SkyClan Clearing

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by Brilliance

After a game of mossball with a couple kits, Umbraice had to 'peace them out'. Those kits were so fluffy and cute, just begging for him to stay and throw the mossball around more, but Umbraice had to chain them off of him because he didn't want to be stuck with tiny kits all day! Nu-uh, that was their mother's job! He never mind playing with them. Anyone would think that just because they were kits that a grown warrior would allow a kit to win...nope, not this time. In fact, Umbraice was pretty beyond competitive. He didn't allow anyone to win a game against them. It sucked to hurt their precious, wide-eyed, innocent feelings, but in the end this tom cat wanted to feel victorious.

Truthfully, roughing around with a couple kits who have the energy of hopping frogs. It was far better than warriors who were bitter over recent events lately. Umbraice wasn't happy either, but he also wasn't moping around either. It was a large shock by the entire clan that Auroraflame got demoted. Umbraice had the audacity to shoulder his way through, acting hardheaded and trying to demand answers as to why. Or, figure out if somehow by some dark wizardly magic of this is some alternative universe where everything morphed differently. The talks were whispers among clan mates, eyes peeling for those who are the betrayers and who done the betrayed. Umbraice didn't want to be on either side of the grass, and practically roam the middle of the separation. He wasn't at a lost of which side to be on. He already made his decision at what side he was on. He just didn't need to go around and putting his paw in his maw just to get himself in trouble.

He padded towards the clearing, eyes busying about, scanning the faces of his clan mates. He took a couple licks of his chest fur before he padded confidently through, expression stoic and plain, like he had nothing better to do. He nosed through the food pile trying to see if there was anything suitable to enjoy. He'd much rather catch his own food in the places he's explored, but he kept himself grounded in the clan. It was practically a horrible time to be leaving camp at the moment. Not when leaders were paranoid...and, they had a right to be. Umbraice kept his mouth shut, no secrets leaving. He could play the part quite well. Eventually, he just opted for a scrawny bird before turning away to try and find a spot to enjoy it.

@Empress Of Evil

The ebony she-cat sat by herself in the camp. This was what she did for basically every hour of every day now. No one wanted to talk to a traitor, let alone sit with one, and the ones who knew the truth couldn't risk being exposed. And then of course, Grousestar had made the decision to keep her in camp, refusing to let her patrol or hunt. As much as Auroraflame hated it, she could understand why the leader would do such a thing after what she had told him. Even after understanding his reasoning, the former deputy still had the urge to run and leap through the forest. She hated being confined like this. She needed to stretch her limbs and be able to experience freedom again. Thankfully, Doveflight, the clan's new deputy, had given her some freedom by convincing Grousestar to let her go to the gathering. While it had been a truly wonderful experience to be let out of camp, it hadn't lasted for long and she was becoming fidgety once again.

She let her icy blue gaze roam the camp, watching her clanmates go about with their duties while she could do nothing but sit. She was going to get fat soon if she wasn't given the chance to be free. She'd probably forget how to walk eventually. And she had no idea when this punishment was going to end. Would Grousestar removed her punishment when the war ended? Would the war even end? The blood in her veins grew cold at the thought and her gaze hardened harshly. No! She had started something and even though she could no longer assist with the state she was in, she trusted Shinefang to continue this quiet rebellion. Auroraflame sighed. All she could do was sit back and watch everything unfold, powerless to do anything. She hated this so much.

Auroraflame found her gaze wandering over to land on the figure to a familiar friend. Umbraice. She watched as he played with the kits, never allowing them to win in the end. She snorted aloud, not caring who heard her. Most would expect a warrior to allow the young kits to win, but apparently Umbraice didn't function like that. It was probably the most amusing thing she had seen in a while in this miserable life of hers. She kept her eyes trained on the tom as he moved away from the fresh kill pile, a bird now clamped in his jaws. Well, she didn't have anything better to do, and she needed to talk to someone, even if that someone was as peculiar as Umbraice. She rose to her paws and slowly padded over.

"That was a bit mean. You should've let them win," she said bluntly as she approached him. Auroraflame had lost a considerable amount of her friendliness when she'd lost her position as deputy. She spoke with little emotion and didn't consider others emotions very much either. It's not like they would care about her feelings anyway.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by RedHead

@Empress Of Evil

[Matrbledflare & Auoraflame]

Never before had the ginger tomcat felt so... lost. The oSt few moons of his life had gone by like a hurricane, coming in with such a rush, yet leaving him with barely anything. The cat he’d raised kittens with, and his first probable love, had vanished without a trace, no one knows what happened to her. Most of his kits were growing up, and they either ignored him, or had vanished along with their mother.
But Marbledflare was not going to let these things bring him down. The Maine coon liked to be strong and independent, and Hayes to show signs of weakness. Of course he missed his family, but life must move on, right?
But he still felt something empty inside, a hole that needed to be filled again, with his former fiery passion he had held. Right now, even though he convinced himself that he was fine, he was still hurting. And it had taken a noticeable toll on the ginger cat.

He sat outside the warrior’s den, his eyes closed as he greatly ran a tongue over his pelt, subconsciously grooming it. His mind was on other things, which été whirring around his brain with a speed that made him dizzy. He opened his eyes, cutting off the whirring thoughts and taking a glace around the clearing. I could do for some company right now...

[whoop this is terribly late, sorry!! ^^']

Auroraflame happened to be sitting outside the warriors den, alone as usual. She was aware of the ginger warrior that sat close by, but she made no move to move over to him for some conversation. She was in a tough debate over whether or not she should move over and talk. She needed something to do. All she ever did these days was sit in the camp like a rock, unable to find someone to talk to her because no one wanted to talk to her.

The charcoal she-cat sat stiffly, grooming the same arm over and over again. Honestly, she wasn't really aware that she had been licking the same arm for about 3 minutes now. She was too busy wondering whether or not the tom nearby would be friendly do her. Would he want to talk to me? He looks like he could do with some company. But then again, I bet even the loneliest cat in the world wouldn't want to talk to me, she thought bitterly.
Auroraflame found herself to be in this situation a lot nowadays. She had always been a little indecisive before her demotion, but now her indecisiveness had just worsened. She was more distant and struggled to think with much emotion. She simply stared blankly and made decisions with a distant look in her gaze.

Finally, Auroraflame made the brave decision to give it a shot and move over to the tom. In the previous times in which she had been through this debate, she had always ended up refusing to make a decision, deciding to just let the opportunity pass. But this time things would be different. She would try to be the persistent cat she had been before and she would not be lonely. "Hey," she greeted. "You're Marbledflare right?" She was actually certain that that was his name but she needed to start up a conversation in some sort of way, and it appeared that this was her best chance.

[Fogwind]

Originally Posted by Fuzzyfeline

Firepaw was surprised to be comforted by the tom but it was nice to know she wasn't the only one. The fiery feline gave him a smile as he purred. He could be happy. That alone was enough to lift her spirits from the thoughts she'd had. Plus knowing that he didn't care that she was a childish goof made her happy. A lot of cats didn't like that about her. It got on their nerves and tended to cause clashes. She let out a laugh as Fogkit did. Though when he brushed against her she wasn't expecting it and stepped back. Noticing how embarrassed she was the molly tried to play it off cool. "It's okay," She chirped waving her tail behind her. "It didn't bother me." Firepaw added giving him a smile. Really it didn't bother her but seeing him embarrassed made her feel a little flustered.

Fogkit looked up at Firepaw as she talked and felt himself cool down a little bit. "Thanks..." he mewed hesitantly. He shuffled his paws nervously, then shook himself vigorously. She's probably just surprised by my mood swings, Fogkit thought, trying to reassure himself. Fogkit's ears flicked as if he had just thought of something, which he did. Maybe I should tell her the real reason I was so excited before? "I... I..." Fogkit tried to speak, but he couldn't. It almost seemed as if he had a piece of fresh-kill stuck in his throat, preventing him from speaking. Fogkit licked his chest one more time and it seemed to clear his mind a little. "I'll be turning six moons tomorrow!" Fogkit declared, happily. He looked at Firepaw and hoped that she would be just as happy as he was.

[lone]

She should’ve expected this. After all, it had been bound to happen sooner or later, but Asterflame just hadn’t thought it would be… now. She was still young, and she’d half-thought that she might never have kits, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen now. Pregnant. She was pregnant, with Bluespark’s kits. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it yet. Asterflame was still in shock, wondering how in the world she was supposed to deal with something like this. She’d heard that she would have some sort of instinct, telling her at least part of what to do, but it wasn’t kicking in now. If she didn’t learn soon, Asterflame was afraid that something would happen to her kits. Bluespark still didn’t know - she was waiting anxiously for him now, her tail curled around her paws, wondering how he would respond. He wanted kits, right? They’d talked about it and everything… it was just, things were different when the time actually came. Asterflame hoped that he would be happy about it. This was a start to having a real family, a normal family… normal. She almost laughed at the word. There was nothing normal about their situation, and she knew it. They’d grow up with parents who were only together because of some stupid promise, a half-aunt, and an uncle who Asterflame was crushing on. Or… she had been crushing on him. Hawthornheart was Alli’s mate now, and she had no right to think anything like that. She couldn’t bring herself to stop caring about him, but that didn’t mean she had to rub it in anyone’s face. Why couldn’t they have a happy, normal family too? Why couldn’t things just go back to the way they were before Bluespark and Hawthornheart had come into their lives? Everything was much, much less complicated back then. Change might be a part of life, but Asterflame was pretty sure this sort of drama wasn’t. She’d never heard of this happening to someone else… or at least, she couldn’t remember hearing anything like it before.

---

Alabastersnow was happy. Not the fake, put-on-a-smile-and-pretend kind of happy, but a truly excited one. She was thrilled, actually. Things were turning out just the way she wanted. She and her mate might not be the most ideal couple, and she might not have his heart, but she controlled him. Or at least, she tried to. There was a significant lightness to Alabastersnow’s step as she entered the clearing, humming to herself as she shot flirtatious glances at the few toms who stared at her. Everyone should be staring at her. She was gorgeous, after all. The prettiest she cat of all. Why shouldn’t they stare at her? Spotting her sister - well, half sister, as proven by the differences in their appearances - Alabastersnow headed across the clearing to her, a friendly smile on her face. ”Good morning, Asterflame!” She greeted in a musical, sweet tone. Usually she wouldn’t have attempted conversation, but she was in a good mood. A good mood that went downhill just a little when she spotted her sister’s stomach. Either Asterflame had been eating too much fresh-kill lately (which was doubtful, not because she cared about her appearance, but because she cared about the Clan) or she was expecting. Bluespark’s kits. Alabastersnow hadn’t thought the two would last this long - the charade was driving her crazy. They weren’t any better than herself and Hawthornheart, not that they would ever admit it. And now they were expecting kits? What kind of a sick, twisted family would those poor young ones grow up in? Would they even grow up? Asterflame didn’t know the first thing about kits - even Alabastersnow probably knew more than she did. She kept her mouth shut, although she gave her half-sister a suspicious side glance. Something was just wrong here. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe it was a trick of the light or something. Judging by Asterflame’s expression, and the muttered “morning, Alli” that she gave back, that was doubtful. Alabastersnow suspected she would figure out soon enough.

@Brilliance

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

The ebony she-cat sat by herself in the camp. This was what she did for basically every hour of every day now. No one wanted to talk to a traitor, let alone sit with one, and the ones who knew the truth couldn't risk being exposed. And then of course, Grousestar had made the decision to keep her in camp, refusing to let her patrol or hunt. As much as Auroraflame hated it, she could understand why the leader would do such a thing after what she had told him. Even after understanding his reasoning, the former deputy still had the urge to run and leap through the forest. She hated being confined like this. She needed to stretch her limbs and be able to experience freedom again. Thankfully, Doveflight, the clan's new deputy, had given her some freedom by convincing Grousestar to let her go to the gathering. While it had been a truly wonderful experience to be let out of camp, it hadn't lasted for long and she was becoming fidgety once again.

She let her icy blue gaze roam the camp, watching her clanmates go about with their duties while she could do nothing but sit. She was going to get fat soon if she wasn't given the chance to be free. She'd probably forget how to walk eventually. And she had no idea when this punishment was going to end. Would Grousestar removed her punishment when the war ended? Would the war even end? The blood in her veins grew cold at the thought and her gaze hardened harshly. No! She had started something and even though she could no longer assist with the state she was in, she trusted Shinefang to continue this quiet rebellion. Auroraflame sighed. All she could do was sit back and watch everything unfold, powerless to do anything. She hated this so much.

Auroraflame found her gaze wandering over to land on the figure to a familiar friend. Umbraice. She watched as he played with the kits, never allowing them to win in the end. She snorted aloud, not caring who heard her. Most would expect a warrior to allow the young kits to win, but apparently Umbraice didn't function like that. It was probably the most amusing thing she had seen in a while in this miserable life of hers. She kept her eyes trained on the tom as he moved away from the fresh kill pile, a bird now clamped in his jaws. Well, she didn't have anything better to do, and she needed to talk to someone, even if that someone was as peculiar as Umbraice. She rose to her paws and slowly padded over.

"That was a bit mean. You should've let them win," she said bluntly as she approached him. Auroraflame had lost a considerable amount of her friendliness when she'd lost her position as deputy. She spoke with little emotion and didn't consider others emotions very much either. It's not like they would care about her feelings anyway.

If Auroraflame hadn't approached him, then Umbraice wouldn't even knew she was there. Most likely because it was like her depressing mood added to her shadowy appeal. As she approached him, Umbraice almost dropped the prey he had in his mouth, his short fur bristling for the smallest of moment. To think that a moon or so ago, she would had been greeting him with some friendly purr or something, but instead all he was getting was her rather moping attitude. He dropped his prey, ''Well, well, well,'' He purred himself, a little haughtily. ''Isn't it the lovely Auroraflame. Deciding to grace me with her beauty. How kind of you to say hello to me.'' He scoffed, his pale blue gaze rolled upward toward the sky for a moment, allowing her to take a gander at his sarcastic reply.

He grabbed his prey again in his jaws, purposely ignoring her words for as he padded away. He can somewhat tell that she would be following behind him. He wouldn't admit that he didn't mind. He could use the company. She didn't seem too busy any longer, with not being deputy and all. He had to remind himself that she must be taking her demotion pretty badly. In his defense, he felt secondhand shock for her losing her position. He would had done something to cheer her up, but Umbraice was rather a dunce in situations like this. He couldn't say something sweet without unintentionally causing himself to sound like an idiot. He took a few glances back at her before he found a comfortable spot to sit down. He bent down to drop the prey once again, and used his tail to pat the spot next to him, gesturing her to sit down.

''Those kits, yeah?'' Umbraice purred a laughter. Despite her monotonous attitude, Umbraice was far from thinking he was mean to the little kits. Sure, any other warrior or apprentice would probably let those cuties win. Their eyes alone were like a sneak attack. He would had swore that every time they wanted to win, they'd look at him with those large eyes and pouty faces. ''I beg to differ, Auroraflame. I let them win, where's the fun in the challenge?'' He gave her a long look, waiting for her to disagree and come up with a counter of her own. ''I'm teaching them to grow, ya'know. As long as they keep losing, they would want to practice. Practice makes perfect.'' It made sense to him...It was life, and it was about learning to grow. It was only a game of mossball, but it was good practice for young kits such as themselves. ''Who knows? The next time we play, they'll probably win.'' He started tearing into the scrawny bird, picking off the feathers. The worst part of the meal. ''Or, they won't. Because, between you and me, I'm the pro at mossball...among other activities.'' He smirked to himself, turning to wink at her. Part of him missed their little banters that they usually got into, but the way she was looking, she didn't seem like she wanted to hear a joke. Let alone, take one. Let alone, joke herself.

[gemini]

Originally Posted by North

| @Gemini |
Doveflight was tired to say the very least; he was still struggling to adjust to all his duties as deputy, but he was getting closer. He had been busy juggling his social life with his busy life, trying his best to maintain a strict balance between the two but he'd, unfortunately, found that task to be harder than first anticipated. He'd been spending more time being Skyclan's deputy than he had been spending time with his friends and, more importantly, his family. He'd missed the familiar sound of his mother's voice, and how soothing it sounded to his ears. Hearing her voice felt as natural as breathing to Doveflight, so at this point, it felt as though he were suffocating; he needed to speak with her, and soon. The milky tom ambled out of the warrior's den, an aura of tiredness making the air around him feel thicker than usual - the sudden chill of the air reminding him the leaf-bare was on the horizon. The thought of all the challenges he'd have to face as deputy made him feel sick just thinking about them, so he completely shut them out. He would think about them later on, further down the line when they were truly unavoidable problems. For now, he would enjoy his free time. Olive eyes scanning the clearing, Doveflight quickly caught sight of the most angelic she-cat; his mother, Snowleap, was seated not too far away from him, the autumnal sun casting a hazy glow around her and giving her a divinely beautiful appearance. Even as she grew older and older with every passing moon, Doveflight failed to see her get any less beautiful; if anything, she grew more stunning with every passing moon. Time had aged her well, and Doveflight couldn't be more thankful for the mother Starclan had given him. Like a kit, he bounded over to her and carefully nudged her side, purring uncontrollably as he drowned in her comforting scent. "Mother," He greeted, a bright smile lighting up his wintery features. He had so much to say to her, so much to ramble on about, but he remained quiet - savouring the sweet moment between them, awaiting her response to his sudden appearance.

As the molly heard her son's sweet voice, her eyes lit up. She smiled as she noticed him at her side, "Doveflight!" She had many questions for him with his new duties and all she ran up to him pressing her fluffy muzzle into his jaw, smelling his scent as if he was still a young kit that needed her to stay warm in the night, "Oh! How are you! Have you been eating? Are you ok? You have been taking breaks right?" She questioned him at rapid speed still pressing her muzzle against him. She moved it away for a moment only to lick between his ears with her rosy tongue, this brought her back to when he was a small kit, no bigger then her head. The leaf-bare cold was on the crisp wind as she felt it hit her ears, with a smile she pulled away head butting him again with affection before pulling away and softening her eyes into a motherly manner, that she had not shown for so long she longed to see him and she always had but he had other work to do. No matter, he was here now. And that's all that mattered to her.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Fogwind

Fogkit looked up at Firepaw as she talked and felt himself cool down a little bit. "Thanks..." he mewed hesitantly. He shuffled his paws nervously, then shook himself vigorously. She's probably just surprised by my mood swings, Fogkit thought, trying to reassure himself. Fogkit's ears flicked as if he had just thought of something, which he did. Maybe I should tell her the real reason I was so excited before? "I... I..." Fogkit tried to speak, but he couldn't. It almost seemed as if he had a piece of fresh-kill stuck in his throat, preventing him from speaking. Fogkit licked his chest one more time and it seemed to clear his mind a little. "I'll be turning six moons tomorrow!" Fogkit declared, happily. He looked at Firepaw and hoped that she would be just as happy as he was.

Seeing the tom calm down the fiery molly smiled. It seemed both Fogkit and herself tended to change moods really fast, that was a cool fact! It was almost funny how they were so much alike yet totally different. Firepaw being a very childish feline who really needs to mature while Fogkit was a overly mature tom who was totally ready to be an apprentice. It was just so funny. At least to her, though she never had much time to think of it cuz her thoughts jumped all over the place as fast as a hare running for it's life. As the tom began to speak once more Firepaw picked her ears up. She really wanted to know what he was going to say. Once he finally said it his voice full of excitement the ginger molly almost let out a bounce. "Congratulations! That's so cool! That means we get to make your nest and go hunting and train together! Your going to have so much fun Fogkit! " She purred with glee. This is going to be great! Working her paws on the ground the molly slanted her head. "Who do you want to be your mentor? " Firepaw asked curious.

[Fogwind]

Originally Posted by Fuzzyfeline

Seeing the tom calm down the fiery molly smiled. It seemed both Fogkit and herself tended to change moods really fast, that was a cool fact! It was almost funny how they were so much alike yet totally different. Firepaw being a very childish feline who really needs to mature while Fogkit was a overly mature tom who was totally ready to be an apprentice. It was just so funny. At least to her, though she never had much time to think of it cuz her thoughts jumped all over the place as fast as a hare running for it's life. As the tom began to speak once more Firepaw picked her ears up. She really wanted to know what he was going to say. Once he finally said it his voice full of excitement the ginger molly almost let out a bounce. "Congratulations! That's so cool! That means we get to make your nest and go hunting and train together! Your going to have so much fun Fogkit! " She purred with glee. This is going to be great! Working her paws on the ground the molly slanted her head. "Who do you want to be your mentor? " Firepaw asked curious.

Fogkit flicked his ear in surprise. That question had really stunned him for a split second. It took the smoky gray kit several heartbeats to come up with an answer. Who do I want to me my mentor? I never really thought of that before! Fogkit struggled to find a response but couldn't find one. "I don't know.." Fogkit mewed sadly. The smoky kit lowered his head, disappointed in himself for not thinking about that one.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

She should’ve expected this. After all, it had been bound to happen sooner or later, but Asterflame just hadn’t thought it would be… now. She was still young, and she’d half-thought that she might never have kits, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen now. Pregnant. She was pregnant, with Bluespark’s kits. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it yet. Asterflame was still in shock, wondering how in the world she was supposed to deal with something like this. She’d heard that she would have some sort of instinct, telling her at least part of what to do, but it wasn’t kicking in now. If she didn’t learn soon, Asterflame was afraid that something would happen to her kits. Bluespark still didn’t know - she was waiting anxiously for him now, her tail curled around her paws, wondering how he would respond. He wanted kits, right? They’d talked about it and everything… it was just, things were different when the time actually came. Asterflame hoped that he would be happy about it. This was a start to having a real family, a normal family… normal. She almost laughed at the word. There was nothing normal about their situation, and she knew it. They’d grow up with parents who were only together because of some stupid promise, a half-aunt, and an uncle who Asterflame was crushing on. Or… she had been crushing on him. Hawthornheart was Alli’s mate now, and she had no right to think anything like that. She couldn’t bring herself to stop caring about him, but that didn’t mean she had to rub it in anyone’s face. Why couldn’t they have a happy, normal family too? Why couldn’t things just go back to the way they were before Bluespark and Hawthornheart had come into their lives? Everything was much, much less complicated back then. Change might be a part of life, but Asterflame was pretty sure this sort of drama wasn’t. She’d never heard of this happening to someone else… or at least, she couldn’t remember hearing anything like it before.

---

Alabastersnow was happy. Not the fake, put-on-a-smile-and-pretend kind of happy, but a truly excited one. She was thrilled, actually. Things were turning out just the way she wanted. She and her mate might not be the most ideal couple, and she might not have his heart, but she controlled him. Or at least, she tried to. There was a significant lightness to Alabastersnow’s step as she entered the clearing, humming to herself as she shot flirtatious glances at the few toms who stared at her. Everyone should be staring at her. She was gorgeous, after all. The prettiest she cat of all. Why shouldn’t they stare at her? Spotting her sister - well, half sister, as proven by the differences in their appearances - Alabastersnow headed across the clearing to her, a friendly smile on her face. ”Good morning, Asterflame!” She greeted in a musical, sweet tone. Usually she wouldn’t have attempted conversation, but she was in a good mood. A good mood that went downhill just a little when she spotted her sister’s stomach. Either Asterflame had been eating too much fresh-kill lately (which was doubtful, not because she cared about her appearance, but because she cared about the Clan) or she was expecting. Bluespark’s kits. Alabastersnow hadn’t thought the two would last this long - the charade was driving her crazy. They weren’t any better than herself and Hawthornheart, not that they would ever admit it. And now they were expecting kits? What kind of a sick, twisted family would those poor young ones grow up in? Would they even grow up? Asterflame didn’t know the first thing about kits - even Alabastersnow probably knew more than she did. She kept her mouth shut, although she gave her half-sister a suspicious side glance. Something was just wrong here. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe it was a trick of the light or something. Judging by Asterflame’s expression, and the muttered “morning, Alli” that she gave back, that was doubtful. Alabastersnow suspected she would figure out soon enough.

@Brilliance

As long as Hawthornheart been around, he never exactly expected he'd make it to these moons. He was certain that being with Alli would prove that he was going to be dead soon. Or, he should had been dead quite a while ago. Was he happy being her mate? Definitely...definitely...not. He was a simple ghost in the flesh that appeared to be aloof more than anything, really. It got to the point Hawthornheart lost all his willpower and just did whatever to make her happy. Not because he wanted praise of any kind from her, but mainly because he would do anything - absolutely anything - to shut her up. Make her be quiet. Stop her nagging. Other days, he was surprised that his ears wasn't falling off from listening to her incessant rambling. He didn't even know if it was a good thing that often toms envied him for being with the alabaster feline. If they really knew that Alli's interior was made of molten lava, from the depths of the dark forest...then, they wouldn't even want her. Even now, as he was perched in a corner of the clearing, just finishing up small prey, he made out his mate, and the obvious look she was sending to some ogling eyes her way. Oddly, he didn't even feel jealous because this was what he expected. He only had glanced briefly towards Asterflame when Alabastersnow approached the blue-grey molly, but he didn't dare to stare at her for much longer than a second. Their friendship...this family was, indeed, weird. All types of messed up drama. How in the world he ended up in this web? He had no idea, but he was almost certain, within his cynical mind, that there was no way out. After he finished with his prey, he found himself slowly cleaning his fur. His wounds were mere scratches, and as his fur grew thicker during this season around, it hid his scars under his pelt.

~♥♥♥~

On the contrary, Bluespark felt something similar to how Alli was feeling. He wasn't extremely happy as one should be, but he was more mellow-minded than his usual sharpened ego self. He wasn't going around acting flirtatious since he had a mate of his own. And, quite so, little Asterflame was just such a charming dear that he held tight to his heart. Not to forget to mention, he kept a rather tight leash on her. Even when he wasn't around, he always threatened her that he could see whatever she was doing - that wasn't true. Yet, that wasn't the case. As long as she believe it was true, then he was good with it. The friendship that his mate and former best friend shared, he eliminated it to nonexistent. He didn't even like her staring at Hawthornheart for too long - let alone thinking of the foolish tom. Although, it wasn't hard to notice a shift in Hawthornheart's personality. The tom was more quiet, still with a snarky attitude, but he lessened himself around the others, always managing to come up with some excuse like he had to hunt or make dirt or he didn't get enough sleep last night. Even as he made his way across the clearing once he seen two of his favorite mollies, he noticed that Hawthornheart refused to come forward. Bluespark briefly wondered why in the world wasn't both mollies his. He could do that...right? At one point, Alli was almost his. That was still possible, right? Just steal her away from Hawthornheart, or part take in some scandalous affair under both their mates' noses. Honestly, Bluespark was shallow. He'd only keep Alli around because she was a pretty face. He had no emotional attachment to her like he had with Asterflame, as he liked to believe. Asterflame was his soul mate, and she was his. No one could tell him otherwise. He knew exactly how to care for her like a mate should...excluding all the minor skirmishes they got into, whether it was setting her straight into her place or overpowering an argument with her. He fluffed out his short pelt, shivering slightly from the cold as he trotted to the pretty mollies with a devilish grin written on his expression. He brushed himself around his mate, tail running along her flank as he sat down next to Asterflame, touching his snout to her nose. ''How are you, ladies?'' He smoothly purred. Even he had noticed the weight gain on Asterflame, but he didn't bother to ask about it. It went over his head of the possibilities. Maybe she just needed to lay off the food pile before she ended up looking like some plump kittypet?

[lone]

Originally Posted by Brilliance

As long as Hawthornheart been around, he never exactly expected he'd make it to these moons. He was certain that being with Alli would prove that he was going to be dead soon. Or, he should had been dead quite a while ago. Was he happy being her mate? Definitely...definitely...not. He was a simple ghost in the flesh that appeared to be aloof more than anything, really. It got to the point Hawthornheart lost all his willpower and just did whatever to make her happy. Not because he wanted praise of any kind from her, but mainly because he would do anything - absolutely anything - to shut her up. Make her be quiet. Stop her nagging. Other days, he was surprised that his ears wasn't falling off from listening to her incessant rambling. He didn't even know if it was a good thing that often toms envied him for being with the alabaster feline. If they really knew that Alli's interior was made of molten lava, from the depths of the dark forest...then, they wouldn't even want her. Even now, as he was perched in a corner of the clearing, just finishing up small prey, he made out his mate, and the obvious look she was sending to some ogling eyes her way. Oddly, he didn't even feel jealous because this was what he expected. He only had glanced briefly towards Asterflame when Alabastersnow approached the blue-grey molly, but he didn't dare to stare at her for much longer than a second. Their friendship...this family was, indeed, weird. All types of messed up drama. How in the world he ended up in this web? He had no idea, but he was almost certain, within his cynical mind, that there was no way out. After he finished with his prey, he found himself slowly cleaning his fur. His wounds were mere scratches, and as his fur grew thicker during this season around, it hid his scars under his pelt.

~♥♥♥~

On the contrary, Bluespark felt something similar to how Alli was feeling. He wasn't extremely happy as one should be, but he was more mellow-minded than his usual sharpened ego self. He wasn't going around acting flirtatious since he had a mate of his own. And, quite so, little Asterflame was just such a charming dear that he held tight to his heart. Not to forget to mention, he kept a rather tight leash on her. Even when he wasn't around, he always threatened her that he could see whatever she was doing - that wasn't true. Yet, that wasn't the case. As long as she believe it was true, then he was good with it. The friendship that his mate and former best friend shared, he eliminated it to nonexistent. He didn't even like her staring at Hawthornheart for too long - let alone thinking of the foolish tom. Although, it wasn't hard to notice a shift in Hawthornheart's personality. The tom was more quiet, still with a snarky attitude, but he lessened himself around the others, always managing to come up with some excuse like he had to hunt or make dirt or he didn't get enough sleep last night. Even as he made his way across the clearing once he seen two of his favorite mollies, he noticed that Hawthornheart refused to come forward. Bluespark briefly wondered why in the world wasn't both mollies his. He could do that...right? At one point, Alli was almost his. That was still possible, right? Just steal her away from Hawthornheart, or part take in some scandalous affair under both their mates' noses. Honestly, Bluespark was shallow. He'd only keep Alli around because she was a pretty face. He had no emotional attachment to her like he had with Asterflame, as he liked to believe. Asterflame was his soul mate, and she was his. No one could tell him otherwise. He knew exactly how to care for her like a mate should...excluding all the minor skirmishes they got into, whether it was setting her straight into her place or overpowering an argument with her. He fluffed out his short pelt, shivering slightly from the cold as he trotted to the pretty mollies with a devilish grin written on his expression. He brushed himself around his mate, tail running along her flank as he sat down next to Asterflame, touching his snout to her nose. ''How are you, ladies?'' He smoothly purred. Even he had noticed the weight gain on Asterflame, but he didn't bother to ask about it. It went over his head of the possibilities. Maybe she just needed to lay off the food pile before she ended up looking like some plump kittypet?

In the past, Asterflame had found herself tensing up when Bluespark touched her so much. Now? It was just another part of her day. She’d become conditioned to it, and she gave him a smile as he settled down beside her, curling her own tail around him. ”Good morning, Bluespark.” She greeted him, tearing her gaze away from Alabastersnow to focus on her mate. Why isn’t Hawthornheart over here with Alli? Did he finally get away from her? She thought, noting her sister’s solo state. The she cat didn’t seem the least bit bothered, however, so unless she was planning something… that was highly doubtful. ”Oh, I’ve been better.” Asterflame answered, her ears going back slightly as she glanced at Alabastersnow. The other she cat wasn’t necessarily bothering her, but conversations with her half-sister had been few and far between lately, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. They’d grown apart - sure, in a rather dramatic fashion, but they definitely weren’t speaking as much anymore. They hardly did anything together now. Asterflame missed the simpler times, but she was… starting to be happy with her current situation. Bluespark could be a very sweet, thoughtful mate, and at least she knew he wasn’t going to hurt her. Anyone who thought they loved her that much wouldn’t go off and cheat on her, right? ”Um, actually, I have some news.”

***
Alabastersnow watched Bluespark approach, and put on her most pleasant expression as he settled next to her half-sister. He’d been hers before - it wouldn’t be that hard to steal him away, if she wanted to. But she had no need for that. She’d already won, after all… why mess with anything now? ”Oh, you two are just adorable,” She mewed, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she spoke. Alabastersnow’s voice was at the same higher, musical tone that it always was, just sweet enough so as not to be shrill. She was still beautiful - very beautiful. Everyone still wanted her. ”I hope your day improves, sweet Asterflame. Mine is just excellent - Bluespark, what about yours?” She asked, curling her tail around her paws. The she cat’s blue eyes still twinkled with her own secrets - or perhaps just her utter excitement with her everyday reminder that she had won. She and Bluespark were both happy, with their respective mates - and they’d come out on top. The she cat’s ears pricked up at Asterflame’s announcement that she had news, and she glanced back so that she was staring at her own mate. He was in another corner, probably avoiding her - rude, she thought - but he was going to have to hear this. ”Hawthornheart! Stop avoiding us and get over here, love. Asterflame has some news for us.” I guarantee it’s not news you’re going to want to miss. Maybe it was because she was another she-cat. Maybe it was because Asterflame was her sister. Well, half-sister, but they’d still grown up together. One way or another, Alabastersnow was fairly certain she’d already guessed Asterflame’s “news.”

***
Asterflame flinched when her sister called Hawthornheart over. ”Oh no, that’s okay, he doesn’t-” She was cut off by a look, and quickly cleared her throat, glancing back towards her mate. She still didn’t know how to respond. It’s okay. He loves you. It’s okay. He wouldn’t freak out, right? He wouldn’t reject their kits, would he? Asterflame was already panicked enough at the thought of being a Mother, but raising a litter of kits by herself was a worse thought. She was confident she would mess it up somehow. She was not cut out to be a Mother. Staring at her paws, avoiding eye contact with everyone, Asterflame took a deep breath. ”I’m… um, expecting kits.” She didn’t feel the need to say they were Bluespark’s. They couldn’t have been anyone else’s, and surely he already knew that. Carefully, Asterflame glanced up at her mate, almost pleading with him to be happy about this. They’d talked about having a family - they wanted a family, right? This wasn’t a mistake… was it?


@Brilliance