In the Dark of the Night

[Tiabirb]

Poisonberry
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River...Thunder...now she was looking at her prospects in Shadow. And oh there were quite a few choices. Not that she was entirely surprised; ShadowClan had a reputation for harboring the more vicious hearts and minds in their ranks. The rest were so...soft. So weak. But not ShadowClan. She needed someone with an edge...another paw in another Clan. She had four of her own after all...

She watched the sleeping cats for a time, lurking at the edges of their dreamscapes, where the shadows slept. But one found her attention, and Poisonberry acted quickly. Whatever dream Sleepypaw was having, it would feel like invisible claws were ripping her away, dragging Sleepypaw to a bramble thorn thicket, where Poisonberry's lair was nestled. And the large black and silver tabby herself stood beside Sleepypaw, chuckling softly. "Another guest?" She cooed, feigning surprise. "Welcome, little one."

The silver tabby lowered her head to sniff the apprentice. "Oh? ShadowClan, are you? Well pull my whiskers," She purred, pouring warmth into the sound, the way a queen speaks to a kit who was very much lost. "What is your name, dear? Mine is Poisonberry.."

@Estelle

[Estelle]

She wasn’t sure what was happening. Her dream was a blur, a whirlwind of emotions as she lost track of what was happening, echoes of imposing thoughts in her mind – not good enough, replaced, a fool. The words echoed and danced around her every turn, taking over her complete mind when suddenly cold claws gripped her shoulders and, with a rough thrust, pulled from one dreamscape into another. Though, this one was as unsettling as the previous – a dark, gloomy territory. Bramble thorns at every turn, a thick thicket and, and its centre, a cat.

Vibrant blue eyes adjusted to the sight. This wasn’t the first time a strange cat appeared in her dreams – one she did not recognise, one that acted as it had a mind of its own; she asked her name, and Sleepypaw opened her maw to answer, though promptly closed it again. She sat up, taking her time to look around, scanning her surroundings and the feline before her. Poisonberry. A clan name, evidently.
“Where am I?”
Is what she asked this time, eyes blinking against the dim light. This dreamscape was much different than the last time a cat appeared – what did this mean?


[ @Tiabirb ]

[Tiabirb]

Poisonberry
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Her eyes narrowed, the first hint of displeasure, but it did not match the menacing cheshire cat-like smile as Poisonberry bent her head down, "You're in my lair. I made my home here, among the thorns and spikes. A pretty safe place to sleep, don't you agree?" She pulled away, moving and weaving her large frame around the briars and brambles from moons of practice, not one tendril jostling as she did. "Slippery like a fish, am I right? It took some time to realize how much it is like swimming, and then I realized...this must be how ShadowClan moves; Silent and cunning."

The big silver tabby padded up to Sleepypaw again, chuckling, "Am I wrong, Sleepypaw?" She let the name slip from her tongue easily, revealing that she in fact, did know the young one's name. "It's very rude you know, not to tell someone your name when asked. I even gave mine voluntarily...are the Clans really not teaching manners to their young ones? The ThunderClan brat who keeps indulging himself with my sister sure didn't have any..."

Poisonberry thrust her head forward, all signs of friendliness gone, replaced by a snarling visage and cold green eyes, "Are you going to be rude, little one? Or do we need a lesson in basic etiquette when speaking to one older than you? Hm? Is disobedience and disrespect the way of ShadowClan, the way it is for ThunderClan and RiverClan?" She curled her lip into a sneer, claws, long and thick, sinking into the black soil beneath her.

@Estelle

[Estelle]

Sleepypaw glanced around at those words, noting the thorns poking out from all sides - and the feline moving through them, somehow without a single spike or hair being put out of place, despite the tight area. She had to be truthful, Sleepypaw couldn't help but be a bit impressed by this feat, a part of her wondering how she managed this. Her lair...

She spoke again; fish. Blue eyes snapped back to the feline's face, watching her eyes move, her every expression. There was something strangely unsettling about this cat, and yet curious all the same - a dangerous curiosity, to be sure, and Sleepypaw couldn't let herself be fooled so easily. Did this cat know how to swim?

Her name - not the cat's, but her own; eyes widened briefly at that, taken aback. She hadn't given her name. How did Poisonberry know? The young apprentice remained fixed in place, reminded of the tensity in the air. She mentioned a ThunderClanner, as if someone else was seeing her. How was that possible, if this cat - this cat with such fluid movements - was nothing but a figment of her imagination?

But the young one couldn't speak further, not before a snarling visage entered her line of sight and the furs on the apprentice's back briefly rose before they lay back down flat. She spoke of disrespect, and rudeness, reminding her of her mother's words about selfishness -- mama had since told her, she was always welcome. That she loved her, that she was sorry. Still, it sparked worry within the young one's mind. She didn't want to be selfish. She didn't want to be rude. She didn't want to lack respect - for if she lacked respect here, what if she lacked respect in face of Danwstar? She blinked; that couldn't happen.

"..I'm sorry."
She spoke softly, briefly dipping her head with dull, confused eyes. How was this happening in her head, again - yet so different from last time? A glance up betrayed the confusion, the lack of understanding, how she wasn't sure how or why she was here -- how she was seeing Poisonberry. She wanted to ask, but the words were stuck in her throat. How was all this happening?


[ @Tiabirb ]