Rewrite The Stars. [VA]

[Rose]

Albatrossflicker
He/Him | ft. Starrywisp -> One With The Warren Purrk

He was lost. So utterly lost that it was laughable. So, so hopelessly lost in this network of winding, twisting tunnels, that Albatrossflicker was ready to just try and dig his way out of this mess. He'd been an idiot, truly, to accept that dare from his bestmate. Beaverdance was probably back at home, snickering in his nest like the lousy pest he was as the moments ticked by and Albatrossflicker didn't return. What had Albatrossflicker been thinking, accepting a dare this stupid on their second night as full warriors of ThunderClan?

More likely, he hadn't been thinking at all. He'd just accepted the dare without struggle, because he was too proud to admit the chances of getting lost in these tunnels. "Curse you, Beaverdance." The ThunderClanner chuckled to himself halfheartedly, rolling his mismatched eyes in the dark.

But really, he had no idea what to do. Muscles rippling along his lithe frame as he walked, Albatrossflicker pursed his lips, and then, sighing profusely, sat back and shut his eyes, praying to StarClan for a miracle. For a miracle that would somehow be able to get him out of the hole he'd dug himself into.

And indeed, Albatrossflicker was granted a miracle. It came in the form of a tall, pine-scented female, hurtling through the tunnels at a particularly dangerous speed and running straight into him the second she turned the corner. Of course, both of them let out high-pitched squeals of shock (of course, Albatrossflicker would never admit that he'd yelped like a girl) and went tumbling in a heap of fur. Eyes flying open, Albatrossflicker found that he was unfortunately pinned against the floor, bright emerald-green eyes looming over him and filling every inch of his vision.

His maw parted of it's own violation, but the female pinning spoke before he could, her words shocking him into stunned silence. "Golly, you're pretty." Her gaze was searching, before she seemed to come to her senses and jumped back, paws soundless against the ground whereas Albatrossflicker's own movements were quite pronounced as he scrambled ungracefully back into a standing position, eyes wide. "Who are you? Where did you- How did I not hear you coming-?! Wait - you're not a ThunderClanner." He spluttered, and only earned an incredulous side-glance.

"Of course I'm not a ThunderClanner." The black and white feline giggled and stuck out her tongue, sitting back on her haunches and drawing a gloved black paw over her ear. "I'm Starrywisp of ShadowClan, pleasure to.. run into you. Eh?" Grinning widely at her own pun, Starrywisp canted her head to the side curiously. "What are you doing down here? I've run into a couple cats down here before, but I've never seen you before." Invading his personal space, the feathery-tailed molly squinted at him as if he was a puzzle she couldn't make sense of.

Backing up a couple steps, Albatrossflicker cast her an uneasy glance. "I'm, er, Albatrossflicker. The greatest warrior to ever live. Of ThunderClan." He raised an eyebrow, concerned for her overly friendly actions. "Is this the part where I attack you? Because, um, you're most definitely not a Clanmate." Each word fumbled over the other, bewilderment building. His claws sheathed and unsheathed, uncertain what to do. But Starrywisp seemed to be unconcerned, lifting a hindleg to scratch behind her ear as she squinted at him.

"You're lost." The words were simple, and yet, somehow Albatrossflicker could taste the accusation behind them. He parted his maw - to deny it maybe, but one well-placed look of incredulity shut him up, until all he could do was shuffle his paws and look sheepish. Jade-green hues softened with understanding - Albatrossflicker could have sworn his heart skipped a beat to be the object of attention of that warm gaze - and then Starrywisp had bounced back onto her paws, hopping around him in circles with eternal energy, moving so fast just watching her made him feel dizzy. "I'll take you back home! I know the way!" She blurted, eyes bright, paws shuffling non-stop over the ground.

The turkish angora straightened at hearing those words, spinning to face Starrywisp the second she stopped jumping around. "You know how I can get back?" He asked hopefully, and Starrywisp grinned back at him with such assurance that it calmed all of Albatrossflicker's worry within moments.

. . . . .

Beaverdance
He/Him | ft. Albatrossflicker

Later, much, much later, when Albatrossflicker snuck back into ThunderClan's warrior den and into his nest, wearing a stupid, wide smile, he barely paid his best friend any mind when the other tom peppered him with questions about whether he'd gotten lost or not -- and how he'd gotten out.

Albatrossflicker's answers were vague, and his smile was even vaguer.

This frustrated Beaverdance to no end, but he just figured it was Albatrossflicker getting his revenge for the risky dare, so he stopped his whispered questioning and promptly went back to sleep. In the days and weeks that followed, Beaverdance forgot to find it odd that his best friend disappeared for too lengthy a time from camp for it to be normal. And when he caught sight of his best friend sneaking out of camp after midnight and at most times sleeping too late into the day, Beaverdance was too hesitant to question it.