ShadowClan Life Before Destruction

[wren]

@Empress Of Evil
posts will get longer after a while


Paws paddling furiously in mid air, eyes wide and frantic and a tunnel of light slowly fading and closing up ahead of him. He couldn't quite reach it, he knew he was moving but he wasn't moving fast enough, the light was going away and he couldn't reach it in time.. He just couldn't. the black and brown tom began to twitch, his paws paddling gently in the air and his tail twitching occasionally. Don't go away, don't leave me behind. I can't stay in the dark forever... Please don't leave me. It was a sense of unease that woke tallwhisker, the sense that something was seemingly missing from him. A bead of sweat had formed above his left eyebrow and hung there, his chest pouncing and his claws unsheathed, he was scared and it really wasn't hard to see. His brilliant yellow eyes pierced the darknes of the den, glazed over with both exhaustion and fear. She left me behind. the Tom felt himself tuck his paws closer to him and curl his tail around his hindlegs, he was being left behind, to rot, alone.

Quick shaky movements brought the tom out of his nest. Tallwhisker eagerly slipped out of the warm den into the brisk morninglight, the ground still coated in a silvery film of frost from overnight. Orange and violet light streamed between the dark pine trees casting eerie shadows faintly across the clearing. The large tom felt the slight breeze brush back his thin fur causing a ripple to go down his back and flick off the end of his tail. For a moment his black and white figure blending into the hues of the clearings surroundings. It appeared as though nobody was up quite yet, he was the first, in fact he could faintly recall passing by windygale on his way out of the den. The tom trode across the clearing his paws crunching in the soaked grass til he reached the kill pile, its inhabitants deceased and coated in more frost. The toms pink nose rolled over a particular shrew rolling it onto its back which revealed the still untouched belly. He recoiled and studied it for a moment. Goldenstar. Goldenstar can tell me what's wrong. he bent and nipped the shrew with his teeth, rearing his head and starting off for the leaders den again, knowing full well he had walked the same path too many times to count.

Although he reached the base of the rocks leading to the slumbering tabby he found himself slowing and finally reaching a stop just below the looming climb to his den. His long snake like tail gave a lash behind him than promptly fell by his haunches and remained still, part of him guessed Bella was up there with him cuddling in his small nest or even sharing tongues in the early morning hours. He felt his stomach churn uneasily and his claws tangle in their seathes. He understood that there was nothing wrong about her, but the fact she had stolen his best friends attention was slowly crushing him on the inside. His claws flexed into the spongy earth once of twice than retracted into their seathes where he left them. Part of him still yearned to seek out the comfort of the tabby leader but part of him despised the thought of finding Bella up there with him. Promptly he turned and padded back to the pile, tossing the shrew carelessly back onto it. Briefly the stilt like Tom shook his shoulders and pulled his eyes into a squint as his muscles grow taut with a long stretch. I don't need them. he kneaded the ground uneasily and longingly glanced towards the warriors den once again.

Shaking his head reluctantly he turned towards the exit when briefly another thought crossed his mind, more like a memory, small bunnykit curled up in the snow. A shiver worked its way down his spine again, being flicked off the end of his tail. Slowly he cranned his neck and turned to face the nursery, the sweetest scent of the queens and kits wafting out to fill the clearing with its warm embrace. His pericing yellow eyes studied the entrance, as if he where looking to see someone walk out any moment, but nobody did, and he remained standing. Bunnykit. his claws flexed. Why are you avoiding her? She needs you as much as you need her... You need her. his gaze gently drifted to his paws than slowly back up before he turned fully to face the nursery. The tom rose up to his paws and trode through the crunching grass, his ears directed forward and his stance less than confident. He didn't belong in a place so dainty and delicate, despite the fact he would seek after the small she kit and ensure she was still where goldenstar and Bella had left her.

As he neared he poked his head through the entrance and forced his breaths to slow and gradually become quieter before he took a delicate step into the nursery, feeling the warmth kiss his face causing his whiskers to twitch. ' ' bunnykit? ' ' he breathed gently, fearing his voice would awaken an angry queen or rambunctious kits. ' ' bunnykit, are you in here? ' ' he asked again suckin further into the den and glancing around for her.

[pomegranate]

Originally Posted by Panda

(SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO REPLY! I SWORE I REPLIED TO THIS >.< )
Silentlighting let out her own purr in response to her apprentice's goofy nature. One thing Silentlighting still could do was purr, and that was something to be thankful for, right? Now that Maplepaw seemed to get the gist of stalking, it was time for the fun part, attacking. The molly flicked her tail in delight of how quickly her apprentice could pick up things. Seems like I got quite the intelligent apprentice. I'm not sure what I would've done if they would've given a mouse-brained apprentice like some others I know. She brushed against Maplepaw affectionately as a sign she was doing well, and then proceeded to crouch into a stalking position once more. Hopefully, Maplepaw was watching closely, because the pounce was something that couldn't be done in slow motion for example. She pushed hard against the ground with her hind legs, causing them to sink into the mud and slightly leave a print. Her front legs lifted off the ground, and using the moment she created with her hind legs, she sprang into the air. Within half a second she had landed squarely on top of the fresh kill with its neck gripped tightly in her jaws.

Maplepaw felt her mentor’s warm pelt brush against the calico molly, and she took it as a sign that she was doing alright. Letting out a small purr, she raised her tail, but immediately flicked it back under her legs until it touched the ground. If they were stalking, raising their tails was a big no-no. She cocked her head. But if they were stalking something already dead, would it matter? Yes. She had to learn the right way. Twitching her whiskers, she examined what Silentlightning was doing with close attention. She watched as her mentor crouched her bag legs, then powered through into the air and landing neatly on the bird. A feather flew up in Maplepaw’s face again, but this time she held in a sneeze. Excited to try out the pounce, she darted forth in eagerness. Crouching low until she could feel the leaves tickle her underbelly, she then jumped up in a blaze, reaching a very high jump. Then, she fell straight down, a few feet away from the kill. Her face planted into the soft mud, and she flicked off the dirt as she stood back up, shooting her mentor an embarrassed glance.
“Sorry, I was um...” she didn’t know how to finish. But she then got in position to try again.

[lio]

he didn't belong here. it was as if he was a prisoner to his own home.
thrushsnow was a small tom, his eyes large, his paws uneven. but that proved to have no importance to his dilemma. he felt disproportionate to the rest of his clan, like he had no reason to be there, even if he had grown up in those very walls.
his eyes flicked to the nursery.
he hadn't been born there. thrushsnow's tiny body never fell upon a soft nest, taking his first breath of warm, milk-scented air. no. he wasn't like a normal clan cat. he wasn't truly a part of shadowclan.
eyes sweeping up tp where the moon lay high in the sky, he sighed. why was he awake? why was the normally oh-so-friendly feline feeling so sickened by his very home? the fur along his spine rose, flesh tingling with the sense of numbness. no, he didn't belong here. he wasn't meant to be in shadowclan. even his own father had made that clear, disappearing shortly after thrushsnow became an apprentice. he never had anyone to cheer him on, nobody to stand behind him and raise him to be the warrior he is today.
he's not even that good of a warrior. his hunting skills are wobbly, his battle moves clumsy. thrushsnow wasn't a warrior. especially not a shadowclan warrior. he was too kind, too soft, too amiable. yes, he may be short-tempered, or impatient, but there wasn't enough negative to overcome the good. thrushsnow wasn't brave, he wasn't self-centric, he wasn't sarcastic or dark-minded like the other shadowclan cats. he was an outcast.
gaze trailing across the clearing, his abnormally small ears flattened against his head, nose twitching. it didn't seem as if anybody was really awake. he listened in and heard the soft snores of the felines inside the warrior's den, tail flicking along to the rhythm of their breathing. thrushsnow shook his head with a quiet sigh. he shouldn't be listening like such a creep.
standing up, the tom spun around and migrated towards the darkest corner of the camp, curling up on his side and closing his eyes. he couldn't sleep, however, but he did want to keep his vision away from the place of which was his false home. he couldn't look to starclan for this, he wouldn't do it. they didn't exist anyways. why would the spirits of their ancestors look down upon them and simply watch what they did, occasionally sending 'prophecies' that, by coincidence, came true?
it was all false. fake news. propaganda.
nothing was real.
nothing belonged there.
they were all just a bunch of specks in their territories, unknowing of the dangers that lurk further than the eye can see. but why did that stop them? why are they not exploring? why must they all waste their time and fight so much?
what was the meaning of all this?

[[ open !! ]]

[wolfie]

[ quick question, are they already friends or should we roleplay them meeting and such? ]

dull eyes gazed around the camp, he should be sleeping despite it being so early. however he was awake as ever. moonpaw lick his dried lips, a sigh escaping from him. life was boring. pointless to be exact. another spoiled thought. cats have it worst. the tom didn't know if he should apologize for how others treat him. if he should apologize for how he is. moonpaw knew he shouldn't even want to apologize to them. he couldn't control anyone's actions but his. which was something he didn't like. others could take advantage of him-- hurt him-- even love him. he slowly raise to his paws, his body aching with the simple movement. training wasn't rough. it was just a toll on his fragile body. 'eat' 'eat' 'eat'. fine. his paws were light on the ground as he made his way to the fresh-kill pile despite feeling no hunger. he had been told that he should eat more to get stronger. moonpaw just didn't feel hungry at all. pointless. he took the smallest of mouse before retreating back to his comfortable spot. he looked like a mouse trying to get away from a cat which he found ironic considering he was a cat and that he was about to try to eat a mouse. moonpaw gazed at the furred creature, his ears visibly lowering. hesitantly he began to eat, cringing at the dull taste of it. he slowly chewed and swallowed while watching the cats around him. studying for a moment of weakness, a strange game he played with himself.
@Tavvi

[fresh]

Originally Posted by Mauve

(Let's say we're both amazing posters! ^^)


Snowpaw has disappeared from his trajectory aim just at the right moment, and Shadetail barely had enough time to readjust and spin, landing towards where he knew she would be springing from. As he refocused his gaze on her white pelt, blows from her paws struck his face, momentarily confusing him. They were sloppy though, and not as coordinated, so the tom dodge the ones sent towards his legs with easy, keeping his balance in tact. He wished that the blows had been more forceful, more precise, but he didn't want to draw the assessment out any longer. "Good work, Snowpaw," he breathed once he was out of reach of her flailing paws. Neither of them had won, and Shadetail didn't want it to go any further - though he was a member of ShadowClan now, his Syndicate past still pumped in his veins, and battles triggered that side of him, a side he didn't want to unleash in front of his apprentice. He stood, letting his breathing catch back up to him as he watched the she-cat through proud eyes. "That last move - good thinking in aiming for behind me, but tricking me with your eyes. That's what a warrior would do," he praised her, nodding slowly as he spoke.

[ oh fine c; ]

Relief flooded through her as the session ended, an although she assumed there was private reasoning behind it, she didn't pry and instead beamed at the proud gaze now resting on her. "Thanks," she purred, her green eyes flashing. She listened intently as her mentor explained what she had done right- and what she had done wrong. Despite nearly being a warrior, she was still learning, which amused Snowpaw a little bit. She didn't know what came over her, but she stepped forward and nuzzled the male a little bit. "I'm so glad I had you as my mentor. Thank you." What was she saying thank you for? The countless extra practices. The out-of-Clan battle moves taught to ensure her safety. The endless praise. Overall, she was thanking Shadetail for being a great mentor. She couldn't have asked for a better one.

[fresh]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Luckynight brightened as the white warrior moved as if to rise, but instead Snowspark simply rolled over and kept snoring. Huffing quietly in annoyance, she prodded the warrior again, harder this time. "Snowspark, come on! Wake up!" she hissed. She glanced around, worried she may disturb the other sleeping warriors. The sound of peacefully snoring cats was all there was to be heard in the den.

Once again, she was knocked out of her slumber, and her eyes shot open. Her head flew up and hit the roof of the den. "Agh!" She shook her head to clear the pain, a bit embarrassed. "What is it?" Snowspark asked with a bit of a muffled voice, still tired from sleep but more awake than usual. "Is something wrong?" Not waiting for an answer, she looked around the den warily, expecting to see quarreling cats or a dying warrior. Nothing caught her eye except sleeping warriors. Relieved, she turned back to her friend, a little less on edge.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by blue jellie

Once again, she was knocked out of her slumber, and her eyes shot open. Her head flew up and hit the roof of the den. "Agh!" She shook her head to clear the pain, a bit embarrassed. "What is it?" Snowspark asked with a bit of a muffled voice, still tired from sleep but more awake than usual. "Is something wrong?" Not waiting for an answer, she looked around the den warily, expecting to see quarreling cats or a dying warrior. Nothing caught her eye except sleeping warriors. Relieved, she turned back to her friend, a little less on edge.

This time, Snowspark was up. Up and a little panicked. Luckynight recoiled at the sound of Snowspark's voice in the perfect quiet of the sleepy den. She shushed, trying to calm the white warrior. "Nothing! Nothing is wrong!" she hissed hurriedly. Snowspark looked back at her then, relieved now that she'd seen for herself that everything was fine. "It's just dawn," Luckynight started to explain. "I thought we could be one of the dawn patrols. And besides," The shecat hesitated, glancing around nervously at the sleeping bodies of her clanmates and ears that could be listening in secret, "I need to talk to you about something," she admitted in a hushed voice.

[Crystalwhisker]

Originally Posted by ShadowFire 1967

are you hungry *he asked*

"ya i'm sure i'm hungry." He said with a smile and he started walking to the prey pile.

[CactusHeart]

FurrowPaw sat in the clearing grooming his dirty pelt. He felt that today he’d find a friend, that today was the day. He watched cats across the clearing. Maybe one of those cats will talk to me, he thought. His eyes stopped at a small, tan molly with white patches. @hiraeth

[lio]

Originally Posted by CactusHeart

FurrowPaw sat in the clearing grooming his dirty pelt. He felt that today he’d find a friend, that today was the day. He watched cats across the clearing. Maybe one of those cats will talk to me, he thought. His eyes stopped at a small, tan molly with white patches. @hiraeth

[[ ahh mountainpaw is technically not a molly as they go by any pronouns and have no set gender, just an fyi. ]]

curled up in a corner, mountainpaw was gazing across the clearing, his eyes bright as they watched each of his clanmates do their own thing. he let out a slow breath and blinked, eyes pausing on a tom that seemed to be staring at him. as his head tilted to the side, the bi-colored feline stood up and made his way over to the other, yellow irises filled with that of curiosity. his nose twitched before he sat down in front of the tom, remaining a tail-length away, and staying silent.
mountainpaw waited quite a few moments before he spoke. "hello. i saw you staring at me, so i decided to come over. is there anything you are thinking of that requires you to be looking at me?" his tail curled neatly over his paws, head tilted up to gaze questioningly at the larger feline. "or were you interested by the fact that i looked completely bored and wanted to come over in order to make a new friend?" he asked, eyes trailing up and down the other's form, observing him.