Judge, Jury, and Executioner(s) [p]

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 38 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and pale green eye (left gouged out)]
· · ────────────── · ·
[Hawkbite - @SuspiciousMindz ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker yawned where she sat in the corner of camp, large body sprawled out in a patch of watery sunlight. Her black fur did a wonderful job at trapping the late leafbare warmth, and she could feel herself slipping into a doze where she sat. Things had begun to calm, recently. The patrols were... well... just as disappointing as she had feared. It was a wonder the clan was still technically functioning at this rate. Demotions were coming, and if those weren't adhered to, Mistlewhisker was sure Hawkbite and Dawnstar wouldn't mind a few executions just as a warning. As much as Mistlewhisker disliked killing her own clan mates, she hated incompetent clan mates even more.

But that was a problem for later Mistlewhisker. Now Mistlewhisker was going to snooze peacefully in the corner of camp. It was the one time she felt comfortable relaxing, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to take advantage of it. She had just closed her eye in a sleepy blink when a familiar scent drifted toward her, causing her to look up at the interloper. Though, he wasn't exactly an unwelcome one.

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty

There was a day of relaxation. A rarity in the chaos of his life lately. No classes to run, no patrols, no extra duties in general. Just a day to enjoy being a lazy warrior. A well-deserved day, if he said so himself.

Hawkbite found himself on autopilot, heading towards the corner of camp he preferred to lounge in. Although, his eyes rested on a dark figure in the shadows and he paused in his path to process who was there. Thankfully, it was a feline he didn't actually mind being around.

Lazily, Hawkbite padded over, taking up a spot fairly close to Mistlewhisker. He'd blink a silent greeting in her direction, loafing down into the corner and wrapping his tail against his body. "Of everyone in this camp who should be lazy, I'd say the Enforcers should enjoy the day off," the Commander commented, attempting to start small talk with the molly.

@Mica - Mistlewhisker

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 38 moons
[Large black cat with a half-white muzzle and pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3
· · ────────────── · ·
[Hawkbite - @SuspiciousMindz ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker hummed in agreement to Hawkbite's comment. "As much as I enjoy being busy, sometimes it is nice to gather myself." She stretched out further into the sun with a barely audible grunt, then curled her front paws under her. "I'm sure you heard, but patrols were a disaster." She muttered. She really didn't know how to talk about anything else except work. "Threats might need to be made, for the clan to take the next round seriously." She huffed. Truly, it seemed that some of the apprentices were more interested in patrols than the warriors.

Glancing sidelong at her companion, Mistlewhisker changed the subject. "How are your injuries?" She looked the tom over, impressed with Lostspark's work. "You were hardly breathing when Dawnstar brought you back." Mistlewhisker, while a molly who struggled to express emotion, had felt genuine terror at the sight of her Commander in that state. She was beyond relieved he had survived and recovered at least to some extent.

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty

He grumbled a little at Mistlewhiskers words regarding the patrols. He'd change that with the next round. It was getting ridiculous. ShadowClan was going to get very strict very soon if they didn't get themselves figured out. Lazily, he turned his head to scan the clearing, eyes settling on cats scattered throughout. "Look at the lot, thinking they earned the day to be lazy. The fools can't even finish a patrol," he huffed. "We have two open Enforcer spots and because they're slacking so hard, we can't even fill that. Dawnstar will never be able to pick a deputy that isn't an Enforcer," he complained. It was mostly to himself, but Mistlewhisker got the opportunity to see into his frustrated mind.

The next subject was a touchy one still. He felt the angry bubble back up in his chest and his ears pinned, the only outward signal that this conversation wasn't one he wanted to have. The ache in his neck was still there, but his wounds were mostly healed at this point. He'd been staying out of the limelight for the time being to avoid reopening them. "I've been getting better. Still aches, but it's good reminder. . . " that I was a mouse-brain. The sentence trailed off into his thoughts. He didn't bother to finish it.

Instead, Hawkbite gestured back towards the warriors around the camp, quickly changing the subject. "Everyone was so eager to invade ThunderClan, but here we are, not preparing because we're disappointments to Dawnstar."

@Mica - Mistlewhisker

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 38 moons
[Large black cat with a half-white muzzle and pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Hawkbite - @SuspiciousMindz ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker grunted in agreement when Hawkbite muttered about the laxness of their clanmates, her long tail thumping the ground in irritation. She didn't miss how his atitude soured even further when she brought up his injuries, and she wasn't surprised to hear him mention how they were a reminder. She resisted the urge to roll her eye. "Using pain as a reminder is mouse-brained." She muttered, but her words held little bite. "Learn. Do better. Stop wallowing." Satisfied with her "pep-talk", Mistlewhisker began thinking about the ThunderClan raid. The idea of being a disappointment to Dawnstar had her stomach doing flops, for some reason, and it irritated her even further. "Damn it. I wanted to relax, and here I am, just irritable." She stretched languidly, attempting to push her frustrations away with big paws.

"Let us talk about something else." She meowed after she finished stretching and readjusting herself. "Specifically..." she caught sight of a few of the Arkkits tussling outside the nursery, already big enough to be apprentices. She grimaced--though her "grimace" was more of a slight frown. "Who is going to be mentoring those kits." She wondered if one of them would be foisted off on her--not that she minded. She enjoyed training Squirrelpaw, but then again, Squirrelpaw wasn't a pawful. StarClan forbid she got one of the screamers...

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty

Agitated by the comment, the Commander chose to keep his mouth clamped shut, but his tail would lash harshly across the ground. No need to cause unnecessary tension with the foul words he wanted to spit in her direction. The pep-talk definitely wasn't appreciated. He'd inhale deeply, averting his gaze from the molly and turning towards the kittens she was talking about.

"Whoever gets them as apprentices should be grateful Dawnstar trusts them with her kin," Hawkbite commented, thinking on it for a moment. It was true, he was sure the leader would be picky about this batch. "I wouldn't mind it. I'd have two apprentices, but at least one would be putting forth the effort to being a warrior," he'd scoff, his mind running to Eggpaw.

"My current one has been an apprentice for so long. StarClan will damn me if I don't get him his warrior name," there was a touch of amusement to his tone. His tail had stopped lashing at last and he sat in silence for a moment pondering the idea.

@Mica

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 38 moons
[Large black cat with a half-white muzzle and pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Hawkbite - @SuspiciousMindz ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker could tell Hawkbite was agitated with her, but she didn't care. If he didn't like her brutal honesty, that wasn't her problem. He was strong, and he could get over himself.

Thinking about the apprentices had her tilting her head thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I wouldn't mind having one myself. Squirrelpaw is coming along well with her training." She paused, amusement flickering in her gaze. "Though, I do fear she might keel over the moment she receives her warrior name." Despite Mistlewhisker's best attempts, she had actually become quite attached to the young cat. Mistlewhisker had no kits of her own, as she had been too busy working her way up in the clan to bother with finding a suitable mate to settle down with. Though, she couldn't really imagine herself settling down with anyone. Squirrelpaw had become the closest thing to a daughter she could imagine. Goopypaw, too.

The thought of mates continued to trail along her thoughts, and her gaze drifted to Hawkbite. He would be a suitable candidate, if she actually felt anything beyond respect and mild friendship towards him. She had seen him casting glances towards Darkfall--good luck with that one, pal--and was not about to step paw into that quagmire. Perhaps someday she would find someone. She had no inclination of looking for a long while.

Something Hawkbite said stuck with her through her musings, however, and she considered the Arkkits before them again. "Dawnstar might not have a choice when it comes to apprenticing those kits..." she murmured. "With how many there are, surely some of their mentors are going to be disappointments." She made a face, a rare show of annoyance and disgust. "If I hear of any apprentices being neglected by their mentors, I will personally take up their training and kill the sorry sods myself." That reminded her of something Moonmeadow said a little while ago too, and the warrior turned her head to Hawkbite once more. "The stealth training class you had me host went well. I enjoyed it. I would like to do more. I know of a warrior who would like to help out as well." Then, she paused. A huff of laughter escaped her. "Ah yes, once again I bring up work."

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty

Hawkbite would listen and nod before he'd let out a soft chuckle, a first for the two. This was a statement he couldn't ignore. "It's hard to not think of work when you're one of the few offering something to the table," Hawkbite teased lightly. His nose crinkled at the thought. It wasn't a false statement. He'd been watching their warrior numbers dwindle.

Back to the -ark kittens, Hawkbite felt his mind wander towards something he'd noticed. "What do you think about their parents? Darkfall has been acting strange lately. Acting weird since a little after they were born, actually," Hawkbite poked at her mind with this question. "Do kits really ruin things for cats? It feels like relationships break once you introduce them. Think they broke up too?" He'd inquire further, expressing some of his own thoughts.

It made him think of Nightshiver. Was that why he'd always avoided expressing his emotions towards her? The forever queen had already stumbled on him in his weaker moments. She was already in the nursery all the time, so was that why? He didn't want to drag the kittens into their emotional mix.

@Mica

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker

ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 38 moons
[Large black cat with a half-white muzzle and pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Hawkbite - @SuspiciousMindz ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker contemplated the question given to her by Hawkbite. Darkfall had seemed really off ever since the kits were born, but then again, he had always seemed off. "Maybe it was due to his head injury." She meowed simply, bringing a paw to her face to begin digging sand from between her toes. "Though with the looks he and Lostspark have been flashing at each other--" mostly Darkfall, if she thought about it, "--I wouldn't be surprised if they broke things off." As much as Mistlewhisker did not care about the love lives of her clanmates, she was a little disappointed to see Lostspark and Darkfall separate. They seemed to bring good out in each other. But then again, perhaps they started inhibiting each other. It was the natural way of things. Some times it just happened earlier than others.

"I don't know if it was the kits or something else, and quite frankly I do not care." She shook her head and returned to grooming her other paw. "Carrion-feeders go for the softest part first." She muttered, almost absently to herself. "Opening your heart to someone is begging for it to be preyed upon." Mistlewhisker huffed, rolling her shoulders. "Perhaps it is just best to avoid relationships all together."

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty

Well, that was interesting food for thought. Mistlewhisker didn't strike him as someone who dismissed love and deeper emotions the way she just voiced it. He'd seen her interact with others and noticed the way she bonded and took in certain apprentices. His tail would flick once, hitting the ground with a thud to catch her attention. Green eyes would study her expressions as he spoke.

"That's a lot to dismiss if you ask me," Hawkbite spoke. In the moment, he didn't see anything wrong with what he was going to say. He didn't know how hypocritical it would sound since he dismissed the emotions of a couple felines that even blind cats would pick up on. Poor Nightshiver. She was probably the one to get pushed out the most despite her endearing efforts.

"It's pretty easy to open up to a couple cats and dismiss the rest. I mean, Dawnstar does it all the time. Even she has taken on a mate or two outside of Slytiger," Hawkbite would comment, his head tilting ever so slightly. "I don't really think it's a weakness," Yeah, he did. "it shows more bravery than most things we do," Hawkbite scoffed, finally averting his gaze. He'd stare blankly towards the clearing, processing his own words. Still, he didn't link the fact he spoke the opposite of what he practiced.

A small sigh would escape him. His eyes would half-close as he stared downwards at the ground. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind taking a mate if there was a suitable one. Feels like it's limited right now though," he'd muster out. The other issue was his deeper emotions for a feline who wasn't even a part of the clan right now. It blocked out the advances he'd receive, making him oblivious to how others felt. He hoped she'd make her return soon. The dull ache he had without her was an emotion he hadn't processed yet. "Emotions suck."

@Mica