SkyClan Clearing

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"Hi, Buzzardstride." Her voice was gentle and soft, worried and cautious as she spoke. After being through a lot these past few moons, she wasn't sure how much more mental strain she could handle. After all, she was nearly 11 moons old. In another two moons, she would be a warrior... hopefully. She didn't know the brown warrior very well, just that he wasn't too much older then her, and for another thing... he was very supportive. Or at least he was being supportive at the moment. His question caught her off guard-- the gentleness he had been using, gently grooming her fur, almost reminded her of her friend. Almost, but not quite, and she shook the thought away.
　
That had been one awkward encounter. "No, there's... there's nothing I want to talk about, I'm-- I'm fine." This was a lie. She wasn't fine, and even just by looking at her you could tell. In an attempt to prove her point, she sat up straighter and put a smile on her face, though it was wavering and unsteady. Not the best of smiles, to be honest. But, she was hoping it would be enough to convince Buzzardstride, even as she moved away. She didn't want to talk about the cat she had killed. He had been young! Her age! What if it had been her, instead? What if she were the one cats were mourning for?
　
She would never forget the terror she had felt, perhaps even more then the tom's, as she had delivered the killing blow. And it hadn't been aimed to kill. She was a murderer, now. He would have run away eventually, and she would have saved a life. True; the Dusk Syndicate was an awful place, a horrible place, and she wasn't sure why she felt bad for killing one of their members. It meant less trouble for SkyClan. Maybe, had they been an old and more feeble cat, she wouldn't have felt as bad. They had lived their life. But the tom? He had had so much more to give. Buzzardstride's next comment sent chills down her spine. He knew? He knew. He knew. She was never going to be able to show her face again.
　
But... he was telling her he was for her. Why? What? Confused, the she cat glanced up at him, her hues showing the confliction and fear that she was feeling currently. "What do you do to get rid of the awful, horrible feeling that you have?" She asked in a low voice. No, she didn't want to talk about it but yes, she wanted to get rid of it. And if she and Buzzardstride were talking about the same thing, then Asterpaw would be all too glad to share her feelings if it meant she would be able to get rid of her guilt. It was killing her from the inside. Ripping away at her feelings, her emotions, until there was nothing left but fear and guilt and worry.

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Buzzardstride wasn't a fool, he saw her forced smile and gave her a serious look. "Look, you wouldn't even fool StarClan with this look on your face, this faltering smile, meh, I've seen some better acting around here." He teased and placed a paw onto her cheek to show that he didn't try to make her mad, a smile forming on his maw as he was asked the question, but he saw her worried look and pulled her closer to him, sharing a tad of body heat to show that he was there. "We can't forever get rid of it, Asterpaw, you need to tell yourself that you did the right thing, it might not have been justified, nor right to do it, but you did it for your clan and your own life, who knows, that cat might've been the one living with these remorse today, we need to endure what life throws at us." The tom said softly, he leaned down and started licking the top of the she-cat's head comfortingly.

"You see, if you on telling yourself that you did wrong in all of this, it sure won't help, you could've been that cat and... Honestly, I hate losing members of the clan, apprentices the most because they had not yet gotten the chance to live the life of a warrior, I want you to understand that... We all make mistakes, I've done mistakes too, and, just telling myself that I'm lucky enough to be alive today is enough to make me feel a lot better... And, there's also the fact that, people care about you, you aren't a murderer or anything and you need to understand that." The warrior added in his ever so soft tone as he met the small she-cat's gaze.

[graves]

Originally Posted by pupy

“Okay then, mum,” he burbled, practically kneading the ground in the moments that preceded the dull thud of a carcass dropping onto the ground. Attempting to turn his gaze to Arrowpaw with surprisingly wide amber eyes, Ploverpaw hesitated before attacking the mouse’s body, suddenly ravenous-- its scent filled his nostrils, and he simply could not deny Arrow’s insistence. If he wanted him to eat, he’d eat: his hunger made the decision simpler than it would ever be. The warm, purring mass wound around him and his now-full stomach was a situation of comfort, and if any a time to sleep would be good, this was it.

As his head was settled on Plovers body he gave a small smile watching him eat. It had seemed he hadnt eaten for days by how fast the mouse was left with nothing but skin and bones. He leaned up and placed a few affectionate licks to the toms cheek,"Thank you, I know I can nag at times but I just want you to be okay." he was rather affectionate when it came to Plover, and more over barring then he was with Briarpaw or Finchpaw. It was fairly noticable, seeing from Finches sly comments they made he decided he didnt care. He had known Plover the longest and would care for him. "I want you to try to sleep. Rest your head on me if you need to, I want you to sleep well and be fully rested when you wake up." he gave a small smile. He really did care for the other cat, honestly just wanting him to feel well seeing as he could barely sit up at the moment. "I'll be here when you wake up."

[oats]

Originally Posted by woly

As his head was settled on Plovers body he gave a small smile watching him eat. It had seemed he hadnt eaten for days by how fast the mouse was left with nothing but skin and bones. He leaned up and placed a few affectionate licks to the toms cheek,"Thank you, I know I can nag at times but I just want you to be okay." he was rather affectionate when it came to Plover, and more over barring then he was with Briarpaw or Finchpaw. It was fairly noticable, seeing from Finches sly comments they made he decided he didnt care. He had known Plover the longest and would care for him. "I want you to try to sleep. Rest your head on me if you need to, I want you to sleep well and be fully rested when you wake up." he gave a small smile. He really did care for the other cat, honestly just wanting him to feel well seeing as he could barely sit up at the moment. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Letting out a rattling purr, Ploverpaw shut his eyes, basking in that morning warmth and the feeling of the tom next to him-- he was lucky indeed, to have someone who truly cared for him. It wasn’t bias as it was a sense of obligation, but Plover tended to melt around Arrowpaw, his resolve breaking down with a few well-placed words. As the tabby told him, gently, that he would stay, the tom shut his eyes, curling into his companion. It was a choice well made, to stay with Arrow-- he'd never regret it.

[graves]

Originally Posted by pupy

Letting out a rattling purr, Ploverpaw shut his eyes, basking in that morning warmth and the feeling of the tom next to him-- he was lucky indeed, to have someone who truly cared for him. It wasn’t bias as it was a sense of obligation, but Plover tended to melt around Arrowpaw, his resolve breaking down with a few well-placed words. As the tabby told him, gently, that he would stay, the tom shut his eyes, curling into his companion. It was a choice well made, to stay with Arrow-- he'd never regret it.

As he watched the tom close his eyes he felt calmed. He really did care for him,bias or not. He closed his eyes aswel, being lulled by Plovers soft breathing and rising and falling of his flank his head was rested on. He felt safe whenever around the tom, he was usually the one who needed taken care of. Hed admit he wasnt the most easiest cat to be friends with, the constant worrying,the stress, anxiety and low self esteem was a daily battle that needed validation and reassurance constantly. But Plover always provided effortlessly without any complaint, and the least he could do was be there in return. His mind roamed to how long they known eachother, how much he depended on him. He was the closest thing he had in his life and he would never let it go. Is Plover needed anything hed be there. He enjoyed his company, mainly tied at the hip with whatever they did, litterally. All the touches, the cuddling..the soft smiles...how warm hed feel after......the shared nest.
woah.
His eyes shot open.
I have feelings for my best friend.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Raven & Co

Buzzardstride wasn't a fool, he saw her forced smile and gave her a serious look. "Look, you wouldn't even fool StarClan with this look on your face, this faltering smile, meh, I've seen some better acting around here." He teased and placed a paw onto her cheek to show that he didn't try to make her mad, a smile forming on his maw as he was asked the question, but he saw her worried look and pulled her closer to him, sharing a tad of body heat to show that he was there. "We can't forever get rid of it, Asterpaw, you need to tell yourself that you did the right thing, it might not have been justified, nor right to do it, but you did it for your clan and your own life, who knows, that cat might've been the one living with these remorse today, we need to endure what life throws at us." The tom said softly, he leaned down and started licking the top of the she-cat's head comfortingly.

"You see, if you on telling yourself that you did wrong in all of this, it sure won't help, you could've been that cat and... Honestly, I hate losing members of the clan, apprentices the most because they had not yet gotten the chance to live the life of a warrior, I want you to understand that... We all make mistakes, I've done mistakes too, and, just telling myself that I'm lucky enough to be alive today is enough to make me feel a lot better... And, there's also the fact that, people care about you, you aren't a murderer or anything and you need to understand that." The warrior added in his ever so soft tone as he met the small she-cat's gaze.

The tom was awfully touchy with her, but it was comforting to Asterpaw. She had never known her father. So, the fact that Buzzardstride was acting like a fatherly figure towards her-- the fact that he was being so friendly-- it meant a lot to her. His words were calm. Sweet. Friendly. He was talking to her as a friend, not as a clanmate... not just letting her know that 'Dusk Syndicate cats are evil and he deserved to die,' but that she wasn't a murderer. He was reminding her that cats cared about her. Everyone made mistakes. Everyone messed up. And, she wasn't the first one to do something wrong. She hadn't meant to. Everyone knew that, didn't they? Everyone knew that. They realized that she hadn't meant to. They realized that it had been a mistake. Those who knew what she had done, anyways. "Thank... thank you, Buzzardstride. I really appreciate you being so friendly towards me. It means a lot." No one had been there for her since after the battle. She hadn't thought to go to Ebonyfrost's den-- but maybe that was where Alabasterpaw and Azulpaw were. She would be glad if the young tom was safe, and being taken care of like he needed to. That gash had been bad. She knew the damage her sister could inflict. At least, he hadn't been doing it for her again. At least she knew he had fought back this time, not just taking it to keep her safe. At least she knew that things were going to be okay now. He was going to be okay.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The tom was awfully touchy with her, but it was comforting to Asterpaw. She had never known her father. So, the fact that Buzzardstride was acting like a fatherly figure towards her-- the fact that he was being so friendly-- it meant a lot to her. His words were calm. Sweet. Friendly. He was talking to her as a friend, not as a clanmate... not just letting her know that 'Dusk Syndicate cats are evil and he deserved to die,' but that she wasn't a murderer. He was reminding her that cats cared about her. Everyone made mistakes. Everyone messed up. And, she wasn't the first one to do something wrong. She hadn't meant to. Everyone knew that, didn't they? Everyone knew that. They realized that she hadn't meant to. They realized that it had been a mistake. Those who knew what she had done, anyways. "Thank... thank you, Buzzardstride. I really appreciate you being so friendly towards me. It means a lot." No one had been there for her since after the battle. She hadn't thought to go to Ebonyfrost's den-- but maybe that was where Alabasterpaw and Azulpaw were. She would be glad if the young tom was safe, and being taken care of like he needed to. That gash had been bad. She knew the damage her sister could inflict. At least, he hadn't been doing it for her again. At least she knew he had fought back this time, not just taking it to keep her safe. At least she knew that things were going to be okay now. He was going to be okay.

Buzzardstride was more than happy to help Asterpaw, honestly, it was kind of his job, he wanted the best for his clanmates and it was fairly understandable, he had grown close to his clan, they were his family and no one would ever change that, he leaned down and licked the top of the apprentice's head. "No need to thank me, Asterpaw, what means a lot to me is that you're here and that you're still safe, that you're able to tell me your problems so that we can find- even if it's not always the best option, a way to fix your problems." He mewed, his tail caressing the back of her head, after all, during all this time in here, he had learned a lot, but he wasn't gonna let a clanmate go through the stress of killing another cat, it was a part of the clan life, and she would probably have to do it again. One of the many surprising facts about this tom was that, even with how fatherly he was, he had no mate, no kits, no family around, he had just learned to care about others than simply himself, he hated putting himself in first because he knew others had problems as well. Finally pressing his muzzle into the she-cat's fur, the warrior shut his eyes and breathed in her wonderful scent, his tail curling around one of her ears and stroking it lightly. "Asterpaw, as long as you'll be alright, I will be as well, remember that." The tom mewed softly.

[oats]

Originally Posted by woly

As he watched the tom close his eyes he felt calmed. He really did care for him,bias or not. He closed his eyes aswel, being lulled by Plovers soft breathing and rising and falling of his flank his head was rested on. He felt safe whenever around the tom, he was usually the one who needed taken care of. Hed admit he wasnt the most easiest cat to be friends with, the constant worrying,the stress, anxiety and low self esteem was a daily battle that needed validation and reassurance constantly. But Plover always provided effortlessly without any complaint, and the least he could do was be there in return. His mind roamed to how long they known eachother, how much he depended on him. He was the closest thing he had in his life and he would never let it go. Is Plover needed anything hed be there. He enjoyed his company, mainly tied at the hip with whatever they did, litterally. All the touches, the cuddling..the soft smiles...how warm hed feel after......the shared nest.
woah.
His eyes shot open.
I have feelings for my best friend.

Somewhere, in the thick forests of sleep, a dreamer slumbers, the steady rhythm of his breathing mirrored, never changing. Ploverpaw was completely, absolutely, infinitely unaware of the fact that he and Arrowpaw had more in common than he had thought, and yet, he knew more than he could ever hoped to, deep down. In the patched apprentice’s heart of hearts, he yearned for something more of their companionship, and he was close, so very close to getting what he wanted: soon, the fog of unawareness would lift, they would go on about their lives, and although he did not know it, the strings of fate began to pull him along: bit by steady bit, of course.
In the thick forests of sleep, Ploverpaw slumbered. Perhaps he would awaken with more understanding in the morning, but for now…
He slept.

[ameko]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

None of those names sounded familiar to the grey tom. Nightflash? Sunbreak? He didn't think he had ever seen those cats, let alone talked to them. Cocking his head to the side, the large warrior shifted his weight uncomfortably. The tom licked his maw at the younger cat's question and thought about it for a moment. Arrowpaw... Splotchfeather-- oh, but she doesn't count, heh, cause she's herself... Ebonyfrost... that's right, she became a Medicine Cat now! I'm gonna have to congratulate her. And... and Mouseleap-- and Owlwing. That's... that's it, I... I think. Four friends. Two of which were related to him. Not the best selection, but at least he would be able to explain that. Thank goodness for those cats that he cared so much about. Glancing up from his thoughts, he cast a sheepish smile in the direction of Acornflash. Here we go. You got this, Greystep. He thought to himself with a slight wince.

He did have this. He could do this. There was nothing to be afraid of here, that was all he needed to remember. He'd just been talking to this cat for the past... however long it had been, he wasn't sure. An hour? Two, perhaps? Surely it hadn't been much longer then that. Then again, the sun did look much lower then it had originally. Alright, so maybe it had been a few hours. He hoped he wasn't wasting Acornflash's time, though he doubted the other tom would still be there if he was. Thinking once more over what he wanted to say, Greystep's mind turned to his other friends. How was Owlwing? He hadn't seen her in a long time, and part of him wondered if she was even still okay. Of course Greystep had the tendancy to look on the darkest side, and that, at the moment, was that something had happened to her. He could only hope that she was still okay and alive.

"W-well... well, I-- I have Arrow... Arrowpaw, he's my apprentice. And Ebonyfrost, she's my niece. Mouseleap is my sister... they're all my friends, I--I like all of them, of course, they're very... they're very special. And... and, umm... and Owlwing is another close friend of mine but, but I... I haven't seen her recently." Just those words were hard for Greystep to say. But he had done it! He had spoken without much stammering and stuttering, just going back over his words and doing something equivalant to smoothing them out. It hadn't worked. His speech was just as confusing as ever. Feeling his pelt growing warmer from embarrassment and the always-growing heat of the day, Greystep ventured to say one more thing. He could do this. It wasn't that hard and hopefully, hopefully Acornflash would appreciate what he was trying to do-- just maybe.

"And... and I consider y-you... I, I... I con-conseh-consi-consider you to... y-yuh-you... I consider you to b-beh-bee... to be... to be a fruh-frie-friend." I consider you to be a friend. Just seven simple words, not hard to say at all, and yet Greystep was acting as though he were making a love confession, twisting around and looking down at the ground, anywhere but directly at the tom. Why was this so awkward? Maybe because they had just met that day, was it really that weird for him to be talking about them being friends? Perhaps. But, Greystep took a friend when he could find one. And, if Acornflash did reject him? So what. He was used to it by now. He'd been rejected so many times it was almost impossible for him to keep track of them all. And yet life went on... he went on... over and over again, trying to thrive in the Clan that he loved so very much.

Similarly, Acornflash had little idea who Greystep’s friends were. The only one he’d even seen before was Ebonyfrost, the young medicine cat of their Clan. For all his talkativeness, he had never heard anyone utter the names Owlwing, Mouseleap, or Arrowpaw before. The names likely went in one ear and out the other; he had a tendency to forget simple things like that, and it was hard to remember names when you couldn’t attach them to a face. One day, Greystep would have to introduce him to them. They could have a big get-together with everybody's friends! That'd be wonderful, he thought, feeling a buzz of warmth and happiness in his chest. There was so much that Acornflash could hope for, now, that he almost forgot about how nervous he became around cats he'd never met before. But his conversation with Greystep had gone smoothly enough—and if this tom could become friends with them, then Acornflash could too.

The small warrior extended his long legs, stretching his claws out towards the sky. As he retracted his limbs, he sat down in a single smooth movement. To anybody who didn't know him, it looked totally graceful and an unconscious movement. It was quite the contrary; his mind was racing, telling him to look perfect, make sure nobody is watching how strange you look, don't draw attention to yourself. He hated, absolutely despised it, when passing cats watched him or spared him a glance. It made him perpetually uncomfortable and unable to think about anything except what that cat might've thought about what he was doing. Acornflash felt his pelt ruffle awkwardly as the heat of the sun burned down onto him, only heightening his anxiety. He didn't like high temperatures very much. Well, at least he didn't have to deal with long fur, he supposed. But having dark fur was a negative in itself. He wished he could change his pelt color. Well... at least he didn't have black fur. That was another plus. He really didn't have it as bad as some cats; perhaps he should stop feeling so sorry for himself. Besides, Greystep had just begun talking once more. Wallowing in self-pity and ignoring who you were having a nice conversation with would only make a scene.

Acornflash beamed at Greystep, his friend. Noticing how uncomfortable the grey tom looked, he felt a worm of anxiety forcing himself to glance away from the tom and up at the sky. “I think of you as a friend, too.” To Acornflash, he thought of being friends as a lifelong commitment, not just talking to someone for a moon and then forgetting about them when an opportunity presented itself. He knew that out of experience. As a young kit, he had grown close to one cat and one cat only, someone who was a few moons older than them and never had enough time to spend with them. Because of that, he had grown to be very needy and restless, yet his need to talk to his friend and his extreme want for adventure was what caused his ultimate downfall. From his apprenticeship onward, he had been secluded, only wanting to talk to his mentor, and now he was facing the consequences of his decisions. He had only ever lost one friend, and to blindly accept another into his tight circle was risky. Still, he had faith in Greystep.

Sometimes it seemed like his faith was the only thing keeping him going in life.

[should we wrap up the roleplay sometime soon, seeing as they've officially become friends? :0]

[RAT KING]

(( @Myik ))

Sootysplash was pawing at the remaining feathers from a thrush he had just eaten. His eyes darted around the clearing, occasionally catching on one of his Clanmates whom were trotting around camp. He shifted his shoulders nervously, his eyes flickering towards the ground so he didn't have to look at any cat. The sun made him uncomfortably hot, due to his heavy pelt, the fact that it was black didn't help any with this. He heaved a small sigh as he finally settled into a laying position similar to a loaf of bread, with all of his legs tucked neatly underneath his fluffy body.

[judas]

Originally Posted by Thyme

(( @Myik ))

Sootysplash was pawing at the remaining feathers from a thrush he had just eaten. His eyes darted around the clearing, occasionally catching on one of his Clanmates whom were trotting around camp. He shifted his shoulders nervously, his eyes flickering towards the ground so he didn't have to look at any cat. The sun made him uncomfortably hot, due to his heavy pelt, the fact that it was black didn't help any with this. He heaved a small sigh as he finally settled into a laying position similar to a loaf of bread, with all of his legs tucked neatly underneath his fluffy body.

Littlewing had just finished her bird, flicking her tail as she sniffed the air. She need help collecting moss for her new nest. She spotted a tom,
larger but younger looking then most. She walked over, shifting her belly.
"Hello, I don't think I've seen you around much? I'm Littlewing," She mewed,
dipping her head. "What is your name?" She mewed.