SkyClan Clearing

[wickedvirtues]

Honeyblaze sat in the Clearing, devouring some fresh-kill hungrily. She took another large mouthful, chewing it quickly. She glanced around, her tail curled around her paws.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Turning around, Blazingcomet's expression changed to one of pleasure as he spotted the ebony feline coming towards him. "Hello! If it isn't our gorgeous deputy. To what do I owe the pleasure this morning?" He asked with a smile, his hues sparking playfully. Now, there were some she cats you just wouldn't mess with. Auroraflame was one of them. He would prefer to stay on her good side, to be honest, but that didn't stop him from complimenting her. He complimented every she cat that crossed his path, it didn't necessarily mean he liked them-- which was, unfortunately, the cause of a few bruised hearts. Some had been broken. His own included, but Blazingcomet normally chose to forget about that part of his past and move on to the future. Specifically what kind of a future he could have with one of the pretty young felines in the Clan.

　"That's correct! Smart and beautiful. A match to look out for."
He purred with a wink. Now, Blazingcomet had no way of knowing the stress and depression that Auroraflame was feeling. And, he probably would have acted a little differently if he had. But, of course not knowing, there was nothing he could do about it-- now was there? While his current on-and-off game probably wasn't the thing to be doing at the moment anyways, it was what Blazingcomet always did.

　

His hues stared back at her for a moment, searching her expression. Come to think of it, she didn't look quite as lovely as she had before; but he was never one to point that out. And even in her current state, she was still rather pretty. Most cats in the Clan were, it just seemed to be one of those 'facts of life.' He awaited her response, hoping he wasn't about to get smacked in the head; something he seemed to have a natural talent for. That didn't surprise him at all, if he were being honest. She cats had beaten him around before. Toms? Nah, they'd never really had a reason to before.

The words that made their way out of Blazingcomet’s mouth made an amused smile grow on her maw. It appeared that this orange tom was one of those cats who was very flirty and liked flirting with most the cats that they came across. Interesting. It wasn’t very often that deputy talked to a cat like this. In fact, if she were being honest, she sometimes found herself trying to avoid these kinds of cats. Although she could be quite flirty herself, she was a bit cautious around others who also flirted. She didn’t want anyone’s heart to be broken after all. Flirting was just a one-way ticket to heart break if it wasn’t used with care.

“Just a nice chat is all I want,” Auroraflame purred warmly, her eyes sparking with fake cheerfulness. Even though the tone in her voice was real, she couldn’t manage to find anything that could take up the emptiness in her icy blue hues. She was exhausted and emotionally weak. One word was all it could take to make her shatter into a million pieces and break down in tears. There was just so much going on in her life and every time she managed to move on, something else would come and smack her in the face again. It appears no matter how much she might try, there was no running away from her troubles. They would just keep on coming and coming until she was dead.

The inky deputy let out a chuckle that sounded genuine enough. But it wasn’t, it was forced and if you listened carefully, there was stress buried within it. “You’re smart and beautiful? Oh, please, if you’re anything like that than I’m the Dusk Syndicate’s commander,” Auroraflame joked, sarcasm lacing each word as she giggled softly. This was typical of this she-cat, insulting her clan mates in a joking manner. It was what she enjoyed doing. Although she always had to be careful that she didn’t end up accidentally insulting anyone for real. It was her way of letting go and being free for a bit. Sarcasm was her life.

Nothing was going to get better for her if she didn’t try. Auroraflame knew that she had to hold her head up high and move on, no matter what life had to throw at her. She had to be the defiant cat that she was and not let anything affect her. The ebony feline needed to laugh. Laughter was the key to happiness. Perhaps she was far from correct when she thought this, but she was sure that this conversation would make her laugh. Sarcastic comments and flirty ones that popped in every now and again, who wouldn’t laugh in a conversation like this? This was what she loved about socialising with her clan mates. Each cat had something new to bring and she would always have something exciting to experience.

[The Cannibal]

@Empress Of Evil

Birds chirped endlessly in the blossoming forest around Skyclan's camp, filling the ears of the leader as he settled down into a nice, sunny spot near his den at the Skyrock, laid out on his side as relaxed as a cat could possibly get. Or so it seemed at any point. Tail flicking every now and again, the emerald depths of Grousestar's eyes were fixed up at the sky with a light smile. Wait.. Not at the sky, no, he was looking at the canopy, watching the birds he could see up there. Watching them as they chirped with one another, as they flitted from branch to branch, as they dove and flew and lived their lives so up high from the rest of the world.
If there was anything in this world that could relax Grousestar, it was bird watching. Whenever a cat couldn't find him, whenever he wasn't in his den, doing a border patrol or spending time with other cats, he was watching the birds with all the fascination of a kit. Ever since he was little he enjoyed watching those avian creatures. He could spend hours at a time simply observing them, and when it came to hunting them, he would give them the most respect out of any prey, not that he ever disrespected any, but he believed that birds were the most deserving of his respect. When he ate a bird he made sure to not waste a single thing, again, not like he intentionally wasted any part of any prey, but he would make careful note not to for birds. One could say they were his favorite animal, if that was a thing, or perhaps his favorite species of prey.

Sighing quietly to himself, he would close his eyes and indulge himself to the songs of the many birds of the forest, letting it fill his mind for a little while, take away the weariness and stress that was plaguing him currently, allowing it to relax him better than any herb could.
Chest raising evenly with calm breaths, Grousestar could feel himself relaxing, a gentle smile forming on his lips. This was his favorite season by far.
The sun dappled his brown fur, warming it unevenly, occasionally disappearing with a passing cloud before returning, a gentle spring breeze rolling through for a moment, causing some tufts of his short fur to stand before flattening again. The leader wished that all days could be as relaxing as this. But being what he was, he knew that relaxing moments like this only came in small doses. He would need to think about what to do next for his clan.
But for now, with his eyes closed, mind focused on the birdsong, the leader was completely at ease.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

The words that made their way out of Blazingcomet’s mouth made an amused smile grow on her maw. It appeared that this orange tom was one of those cats who was very flirty and liked flirting with most the cats that they came across. Interesting. It wasn’t very often that deputy talked to a cat like this. In fact, if she were being honest, she sometimes found herself trying to avoid these kinds of cats. Although she could be quite flirty herself, she was a bit cautious around others who also flirted. She didn’t want anyone’s heart to be broken after all. Flirting was just a one-way ticket to heart break if it wasn’t used with care.

“Just a nice chat is all I want,” Auroraflame purred warmly, her eyes sparking with fake cheerfulness. Even though the tone in her voice was real, she couldn’t manage to find anything that could take up the emptiness in her icy blue hues. She was exhausted and emotionally weak. One word was all it could take to make her shatter into a million pieces and break down in tears. There was just so much going on in her life and every time she managed to move on, something else would come and smack her in the face again. It appears no matter how much she might try, there was no running away from her troubles. They would just keep on coming and coming until she was dead.

The inky deputy let out a chuckle that sounded genuine enough. But it wasn’t, it was forced and if you listened carefully, there was stress buried within it. “You’re smart and beautiful? Oh, please, if you’re anything like that than I’m the Dusk Syndicate’s commander,” Auroraflame joked, sarcasm lacing each word as she giggled softly. This was typical of this she-cat, insulting her clan mates in a joking manner. It was what she enjoyed doing. Although she always had to be careful that she didn’t end up accidentally insulting anyone for real. It was her way of letting go and being free for a bit. Sarcasm was her life.

Nothing was going to get better for her if she didn’t try. Auroraflame knew that she had to hold her head up high and move on, no matter what life had to throw at her. She had to be the defiant cat that she was and not let anything affect her. The ebony feline needed to laugh. Laughter was the key to happiness. Perhaps she was far from correct when she thought this, but she was sure that this conversation would make her laugh. Sarcastic comments and flirty ones that popped in every now and again, who wouldn’t laugh in a conversation like this? This was what she loved about socialising with her clan mates. Each cat had something new to bring and she would always have something exciting to experience.

"Just a nice chat, huh?"

The ginger tom thought for a moment before his hues glinted playfully. "I think I can manage that much. Kind of hard to find nowadays though-- anything in particular you want to 'chat' about?" His expression changed to a more serious one as he glanced at the darker colored female. It was pretty obvious that Blazingcomet wasn't really able to see all the emotion that she was hiding behind ice-blue hues. He had never been very good at that. Perhaps the reason he'd never had lasting success. Still, at least he was trying, right? The important thing was to get right back up and go try it again. Something that Blazingcomet had... mastered, to be honest. He moved on very, very quickly. Some might say he was inconsiderate, but he really did prefer to think of it as moving on quickly. Because hey; who wanted to stay stuck on something forever?

　

Not this tom, that was for sure. Again, Blazingcomet missed the stress buried in the deputy's chuckle and grinned at her words, the tip of his tail twitching. "I'm hurt! Aren't deputies supposed to be nice to their clanmates?" He asked, laughter hidden within each word as he spoke. Funny; you would think someone who was such a huge flirt would be able to hide their playfulness better, but Blazingcomet? He wasn't very good at that kind of thing whatsoever. And unfortunately, it would result in him getting far too many cuffs between the ears, or angry growling and yowling as furious felines chased him away. Orange ears went back at the thought of Auroraflame chasing him off, but he sincerely doubted that would happen. Not just because she was deputy, but because all clanmates had standards to maintain. That was why you would never catch him doing such a silly thing.
　
Besides, he doubted Grousestar would be too happy about a situation like that. Blazingcomet turned his hues back onto the ebony feline, determined to prove her wrong; though he knew she was joking. In an attempt to prove his skill... and perhaps goofing off a little too much while doing so... the tom leapt to his paws, getting ready to move over to a tree... and neglected to remember that his tail had been wrapped around them, hindering his movements and making him fall flat on the ground with a loud 'oof.'

　

I bet she's real impressed by that.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

@Empress Of Evil

Birds chirped endlessly in the blossoming forest around Skyclan's camp, filling the ears of the leader as he settled down into a nice, sunny spot near his den at the Skyrock, laid out on his side as relaxed as a cat could possibly get. Or so it seemed at any point. Tail flicking every now and again, the emerald depths of Grousestar's eyes were fixed up at the sky with a light smile. Wait.. Not at the sky, no, he was looking at the canopy, watching the birds he could see up there. Watching them as they chirped with one another, as they flitted from branch to branch, as they dove and flew and lived their lives so up high from the rest of the world.
If there was anything in this world that could relax Grousestar, it was bird watching. Whenever a cat couldn't find him, whenever he wasn't in his den, doing a border patrol or spending time with other cats, he was watching the birds with all the fascination of a kit. Ever since he was little he enjoyed watching those avian creatures. He could spend hours at a time simply observing them, and when it came to hunting them, he would give them the most respect out of any prey, not that he ever disrespected any, but he believed that birds were the most deserving of his respect. When he ate a bird he made sure to not waste a single thing, again, not like he intentionally wasted any part of any prey, but he would make careful note not to for birds. One could say they were his favorite animal, if that was a thing, or perhaps his favorite species of prey.

Sighing quietly to himself, he would close his eyes and indulge himself to the songs of the many birds of the forest, letting it fill his mind for a little while, take away the weariness and stress that was plaguing him currently, allowing it to relax him better than any herb could.
Chest raising evenly with calm breaths, Grousestar could feel himself relaxing, a gentle smile forming on his lips. This was his favorite season by far.
The sun dappled his brown fur, warming it unevenly, occasionally disappearing with a passing cloud before returning, a gentle spring breeze rolling through for a moment, causing some tufts of his short fur to stand before flattening again. The leader wished that all days could be as relaxing as this. But being what he was, he knew that relaxing moments like this only came in small doses. He would need to think about what to do next for his clan.
But for now, with his eyes closed, mind focused on the birdsong, the leader was completely at ease.

It was never a pleasant when you had to wake up after a nightmare. Especially when the nightmare was one that displayed her worst fears. The death of a loved one. She couldn’t believe it. Lioncry, dead. How? The thought itself left the deputy without any words to speak. As she padded out of the warrior’s den, she immediately wished she hadn’t as the bright sunlight hit her. It was rather unfortunate that Auroraflame just so happened to be standing in a spot where the sun shone brightly passed the trees that made up SkyClan’s territory. Squinting, she looked down and smiled softly. Wasn’t this a great thing to walk into after a terrible night’s sleep. The beauty of nature was something that the ebony she-cat would probably never understand, but she didn’t need to. All she had to do was to be grateful for what she had.

Looking around, Auroraflame could feel her smile widening further as she saw her clan mates, each and all attending to duties. The sight of them all was something that she would always cherish. This was it. This was going to be the thing that made Auroraflame decide to hold her head up high. It would be impossible to forget about her losses, but from now on she was going to put on a smile each day and relax. She wanted to be the cat she had once been. The inky deputy paused for a short moment and took in a deep breath before letting it out. She was relaxed. Once again, she put her smile back on and gazed around with a friendly look on her face. Perhaps it’s just me, but I think today will be a good day, Auroraflame thought, closing her eyes for a brief moment. Hearing the birds chirping loudly and her clan mates bustling around was the best noise that she could ever hear.

Today, Auroraflame was feeling more cheerful than usual. She wanted to chat someone’s head off. She scanned the camp clearing eagerly, her icy blue hues bright and joy filled. Her gaze quickly rested on a particular tabby tom. She padded over to the leader, her becoming a curved line as she decided to let her words and eyes display her cheerfulness instead. “Good-morning Grousestar!” Auroraflame greeted cheerfully. Seeing that the spot next to the tom was vacant, she moved forward and lay down, resting her chin on top of her paws. “How are you this fine day?” Auroraflame asked, closing her eyes to rest them for a bit. The tops of trees shaded the sun from her eyes, but even so, she felt like letting her eyelids rest for a moment or two. She had no intentions on falling asleep, although it wouldn’t be hard to do so in the warmth that still broke through the tree leaves. This was the perfect time for a bit of relaxation, the perfect time to take your mind off everything.

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"Just a nice chat, huh?"

The ginger tom thought for a moment before his hues glinted playfully. "I think I can manage that much. Kind of hard to find nowadays though-- anything in particular you want to 'chat' about?" His expression changed to a more serious one as he glanced at the darker colored female. It was pretty obvious that Blazingcomet wasn't really able to see all the emotion that she was hiding behind ice-blue hues. He had never been very good at that. Perhaps the reason he'd never had lasting success. Still, at least he was trying, right? The important thing was to get right back up and go try it again. Something that Blazingcomet had... mastered, to be honest. He moved on very, very quickly. Some might say he was inconsiderate, but he really did prefer to think of it as moving on quickly. Because hey; who wanted to stay stuck on something forever?

　

Not this tom, that was for sure. Again, Blazingcomet missed the stress buried in the deputy's chuckle and grinned at her words, the tip of his tail twitching. "I'm hurt! Aren't deputies supposed to be nice to their clanmates?" He asked, laughter hidden within each word as he spoke. Funny; you would think someone who was such a huge flirt would be able to hide their playfulness better, but Blazingcomet? He wasn't very good at that kind of thing whatsoever. And unfortunately, it would result in him getting far too many cuffs between the ears, or angry growling and yowling as furious felines chased him away. Orange ears went back at the thought of Auroraflame chasing him off, but he sincerely doubted that would happen. Not just because she was deputy, but because all clanmates had standards to maintain. That was why you would never catch him doing such a silly thing.
　
Besides, he doubted Grousestar would be too happy about a situation like that. Blazingcomet turned his hues back onto the ebony feline, determined to prove her wrong; though he knew she was joking. In an attempt to prove his skill... and perhaps goofing off a little too much while doing so... the tom leapt to his paws, getting ready to move over to a tree... and neglected to remember that his tail had been wrapped around them, hindering his movements and making him fall flat on the ground with a loud 'oof.'

　

I bet she's real impressed by that.

“But of course! Everyone needs to have a nice chat every now and again,” Auroraflame responded cheerfully. Whether the cheerfulness in her voice was real or not, was something that even she wasn’t certain about. She felt like being in a good mood, but should she really be? After all, not many of the recent events had been very pleasant for Auroraflame to go through. But, you just had to keep on looking forward. “Not really,” the deputy admitted, glancing down at the ground momentarily before her icy gaze flickered back to meet Blazingcomet’s. That was actually a bit of a lie. The she-cat didn’t enjoy lying to her clan mates, but there were some things that she would rather avoid. There were actually many things that she could talk about, but did she really want to talk about them? Nope, not one. None of those topics were happy ones and she didn’t need to put them on her clan mates.

The more she thought about it, the more that the stress started to come back. No, stop. Relax. On the outside, Auroraflame was cheerful and bright. She hid her emotions well behind her mask. “Absolutely. Not. Who would ever think of something so silly?” the inky she-cat replied, laughing afterwards. Despite the bad things that had happened to her, it was really hard for Auroraflame to stop laughing. She couldn’t stop laughing. Laughter was a beautiful thing and it could never be taken away from her. “Please, I wasn’t appointed to be nice to anyone,” Auroraflame continued sassily, her icy blue orbs flashing with amusement as she awaited his response. Replaying the tom’s words in her mind, the deputy could feel the déjà vu coming to her. So many cats had told her before to be more responsible seeing as she was the deputy. It had always managed to put the she-cat in a bad mood on the inside, seeing as she didn’t like it when others expected her to change her personality and be perfect, but she always made an exception for jokes.

Auroraflame watched curiously as Blazingcomet moved. Ideas and thoughts buzzed through her mind as to what he might do, but she didn’t have to wait for long to see what he had in store. But, it wasn’t quite what she had expected. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Blazingcomet fell to the ground. A short moment passed and Auroraflame was quickly debating whether she should help him up or laugh, in good way of course, after all, she wouldn’t want to hurt anyones feelings. Perhaps it would be better to do both.
It came out as a small giggle, but it got louder and turned into a stomach hurting laugh as Auroraflame replayed his tumble in her mind. The deputy quickly calmed herself, although small snickers escaped her jaws every now and again. She held out a paw to Blazingcomet. “Well I’m sure that’s taught you to not show off,” Auroraflame said teasingly, her eyes starting to water from laughter. It was rather typical of the inky she-cat to find something funnier than it really was.
For all the time she’d spent laughing, Auroraflame had completely forgotten about all her troubles.

[lio]

@Duststorm;
[ Sorry this is so short I have no inspiration ;0; ]


Scanning the camp, Wonderleaf allowed herself to rest upon the ground, bored. She was always passed over as if she did not exist. The boredom was nearly overwhelming! Her tail swished up, a new light shining within her eye. She would just go up to one of her clanmates! Looking across the camp, Wonderleaf found the perfect, kind looking cat. Nightbreeze.
She made her way over, an almost nervous look upon her face. "Hello?" She asked, taking a ginger pawstep closer to the molly.

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

It was never a pleasant when you had to wake up after a nightmare. Especially when the nightmare was one that displayed her worst fears. The death of a loved one. She couldn’t believe it. Lioncry, dead. How? The thought itself left the deputy without any words to speak. As she padded out of the warrior’s den, she immediately wished she hadn’t as the bright sunlight hit her. It was rather unfortunate that Auroraflame just so happened to be standing in a spot where the sun shone brightly passed the trees that made up SkyClan’s territory. Squinting, she looked down and smiled softly. Wasn’t this a great thing to walk into after a terrible night’s sleep. The beauty of nature was something that the ebony she-cat would probably never understand, but she didn’t need to. All she had to do was to be grateful for what she had.

Looking around, Auroraflame could feel her smile widening further as she saw her clan mates, each and all attending to duties. The sight of them all was something that she would always cherish. This was it. This was going to be the thing that made Auroraflame decide to hold her head up high. It would be impossible to forget about her losses, but from now on she was going to put on a smile each day and relax. She wanted to be the cat she had once been. The inky deputy paused for a short moment and took in a deep breath before letting it out. She was relaxed. Once again, she put her smile back on and gazed around with a friendly look on her face. Perhaps it’s just me, but I think today will be a good day, Auroraflame thought, closing her eyes for a brief moment. Hearing the birds chirping loudly and her clan mates bustling around was the best noise that she could ever hear.

Today, Auroraflame was feeling more cheerful than usual. She wanted to chat someone’s head off. She scanned the camp clearing eagerly, her icy blue hues bright and joy filled. Her gaze quickly rested on a particular tabby tom. She padded over to the leader, her becoming a curved line as she decided to let her words and eyes display her cheerfulness instead. “Good-morning Grousestar!” Auroraflame greeted cheerfully. Seeing that the spot next to the tom was vacant, she moved forward and lay down, resting her chin on top of her paws. “How are you this fine day?” Auroraflame asked, closing her eyes to rest them for a bit. The tops of trees shaded the sun from her eyes, but even so, she felt like letting her eyelids rest for a moment or two. She had no intentions on falling asleep, although it wouldn’t be hard to do so in the warmth that still broke through the tree leaves. This was the perfect time for a bit of relaxation, the perfect time to take your mind off everything.

Nightmare. Now that's something that Grousestar hasn't had in a very long time, he only ever had them when he was a kit and no one ever really knew why he had them. It wasn't like he ever had any traumatic experience right? He was never nearly killed, he never witnessed any violent deaths, he had a pretty calm, normal kithood and apprenticeship. Even as a warrior he never had them. Perhaps the nightmares were simply random, they had no meaning behind them and were to be soon forgotten just like most of his childhood. No one really asked and it was unsure if the leader himself remembered if there was a reason behind his night terrors. Or if he could even remember them at all.
Any sort of thought about a nightmare was far from his mind at the moment though, all he allowed in now was calming, optimistic thoughts. He could think about more stressful scenarios later, when he retired to his den, away from the prying eyes of his clan. Grousestar didn't want them seeing him stressed, unsure, not so cheery and optimistic. Then they might doubt his leadership just like they did when he was forced to take the spot of the missing Lemonstar. He was doing good now, at least he thought he was, and to make a happy clan, he needed to seem just that. Happy. Bright. Cheery. And essentially? He was.

The drone of the clan morning activities seemed to grow louder for a moment or perhaps he was losing concentration on the bird song. Swiveling his ears slowly, he would open his eyes to look up at the canopy to find that the bird was gone. What he was hearing was simply his own memory of birdsong. Blinking a bit in surprise, he would sit his upper half up slightly, allowing his jaws to gape wide in a yawn before clicking shut and his tongue absentmindedly swiping over his lips. He needed to go out for a walk in the territory soon, his paws were aching for a nice bout of running. That was always nice, calmed the nerves, cleared the mind. He still hadn't lost the energy he had when he was deputy, or really when he was younger in general, he could still very much run laps around any warrior here and not tire out. The thought of doing such a silly thing caused the leader to snort and smile a bit, his head shaking. And I would do it too!

Attention perking as he heard a familiar greeting, his emerald eyes searched for a moment before landing on the approaching deputy, a bright, cheery smile soon ensuing upon his lips. "Oh good morning Auroraflame! Nice seeing you here!"
The tom sat up a bit more, as if creating space for her beside him even though there was plenty of vacant space anyways, his tail tucking carefully against his side and his hind paws nicely tucked beneath him, front paws jutting out a bit.
"I'm doing quite great I'd say, perfect weather really for a nice day out on the territory. I hope you're doing the same?" Grousestar inquired with the same smile, gaze focused on her for a moment before he took her lead and laid his chin in his paws as well, a quiet purring sigh escaping him, another small breeze ruffling the fur along his spine. He loved being able to speak to his deputy when both of their schedules were free, it helped to get a bit of stress off of his chest.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Constellation

The calico feline bounded a few ways away, stopping once to flick her tail, and look back to make sure the tom was following her. It was never good to be sedentary, always sitting around and making useless works of your bones. Splotchfeather was the type of feline that had plenty of energy wherever she went. Trying to be a bright sun in a cloudy sky, or even if it were night, the moon that shine through a starless sky. Anything that made others accept her friendly expression and helpful intentions. And, based on the tom in front of her, he seemed to need all the help he could get. The way he had stared into her eyes had given her a small fright. It was like she was reading his entire story, a heartbreaking one that she felt that she was experiencing his own heartbreak. Who could had done this to such a...sweet tom? Splotchfeather, herself didn't experience much with love, but she knew it was a sacred thing. A treasure thing to behold that most cats took for granted. Some might ask her how come the pretty calico hadn't took in any tom as a mate. It wasn't that she was closed to the idea. She was far too stuck in the clouds, chasing after butterflies, or teaching her apprentice, Foxpaw some new lessons. No tom in the clan ever took her attention away. Being quite the naive, sweet kitty, there were bound to be others that tried to take advantage of her. That was the least of her problems, however. She preferred to be the bouncy feline that brought a spark of hope around others.

And, Yarrowpounce? He looked like he would need all the hope she could give him. Hope was a valuable and easy to lose sight of in the darkness. "All you need is a little exercise, and I'm sure you'll be brand new!" She snickered, teasingly. She didn't want to take him that far. She didn't know how well he would do. Then again, he was around an energetic she cat that could either run him away for life or one that he wished to come back any time. Splotchfeather was quite the unpredictable kitty. One moment she would be paying attention. And the next moment, she would be in a daydream or bounding off after something exciting. It wasn't that she was being rude, but more so her attention span was short, and quite annoying--given to the other cats.

Splotchfeather had flicked her tail, twitching her ears. "Hunting you say!" She mused, her voice held excitement. "I love hunting! I try to do it everyday! You know to pitch in for the clan! I'm not the best hunter, but I can certainly catch a good meal! Probably a bird or two. If I'm lucky to get the meatiest of the animals," she licked her jaws, and for a moment showed a sparkle of her white fangs. "You know sitting around and doing nothing, you might as well join the elders den." She mused, sadly. The tom looked too young to retire to the elders' den. He looked pretty workable, just depressed. For a moment, Splotchfeather understood this. Albeit, she didn't know what the exact reason as to why he felt this way. She just vowed to do whatever it took to get him out that lonely corner. Anything at all. "You don't want Grousestar to notice you not pitching in the duties. You're a fine young warrior! You have a lot to look forward to if you focus on how clear the blue skies are. It's a Starclan blessing that you're able to wake up daily and start over." She says, her mind calm and happy. Never had she wanted to endure the past that shaped her. She wasn't a constant change. Even after losing her mother and brothers at a young age, she pretty much stayed a positive feline all her life. She knew that the past brought bitter reminders, and the future brought unwanted worries, so she relied on the present. The here and the now to guide her. And every day that she woke up, reminds her of the new choices she would make in order to make up for yesterday.

At the mention of her singing from earlier, the she cat answered, "I don't sing that song often, silly." She tells him, and for a moment she brought herself away from his attention, staring at a hovering dragonfly. She sat down to admire the pretty coloring it had, and wished that it would lower itself down so that she could bound after it. Though it would had been rude, considering she had company beside her, so she shook her head and started walking around again, throwing smiles at the other cats. "It's just a song that I remembered my mother singing when one of us would sit alone. It really got us to open up!" She exclaimed, probably louder than she was supposed to. "Every line was different, I just assumed that..." Once again, the she cat trailed off, and she bounded over towards a broken branch, a small caterpillar walking among it. She bent her head to stare at it, crossing her eyes for a moment, giving an odd look. She made a giggle, and with a paw, gently shrug the creature off the branch. Splotchfeather had brought her head, shaking herself slightly. "I always sing. It soothes my soul." She admits, brushing her tail to the side before she continued on. The feline remembered from earlier how he complimented her voice. Splotchfeather was a humble she cat, never really liking the idea of compliments thrown her way. They always made her out of place, or sheepish. Yes, she had been applaud for her beautiful voice, or either her nice personality. It was always nice to know that she was doing something right in her life. She would had felt herself blushing under her pelt like whenever she received a compliment in general. "I love singing to the kits in the nursery!" She giggled. Not only would she be surrounded by the adorable scraps of fur, but also she would give the queens a break from handling their own kits. Splotchfeather never minded kitsitting, and figured that if she ever had her own, she would never find the courage to leave them. She could practically envision herself, singing to the little products that she bore. Oh, how the future seemed so far! "Or even Greystep! You have to meet him by the way! I think the two of you would become the greatest of friends!" She spoke in her happy, care-free tone. It was something about Yarrowpounce that reminded the feline of her good friend, Greystep. They both were stammering messes, and quite the awkward toms. In her opinion, at least. Greystep was just a cat that liked to be alone, but there was something much different when it came to Yarrowpounce. Splotchfeather couldn't detect what is was, but as long as she stuck around, she was sure that it would be easier to take notice of.

The feline figured that he was a loving tom indeed. And, much of a gentleman. If such sorrowness was keeping him drowning--what was it that he was hiding? That broke him into little pieces? What a sad shame! No cat should ever have to go through such an amount of displeasure. As she continued to walk along, a light bounce in her step, she tells him, "I am very much interesting in learning much about you, if you're comfortable with telling me." She shrugged, offering him a friendly smile. "It must be tough! And I blame myself for not noticing you any time sooner!" Seeing his blank expression, the sadness in his eyes when she had first approached him, tugged at her heart. Splotchfeather hated seeing sad faces on other cats. They made her uncomfortable, but at the same time wanted since she loved to cheer many and all up!

Flicking her ears, she gently brushed against him, just to make sure he was holding up well. Splotchfeather remembered the way his legs wobbled as he tried to get up. It was a sad sight. She needed to work with him in order to get him back on the right track. On the path of reliving his hope once more. "You're being hard on yourself." She didn't know what made her say it, but it was out there. He was being hard on himself after all. Just sitting in a corner and refusing to let up because of his depression. It could had been anything that made the tom so sullen, so miserable!

Why did it bother her so much? She was like this with many of the other cats. And it always had bothered her in the first place. She had not paid any heed to notice his tears. Her mind had wandered to elsewhere, but as she peered at him, she could notice the small wet spot around his eyes, and she wanted to doubt that they were tears. But now she could see him closely. And, as they walked, all she could do was stare at him. Trying to decipher the reason he was such a downer. Living in a sad tragedy that the feline herself never understood. It had to be that he lost someone he loved dearly. As she had when she lost her mother and brothers. Had he lost his parents? Siblings? A mate? Or any other kin? Perhaps even a dear friend?

Splotchfeather did not want to pry too much in his business, so she only stared at him, her yellow eyes beaming towards him, and focused on him attentively. It may make the tom uncomfortable with the intensity of her stare. But she failed to notice a small twig in front of her, and it made her almost trip over her own paws. Her eyes became wide, and she turned to stare in front of her; wide eyed. Her breathing had hitched, but she was alright. She giggled, "That's why you should always pay attention to the path in front of you." She purred at her clumsiness. Additionally, that's what she get for staring too much.

This time she paid attention to the path they were walking along. She looked down at her small paws and purposely began hopping with them, and laughing at her kit like behavior. Her eyes looked towards the birds, singing their madrigals in the trees. She didn't understand their twittering, but she hummed along anyway, enjoying the musicless tune. Badly she wished to play with her company, her restless state coming over, but she didn't know if Yarrowpounce was in any condition to play a game of tag, a game of hide and seek, or even a game of play fight. Her tail waved frantically behind her, but she kept a level of calmness. She could at least try to get him to be more opened up. To try and get that broken heart of his pieced together. To try anything to not see him laying in that corner any longer. As much as she knew, Yarrowpounce was done being alone. She was sure of it.

So bounding a few moments away from him, she made a sharp turn, standing in front of him, bending down and putting her rump in the air in a playful stance. Her tail swayed gently behind her, and her eyes held amusement. She gave him a bright smile, before slowly bringing herself up for a second, laughing it off. She then turned back around, and started to trot off, flicking her tail at him as she sauntered about.

Ahhh! It took my a century to find this Dx

Bumpers for @Duskflight

[lone]

Depression was the worst thing that had ever happened to Asterpaw. It was a hole that she couldn't climb out of, and she was just sinking deeper and deeper into it. Pretty soon she would be buried in a pit of her own feelings. Pretty soon, the world would be turned upside down. Asterpaw's life had already been turned upside down, or so it felt like. Her hues had lost their fierce gleam. Her spirit had been smashed on the ground, scattered for others to stare at but never to help pick up. She was so done now. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and allow someone to claw her to death... that was how bad she felt at the moment. Buzzardstride's kind words had helped, of course, but then her depression had come back. She had killed a cat. Killed. Him. The last thing she remembered was the glazed look in his hues, the light leaving them and the blood spilling everywhere.
　
And she had tried to save him - because the last thing she'd wanted was for him to die. And yet, he still had. Now he was gone and she was to blame. Tears were threatening to spill from her hues, and she was doing her best to keep them in. She would not cry. She didn't want to. Why hadn't that cat killed her? At least she wouldn't have had to watch someone die. Now she was twice as on edge and fragile as before, and it felt like she was ready to fall. And the worst part was, she couldn't go to Azulpaw about it. Her north star, and she wasn't able to tell him this. Because she was afraid of what he would say and what he would do. At the moment she was pretty beaten up - to let the pain of what she had done sink in more, she had never gone to see Ebonyfrost. She had stayed away. So now there were scars and caked blood covering her once unmarked pelt.
　
And she was a new kind of pretty; or, perhaps beautiful. Gone was the innocence that used to spark in her hues. The mischief and willingness to play was gone along with them, although it would return at some point. Her sarcasm was still active, even if it didn't show. Her sweet nature was still there. A new sort of elegance showed there, giving her a much wiser and more friendly look. Worry for everyone around her showed in her grey-green hues, although they had a depth that was unmistakably mature. She was growing up, whether she wanted to or not. With the death of that cat had come a new stage for Asterpaw... a stage that was proving to be the most difficult to get through. She would be a warrior soon, but she'd been persuading her mentor to put it off... and she hadn't seen them since after this battle. Perhaps something had happened. Perhaps they were dead.
　
It wouldn't do any more to effect the blue feline. I wish I could do it over. Do what over? Her whole life. Everything she had done, and everyone she had met. But the one thing she never would have changed was meeting her friend. Caring... or loving too much? Yes. She would change that, because it had only led to destruction so far. It wasn't too late. She could fix that now, and she would make a deal. She would do everything she could to make sure that nothing bad would happen to her north star ever again. It might break his heart... but it was for his good. It was breaking her heart just to think about her first option... which was going to be with Bluepaw. This was her best option. And, hopefully it would keep her north star shining for a very, very long time. It had to work. Either that, or she wasn't sure what her other options were... because there weren't many.

@Constellation

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Depression was the worst thing that had ever happened to Asterpaw. It was a hole that she couldn't climb out of, and she was just sinking deeper and deeper into it. Pretty soon she would be buried in a pit of her own feelings. Pretty soon, the world would be turned upside down. Asterpaw's life had already been turned upside down, or so it felt like. Her hues had lost their fierce gleam. Her spirit had been smashed on the ground, scattered for others to stare at but never to help pick up. She was so done now. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and allow someone to claw her to death... that was how bad she felt at the moment. Buzzardstride's kind words had helped, of course, but then her depression had come back. She had killed a cat. Killed. Him. The last thing she remembered was the glazed look in his hues, the light leaving them and the blood spilling everywhere.
　
And she had tried to save him - because the last thing she'd wanted was for him to die. And yet, he still had. Now he was gone and she was to blame. Tears were threatening to spill from her hues, and she was doing her best to keep them in. She would not cry. She didn't want to. Why hadn't that cat killed her? At least she wouldn't have had to watch someone die. Now she was twice as on edge and fragile as before, and it felt like she was ready to fall. And the worst part was, she couldn't go to Azulpaw about it. Her north star, and she wasn't able to tell him this. Because she was afraid of what he would say and what he would do. At the moment she was pretty beaten up - to let the pain of what she had done sink in more, she had never gone to see Ebonyfrost. She had stayed away. So now there were scars and caked blood covering her once unmarked pelt.
　
And she was a new kind of pretty; or, perhaps beautiful. Gone was the innocence that used to spark in her hues. The mischief and willingness to play was gone along with them, although it would return at some point. Her sarcasm was still active, even if it didn't show. Her sweet nature was still there. A new sort of elegance showed there, giving her a much wiser and more friendly look. Worry for everyone around her showed in her grey-green hues, although they had a depth that was unmistakably mature. She was growing up, whether she wanted to or not. With the death of that cat had come a new stage for Asterpaw... a stage that was proving to be the most difficult to get through. She would be a warrior soon, but she'd been persuading her mentor to put it off... and she hadn't seen them since after this battle. Perhaps something had happened. Perhaps they were dead.
　
It wouldn't do any more to effect the blue feline. I wish I could do it over. Do what over? Her whole life. Everything she had done, and everyone she had met. But the one thing she never would have changed was meeting her friend. Caring... or loving too much? Yes. She would change that, because it had only led to destruction so far. It wasn't too late. She could fix that now, and she would make a deal. She would do everything she could to make sure that nothing bad would happen to her north star ever again. It might break his heart... but it was for his good. It was breaking her heart just to think about her first option... which was going to be with Bluepaw. This was her best option. And, hopefully it would keep her north star shining for a very, very long time. It had to work. Either that, or she wasn't sure what her other options were... because there weren't many.

@Constellation

After the war, Bluepaw tried finding Alabasterpaw to see what was going on. He wanted to know if she had completed her deed, if she killed that charming friends of his, Azulpaw. Without Azulpaw, there would be no challenge. Asterpaw would finally run into the paws that was hers in the first place, and what would Alabasterpaw get out of it? The fact that she spilled blood from her worst enemy. Wasn't that a souvenir enough? The tom unsheathed his claws, feeling some type of anxiousness settling within him. From a good distance, he could make out the glowing grey pelt of his once best friend. Azulpaw was simply sunning himself, his fur looking majestic under the sun. Sometimes Bluepaw wondered how Azulpaw could act so perfect with all the cuts and the bruises that were obvious to the eye--but yet still made him look handsome, if not, more. That type of rugged handsome that a she cat would fall for. Bluepaw didn't have that many bruises. Especially since he preferred to give them out instead of keeping some to himself. The tom let out a grunt, but he continued on, flicking his tail as he passed the grey pelted cat.

Blue eyes flickered across the clearing, hoping to land them on the white feline that he considered his partner in crime. He knew she hadn't completed the job since Azulpaw was still living. Soaking in his victory. How many times had Alabasterpaw failed him--failed them both? It was quite exhausting, and he felt that he would need to complete the job himself. Then, he would get something done. He trotted on, his steps getting heavy it seemed. He was quite frustrated, annoyed beyond matters. He couldn't help, but feel the slightest bit of envy when it came to Azulpaw. Even though Bluepaw was better in every aspect--skills, looks, intelligence? Probably not intelligence. That was Azulpaw's specialty. But did intelligence matter when you had the looks? The bad traits? What she cat wouldn't want a bad boy?

Bluepaw was every part of that. Coming off as innocent, and not much of an enemy , let alone competition. To others he played off as naive, easy to take advantage of. Until he turned the tables. He liked playing with others because it was fun seeing how flabbergasted they would be when they figured that Bluepaw wasn't at all the innocent that they believed him to be.

All too soon, the tom's blue gaze landed on the she cat that sent him into a frenzy of emotions. The one she cat he longed to be with since the first one broke his heart and turned him into some lifeless succulent that pried upon others. Asterpaw seemed vulnerable, lost of all emotion. Bluepaw knew he needed to act fast before he found the other feline going to Azulpaw for comfort. He couldn't have that! Especially since he wanted to rebuild their relationship to the point where she would fall in love with him. Azulpaw would soon enough be history.

The tom managed to put on a sweet smile, pretending to be the innocent tom that everyone thought he was. His hues darkened slightly, but lit up as he bounded towards Asterpaw, flicking his tail as he stopped inches in front of her. "Asterpaw!" He mewed, cheerfully. His eyes took note that Asterpaw looked down. Like she were depressed. The tom tilted his head slightly but brought it back up. "You alright, miss beautiful? You look down." He commented.

What creature could have his one and only looking down? So depressed at the world? So covered up and not shining? Bluepaw narrowed his eyes, believing it was Azulpaw. He was the only one who Asterpaw was around nowadays. Could they have gotten into an argument and this Asterpaw got the rough end of the stick? Bluepaw inwardly swore to get back at Azulpaw if he ever done anything to hurt Asterpaw. "Azulpaw wasn't it? Say the word and I'll kill him. I swear." The tom stood up, ready for her to give him the signal. Bluepaw looked back towards the grey pelted tom who was still relaxing under the sun, not taking notice of them at all.