fixating on him, looking as though she were getting ready to give him a well timed slap, or perhaps just pin him down, made him uncomfortable and he slunk behind Silverpaw again. "Uh, then again, uh... maybe it's totally normal. Long lost friends meeting, third wheels... Silvster, you want to be a fourth wheel? I was always a third wheel. Oh hey, but if you and I are third and fourth wheels, we have each other! Sorry, whatever-your-name-is... looks like you're left out!" He called back, smiling at Silverpaw and then turning his gaze to Asterpaw and Nightpaw.
　
Asterpaw was furious. How dare he, even after everything she had said, believe that she would just discard Azulpaw? "No. He's not left out, I told you before." She growled, and moved back towards Azulpaw, around the black tom, careful not to touch him at all. Asterpaw had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she hoped it was good...for everyone's sake. She didn't want this to have an unhappy ending.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Asterpaw definitely could have gone for a nap in the apprentices' den. But it was obvious Azulpaw was still too weak to walk that far-- and so she was willing to stay here. It was somewhat comfortable here. And, after all, she was fine to stay awake. She glanced over at Silverpaw... sure, the cat was pretty friendly. Helpful. She cared about Azulpaw. The blue feline was exhausted, and felt like she could have slept forever, but she needed to stay up. Needed to keep guard. Just by looking at Silverpaw, not to mention having seeing Bluepaw slam her into a tree earlier, she could tell that the younger cat wasn't strong enough to keep them at bay. Was she? Possibly-- then again, maybe not. It would all depend on how determined they were...she would just have to rely on her speed. Her agility. Which would probably be down because she was so tired. Was that how Alabasterpaw had gotten ahold of her earlier?
　
If she had just been a moment quicker...just a flicker of a second swifter...she could have avoided the she cat altogether. And none of this would be happening. Then again, she might still be with Bluepaw... well, one good thing came out of it. This would be the first time she had ever broken her word. She just couldn't stay with a cat like Bluepaw, though...he was pure evil. And she'd thought he was such a great tom, truly thought that maybe she could grow to love him. But now? The thought was sickening. Horrible. She was glad Azulpaw was nearby now, and it was almost comforting to feel his tail on her. Something rustled in the bushes, making Asterpaw's ears flick in that direction.
　
"I'll...be right back..." She spoke in a low tone, her eyes narrowing at the bush and she glanced back at the now-asleep Azulpaw. Honestly, she would have preferred to curl up with him-- it really didn't sound too bad right now...but she had already said she would keep guard. Which meant checking out this rustling in the bushes. Stepping over them, she saw a flash of fur and the next minute was staring into a familiar face, one that was grinning down at her. "Asty! Did you miss me? I know you did. I missed you!" The overeager tom laughed, looking as though he were going to touch noses with her. She groaned and pushed him off her, rolling her eyes as she got to her paws. "Good grief, Foxpaw." She sighed.
　
It had been forever since Foxpaw had been around Asterpaw. And he had missed the blue feline-- though he didn't truly love her in that way. It was fun to mess with her, though. "And if you ever call me 'Asty' again, I'll tell everyone your name is Squeakaroo." She snapped. That was a nickname that Foxpaw had recieved from Asterpaw for his higher pitched voice when he was younger. And he hated it. A shudder went down the tom's spine at the memory of the awful nickname. "Don't you dare!" He mewed, his voice coming out in a true squeak. She laughed and pushed him. Foxpaw knew the two of them had their differences-- his personality annoyed her, and she tended to make fun of him too much-- but they were close. "C'mon, Squeaky. You know Silverpaw, don't you?" She asked with a snort. Silverpaw. The name rang a bell, Foxpaw knew a lot of cats-- did he know her? Oh yeah! Now he was sure of it.
　
"Oh yeah! I definitely know Silverpaw." He mewed confidently, glancing at Asterpaw again. Since her sister called her 'Ast,' he had taken to calling her 'Asty' just to annoy her-- and he would constantly flirt with her. Sometimes underhandedly, which was the most fun of all, and sometimes straight out. He was always flirting. No matter who it was, even if it was obvious someone else was in love with them or they were in love with someone else, he would go ahead. It didn't have a boundary to him. It was love! Well-- one sided, most of the time. "Hey...Asty, you want to make me look good, don't you?" He asked, stopping her before she left the bushes. "That depends. Keep calling me Asty, and I promise you you won't get another chance. The day you break a heart is the day you get a smack in the face." She told him, narrowing her eyes.
　
While Asterpaw liked Foxpaw, she didn't like his flirting. And while he hadn't had much luck-- yet-- he seemed to remain optimistic. Very, very optimistic. Too much for her to deal with, at any rate. "Pleaasee?" He begged, looking at her and making his hues very, very big. Ugh. She thought, flicking him lightly with her tail. "Fine..." She growled. In the next moment, she and Foxpaw stepped out of the bushes, her with a disgusted expression on her features, and him with a bright smile as he headed over towards Silverpaw, Asterpaw trailing behind. "Oh, Foxpaw! Your eyes sparkle like--" She stopped, making a face when he turned the other way. "A thousand stars. You're so strong, and handsome..." Her voice trailed off for effect, but instead of making the shining, warm smile she was supposed to, she began shaking her head and mouthing the word 'no' to Silverpaw.
　
Now was the part she was dreading most. The tom came and brushed himself along her, winking at her and glancing at Silverpaw. StarClan help me. She thought, pretending to swoon. "And your pelt! It's so soft, like--" She cut herself off and stopped. "Forget it, Squeakaroo. I'm not doing this." She mewed, pulling away from him and sitting down, beginning to clean her pelt. Well, he had certainly woken her up. He seemed to have that effect on she cats. "No fair calling me Squeakaroo, Asty!" Foxpaw complained. Her hues snapped and she got to her paws, glaring at him. Good grief, she thought as he ducked and ran around beside Silverpaw.
　
"Silvster wants me to stay with her. Don't you, Silvy dear?" He asked, peeking around anxiously at Asterpaw. His green hues looked so pathetic that she began to laugh, backing away. "Next time you need someone to build you up, let me know. This is hilarious." She snorted, before stepping away from him with an amused expression. Part of her wanted Silverpaw to get away from him as fast as he could, and the other part wanted to see how she would react to this. The funniest thing was, Foxpaw thought he was being cool when he did all this. He thought he was StarClan's gift to every she cat around the Clans. Stupid. She thought. He probably would end up being quite handsome when he was older, but right now? Nah. Not her type at all.
　
Foxpaw looked at Silverpaw, his green hues as pleading as he could make them. "Aw, c'mon, Asty. Tell her I'm not so bad. Remember?" He asked, winking at her. Him and his flirting. She thought with a roll of her eyes, but figured she owed him at least one favor. He was a source of amusement and cheer for her-- someone she hadn't seen since she had first become an apprentice. "He's really not bad, Silverpaw." Stupid, but not bad. A complete idiot, but not bad. A terrible flirt, but not bad. She thought. She could have added all of that, but she didn't. "You did it! You do love me, I totally knew that!" He mewed happily, bounding towards her, but she pushed him away. "Take it easy there, dude. This she cat is not available." She laughed, while the tom pouted.
　
"So you're taken? By Nightpaw?" He teased, with a smirk. Nightpaw. Asterpaw had seen him more recently, but hadn't heard his name in all that time... what had happened? "Absolutely not. And no, I'm not taken." She growled, glaring at him. "Well you can't be neither!" Foxpaw exclaimed in frustration. Asterpaw knew that he wasn't that annoyed. She knew he didn't actually care that much whether she loved him or not, or he wouldn't go off and flirt with other she cats-- then get shot down. Part of her wondered if that was what he loved about it, getting shot down. "Oh yes I can, Squeakaroo. I'm on reserve. For the one who deserves my heart." Not even realizing it, she glanced over at Azulpaw.
　
Foxpaw saw this and glanced at Silverpaw with a questioning look. The last time he had seen Asterpaw, she had looked ready to swear that toms were bad news. Except for Nightpaw. But what had happened, anyways? They'd been so close-- and then just sort of fell apart. And now she was looking at Azulpaw like he was the best thing ever... which Foxpaw didn't understand at all. "I missed something, didn't I?" He asked Silverpaw in a low voice. He did like the she cat. Just...no more then any other pretty, fiesty, interesting cat that crossed his path. He absolutely loved some she cats. In a friendly way, of course. They were interesting, and fun... and Silverpaw was one of them. "Nightpaw's not going to be happy," He warned. And it was true. The black tom was selfish, like he had always been...constantly angry until he met someone he loved. Which had been Asterpaw. Growing up as kits together... he wondered if she had mentioned that at all.
　
Of course Asterpaw hadn't mentioned it. What reason did she have to? "I don't want to hear that name aga-" The blue feline took a step back and felt herself bump into something soft. And big. And it had a familiar feel to it. Foxpaw was staring at her as though she had just walked into Alabasterpaw. Or Bluepaw. But considering he had rarely seen either one of the felines since he had always been hanging around with her and Nightpaw, she doubted it was them. "What were you saying about my name?" A quiet voice asked from behind her. Now, despite her being older, Nightpaw had constantly been her companion. Her shadow. And... they had quite the history, some good, some bad. He had been her best friend. And he had... broken her heart. First him, then Lionpaw. Though not quite in the same way. Or maybe she had loved Nightpaw, she wasn't sure. "You." She spoke in a cold, quiet voice.
　
"Who's he?" Nightpaw's hues narrowed in the direction of Azulpaw. "A better cat then you." She retorted, her own hues snapping like miniature grey-green flames. She looked like Alabasterpaw... quite a bit, to be honest. She had never wanted to see the tom again. Not after the awkward history the two had. A bad history. A history that she hoped would never be repeated. "Oh come on now, Ast. You don't mean that." He purred in a rich, deep voice. Nightpaw always had been more mature then most of the others around his age.
　
"I do. Please, Nightpaw, just leave me alone."
　
"Can't we at least discuss this?" He took a step closer to her, looking as though he wanted to brush himself up against her and just be around her...but Asterpaw stepped back again.
　
"There's nothing to discuss. You left. I stayed. You moved on, and I didn't. It's your fault I'm like this now." She snapped back angrily. She hated him. Everything about him. And yet, he had been her first friend. Even before Alabasterpaw. In the nursery, he had always been there. Grumpy, but willing to talk. And he'd shown her the stars, the sky...he'd been the one to get her into all of that.
　
"Well you aged nicely." He purred, looking her over. "Can't we be friends again?" He asked, taking another step closer to her. Please. I'm asking you to give me a chance. He thought. Nightpaw hadn't spoken a word to the silver cat or the grey one, or given so much as a friendly nod. Because he was afraid of losing Asterpaw to them. He'd lost her to Lionpaw before, and what had the stupid tom done? Gotten rid of her. She had been his treasure, and now she was reduced to...whatever this was. Hanging on to a shadow of a tom that looked pretty beat up to him.
　
"Get away from me."
　
"That wasn't what you were saying before. You used to care. So much. We could be like that again, Ast! Remember?" He asked, searching her face for any sign of recognition.
　
"I remember." Her voice was soft, and worried.
　
"So come on, then! What are you waiting for?"
　
Asterpaw glanced back at Azulpaw, and her expression looked as though it were going to crumple. Would Nightpaw have done anything remotely like what Azulpaw had done? No. He would have stood by her, but not in front of her. He wouldn't have blocked her. He wouldn't have come running. He would have already been there, and he would have gone to get help. Leaving her behind...as usual. "I'm staying with Azulpaw, Nightpaw. You left when I needed you the most. You just walked away. We can be friends...but it won't be the same." She told him. Nightpaw continued to nod, listening to her words, and then sighed.
　
"I understand. But I'm not giving up."
　
Foxpaw, his timing as perfect as always, chimed in. "Awkward!" The tom crowed. Asterpaw's grey-green eyes fixating on him, looking as though she were getting ready to give him a well timed slap, or perhaps just pin him down, made him uncomfortable and he slunk behind Silverpaw again. "Uh, then again, uh... maybe it's totally normal. Long lost friends meeting, third wheels... Silvster, you want to be a fourth wheel? I was always a third wheel. Oh hey, but if you and I are third and fourth wheels, we have each other! Sorry, whatever-your-name-is... looks like you're left out!" He called back, smiling at Silverpaw and then turning his gaze to Asterpaw and Nightpaw.
　
Asterpaw was furious. How dare he, even after everything she had said, believe that she would just discard Azulpaw? "No. He's not left out, I told you before." She growled, and moved back towards Azulpaw, around the black tom, careful not to touch him at all. Asterpaw had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she hoped it was good...for everyone's sake. She didn't want this to have an unhappy ending.

Silverpaw nodded towards the blue cat as she watched her be off. She also wondered what could had been behind that bush, but she let the thought go. One of them needed to stay and watch Azulpaw. One of them being, Asterpaw. In her opinion. She was sure Azulpaw would catch a fit if the feline got anymore hurt. But Asterpaw was already gone before Silverpaw came to this conclusion and tried to object her. The silver apprentice slowly approached the grey tom, watching him breathe at a steady pace. She sat down, curling her tail around him and silently stroked the fur down his neck. Peaceful, he looked to be. Just sleeping normally, no signs of pain could be found.

‘’It’s going to be okay…’’The silver tabby purred, quietly.

‘’I agree…’’ A chilling voice came from behind her. Silverpaw felt her fur bristling and she jumped away from Azulpaw to see the voice that spoke. Though she already knew who it was. ‘’Hi, Silverpaw.’’

‘’Bluepaw...what do you want?’’ She snarled, obviously displeased at his presence. The way the blue-eyed tom made himself welcoming towards her, brushing his pelt alongside her, causing her to want to curl up. Bluepaw looked down at a sleeping Azulpaw, a growl rumbling in his throat. ‘’Don’t even think about it.’’ Silverpaw warned.

‘’Oh? You’re going to stop me?’’ The piebald tom let out an obnoxious laugh, shaking hiss head at his humor. Silverpaw was puny in size. The best way she would get things out of life was based on her appearance. A lot similar to Alabasterpaw. She had no strength in her. She was all mew, but no claws. What was he to worry about her? Silverpaw did not answer his question. In response, she simply pinned down her ears and looked away. Bluepaw felt a piece of confidence finding its way back into him. ‘’That’s exactly what I thought. Although I wasn’t looking for you. I wanted to know where my love went...Asterpaw…’’

‘’She’s over there in the bush.’’ Silverpaw quietly mewed.

‘’Oh, was she hiding from me?’’

Silverpaw didn’t answer the question. Why did he need to know? As far as she was concerned, it was none of his business, so he might as well be on his way. The more he lingered around, the greater she sensed an aura around him. A pure evilness that’s been building up--since when? Bluepaw nodded at the silver feline’s silence. His eyes casted on Azulpaw, and he leaned in to whisper. ‘’The last day for you...will be ceremonial.’’ The piebald tom brought his head up from the sleeping tom. The tom only managed to move a bit, and let out a whimper of pain. Silverpaw was sure that he would wake up, but he didn’t. He continued to peacefully sleep. Though she didn’t hear what Bluepaw had told the grey tom, she managed to sneer, ‘’Get out of here. You’re not welcomed.’’

‘’Oh, calm down. I’m leaving, I’m leaving.’’ Bluepaw says and brushes himself against the silver she-cat to rile her, and lastly he sauntered away before Silverpaw heard two more known voices. One was definitely Asterpaw and the other? Well, well, well, wasn’t it the too friendly Foxpaw she knew all too well. She found it amusing that Asterpaw was giddying him up, as if he truly need the confidence with as much flirting as he did. Truth be told, the silver bengal thought his flirting was flattering--to an extent. She also thought he was annoying, but she couldn’t fight him off. His annoyance was amusing in a manner.

Silverpaw let out a gentle giggled, and got up, swishing her tail. ‘’You sure are a charmer...Squeakaroo.’’ She purred, teasingly. After hearing that name come out Asterpaw’s mouth, she knew she would never let Foxpaw live that down. From all the times he would flirt with other she-cats, including herself, though he would constantly be pushed down. Sometimes figuratively. Sometimes literally. As the sly tom made himself comfortable around her, Silverpaw gave him a fleeting glance from her green eyes, turning away from him with a roll of them. ‘’Of course, I would love for you to stay! You’re the best company in the world!’’ The silver bengal shot Asterpaw a look of desperation and mouthed no to her, adding a small laugh. And, as the two continued to talk, her thoughts wavered to Bluepaw. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he mouthed to Azulpaw, was it a threat? Or a...promise? The silver bengal heard her name being called, and she turned to look at Asterpaw, tilting her head to what she said. ‘’Huh?...oh, umm...I know he’s not that bad.’’ She answered, glancing at the corners of her eyes to stare at the tom. ‘’Aggravating...but not bad.’’ She smiled.

Silverpaw gave a small snicker at Foxpaw’s praise towards Asterpaw. When the name Nightpaw left Foxpaw’s muzzle, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. The she-cat sat down, curling her tail around her as she listened to the two. Asterpaw was right about being taken. Wasn’t she with Bluepaw?...Bluepaw...that was the last thing she needed to be thinking about. Her eyes flickered towards Azulpaw, who moved a little in his sleep. He whimpered quietly, but continued on dreaming. She hoped it was a good dream. After a day like this, she hoped that is all he will be receiving; good dreams.

Silverpaw watched as Asterpaw looked towards Azulpaw. To the one who deserves my heart. A slight smile appeared on her maw as she started to piece the puzzle together. Just as she was about to comment on this, she heard Foxpaw addressing her. She gave him a sly smile, ‘’I know as much as you do, Squeaky.’’ Silverpaw said, giving him a curt nod. ‘’Besides, it’s not for us to know, anyway. It’s their business. Just let...things happen.’’ She gradually accepted this saying. Another thing she learned from Azulpaw. She was learning a lot from him lately. Maybe even picking up his bad habits. No, no, no, no...she wasn’t that bad. She wasn’t extremely annoying, or a jerk, or conceited, or impatient, or rude, or anything of the sort.

The silver bengal stood up in alert at another voice. She narrowed her eyes once she noticed it was the black tom. Great...could this day get anymore worse? She had nothing against him, only that he acted like a big-headed jerk. Yet, she should be used to those. After all, Azulpaw was the same way, but at least she knew Azulpaw cared and would travel through mountains just to get to her if he needed to. And, if that wasn’t enough, Nightpaw completely disregarded her as if she weren’t there! Silverpaw could stand his rudeness, but his ignorance? That was definitely too much for her. She could had growl at hearing the venom in his voice at seeing Azulpaw. She was going to answer, but Asterpaw beat her to it.

And, as the two continued to bicker, Silverpaw made her way towards the grey tom, brushing up against him to help him feel safe. He must had been cold at not having Asterpaw by his side. His little movements made her think otherwise if he were dreaming. Maybe it was a nightmare.

‘’Don’t you understand the word no?’’ Silverpaw asked, her voice thickening. ‘’She doesn’t want anything to do with you. You can’t force her to.’’ She gave Nightpaw a slight glare, but focused on her attention on the grey tom, patting him with a paw, gently. Silverpaw knew it wasn’t her situation to interfere in, but it seemed like Nightpaw didn’t quite understand the concept of no. The concept of she wanted nothing to do with him any longer. He snoozed, he losed. Silverpaw had rolled her eyes once more at her friend, Foxpaw. One thing he always did was make a situation even more awkward...but in a more funny manner. She stifled in a giggle as she heard him. Her ears flickered. ‘’Sorry, Foxpaw, but if my friend, Azulpaw is left out, then so am I. Where he goes, I follow. So, it looks like you’ll be the third wheel!’’ She says in her perky, bubbling voice with a large bright smile. ‘’But, that shouldn’t bother you...since you’re so used to it and all.’’ The silver bengal looked down at Azulpaw, her face expression softened, and she looked up a bit startled at Asterpaw’s comment. She seemed furious, on the verge of breaking down. The silver bengal had nothing to say, so she didn’t. She continued to gently touch Azulpaw to lessen his movements, but his eyes fluttered open. He slowly brought up his head, looking around at the new company around him. He saw Silverpaw and Asterpaw beside him, a light smile came onto his maw, but who were the other two...toms?

‘’Morning, sleepyhead. You okay?’’ Silverpaw leaned her head down to examine him further. Azulpaw gave her a small nod. The last day for you...will be ceremonial.

‘’I just..had a weird dream,’’ He would had loved to have shared it, but thought best not to. He looked at the two toms with a quizzical look, and stared up at Asterpaw. ‘’Who are they?’’ Not that he wasn’t welcoming to them. It was always hard for him to accept new cats and new friends. It wasn’t his forte to be friendly. Granted, he gave that chance to Asterpaw. She was a she-cat that annoyed him at first, but he found her pleasant to be around, and annoyed her back. The two worked well together, in his opinion. But, the dream he had was on his mind. He dreamt of Alabasterpaw, finding him when he was all alone. Tempting him, calling out for him as if she were Asterpaw. And, he went to her because he would always go to Asterpaw. It was like she carried strings around him, pulling him in whenever she needed him. So, he went to the siren’s voice, only to be knocked down. He imagined her saying those words to him, and it made him curled slightly. Bluepaw was there...his brother...his best friend...watching, helping, laughing.

The only thing he was glad to have was Asterpaw. She was the only sun he had on cloudy, rainy, storming days. She would never know how much she made him feel whole. She made him feel brand new, and as he tried to move a bit, he whimpered once more, and settled down. How could he ever thank her spirit for soothing him? Only words could do so much...and his actions always seemed to make him get hurt in some way. But, what other way was there to tell her how much he wanted to thank her?

As much as he wished that they were alone, so he could thank her properly, he was glad to have Silverpaw by his side. Perhaps, later he could. It wasn’t as if he were going to die pretty soon...

[BEAR.]

@Brooklyn Trees

"Quite!" he confirmed her suspicions, drawing back from beneath the bush. "It can kill a cat if they eat the berries - which look blood-red. It's especially dangerous if a kit eats them; a berry or two won't kill a full grown cat provided they're healthy, but a kit won't stand a chance if left untreated. The leaves have a sort of .. jagged edge to them, they feel almost sharp to the touch, and can be used to soften paws if they're cracked. I would suggest shredding the leaf before you try to chew it into a poultice to avoid your mouth being injured by the points. Wild parsnip is also poisonous - I haven't heard a cat try to eat it, but contact with it causes the skin to burn. There's .. not a lot we can do about these burns, but butterfly weed - which is another poisonous plant, but it only applies to consumption - can be used to alleviate the afflicted areas. You can't expel it from the system like you can with holly. You need to be careful with handling that, as you do need to chew it to a paste and thoroughly wash your mouth out after. Swallowing a small amount probably won't kill you, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

[lone]

Originally Posted by Noire

Silverpaw nodded towards the blue cat as she watched her be off. She also wondered what could had been behind that bush, but she let the thought go. One of them needed to stay and watch Azulpaw. One of them being, Asterpaw. In her opinion. She was sure Azulpaw would catch a fit if the feline got anymore hurt. But Asterpaw was already gone before Silverpaw came to this conclusion and tried to object her. The silver apprentice slowly approached the grey tom, watching him breathe at a steady pace. She sat down, curling her tail around him and silently stroked the fur down his neck. Peaceful, he looked to be. Just sleeping normally, no signs of pain could be found.

‘’It’s going to be okay…’’The silver tabby purred, quietly.

‘’I agree…’’ A chilling voice came from behind her. Silverpaw felt her fur bristling and she jumped away from Azulpaw to see the voice that spoke. Though she already knew who it was. ‘’Hi, Silverpaw.’’

‘’Bluepaw...what do you want?’’ She snarled, obviously displeased at his presence. The way the blue-eyed tom made himself welcoming towards her, brushing his pelt alongside her, causing her to want to curl up. Bluepaw looked down at a sleeping Azulpaw, a growl rumbling in his throat. ‘’Don’t even think about it.’’ Silverpaw warned.

‘’Oh? You’re going to stop me?’’ The piebald tom let out an obnoxious laugh, shaking hiss head at his humor. Silverpaw was puny in size. The best way she would get things out of life was based on her appearance. A lot similar to Alabasterpaw. She had no strength in her. She was all mew, but no claws. What was he to worry about her? Silverpaw did not answer his question. In response, she simply pinned down her ears and looked away. Bluepaw felt a piece of confidence finding its way back into him. ‘’That’s exactly what I thought. Although I wasn’t looking for you. I wanted to know where my love went...Asterpaw…’’

‘’She’s over there in the bush.’’ Silverpaw quietly mewed.

‘’Oh, was she hiding from me?’’

Silverpaw didn’t answer the question. Why did he need to know? As far as she was concerned, it was none of his business, so he might as well be on his way. The more he lingered around, the greater she sensed an aura around him. A pure evilness that’s been building up--since when? Bluepaw nodded at the silver feline’s silence. His eyes casted on Azulpaw, and he leaned in to whisper. ‘’The last day for you...will be ceremonial.’’ The piebald tom brought his head up from the sleeping tom. The tom only managed to move a bit, and let out a whimper of pain. Silverpaw was sure that he would wake up, but he didn’t. He continued to peacefully sleep. Though she didn’t hear what Bluepaw had told the grey tom, she managed to sneer, ‘’Get out of here. You’re not welcomed.’’

‘’Oh, calm down. I’m leaving, I’m leaving.’’ Bluepaw says and brushes himself against the silver she-cat to rile her, and lastly he sauntered away before Silverpaw heard two more known voices. One was definitely Asterpaw and the other? Well, well, well, wasn’t it the too friendly Foxpaw she knew all too well. She found it amusing that Asterpaw was giddying him up, as if he truly need the confidence with as much flirting as he did. Truth be told, the silver bengal thought his flirting was flattering--to an extent. She also thought he was annoying, but she couldn’t fight him off. His annoyance was amusing in a manner.

Silverpaw let out a gentle giggled, and got up, swishing her tail. ‘’You sure are a charmer...Squeakaroo.’’ She purred, teasingly. After hearing that name come out Asterpaw’s mouth, she knew she would never let Foxpaw live that down. From all the times he would flirt with other she-cats, including herself, though he would constantly be pushed down. Sometimes figuratively. Sometimes literally. As the sly tom made himself comfortable around her, Silverpaw gave him a fleeting glance from her green eyes, turning away from him with a roll of them. ‘’Of course, I would love for you to stay! You’re the best company in the world!’’ The silver bengal shot Asterpaw a look of desperation and mouthed no to her, adding a small laugh. And, as the two continued to talk, her thoughts wavered to Bluepaw. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he mouthed to Azulpaw, was it a threat? Or a...promise? The silver bengal heard her name being called, and she turned to look at Asterpaw, tilting her head to what she said. ‘’Huh?...oh, umm...I know he’s not that bad.’’ She answered, glancing at the corners of her eyes to stare at the tom. ‘’Aggravating...but not bad.’’ She smiled.

Silverpaw gave a small snicker at Foxpaw’s praise towards Asterpaw. When the name Nightpaw left Foxpaw’s muzzle, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. The she-cat sat down, curling her tail around her as she listened to the two. Asterpaw was right about being taken. Wasn’t she with Bluepaw?...Bluepaw...that was the last thing she needed to be thinking about. Her eyes flickered towards Azulpaw, who moved a little in his sleep. He whimpered quietly, but continued on dreaming. She hoped it was a good dream. After a day like this, she hoped that is all he will be receiving; good dreams.

Silverpaw watched as Asterpaw looked towards Azulpaw. To the one who deserves my heart. A slight smile appeared on her maw as she started to piece the puzzle together. Just as she was about to comment on this, she heard Foxpaw addressing her. She gave him a sly smile, ‘’I know as much as you do, Squeaky.’’ Silverpaw said, giving him a curt nod. ‘’Besides, it’s not for us to know, anyway. It’s their business. Just let...things happen.’’ She gradually accepted this saying. Another thing she learned from Azulpaw. She was learning a lot from him lately. Maybe even picking up his bad habits. No, no, no, no...she wasn’t that bad. She wasn’t extremely annoying, or a jerk, or conceited, or impatient, or rude, or anything of the sort.

The silver bengal stood up in alert at another voice. She narrowed her eyes once she noticed it was the black tom. Great...could this day get anymore worse? She had nothing against him, only that he acted like a big-headed jerk. Yet, she should be used to those. After all, Azulpaw was the same way, but at least she knew Azulpaw cared and would travel through mountains just to get to her if he needed to. And, if that wasn’t enough, Nightpaw completely disregarded her as if she weren’t there! Silverpaw could stand his rudeness, but his ignorance? That was definitely too much for her. She could had growl at hearing the venom in his voice at seeing Azulpaw. She was going to answer, but Asterpaw beat her to it.

And, as the two continued to bicker, Silverpaw made her way towards the grey tom, brushing up against him to help him feel safe. He must had been cold at not having Asterpaw by his side. His little movements made her think otherwise if he were dreaming. Maybe it was a nightmare.

‘’Don’t you understand the word no?’’ Silverpaw asked, her voice thickening. ‘’She doesn’t want anything to do with you. You can’t force her to.’’ She gave Nightpaw a slight glare, but focused on her attention on the grey tom, patting him with a paw, gently. Silverpaw knew it wasn’t her situation to interfere in, but it seemed like Nightpaw didn’t quite understand the concept of no. The concept of she wanted nothing to do with him any longer. He snoozed, he losed. Silverpaw had rolled her eyes once more at her friend, Foxpaw. One thing he always did was make a situation even more awkward...but in a more funny manner. She stifled in a giggle as she heard him. Her ears flickered. ‘’Sorry, Foxpaw, but if my friend, Azulpaw is left out, then so am I. Where he goes, I follow. So, it looks like you’ll be the third wheel!’’ She says in her perky, bubbling voice with a large bright smile. ‘’But, that shouldn’t bother you...since you’re so used to it and all.’’ The silver bengal looked down at Azulpaw, her face expression softened, and she looked up a bit startled at Asterpaw’s comment. She seemed furious, on the verge of breaking down. The silver bengal had nothing to say, so she didn’t. She continued to gently touch Azulpaw to lessen his movements, but his eyes fluttered open. He slowly brought up his head, looking around at the new company around him. He saw Silverpaw and Asterpaw beside him, a light smile came onto his maw, but who were the other two...toms?

‘’Morning, sleepyhead. You okay?’’ Silverpaw leaned her head down to examine him further. Azulpaw gave her a small nod. The last day for you...will be ceremonial.

‘’I just..had a weird dream,’’ He would had loved to have shared it, but thought best not to. He looked at the two toms with a quizzical look, and stared up at Asterpaw. ‘’Who are they?’’ Not that he wasn’t welcoming to them. It was always hard for him to accept new cats and new friends. It wasn’t his forte to be friendly. Granted, he gave that chance to Asterpaw. She was a she-cat that annoyed him at first, but he found her pleasant to be around, and annoyed her back. The two worked well together, in his opinion. But, the dream he had was on his mind. He dreamt of Alabasterpaw, finding him when he was all alone. Tempting him, calling out for him as if she were Asterpaw. And, he went to her because he would always go to Asterpaw. It was like she carried strings around him, pulling him in whenever she needed him. So, he went to the siren’s voice, only to be knocked down. He imagined her saying those words to him, and it made him curled slightly. Bluepaw was there...his brother...his best friend...watching, helping, laughing.

The only thing he was glad to have was Asterpaw. She was the only sun he had on cloudy, rainy, storming days. She would never know how much she made him feel whole. She made him feel brand new, and as he tried to move a bit, he whimpered once more, and settled down. How could he ever thank her spirit for soothing him? Only words could do so much...and his actions always seemed to make him get hurt in some way. But, what other way was there to tell her how much he wanted to thank her?

As much as he wished that they were alone, so he could thank her properly, he was glad to have Silverpaw by his side. Perhaps, later he could. It wasn’t as if he were going to die pretty soon...

"Oh, come on! Two against one isn't fair, Silvster!" He complained, pinning his ears back. It seemed Foxpaw's luck hadn't changed. He was used to most of this by now, but it was still annoying. How come he wasn't seen as a real flirt, the handsomest cat of all? Because he was young, maybe. He'd grow. He'd become better. And then he could do this. It was going to be so much fun! Wasn't it? I think so...Foxpaw thought, glancing at Silverpaw with a happy smirk on his maw. "Really?" He asked, a more excited expression coming onto his features before he stopped himself. "I mean, uh...I know I am, Silvster. Knew you'd come around." He purred, although his voice was still high pitched.
　
Asterpaw leaned over to Silverpaw, giving Foxpaw a sly look. "Squeakaroo looooves you," She purred in a quiet voice, an amused expression on her features. Squeakaroo. She knew Foxpaw hated it, but that was her way of showing how much she liked him. He just...didn't necessarily...understand or like it. She couldn't help that! He would always be her Squeakaroo, though; and she knew she would always be little 'Asty' to him. She watched Foxpaw's expression change to a more excited one at Silverpaw's words. "Not bad? I'll take it!" He mewed with an excited purr rumbling in his throat. The blue feline glanced over at Azulpaw, a worried expression coming over her features for a moment before she realized he was still asleep. When Nightpaw approached, and the two began to argue, she slipped into her own world. Away from Foxpaw and Silverpaw, and...even Azulpaw.
　
The black tom was stunned. Angry. How dare she do this? And worst of all, how dare the miniscule silver one talk to him like that. What was her name? Don't care. He thought with a shrug. "She thinks she doesn't. Ast doesn't know what she wants. And, I absolutely can force her to, mouse." He snapped. Nightpaw was making two mistakes that he wasn't aware of; for one thing, he was talking about Asterpaw like she wasn't there. Which he should have known she hated. And, for another-- he was being a jerk to Silverpaw, which he should have known would rile Foxpaw up. "Not cool, shadow-boy," Fox snapped to the tom, standing protectively by Silverpaw.
　
The fur along Asterpaw's spine stood up. "I think you should go. Like, right now. Your company is not appreciated." She hissed in a low voice, hues snapping angrily. She was done with Nightpaw. He was one of the most annoying cats that she had seen in a long time, and she was absolutely done.
　
Foxpaw, on the other hand, looked okay with Silverpaw's words. "Whatever you say, Silvster. You know you want me." He purred, glancing down at her more gentle movements with Azulpaw. Unlike Silverpaw, he had missed the earlier connection. And all he could think was Asterpaw being back with Nightpaw, while he snatched Silverpaw away and they all ended up living together. In SkyClan, of course-- the thought of being a loner and being away from dozens of cats scared Foxpaw. He had always lived in SkyClan. And he was hoping he always would. That was possible, right? He wouldn't ever have to leave his home, would he? Not unless I do something reaaal stupid. He thought with a twitch of his tail, hues darkening. But he brightened up in a moment. No matter what happened, it seemed Foxpaw always bounced back if it was something bad.

　

Nightpaw could hardly believe the way the blue feline was acting. He would have argued with her further, except the sleeping tom awoke. A dark expression crossed his eyes and he took another step closer to Asterpaw until he was standing right beside her. Doesn't she remember anything? He thought for a second, missing the angered and disgusted expression on her features. She obviously wasn't happy. "Are you deaf now as well as stupid? The past is over, Nightpaw. Over. We're NOT the same as we used to be, and we never will be. So stop acting like we are!" She snapped, jerking away from him. He was now in front of the three cats, watching them with dark hues. A dark laugh escaped him as the grey tom asked about them. "Ast didn't tell you?" He asked, and Foxpaw fixed Asterpaw with a confused expression.
　
Asterpaw's ears went back. She hadn't been trying to keep them secret, but they were kithood friends and she didn't really hang out with them much...anymore, at least. They just hadn't seemed really important. Realizing how that would sound, she tried to think of a better answer. "Just some old friends." She mewed, making it sound as casual as possible. She completely missed the flash of mischief that crossed Nightpaw's features.
　
Foxpaw, on the other hand, looked satisfied. "Silvster, you didn't tell him we're together? I'm so hurt!" He exclaimed dramatically, winking at her at the same time. Foxpaw tended to do stupid things like that. He'd never been the smartest cat. And he'd certainly never been the most charming. But he was at least some sort of comic relief, a cat who was able to make any situation seem less serious.
　
"Old friends? Don't be so vague, Ast, dear." He purred, before turning to Azulpaw. "She and I did everything together. We were very close-- who would have guessed? I know, I know... we don't look like a couple." At this, Nightpaw came to stand beside her, smiling broadly as he pressed up against her. "But we were! You know, the problem with her is that she never, ever knows what she wants. I mean, you have to talk her into everything! It's worth it, though...she's a special cat." He purred, looking hard at Azulpaw. Hopefully this cat wasn't who she was ditching him for. That would be horrible. Maybe she had been playing some sort of a joke on him...maybe. Oh well. Maybe the other cat would leave-- if he bought the fact that he and Asterpaw had been a couple.
　
Asterpaw rolled her eyes. "I'm not being vague, we were not a couple, and I do know what I want! Don't you dare talk me into anything, Nightpaw." She snapped, her hues flashing. Don't believe a word he says. She tried to send a message to Azulpaw, wishing she could send him her thoughts. Then again, he might have been able to hear more, and she didn't want him to. All she wanted was for the jerk of a tom to get out of her face and leave her alone. Nothing less, and nothing more.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"Oh, come on! Two against one isn't fair, Silvster!" He complained, pinning his ears back. It seemed Foxpaw's luck hadn't changed. He was used to most of this by now, but it was still annoying. How come he wasn't seen as a real flirt, the handsomest cat of all? Because he was young, maybe. He'd grow. He'd become better. And then he could do this. It was going to be so much fun! Wasn't it? I think so...Foxpaw thought, glancing at Silverpaw with a happy smirk on his maw. "Really?" He asked, a more excited expression coming onto his features before he stopped himself. "I mean, uh...I know I am, Silvster. Knew you'd come around." He purred, although his voice was still high pitched.
　
Asterpaw leaned over to Silverpaw, giving Foxpaw a sly look. "Squeakaroo looooves you," She purred in a quiet voice, an amused expression on her features. Squeakaroo. She knew Foxpaw hated it, but that was her way of showing how much she liked him. He just...didn't necessarily...understand or like it. She couldn't help that! He would always be her Squeakaroo, though; and she knew she would always be little 'Asty' to him. She watched Foxpaw's expression change to a more excited one at Silverpaw's words. "Not bad? I'll take it!" He mewed with an excited purr rumbling in his throat. The blue feline glanced over at Azulpaw, a worried expression coming over her features for a moment before she realized he was still asleep. When Nightpaw approached, and the two began to argue, she slipped into her own world. Away from Foxpaw and Silverpaw, and...even Azulpaw.
　
The black tom was stunned. Angry. How dare she do this? And worst of all, how dare the miniscule silver one talk to him like that. What was her name? Don't care. He thought with a shrug. "She thinks she doesn't. Ast doesn't know what she wants. And, I absolutely can force her to, mouse." He snapped. Nightpaw was making two mistakes that he wasn't aware of; for one thing, he was talking about Asterpaw like she wasn't there. Which he should have known she hated. And, for another-- he was being a jerk to Silverpaw, which he should have known would rile Foxpaw up. "Not cool, shadow-boy," Fox snapped to the tom, standing protectively by Silverpaw.
　
The fur along Asterpaw's spine stood up. "I think you should go. Like, right now. Your company is not appreciated." She hissed in a low voice, hues snapping angrily. She was done with Nightpaw. He was one of the most annoying cats that she had seen in a long time, and she was absolutely done.
　
Foxpaw, on the other hand, looked okay with Silverpaw's words. "Whatever you say, Silvster. You know you want me." He purred, glancing down at her more gentle movements with Azulpaw. Unlike Silverpaw, he had missed the earlier connection. And all he could think was Asterpaw being back with Nightpaw, while he snatched Silverpaw away and they all ended up living together. In SkyClan, of course-- the thought of being a loner and being away from dozens of cats scared Foxpaw. He had always lived in SkyClan. And he was hoping he always would. That was possible, right? He wouldn't ever have to leave his home, would he? Not unless I do something reaaal stupid. He thought with a twitch of his tail, hues darkening. But he brightened up in a moment. No matter what happened, it seemed Foxpaw always bounced back if it was something bad.

　

Nightpaw could hardly believe the way the blue feline was acting. He would have argued with her further, except the sleeping tom awoke. A dark expression crossed his eyes and he took another step closer to Asterpaw until he was standing right beside her. Doesn't she remember anything? He thought for a second, missing the angered and disgusted expression on her features. She obviously wasn't happy. "Are you deaf now as well as stupid? The past is over, Nightpaw. Over. We're NOT the same as we used to be, and we never will be. So stop acting like we are!" She snapped, jerking away from him. He was now in front of the three cats, watching them with dark hues. A dark laugh escaped him as the grey tom asked about them. "Ast didn't tell you?" He asked, and Foxpaw fixed Asterpaw with a confused expression.
　
Asterpaw's ears went back. She hadn't been trying to keep them secret, but they were kithood friends and she didn't really hang out with them much...anymore, at least. They just hadn't seemed really important. Realizing how that would sound, she tried to think of a better answer. "Just some old friends." She mewed, making it sound as casual as possible. She completely missed the flash of mischief that crossed Nightpaw's features.
　
Foxpaw, on the other hand, looked satisfied. "Silvster, you didn't tell him we're together? I'm so hurt!" He exclaimed dramatically, winking at her at the same time. Foxpaw tended to do stupid things like that. He'd never been the smartest cat. And he'd certainly never been the most charming. But he was at least some sort of comic relief, a cat who was able to make any situation seem less serious.
　
"Old friends? Don't be so vague, Ast, dear." He purred, before turning to Azulpaw. "She and I did everything together. We were very close-- who would have guessed? I know, I know... we don't look like a couple." At this, Nightpaw came to stand beside her, smiling broadly as he pressed up against her. "But we were! You know, the problem with her is that she never, ever knows what she wants. I mean, you have to talk her into everything! It's worth it, though...she's a special cat." He purred, looking hard at Azulpaw. Hopefully this cat wasn't who she was ditching him for. That would be horrible. Maybe she had been playing some sort of a joke on him...maybe. Oh well. Maybe the other cat would leave-- if he bought the fact that he and Asterpaw had been a couple.
　
Asterpaw rolled her eyes. "I'm not being vague, we were not a couple, and I do know what I want! Don't you dare talk me into anything, Nightpaw." She snapped, her hues flashing. Don't believe a word he says. She tried to send a message to Azulpaw, wishing she could send him her thoughts. Then again, he might have been able to hear more, and she didn't want him to. All she wanted was for the jerk of a tom to get out of her face and leave her alone. Nothing less, and nothing more.

The tom was practically still tired. Drained of energy as he looked at Asterpaw, then to Nightpaw. He stared at them for a moment, nothing coming out his maw. As he heard Nightpaw speak, a sudden known emotion made itself known into him. Yet, he was drained of everything...well, everything except his witty remarks. ‘’Oh, I understand...the two of you had history,’’ He made a slightly movement and flinched. He tried to stand up, but he was still too weak. His back was his main problem. The pain of those starclan forsaken claws is what got to him. ‘’And, by all means, I don’t want to interfere with that.’’ His voice was low, sullen, defeated. But, his eyes shown otherwise. Silverpaw gave him a questioning look. Azulpaw made himself firmly stand up, so he could look at them all. The tom gave a soft look towards Asterpaw, catching on to what she was saying.

‘’I agree, Asterpaw is definitely special. But she seems to have her head screwed on right…’’ The tom gently stated as he gave a stern look at Nightpaw. The other tom was sending off negative stands. Something that Azulpaw refused to deal with at the moment being. It occurred to him that they both wanted the same thing.

Asterpaw.

Yet, it also reminded him that Bluepaw wanted her as well. It unsettled him as he remembered the memories of his own best friend attacking him for being near the feline. He didn’t know--nor, did he trust the intentions Nightpaw had. When he heard Asterpaw, he gave a simple nod. Of course, he would believe her. Asterpaw was not a liar. At least, he hoped she wasn’t. But, he could tell that Nightpaw was opening up some closed wounds, and he was afraid he was going to lose her again to this tom. And, to add in on the humor, the other tom spoke up. Azulpaw flickered his ears towards Silverpaw, hinting at her if it were true or not. Silverpaw could had gone a solid blushing pink, but instead she slightly turned away and lashed her tail. ‘’Silvy, darling. You didn’t tell me you had an eye for someone?’’ Azulpaw teased.

Silverpaw shook her head, and she batted a paw at Foxpaw. ‘’Don’t be so delusional, Squeakaroo. That will never happen in a million years!’’ She shied away, almost wanting to hide her tail in front of her maw; which she did. Azulpaw knew exactly that weird quirk she had whenever she was nervous or did like someone. Azulpaw then slowly turned his way back towards Nightpaw and Asterpaw. He didn’t like the close comfort that Nightpaw had allowed himself to do.

‘’Well, as I was saying earlier,’’ Azulpaw begin, throwing his head back to look up at the sky. The sky wasn’t that fully up anymore, which was good. He could curl up once more and go for a nice nap. He brought his eyes down to look at them once more. ‘’The past is the past. It means it’s been done, it’s over with. And, you...whatever your name is, is apart of that past. And, as far as I’m concerned...we’re in the present. And, I am her present. And, I will guarantee you, that I will be in her future.’’ The grey tom did not truly believed the last line, but he was hoping. He was hoping hard that he would be in her future. For the rest of his life, he hoped hard. Just like Nightpaw had stated before, Asterpaw was a very special cat. A cat he held dearly to his heart, and he wasn’t going to lose her to some...young-life, wannabe tough tom.

‘’He’s living in his own world,’’ Silverpaw snickered, taking a glance at Nightpaw. She felt a confidence all of a sudden. She did think it was a sweet thing for Foxpaw to stand up for her like that--it was his job. Well, not his job, but she expected him to. They were friends after all, and she would had done the same thing for him. ‘’Get your head outta your tail, Nightpaw, and get with the present!’’ She removed her tail from her maw and gave a gentle swish. Azulpaw looked back at her, narrowing his eyes. She immediately sunk back.

‘’I don’t need your professional help, Silverpaw.’’ The tom told her, sarcastically. He made a slight grunting noise before he limped towards Asterpaw, and the tom that made himself comfortable near her. He would had ran him off, snarled at him, sneered at him, and if those didn’t work, he would had attacked him, but that wasn’t his catch of prey. He wasn’t Bluepaw. He would never attack a cat that was a friend of Asterpaw’s. But, he wasn’t afraid to use powerful words to hurt them. He definitely found it amusing when it came to bickering. Something that he loved doing with Asterpaw. She brought a thrill to his life.

As he came closer to her, he allowed his tail to curl around her, gently pushing the other tom aside--at least tried to be gentle. ‘’As she said before. Get away from her, she doesn’t want you near her.’’ He says, brushing his pelt against her as he swiveled his head to look at the other tom, daring him to say anything out of the line. Azulpaw may have been hurt, but he still wasn’t afraid to stand up for the ones he cared deeply for.

Silverpaw let out a slight squeak, finding the scene amusing. Azulpaw was becoming overprotective...or was he just playing along? Whatever it was, it made the she-cat proud. She disliked the other tom, and hoped that he would be on his way to ruin other cats’ lives. She wanted to snap at him, but she also knew Azulpaw. He would handle everything there was to handle.

After all, the tom finally landed her attention. At first, she was guarded. Then, she went off with Bluepaw. After a moon of not speaking to her, avoiding her, and he was not going to allow this tom to take her away--just as Bluepaw done. He went through too freaking much to lose her to some dark headed jerk! And, truth be told, he was quite the jerk himself, and perhaps they two would had made best friends...if they weren’t into the same she-cat. And, besides! Azulpaw remembered claiming her for himself that moon ago. She was only experiencing a pre-love from Bluepaw, the way he liked to think about it. He didn’t know what the two did while they were together and he was handling his own business. Frankly he didn’t care. He didn’t need his heart to be broken more than his body was.

‘’Old friends? A couple?’’ Azulpaw questioned, a smirk placed firmly on his maw. He edged himself closer to Asterpaw, pressing himself against her. ‘’Were a couple, you had said? Isn’t that...a past tense? As in...no longer?’’ He says, tilting his head a bit. The universe must had really had it for him, especially since it was throwing obstacles in every way for him to stop getting to Asterpaw. It was enough that he had to deal with Bluepaw...but now this black furball? The tom knew he would explode at any point if this dared continued.

Azulpaw didn’t want to do it, but he had to. He was furious at the wrong cat. Well, he wasn’t furious. He had no need to be. He gently untangled himself from the blue she-cat and looked her deep into the eyes. Her greenish hues lighting up warmth inside him. ‘’I...I believe everything you say.’’ He gave a ghost of a smile, and turned away. Silverpaw looked at him, a flash of worriness appeared on her face. It dawned on the grey tom that he was acting selfish. They weren’t officially together. But it was pretty clear, all feelings thrown out in front of them when he was supposed to die...but didn’t.

Why didn’t he die?

...why didn’t he die?

Now, the grey tom didn’t know what to believe, but he stood by what he said. He would not allow Bluepaw, Nightpaw--any other tom to be near or take advantage of Asterpaw. The thought made the tom scowl. What did they take the blue cat as? Sure, Alabasterpaw seemed to have deterred her level of confidence, but that was exactly why Azulpaw was there. To build it up. To build it up to the point where no one--no matter what they say--would allow her to believe otherwise.

Asters were his favorite flowers for now on. ‘’I would leave, and say...oh, okay the two of you are together. But...no, it doesn’t roll that way. In fact, I’m staying. I’m not going anywhere. You’ll have to kill me in order for me to vanish.’’ He says, growling lowly at the tom, as if daring him. Azulpaw, in that moment, was pretty stupid if he was asking for a fight. He was in no condition to fight, but in that moment, he was serious.

‘’Or, Asterpaw can tell us what she wants,’’ The tom glared. ‘’Because, she knows exactly what she wants.’’ He flicked his tail her way, motioning for her to tell him what she truly wanted. Though he never wanted her to feel pressure, so he wouldn’t blame her for not answering the question. He would be able to wait for as long as he could. They were still pretty young, and he certainly thought of her as a second best friend he could count on. Even if she chose to not stand by him...where would he go? Would he be able to still stand for her...die for her?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Perhaps it was an answer he didn’t want to find out. They got this far in life, and it was the only thing that kept him going. She was a steady part, a steady rock to lean on when no one else was there. Besides Silverpaw. Silverpaw was always there, but Azulpaw craved Asterpaw to be there more. He was sure that Silverpaw would understand, and as he took a quick glance at her, he noticed the slight annoyance on her face at Foxpaw. The interaction was amusing. Kinda reminded him of Asterpaw and him, when he would annoy her to no end. Although he wasn’t as...cheeky, or squeaky as the other apprentice.

Azulpaw sat down, inwardly flinching as his pain heightened. He quietly waited for the two to answer, an unreadable expression placed on his face. If Nightpaw considered him as competition, so be that one-sidedness. Azulpaw never thought of anyone as competition, and he didn’t need to. As far as he knew, he already won the affections of the she-cat, and that sat well with him.