There's really just one thing that we have in common: Neither of us will be missed

[dino.]

albatrossflare === > @Shade.

"As is the way of fools," he answered softly. Typically his voice was rough, ragged—a stark contrast to the way it sounded now, as he bent his head to be more or less at Roseraven's eye level. "They hear but they do not listen, nor do they care. So you must force them to. If not by a display of confidence..."

He trailed off, considering his next course of action. His goal here was not to manipulate this cat, nor was it to turn her against ThunderClan, or any of the others. He simply saw himself in her, and although his father's methods had been... more than questionable, they had worked. Albatrossflare wouldn't have become the cat he was without the influence of the tom.

He rose to his feet, tail sweeping through the dirt and dead leaves. He was larger than Roseraven, more muscular, even in death, and practically towered over her. "Then let it be by a display of strength. Do you know how to fight?"

[Shade.]

@dino.

She had to admit, it was...reassuring. And that fact made her stomach twist up into a knot. Why was she getting reassurance from the words of a serial killer. Only he'd made sense so far. Surely that meant something was wrong with her, right? If being a baby murderer wasn't enough confirmation that she was an awful person, I guess this was.

Roseraven was not a particularly authoritarian cat. The most badass she'd ever considered herself was when she managed to push away all fear and insecurity and focus on her work as a medicine cat. Now she couldn't get through a conversation without crying.

"No. Not really. Echosong was looking after me for a while, but I've not really trained as a warrior." she replied. The tiny tabby had a lanky build, but was short in stature. Her limbs were thin but nimble.

[dino.]

albatrossflare === > @Shade.

One long, tattered ear swiveled to the side. "And still they treat you this way? It is no fault but their own—and certainly not yours. I will teach you, then."

He took a few steps back to make space, green eyes flickering over her and then their surroundings. It wasn't the most ideal training area, but it would have to do for now. "We will start with the basics, and the next time you return here, I will expand into more complicated tactics. For now, I want to teach you the simplest of moves."

Albatrossflare raised a paw above his head, and then swung down hard, his black claws carving gouges into the dirt. "The front paw strike. Elementary in execution, and often easy to evade, but if you catch your opponent off-guard, it can also be brutal. You bring your paw down on their shoulder or their head to unbalance them. For extra damage, hook flesh with your claws and tear."

A brief pause as he made certain she could absorb the information, and then he carried on. "I will not use my claws against you, but I would like you to use yours against me. Begin."

[Shade.]

@dino.

So, that's what this was about then. Despite having been born an outsider, Roseraven had heard stories of cats being trained in battle by the Dark Forest. She'd never bothered thinking too deeply about their legitimacy or implications. The mystical realm of the dead had been, despite her profession, distant. Maybe that should have been red flag number one.

She was already damned. Might as well.

Roseraven listened closely. There seemed to be a surprising amount of thought in fighting. She'd expected less words and more brute force training. She liked thinking. She felt a bit anxious to use her claws. Did dead cats feel pain? Gulping, she gave him a doubtful look before unsheathing her claws. You asked for this. They were kept clean and sharp, mostly out of habit. Stuff under your claws could get into wounds. They weren't as sharp as they could be, since Roseraven had little motivation to take care of herself, but she used to sharpen them good because she could cut cobwebs and leaves and clean out stubborn debris from wounds. Her paws were trained for surgical precision. She's studied the anatomy of cat-kind expensively and, though she'd never give herself that much credit (nor do it), could probably take a cat apart and put them back together. Not alive, of course.

The insecure outcast lifted her paw up and put whatever negative emotions were weighing down her chest into the downwards swipe. She had to admit, it felt good getting it out.

[dino.]

albatrossflare === > @Shade.

Albatrossflare settled himself into a basic defensive position, large paws splayed to the side and long ears angled forward. He debated, if only briefly, evading her initial attack and delivering one of his own, but decided against it. She would need to get the basics down first.

Her claws hit him hard, spattering black blood from the harsh marks left behind. Albatrossflare grunted, not from the pain—he had long become used to that, courtesy of his father—but rather from the force behind it. Surprisingly strong, for a cat he had considered so small. He lifted his head again and ran his tongue over his upper lip, ignoring the dark liquid that dripped from his injuries.

“Good, for what I assume to be your first try. The goal is to unbalance, so use more force next time. Now what I want to try is a mock battle, in which I attack and you use this move to defend yourself. Is this something you are okay with?”

[Shade.]

@dino.

The tearing that she felt upon swiping through was both satisfying and kind of gross. She was very used to blood and bones and stuff, having been a medicine cat and also just...generally being a clan cat. This was slightly different, though.

She listened to Albatrossflare's corrections, though she wasn't sure if she even had any more force in her. She was also surprised to hear him ask about a mock battle. It felt a bit early for that, but it was more surprising he bothered to ask at all, rather than stating that's what they were going to do. While a little worried, Roseraven didn't want to seem weak. Besides, she got hurt all the time in various ways. She was used to pain.

"Um, yes. Okay." she said, backing up and taking a more stable stance.