Sedgepaw nodded with a cold face, their eyes still darting from clumps of foliage to clumps of foliage. At the call of Bluebellcrackle's meow, the apprentice snapped back to their cheerful demeanor and bounced back towards the other two patrol members.
Stormfall finished up with the border, and returned to Bluebellcrackle's side. She looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, searching the foliage. Eventually she gave up, her tail lashing. She hadn't said a word the whole patrol. She looked at Sedgepaw, and the apprentices cheerful demeanor seemed to brighten her mood, if just a little.
@Slushie @CatontheMoon
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Bump me after 24 hours! Feel free to message me if you want to roleplay, I don't mind! (And I need more posts before my characters can rank up..)
With his aunt so close to having kits and his promise to stick by her side ringing through his own mind, Codwhisper slipped out of camp to take a walk. He didn't consider himself responsible enough to be a mentor, much less a father figure. He knew Doeheart wouldn't lay responsibility on him, not in the way a true father would be required to shoulder it, but he had a father who paid him no true attention. Doeheart's brother was a paws-off father up till his death while Codwhisper was still young. That feeling of mild abandonment lingered into his apprentice moons with so many mentors leaving him, ignoring him. Doeheart's kits were not really his responsibility but he felt it his duty to make sure they never felt that abandonment; he'd be the safety net of care that Doeheart had always been to him.
The spotted tom stretched as the sun warmed his back out in the open. He recalled seeing Doeheart wandering over by the Thunderclan border fairly recently so his paws were drawn that direction. He told himself he wouldn't ask, and it was truly nagging him all that much, whoever she chose to father her kits was her business, but it did strike him that she didn't have a known mate. He'd always known Doeheart to be a family-cat, she wanted a mate and kits and the whole lot. Having kits and not speaking of the father felt...odd. It would all make sense if the tom was one she wasn't supposed to be having an affair with. Codwhisper silently rolled his eyes at the Warrior Code; its stipulations against fraternizing over the borders felt outdated and divisive. The clans weren't so different and thinking about Doeheart's kits being half Thunderclan made him respect his aunt all the more. If that's where she found love then he would support her through it all.
As Thunderclan's scent wreathed around him, his ear twitched at the sound of a crackling. Hope sparked in his chest at the thought of maybe getting a peak at the potential father of his aunt's kits. As more rustling met his ears, he realized it was coming from down the border. He tried to smell the air but the noises were coming from downwind. He crouched down and stalked around, away from the Thunderclan border, then back in around the source of the noises. The scent that reached him was unmistakably cat and had a faint, almost underlying, Thunderclan scent about it but it was different. He slowly poked his head over the brush to try to get a view of the cat, suddenly realizing that the scent was definitely coming from the Riverclan side of the border. Before he could get his green eyes over the blockage, a claw poked him from behind. He jumped and spun on the cat. Slowly recognition dawned on him. The brown and white tabby pelt brought up memories that washed over Codwhisper, filling him with hope. "Beetlepaw?!" He whispered excitedly, almost disbelievingly. His kithood best fried and left Riverclan so many moons ago, not long after the pair had become apprentices together, and now here he was! "You...you're parents! Did you ever find them?" It was only after the harsh "Shh" that Codwhisper noticed the look on his old friend's face, a mixture of regret and worry and sickening recognition.
"Get outta here!" Beetlepaw's voice was rough and low.
Codwhisper shook his head. "N...no, Beetlepaw, it's been so long! You can come back, I'm sure you can. Kestrelstar died but Skystar in leader now and I'm sure he'd take you back in!"
"It's just Beetle now, and I don't want to come back. But you need to go!" his whisper was low and rushed, his amber eyes switching to the brush behind Codwhisper and back.
Codwhisper was about to resist further but the brush behind him rustled, turning his attention. At the same time, claws scored along his cheek. His head snapped back to Beetlepaw...Beetle, a look of horror and fear mingling on his face even as his bloodied claws lingered in the air. The sting of claws over Codwhisper's cheek was nothing compared to the sting of it being his best friend's claws.
A silky, sultry voice sounded behind Codwhisper but this time he didn't move his green eyes away from Beetle. "Well done, Beetle, you found one alone."
Codwhisper was still, shock settling through his body as Beetle looked to the she-cat behind him and answered stiffly, "He's not worth it, barely even part of the clan anymore, it won't have an impact."
Heart hammering into his chest, mind reeling to make anything make sense. Codwhisper slowly turned his eyes to see the black and white she-cat behind him. His back end flipped defensively away from the two rogues, his best friend who'd just attacked him and this strange she-cat, so he could face both of them on either side of him. He tried to back away but the she-cat stepped closer to him, her eyes still on Beetle. "Then we'll be rid of him quickly, maybe use him as bait to draw out some more."
Beetle shook his head, visibly trying to keep his eyes averting Codwhisper. "Delphic, it won't matter. They won't care. I know Riverclan, they won't even notice."
There was a silky laughter from the black and white rogue, her eyes moving from one young tom to the other. "Oh, I see what's going on. You know this tom." Delphic moved in on Codwhisper, her blue eyes studying the spotted tom. "Your past is dead Beetle, dispose of it. We cannot complete our mission if you still have ties in the clans. It's for the best."
Codwhisper looked from Delphic to Beetle, silently pleading. He wasn't a fighter but he couldn't die here. He needed to see that Beetle wouldn't turn on him. Beetle's brown and white face was alight with warring emotions and his head eventually shook. "It's not worth it. We can do this without killing Codwhisper."
"Codwhisper. You clan cats and all your silly names," the silky voice drawled. Codwhisper had gotten the confirmation he needed. Pushing aside his heartache amidst the confusion with his once-best friend and putting Doeheart and her kits to the forefront of his mind, Codwhisper launched himself at the black and white rogue. It struck him briefly that this was his first ever fight and he realized it was to the death, with a rogue, on his own. His claws hit their mark but a loud, "NOOO!!!" cut through his focus. He slashed at Delphic's black masked face, scoring bright ragged marks down her cheek as they rolled, but a weight shoved him out of the air and strong paws pinned him to the ground. He looked up in disbelief as he recognized Beetle on top of him. His heart sank. "Codwhisper, I'm sorry, but I need
her. She knows who my mother is."
Before Codwhisper could place his friend's words and determine his own feelings behind them, Beetle's weight was moved from him and the face above him was replaced by Delphic's. Codwhisper quickly switched gears and struck out with his back paws but they moved disorientingly through the air. Delphic had moved back and struck Codwhisper's back leg with long hooked claws. "If you aren't going to kill him then stay out of my way," she growled but Codwhisper's ears rung with the pain slicing through his back leg. He rolled to his paws and sprang at Delphic again. This time he wasn't so lucky as the first. She stepped out of the way, throwing a paw out and slamming him back to the ground. The breath was driven from him but he didn't take a heartbeat to reach out with his forepaws, grabbing her ears and shredding them in his struggle to get free. She didn't budge from on top of him though. His vision blurred as another strike came from under his chin and crushed into his jaw, leaving bleeding gashes over his lower jaw. Codwhisper struggled, kicking out with his back paws but realizing she wasn't standing over him. She wasn't a large cat but her strength was deceiving pinning him to the ground. His determination turned to desperation. He tried to meet Beetle's eyes from around Delphic's imposing paws, holding his back against the ground. Just as he caught Beetle's amber gaze, full of dread but frozen in inaction, a fire lit across Codwhisper's throat. He saw Beetle's expression shift to horror, regret, but still Beetle's paws didn't move. The image of his best friend, standing by as he bled out by the paws of his partner, began to blur and darken. Codwhisper tried to gasp but it throat was sticky and bubbling, blocking any air. The feeling of the stickiness of blood coating his grey throat was beginning to dull as his the pain receded from his body. A tear slipped out of the corner of Codwhisper's eye. Doeheart, what will Doeheart do? I'll never know my baby cousins. Beetle... Love and regret filled Codwhisper's heart just as his eyes were closing into the darkness, heavy with the words unspoken.
Delphic stepped away from the limp Riverclanner, scrapping her bloodied claws through the soggy dirt. She pulled a paw up, looking at it distastefully as the blood and dirt stuck beneath her claws. "Come on, let's fins somewhere drier where I can properly clean myself. It's such messy work, what a bother."
Beetle hardly noticed Delphic disappearing through the underbrush, his amber eyes glued to his dead best friend. What have I done? Nausea knotted his stomach. He couldn't comprehend Codwhisper being gone. The goofy kit that had befriended him, an outsider in the nursery, without even a second thought. All he ever wanted was to make friends and go on adventures. At Delphic's more distanced beckoning, Beetle swallowed roughly past the lump in his throat. He let his eyes close, hoping Codwhisper was romping happily in Starclan's hunting ground, going on all the new adventures he deserved. Feeling sick and dejected, Beetle turned and followed after where Delphic had disappeared along the border.
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She wasn't exactly sure why she was out here again.
It was the day after the Gathering. She'd been jolted awake just after the sun broken the horizon and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Still angry, she'd gotten to her paws and slipped out of camp—she hadn't even known where she'd been walking until she'd actually almost tripped into the river that separated her from those who'd plagued her Clan for so long. Her sides heaved. Her claws dug into the dirt and her fur was spiked along her back. She hated that her paws had led her here, of all places, instead of someplace quiet and peaceful, where she could curl up and go back to sleep without a care in the world. But she was here, and her paws were not moving.
She did not know how long she sat there for, until she finally noticed everything had become brighter, and a single thought materialized in her head.
Maybe this is a sign. Something telling me that I should just storm right into that camp and take her back myself.
...No. No, she couldn't. Skystar had surely already returned and, even without him present, walking in would be akin to sticking her head into a coyote's den. He had no sympathy, no heart—she would be dead in his jaws before she could blink.
With a shuddering sigh, Bumblebreak finally rose to her feet and prepared to leave... and then a twig snapped across the river. She swiveled her head back around, eyes narrowed and searching the brush on the other side. "Who's there?" she demanded.
She wasn't exactly sure why she was out here again.
It was the day after the Gathering. She'd been jolted awake just after the sun broken the horizon and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Still angry, she'd gotten to her paws and slipped out of camp—she hadn't even known where she'd been walking until she'd actually almost tripped into the river that separated her from those who'd plagued her Clan for so long. Her sides heaved. Her claws dug into the dirt and her fur was spiked along her back. She hated that her paws had led her here, of all places, instead of someplace quiet and peaceful, where she could curl up and go back to sleep without a care in the world. But she was here, and her paws were not moving.
She did not know how long she sat there for, until she finally noticed everything had become brighter, and a single thought materialized in her head.
Maybe this is a sign. Something telling me that I should just storm right into that camp and take her back myself.
...No. No, she couldn't. Skystar had surely already returned and, even without him present, walking in would be akin to sticking her head into a coyote's den. He had no sympathy, no heart—she would be dead in his jaws before she could blink.
With a shuddering sigh, Bumblebreak finally rose to her feet and prepared to leave... and then a twig snapped across the river. She swiveled her head back around, eyes narrowed and searching the brush on the other side. "Who's there?" she demanded.
Cricketsting thought it was a fishy idea - he chortled - to stay in RiverClan camp. He decided instead to sea -now giggling at his second pun of the day- if he could take his mind off the incident at The Gathering yesterday by going hunting.
He chased a squirrel who noticed the tabby. It was quick, Cricketsting can admit. However, losing fresh-kill was not in his plans. The cream warrior leapt and clawed at it, but it got away. Slamming his face against the muddy ground, Cricketsting lifted his head up and spat the dirt. He watched the squirrel crack a tiny twig that gave out a great pop! “Dung!” He cursed, lifting his whole body up and licked the unneeded debris. He soon twisted his head to face a voice that made him jumped. Cricketsting spotted a cat with cream and brown fur. The RiverClan warrior realized that he was at Smallpines, a border shared with Thunder and River. Hopefully he didn’t crossed the border and cause a disruption in ThunderClan’s side. Relieved that he found out that he wasn’t, he took a couple steps back to give him and the lone ThunderClan cat a far distance.
“Um,” Cricketsting started, never met a ThunderClan cat before until now. “I’m Cricketsting. Err… I would assume that you’re part of ThunderClan, but I don’t want to be a thunderhead.” He laughed with hints of anxiety that became fainted -but not gone- as he thought back to the pun.
Char Site updated (10/11/22), added Blazingpaw and Goldenkit!
During most or few roleplays, I will do a flashback that was conjured in my characters' thoughts. Please do not respond to the flashback unless you have the power to read minds or smth.
Cricketsting thought it was a fishy idea - he chortled - to stay in RiverClan camp. He decided instead to sea -now giggling at his second pun of the day- if he could take his mind off the incident at The Gathering yesterday by going hunting.
He chased a squirrel who noticed the tabby. It was quick, Cricketsting can admit. However, losing fresh-kill was not in his plans. The cream warrior leapt and clawed at it, but it got away. Slamming his face against the muddy ground, Cricketsting lifted his head up and spat the dirt. He watched the squirrel crack a tiny twig that gave out a great pop! “Dung!” He cursed, lifting his whole body up and licked the unneeded debris. He soon twisted his head to face a voice that made him jumped. Cricketsting spotted a cat with cream and brown fur. The RiverClan warrior realized that he was at Smallpines, a border shared with Thunder and River. Hopefully he didn’t crossed the border and cause a disruption in ThunderClan’s side. Relieved that he found out that he wasn’t, he took a couple steps back to give him and the lone ThunderClan cat a far distance.
“Um,” Cricketsting started, never met a ThunderClan cat before until now. “I’m Cricketsting. Err… I would assume that you’re part of ThunderClan, but I don’t want to be a thunderhead.” He laughed with hints of anxiety that became fainted -but not gone- as he thought back to the pun.
>Bumblebreak<
She visibly stiffened as soon as the RiverClan warrior appeared, claws once again sliding out as she prepared to defend herself in case he decided to cross the river. When he instead took a few steps back, she narrowed his eyes at him. He was definitely old enough to have had a say in the decision about Cinderpaw, old enough to recognize that it was wrong, old enough to have spoken out about it. Had he sat back and done nothing? Watched as Skystar violated every moral in existence?
...Worse, was Skystar more of a tyrant than she thought? Did he refuse to listen to the Clan he led?
She finally registered his words and squinted at him, aggression faltering for just a moment. "'Thunderhead'... 'dunderhead'?" Was he making puns right now?
In any case, he didn't seem to mean any harm—at least not at the moment, or not that she could see. Her guard remained raised. "Were you at the Gathering last night?" she asked. Figured she could get right into the thick of it; he had introduced himself but she didn't feel it was necessary for her to do as well.
She visibly stiffened as soon as the RiverClan warrior appeared, claws once again sliding out as she prepared to defend herself in case he decided to cross the river. When he instead took a few steps back, she narrowed his eyes at him. He was definitely old enough to have had a say in the decision about Cinderpaw, old enough to recognize that it was wrong, old enough to have spoken out about it. Had he sat back and done nothing? Watched as Skystar violated every moral in existence?
...Worse, was Skystar more of a tyrant than she thought? Did he refuse to listen to the Clan he led?
She finally registered his words and squinted at him, aggression faltering for just a moment. "'Thunderhead'... 'dunderhead'?" Was he making puns right now?
In any case, he didn't seem to mean any harm—at least not at the moment, or not that she could see. Her guard remained raised. "Were you at the Gathering last night?" she asked. Figured she could get right into the thick of it; he had introduced himself but she didn't feel it was necessary for her to do as well.
The tabby purred and watched the other warrior’s reaction at the pun. It helped cool down Cricketsting’s nerves by a whole lot.
Cricketsting then stiffened for a second, pondering on the question that was asked by the ThunderClan warrior. “Um, yeah I was,” he deadpanned. He could feel his limbs stepping back some more on their own, and he knew why. He suddenly remembered about Cinderpaw’s kidnapping that he wasn’t aware of at the time until it was announced. He can guess that the ThunderClan cat must be hating every RiverClan cat, thinking that they are apathetic and are willing to cross boundaries. That’s not true at all! Cricketsting wanted to yowl at the other cat, assure them that he disagrees with Skystar’s decision.
As much as Cricketsting wanted to speak or wisecrack to the ThunderClan tabby, he became speechless and awaited their words.
Char Site updated (10/11/22), added Blazingpaw and Goldenkit!
During most or few roleplays, I will do a flashback that was conjured in my characters' thoughts. Please do not respond to the flashback unless you have the power to read minds or smth.
The tabby purred and watched the other warrior’s reaction at the pun. It helped cool down Cricketsting’s nerves by a whole lot.
Cricketsting then stiffened for a second, pondering on the question that was asked by the ThunderClan warrior. “Um, yeah I was,” he deadpanned. He could feel his limbs stepping back some more on their own, and he knew why. He suddenly remembered about Cinderpaw’s kidnapping that he wasn’t aware of at the time until it was announced. He can guess that the ThunderClan cat must be hating every RiverClan cat, thinking that they are apathetic and are willing to cross boundaries. That’s not true at all! Cricketsting wanted to yowl at the other cat, assure them that he disagrees with Skystar’s decision.
As much as Cricketsting wanted to speak or wisecrack to the ThunderClan tabby, he became speechless and awaited their words.
>Bumblebreak<
Cricketsting's reaction wasn't exactly hard to read, and Bumblebreak felt a sick sense of satisfaction roll over her as he stepped back from the riverbank some more. Was he afraid of her? Good, he had every reason to be. She stepped forward to the edge of the river, claws scraping against the sandy soil and teeth flashing as she spoke. "So you know that your Clan's fox-hearted secret is out. You know we aren't going to tolerate it—that I'm not going to tolerate it. I'm curious... what do you think about this? Did you even try to deny this as an option at all?Surely it was obvious to all of you that this was a terrible thing to do." And that was a hell of an understatement.
She was looking for just one reason to jump across the river and give this cat a serious taste of her claws.
Cricketsting's reaction wasn't exactly hard to read, and Bumblebreak felt a sick sense of satisfaction roll over her as he stepped back from the riverbank some more. Was he afraid of her? Good, he had every reason to be. She stepped forward to the edge of the river, claws scraping against the sandy soil and teeth flashing as she spoke. "So you know that your Clan's fox-hearted secret is out. You know we aren't going to tolerate it—that I'm not going to tolerate it. I'm curious... what do you think about this? Did you even try to deny this as an option at all?Surely it was obvious to all of you that this was a terrible thing to do." And that was a hell of an understatement.
She was looking for just one reason to jump across the river and give this cat a serious taste of her claws.
Cricketsting’s anger boiled inside him, being used as a punching bag for the ThunderClan cat who seemed like the kind who would complain to any action done by clans, excluding ThunderClan.
“For your information, I was somewhere else when RiverClan decided to kidnap your clanmate,” he spoke truthfully, baring his teeth and padding forward towards the bank. He already dealt with knowing that RiverClan kidnapped an apprentice. He doesn’t want to deal with it today while hunting. Who gave this ThunderClan cat the right to ruin his vacation away from the horrible things that kept happening in RiverClan? Cricketsting was not having it!
“If you’re really going to complain about RiverClan's decisions, do it to Skystar.” Hell, Cricketsting would be grateful if the other warrior did so. It would be so enjoyable to watch Skystar getting an earful. He continued, in a whisper low enough for both of them to hear, “And while you’re at it, how about you stop talking or you wake up every animal in the forest.”
Char Site updated (10/11/22), added Blazingpaw and Goldenkit!
During most or few roleplays, I will do a flashback that was conjured in my characters' thoughts. Please do not respond to the flashback unless you have the power to read minds or smth.
Cricketsting’s anger boiled inside him, being used as a punching bag for the ThunderClan cat who seemed like the kind who would complain to any action done by clans, excluding ThunderClan.
“For your information, I was somewhere else when RiverClan decided to kidnap your clanmate,” he spoke truthfully, baring his teeth and padding forward towards the bank. He already dealt with knowing that RiverClan kidnapped an apprentice. He doesn’t want to deal with it today while hunting. Who gave this ThunderClan cat the right to ruin his vacation away from the horrible things that kept happening in RiverClan? Cricketsting was not having it!
“If you’re really going to complain about RiverClan's decisions, do it to Skystar.” Hell, Cricketsting would be grateful if the other warrior did so. It would be so enjoyable to watch Skystar getting an earful. He continued, in a whisper low enough for both of them to hear, “And while you’re at it, how about you stop talking or you wake up every animal in the forest.”
>Bumblebreak<
Her fur spiked as Cricketsting finally padded toward her for a change, and her puplis narrowed into slits. "Doesn't matter. When you heard about it, you could've done something about it," she countered venomously. "And believe me, jackass, I've shouted his ears off twice now. Frankly I don't think your snake of a leader holds a heart or brain, because the first time he called me the manipulative one and the second time he just didn't care." Believe her, she'd be more than happy to make it a third, only this time she'd be speaking with teeth and not claws.
She snarled at Cricketsting as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "If you have a problem with it, you can either make me or you can go hunt somewhere else." Her narrowed eyes flashed with blatant challenge, daring him to step over the border and give her a reason to give him a piece of her mind.
Re: Smallpines
