[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Beau

Piperwing was still glaring at Passionblaze when the tom responded to her accusations. He didn't seem as angry anymore, but his response still wasn't polite enough to quell her anger. Piperwing's anger was usually proportional to the anger of those around her. If someone responded to her yelling with kindness, she'd quickly simmer down. His seemingly exasperated words, however, were not calm enough to extinguish her fire. In fact, Piperwing was preparing a stinging retort at that very moment when Passionblaze continued. "N-" The sandy warrior's sentence ended midway through the first word as she processed what Passionblaze had said. I know you are strong. You’re strong, you’re smart, you’re beautiful. She blinked in shock, speechless for a moment. Of course, he'd also called her young and inexperienced, but Piperwing could see the truth in that. Perhaps if she'd heard his thoughts she'd still be angry, but as of that moment the fire was simmering down. His chuckle surprised her again and Piperwing tried to make herself angry again, but his words seemed more teasing than insulting. "True," she conceded in a calmer voice that held traces of amusement, "But I'm holding you to that. No matter how much you beg to get out of it, we're battling someday." Her green eyes turned to look down at her badly injured shoulders. She was in no shape to fight anyone at the moment. Even someone as injured as Passionblaze. Piperwing didn't know the tom and therefore was unaware of the unspoken rule not to bother him when he was in a mood. Even if she had, she wouldn't have adhered to it. One word to describe Piperwing: feisty. She didn't care if he was in a mood or not. She was going to exercise her right to free speech by talking to him no matter what. The stoic expression and his denying words did nothing to improve her mood but they also didn't worsen it. He seemed to be accusing her of rudeness, which she'd already apologized for. Her anger would've returned if not for the dejected addition at the end. Her words came out in a softer, more sympathetic tone, "You're right. It was wrong of me to be rude before. However, I already apologized and won't be doing it again. You definitely have a right to be overwhelmed, but not a right to take it out on anyone not involved. Do you want to talk about it instead?" Piperwing was aware that the two barely knew each other, but she wanted to assist him. Passionblaze seemed upset and had an unhealthy amount of anger even by her standards. Still, he refused to eat the squirrel. Piperwing was beginning to grow exasperated again and said determinedly, "You're badly injured and you need to eat. Do you think I don't want to be out there fighting with everything I have too? Do you think I don't want to protect my clanmates? You're clan does need you, Passionblaze. But you're of no use to anyone if you die from bloodloss. Do you really think that it's shameful? You just told me that you know I am strong. Tell me, if strength was based solely on whether or not you're killed in battle, would I be strong? Should I be ashamed to be injured and at camp instead of still fighting? Are you ashamed of me? Would you really say that about me?" Piperwing didn't know how to get through to Passionblaze, but she knew she had to. His moping reminded her of her own pain. It had been a rough few moons for her too. Both of her parents had died in the Gathering battle and she had no siblings. Piperwing was officially alone in the world. She had made the mistake of taking that pain out on Rabbitpounce and now the she-cat was dead. "Don't I know it." Piperwing muttered in response to Passionblaze's fire comment. Sighing, she shook her head. "You can't blame yourself for Rabbitpounce. That's one thing you can take off your shoulders, so at least you're not carrying the whole world. Rabbitpounce is solely my fault. I took my pain out on her and look where it got her." Looking down at her wounds once more, Piperwing whispered, "look where it got me." Emotion cause her voice to falter and she had to look away for a moment to blink back tears.

Passionblaze waited for her sassy reply. His head was still down after his little comment, and he had expected her to retort something venomously back, but she didn’t. So, he had brought his head to look up at her. She interrupted herself, speechless. Passionblaze thought it may have been something behind him, but the only thing there was a sturdy tree with large leaves above. What was so fascinating about that? Was it something I said? His nose twitched, believing so. Passionblaze didn’t think she should had been speechless as such because Passionblaze believed every Molly should know that they were extremely intelligent, extremely strong, extremely beautiful. What a tom gave a she cat, she created a bigger prize. So, in his opinion, Passionblaze should had heard her admit that she knew she was strong, smart, and beautiful. Of course, he wouldn’t deny any of this. He would respect her for her candor.
He felt a little at ease when she didn’t continue to be aggressive with him, despite his own hostility. Their next piece of conversation brought a little bit of humor dancing in his eyes. “Well, how can I deny a molly of such a request? Trust me, I would be the last to back down from a fight. Let’s just hope you are true to your word.” He had bowed his head respectively, more so in a joking manner. Passionblaze preferred fighting above everything else. He wasn’t the swiftest runner, nor the grandest hunter. His legs always been the thickest part of his body. They had abnormal bulk on them from his forepaws to his hindpaws. It was clearly seen his physique dealt more with harsh blows rather than running after mice. Passionblaze lowered his head, a small smirk hiding on his face. “When the final showdown nears, you can’t back out.” He told her teasingly. Yet, his voice was deep, so it sounded dark. Not at all supposed to be evil.
Passionblaze knew for certain that he was far from perfect. The only grand trait about him was how kind he could be. Other than that? Many may not comprehend him or the meaning of his actions. Most times when speaking to him for advice, Passionblaze was vague with his answers (he was not a therapist!). Instead of getting mad at others, he was known for being mad at himself. The one thing he truly took interest in was pain. He loved physical pain when emotional pain tore him apart. When his brother decided to leave the clans, Passionblaze didn’t know what to do without his other half. They were twins. A dark ginger and a light one. Passionblaze knew he lost more than a brother; he lost his confidant, his best friend, his rock. In order to escape from crying or that pang in your heart, Passionblaze nipped himself hard. Clawed at himself until he forgot the pain. Sometimes threw his head against the bark of a tree, hoping it would crack, but his mother had always told him his skull was too thick. Not to mention the fact that Burn was a love them and leave them type of flirt. Passionblaze knew he had nieces and nephews in Windclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan. More in Thunderclan, perhaps even Skyclan. So, each time he fought against another clan, he silently wonder if they were his kin. To put short, physical pain was an outlet to keep himself from the burden of knowing the horrendous crime in life; hurt feelings.
Passionblaze blinked. He almost forgot the company of the she cat next to him. He had missed her first couple of words, and simply nodded like he knew what she was saying. He didn’t feel like arguing. He didn’t feel like being bothered. He flicked his ears. “I’m good.” He quietly responds. Passionblaze didn’t feel comfortable discussing things when it came to emotional stress. He was bound to be adding more pain to his body to keep from crying a river. So, he buried it down, and he smiled. Perhaps, another time. “It’s not worth bringing it up, anyway. It’s just one of those hard times that’ll come to pass, y’know?” Piperwing would understand. Just like him, she held her secrets.
Passionblaze was being a tad unworkable as he refused with force that he wasn’t going to eat the squirrel. He knew he needed his energy, but he was still filled with a desire of revenge, which was not apart of him. He wasn’t vindictive in any way, but knowing they were still fighting...how many of his clan mates was brought to the ground? Any of them dead? Fatally wounded that it would twist their life into a nightmare? “Can I tell you something, Piperwing?” Passionblaze calmly - as calmly as he could - asked her. She had finished talking, and the words had sunk into the ginger tom. After a few moments, he begun to speak. “The difference between you and I is our gender. You are a she cat. You have more sense than I ever will. I know for certain you think I’m crazier than a mouse running towards a cat instead of away from it! You are intelligent...and, maybe, I’m not. But, I am male. We have this mindset to protect what is ours. Territory, family, whatever it may be. We literally fight over a she cat to win her heart. We’re males. We have no sense. But, we want power, greed, the finest things in life. Protecting my clan, my territory, the clan mates that live here, is what I live for. My life is not worth more than Thunderclan. You can always get another deputy.” He lets out a breath, eyeing the squirrel with a hunger of lust evident in his gaze. When he pulled the critter over, he used his claws to sink into the dead prey and watched as its blood formed teardrops at the tips of his claws. “I’m a martyr, you know. I refuse to die unless I’m fighting for the cause.” He smiled, sadly. “I’m not scared of death. Nor am I rushing for it to come my way. I have to admit that Starclan been lenient on me. My life should had been taken plenty times moons ago,” Passionblaze had chuckled darkly at his sick joke. It was the honest truth, as an apprentice, and younger warrior, he threw himself into any type of trouble. From fighting snakes, badgers, foxes, any type of predator in the forest. He provoked them. It was all fun and games. With Burn gone, and this new responsibility, Passionblaze realized that he was utterly stupid for endangering himself and his brother numerous times.
What happened to Rabbitpounce had been tragic. Passionblaze could see her breathing unevenly as she tried to get up to fight. He dreamed of that day where sometimes he saved her, but died in her place. Other times, he dreamed he killed her. It was evident that Onyxwhisper blamed him for the death of her clan mate. Like a gentlemen, Passionblaze accepted that because it was his fault for allowing his patrol to get out of paw. Little did Piperwing know, Passionblaze couldn’t take it off his shoulders. That dying she cat’s expression was cursed in the back of his mind. With his anger dissipated, and a feeling of a remote connection with this sandy feline, Passionblaze used his tail to touch her back before withdrawing it. “If I’m being honest, and I know I might be rude for saying this, but I rather it be her than losing you.” Passionblaze felt no pang of guilt as he uttered the words. He didn’t like the thought of losing a clan mate that was supposed to be in his care. Where he was responsible for her when out on patrol. It wasn’t fair that Rabbitpounce died, but Thunderclan had won that day. That alone should had showed Windclan to not defy them.