SkyClan Territory

[lone]

Originally Posted by RedHead

Redpaw laughed, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "Of course I think that! Why would I lie? That would just be wasting my breath." She waved her striped tail through the air, watching as the sun shone into her fur, making it blaze like fire. "And I'm a ginger cat too, so I would know." She purred, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws. His next words kind of caught Redpaw off guard, but she smiled and got up, padding over to him. "Well, if you were super hot, then you wouldn't be attractive to me. Cute is better." Redpaw meowed, nudging the tomcat playfully in the shoulder with his nose. Even being almost a warrior, Redpaw was about the same size as Foxpaw. Right now, when he was still young, Redpaw felt as if their heights were okay. But as he continued to grow, Redpaw feared how tall he would become. "What am I going to do when you grow and get super tall, huh?" The apprentice asked, mock worry in her voice. She then turned away, laughing, and bounded over to a rock in the middle of the glass they were in. She took s giant leap then sent her upwards, and she landed nearly ontop of the rock.

"Okay, so I say that we start with a climbing contest, then rest, then do a running race, then rest, and lastly do a swimming race. How's that sound?" Redpaw asked, looking down to Foxpaw.

"What?? No, super hot is always better! Don't all she cats like super hot toms? Or is cute better looking for them?"

Foxpaw asked, cocking his head to one side in a comical manner. This was his logic; if you weren't super hot, she cats didn't like you. And if you were, well... you would be like Foxpaw, with she cats swarming around you. And yet, they don't seem to think you're hot. Cute just means she thinks you're young and weak. His own worst enemy was his mind. It was the place where dreams and nightmares were created, more so the latter then anything else. Nightmares of all kinds. Foxpaw could still remember some of them. Standing up as straight as he could and seeing if he could get taller then Redpaw - being younger, he found that what he lacked in size he could normally make in appearance, but since she just thought he was cute... he'd have to go with height and size. Sometimes kit fluff could be mistaken for muscle. With very old, often blind or poor of eyesight cats. Maybe Redpaw was poor of eyesight or something. Or maybe she was easily fooled... though so far, he doubted it. Climbing, rest, running, rest, swimming, rest. Going over what she had said in his head, it all sounded good. "That sounds great, gorgeous. Be prepared to stand in awe of my skill, alright? I don't want to send you swooning too quickly though, so I just might let you win some." Yeah. Foxpaw was a real gentleman, alright. She cats were definitely impressed by his amazing manners. Jumping up on the rock next to her after a failed attempt... or two... or three, Foxpaw glanced around and waited for that one word that would send him rocketing towards this 'climbing contest.' Yes, climbing was not his thing, but hey! Hopefully he would win the other two. However, this young tom was aiming to impress. And when he aimed to impress a pretty she cat, things went... well... sometimes awry.

Originally Posted by Ebony

(Sorry this took so long!! I've been suuuuper busy.)

Originally Posted by Ebony

Drizzleshard felt her heart shatter. Blazingcomet still wouldn't answer her honestly. He had avoided her question, actually. She felt a dry, humorless laugh growing within it at the irony of the situation- her heart shattering, that is. The suffix of her name, -shard... and her heart breaking. She had heard a rumor that the suffix of her name was actually between -shard and -heart. The irony of it... But Drizzleshard crushed the blossoming laughter within her. No way would she bring her sarcastic side into a conversation this serious, this... Life changing? she wondered. Did she want Blazingcomet to change her life, to be her mate? The silver she-cat wasn't sure. "I don't know, Blazingcomet. I really don't know," she admitted, still looking away. Honestly, she didn't trust herself to look at Blazingcomet- the tears of confusion threatening to drip may be let loose if she did. Drizzleshard wasn't really sure.

"Okay... guess I'll just answer the question for you. Of course not, Drizzy!"

His own nickname was so utterly ridiculous that the tom couldn't help but break into laughter, his hues sparking with merriment as he did so. It was such an interesting thing, how loud and quite obnoxious he was being in Drizzleshard's moment of heartbreak until his tone became much more serious... though with the same results as before, a loud laugh at the end. "Or do you prefer something else... I need a nickname for you, help me out!" Continuing to laugh, Blazingcomet rolled over onto his side and stared at the she cat for a while before he stopped and sat up. "Look, I'm sorry. I was just trying to take you out somewhere nice. I didn't mean to cause you any hurt or anything..." Not yet, anyways. And honestly, Blazingcomet never meant to cause hurt. Well, he did and he didn't. It was such a complicated thing, love - and the tom wasn't sure whether he always wanted more of it or was constantly hoping for less. Sometimes it was a little bit of both. But sitting there, he was determined to right whatever he had wronged... and fix this broken heart of his new friend and flirt partner's.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Trees

Silence. That was what the tuxedo cat heard upon first settling where she was — Perched lightly on the low hanging branch of a tree.
One of her favorite places to be was settled on the branch of a tree, her long tail hanging off the edge and dangling down towards the earth below, paws pressed against cool wood.

Here — held in the arms of a tree — Ebonypaw could remain for hours, and sometimes did.
She remained unmoving in the silence of the territory until she heard a rustling sound and scented the scent of a clanmate in the air.

Curious, she raised herself up slightly from her perched position in anticipation of who it was who was running through the trees nearby.
As she saw the pelt of the feline approaching between the foliage she realized that both the cat and the scent were unfamiliar in most aspects. Ebonypaw knew that this cat belonged to her own clan, yet she had never really spoken to this feline and — against what she generally would have done had it been any other time — crouched against the branch, bunching her muscles, and leapt forwards into the path of the oncoming tom.

[Sorry this is so late!]

The black and white tom cat looked at nothing except for the path ahead of him. His amber orbs watched as he seemed to glide over the roots and leaves that were scattered throughout SkyClan’s territory. Although he wasn’t the most athletic cat, nor the fastest, he was still generally fast. He was born with SkyClan blood in him after all. SkyClan cats were agile and determined. They had their strengths and weaknesses, and seeing as they lived among trees, they would be used to running quickly through them. Hawkpaw could never imagine living a life where he didn’t live among the trees. That would be absolutely horrible. Trees gave the apprentice a feeling of security. He was used to seeing leaves shielding the bright sun from his eyes. It was wonderful.
It wasn’t long before the sound of birds chirping in the distance broke through the silence of the forest. He looked up in confusion, scanning his surroundings to see if he could find where the birds were settled. As cruel as it might be, perhaps he could find some food for his clan. Hawkpaw had the habit of flinching whenever he took the life out of a creature, but he just had to remind himself that he was doing this for his clan. Killing animals for food wasn’t nice, but it was quite necessary. Perhaps they could live on just eating berries and other plants, but there probably wouldn’t be enough. Plus, leaf-bare would be a massive disadvantage to them if their clan suddenly decided to be vegetarians.

Pushing all his thoughts to the back of his mind, Hawkpaw continued to race through the trees, his tail flapping limping behind him as he enjoyed the wind rushing against his face. The expression of joy on his face suddenly fell as his eyes searched ahead and landed on a figure that was now standing in front of him. Strange, he hadn’t seen them there before. Unless they had just appeared out of thin air, Hawkpaw wouldn’t be able to figure out how they had just appeared. Although it would probably be best if he didn’t worry about that for now. Instead, he should be worrying about stopping in time. The tom was running at probably the fastest speed he’d ever run and he would need a few meters to slow down.
So, with that, he bunched up his muscles and did his best to skid to a halt. However, there were a bunch of damp leaves in his path and he skidded on top of them, desperately trying to get a grip. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening when he unsheathed his claws and tried to dig them into the dirt. Finally, the apprentice felt himself slowing down and relief flooded onto his face. Still, as he looked ahead, he was starting to doubt himself and was becoming uncertain about whether he would stop in time. So, he shut his eyes tight and waited till he stopped. Eventually, he did. He slowly opened his eyes only to realise that his whiskers were about to touch Ebonypaw’s. “Um…. Good morning!”

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

@Brooklyn Trees

Mousejump wove her way through the tangle of trees and other thick undergrowth that stood in her way. Her medium-length thick pelt would often snag on misplaced twigs and stuff, but she'd simply tug her fur free with ease. Her fur getting caught happened too many times to count, and she has learned to adapt to the obstacles the forest threw at her. Her paw steps were quiet, barely creating a sound except for when she nonchalantly stepped on littered leaves or sticks.

Once she decided they were far enough from camp, Mousejump slowed her pace from a breezy trot to a slow stroll. She looked over at Ebonyfrost, admiring her daughter and what she has grown to be. Mousejump was colorblind, and could only make out black and white. She wondered what her kits' eyes looked like, but she bet their eyes were the most gorgeous thing any cat would ever see. She smiled softly at Ebonyfrost, a gentle purr rumbling in her throat.

``Look at what you've become,`` Mousejump croaked, her voice laced with pride, but rasping with sadness at how quickly time went by. ``I am so proud of you, my daughter.`` She blinked slowly, clearing her amber eyes of any tears. She laughed softly, throwing her head back as she released the smooth sound. She flicked Ebonyfrost's flank good-naturedly with a simple lash of her tail-tip. ``Now tell me, Ebonyfrost, how have you been?``

i found it! cx @Brooklyn Trees

[Splash]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"What?? No, super hot is always better! Don't all she cats like super hot toms? Or is cute better looking for them?"

Foxpaw asked, cocking his head to one side in a comical manner. This was his logic; if you weren't super hot, she cats didn't like you. And if you were, well... you would be like Foxpaw, with she cats swarming around you. And yet, they don't seem to think you're hot. Cute just means she thinks you're young and weak. His own worst enemy was his mind. It was the place where dreams and nightmares were created, more so the latter then anything else. Nightmares of all kinds. Foxpaw could still remember some of them. Standing up as straight as he could and seeing if he could get taller then Redpaw - being younger, he found that what he lacked in size he could normally make in appearance, but since she just thought he was cute... he'd have to go with height and size. Sometimes kit fluff could be mistaken for muscle. With very old, often blind or poor of eyesight cats. Maybe Redpaw was poor of eyesight or something. Or maybe she was easily fooled... though so far, he doubted it. Climbing, rest, running, rest, swimming, rest. Going over what she had said in his head, it all sounded good. "That sounds great, gorgeous. Be prepared to stand in awe of my skill, alright? I don't want to send you swooning too quickly though, so I just might let you win some." Yeah. Foxpaw was a real gentleman, alright. She cats were definitely impressed by his amazing manners. Jumping up on the rock next to her after a failed attempt... or two... or three, Foxpaw glanced around and waited for that one word that would send him rocketing towards this 'climbing contest.' Yes, climbing was not his thing, but hey! Hopefully he would win the other two. However, this young tom was aiming to impress. And when he aimed to impress a pretty she cat, things went... well... sometimes awry.

"Okay... guess I'll just answer the question for you. Of course not, Drizzy!"

His own nickname was so utterly ridiculous that the tom couldn't help but break into laughter, his hues sparking with merriment as he did so. It was such an interesting thing, how loud and quite obnoxious he was being in Drizzleshard's moment of heartbreak until his tone became much more serious... though with the same results as before, a loud laugh at the end. "Or do you prefer something else... I need a nickname for you, help me out!" Continuing to laugh, Blazingcomet rolled over onto his side and stared at the she cat for a while before he stopped and sat up. "Look, I'm sorry. I was just trying to take you out somewhere nice. I didn't mean to cause you any hurt or anything..." Not yet, anyways. And honestly, Blazingcomet never meant to cause hurt. Well, he did and he didn't. It was such a complicated thing, love - and the tom wasn't sure whether he always wanted more of it or was constantly hoping for less. Sometimes it was a little bit of both. But sitting there, he was determined to right whatever he had wronged... and fix this broken heart of his new friend and flirt partner's.

(Omg I couldn't stop laughing)
Drizzleshard blinked in disbelief. Had Blazingcomet just... "What did you call me?!" she growled, her tone venomous. She glared at Blazingcomet, staring him into the eye, until she too burst out laughing. Once her laugh had died down a bit, she sputtered, "Seriously though, why Drizzy?" Her posture had relaxed a considerable amount- she was no longer so tense- and the light had returned to her eyes which she now, finally, looked at Blazingcomet with. Thoughts raced through her head. She was looking at the first cat that had made her genuinely happy, not just an armor but catually happy, in... well, since her mate died. She pondered how to tell Blazingcomet this, and finally decided on, "Blazingcomet, you're a... very special cat."
(Oh that was really short sorry)

[Brooklyn Trees]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

@Brooklyn Trees

Mousejump wove her way through the tangle of trees and other thick undergrowth that stood in her way. Her medium-length thick pelt would often snag on misplaced twigs and stuff, but she'd simply tug her fur free with ease. Her fur getting caught happened too many times to count, and she has learned to adapt to the obstacles the forest threw at her. Her paw steps were quiet, barely creating a sound except for when she nonchalantly stepped on littered leaves or sticks.

Once she decided they were far enough from camp, Mousejump slowed her pace from a breezy trot to a slow stroll. She looked over at Ebonyfrost, admiring her daughter and what she has grown to be. Mousejump was colorblind, and could only make out black and white. She wondered what her kits' eyes looked like, but she bet their eyes were the most gorgeous thing any cat would ever see. She smiled softly at Ebonyfrost, a gentle purr rumbling in her throat.

``Look at what you've become,`` Mousejump croaked, her voice laced with pride, but rasping with sadness at how quickly time went by. ``I am so proud of you, my daughter.`` She blinked slowly, clearing her amber eyes of any tears. She laughed softly, throwing her head back as she released the smooth sound. She flicked Ebonyfrost's flank good-naturedly with a simple lash of her tail-tip. ``Now tell me, Ebonyfrost, how have you been?``

The young tuxedo feline followed the older she-cat through the trees that filled the course lines of the territory, paws and legs flicking up lightly as she walked in a near trot, a step behind and to the side of Mousejump's tail out of habit for the way she had so often followed the spiritual form of Aconiteheart through these same woods not so very long ago.
She watched her paw steps as they padded against the floor, rhythmic and calming to her for a time until Ebonyfrost turned the sharp blue of her eyes up towards the form of the feline ahead of her. Mousejump. Her mother.
Since she had left the nest and the nursery and been assigned a mentor — even for a short time — to train as a warrior – and beyond that point to when she had been chosen to take the path of a medicine cat – the amount of proper conversations that she had with her mother had plummeted. Perhaps now that could be remedied.

Sensing the slowing of Mousejump's pawsteps, Ebonyfrost lessened her pace and eventually – as Mousejump stopped – came to pull up beside her and stand next to her.
The subtle flick of Mousejump's tail against her side startled the young tuxedo, causing her to tense slightly as she turned her head to face the older feline.
"As good as I can be, I suppose." She mewed, trailing her eyes along the form of the former queen's face, hoping maybe to see some kind of emotion. They remained out of her grasp though, hiding just out of her paws' reach, and so she carefully kept her face emotionless as well.
"And, how have you been?"

[Brooklyn Trees]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

[Sorry this is so late!]

The black and white tom cat looked at nothing except for the path ahead of him. His amber orbs watched as he seemed to glide over the roots and leaves that were scattered throughout SkyClan’s territory. Although he wasn’t the most athletic cat, nor the fastest, he was still generally fast. He was born with SkyClan blood in him after all. SkyClan cats were agile and determined. They had their strengths and weaknesses, and seeing as they lived among trees, they would be used to running quickly through them. Hawkpaw could never imagine living a life where he didn’t live among the trees. That would be absolutely horrible. Trees gave the apprentice a feeling of security. He was used to seeing leaves shielding the bright sun from his eyes. It was wonderful.
It wasn’t long before the sound of birds chirping in the distance broke through the silence of the forest. He looked up in confusion, scanning his surroundings to see if he could find where the birds were settled. As cruel as it might be, perhaps he could find some food for his clan. Hawkpaw had the habit of flinching whenever he took the life out of a creature, but he just had to remind himself that he was doing this for his clan. Killing animals for food wasn’t nice, but it was quite necessary. Perhaps they could live on just eating berries and other plants, but there probably wouldn’t be enough. Plus, leaf-bare would be a massive disadvantage to them if their clan suddenly decided to be vegetarians.

Pushing all his thoughts to the back of his mind, Hawkpaw continued to race through the trees, his tail flapping limping behind him as he enjoyed the wind rushing against his face. The expression of joy on his face suddenly fell as his eyes searched ahead and landed on a figure that was now standing in front of him. Strange, he hadn’t seen them there before. Unless they had just appeared out of thin air, Hawkpaw wouldn’t be able to figure out how they had just appeared. Although it would probably be best if he didn’t worry about that for now. Instead, he should be worrying about stopping in time. The tom was running at probably the fastest speed he’d ever run and he would need a few meters to slow down.
So, with that, he bunched up his muscles and did his best to skid to a halt. However, there were a bunch of damp leaves in his path and he skidded on top of them, desperately trying to get a grip. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening when he unsheathed his claws and tried to dig them into the dirt. Finally, the apprentice felt himself slowing down and relief flooded onto his face. Still, as he looked ahead, he was starting to doubt himself and was becoming uncertain about whether he would stop in time. So, he shut his eyes tight and waited till he stopped. Eventually, he did. He slowly opened his eyes only to realise that his whiskers were about to touch Ebonypaw’s. “Um…. Good morning!”

The small feline was surprised by how the tom struggled to stop. She had not realized how fast he had been running when she jumped into his path. But, not wanting to appear any lesser for it, or perhaps weak for moving out of the way when it was possible that he would stop in time, she remained where she was standing, though now somewhat tensed in the event of impact.
It was not until he began to slip upon the leaves that she questioned whether he would stop in time, but there was no time to judge if he could do so or to move if necessary as he came to a halt barely a whisker's width from herself.

His sudden pleasantries puzzled her, before she realized that they may not entirely be just pleasantries. Perhaps that was the first thing he could think of to say upon nearly impacting with someone else. It was entirely her fault of course for jumping into the way at all.

"Hello." She said, voice as undescriptive as Ebonypaw could manage at that point in time. She studied his face now, trying to uncover his thoughts through the lines of his face the way that others seemed to do when they spoke.
Nothing was revealed to her.

(Sorry, it's a bit short and a bit late... It's kind of late at the moment for me so I have no clue if this post makes any sense or not �� )

[lone]

Moving out into the territory brought so many memories back for Alabasterpaw. Both good and bad, to be honest. She now had Azulpaw within her grasp. He was hers now, and he had made a promise to her that he would stay with her. That he would try to love her. This made the white feline very excited, knowing that now she would no longer have to worry about competition. She might not have taken him out in the way that Bluepaw had been thinking but hey, he should be glad that his once-competition was no longer trying to steal his "love" from him. She would discuss this later. Honestly, the territory was not one of Alabasterpaw's favorite places, but because she was outnumbered by the others, she had agreed. To be honest, no matter if she seemed like a leader or not, Alabasterpaw was a follower. She was going to go with whatever was 'in' at the time.
　
And it had seemed that going for a walk was very 'in.' Blue hues sparkling as she walked alongside Azulpaw, making sure that she stayed very close... close enough so that an accident wouldn't happen... the white cat glanced ahead at Bluepaw. "So, Asterpaw finally stopped trying to escape the inevitable, hmm? I knew it was just a matter of time before the two of you ended up together. You were practically made for each other, I mean, come on!" She laughed, smiling at the piebald tom as she did so. "And we were made for each other, isn't that right, Azulpaw?" She asked, brushing up against him in her usual loving manner. Though there was no true love showing in her hues. Just admiration and the sort of star-struck way any apprentice looked at their crush. There was no guilt in Alabasterpaw's expression, only triumph as she glanced over at her sister.
　
She felt as though Asterpaw would not be a part of the picture anymore. No - she knew it for a fact. Asterpaw was going to be one hundred percent gone from her future with Azulpaw, and that thought gave Alabasterpaw hope. After all, he had promised her, hadn't he? And as he had said back in the clearing... you must keep your promises. She felt confident that he would keep his promise to her. He wouldn't so much as look at the blue feline walking with them... would he? "I'm glad we can all walk together without any fighting. I don't think it'll be needed anymore... I think everyone's happy right where they are, aren't they?" She asked, flashing a meaningful look at the tom and then glancing at Bluepaw. Would he understand what she was getting at? Surely there was no need for arguing and hostility when the grey tom and the blue feline were kept seperate.
　
Which was nice... to be honest, Alabasterpaw was still the mind-game-playing, devious feline that she had always been, but she no longer felt the urge to hurt Azulpaw. After all, he clearly wasn't interested in her sister anymore... and even if he was, Bluepaw would soon make sure that those feelings were gone. And Alabasterpaw was able to play a part in that as well. She was good at hurting others, making them feel worthless and small. She was good at twisting the truth into a lie and being certain that it was so great no one could figure it out. She was good at a lot of things, but anything involving trickery or deceit was certainly the thing she was best at. And she was glad that Azulpaw hadn't picked up on her lies yet. Truthfully she found him to be very strong. What's wrong with taking the safe path? He had asked, and she had answered 'oh sweetheart. So innocent, aren't you? It makes you weaker. Unable to protect those you love.'
　
Alabasterpaw needed protection. Which was why, in the beginning, she had thought Bluepaw would be the better victim for her. She would hold onto this tom now, and suck all the love and emotion and strength from him before she left him to die. Once she was no longer interested? Once he was boring and she was through? She wouldn't care about him whatsoever. He wouldn't even be like a clanmate to her. More like a cat that she had once known. Had once loved. And then she would move on to another tom. There was no difference between him and every other tom in the Clan. He had just caught her eye first... unfortunately. For Alabasterpaw, a love interest was easy to replace. Just find someone else that catches your eye, share a few sweet words, and you're done. That's all there was to it for her. If only it were that simple in the real world.
　
I promised Alli I would love her. For one thing, Alli? And for another, love? That was a strong word for the tom to be using. That was a strong word for anyone to be using. Asterpaw couldn't believe that Azulpaw had really been involved in something like that. What did he think he was going to get from being like that? What did he believe would happen if he continued on as he was, just staying with Alabasterpaw until the end? What does he think he's going to win by acting like me? Okay, so maybe not just like her. She had a reason. Did Azulpaw? Or did he just find the white feline attractive, from her crystal blue hues to her sparkling laugh... neither of which Asterpaw had. Her laugh was warm and friendly. Her hues were a greyish green. Her pelt was a duller blue color, not the gorgeous long, snowy white of her half-sister's. She remembered a long time ago when this wouldn't have bothered her. Now? It did very much.
　
And, you must keep your promises. At least he had some sense of honor. Keeping promises was important, but why would he make a promise that he wasn't going to keep? Asterpaw had every intention of keeping her own. She would stay until Bluepaw no longer needed her. The one thing she wanted to do more then anything else was confront the tom, but confrontations normally turned to serious conversations, to comfort and warmth with the two of them. And what would Bluepaw have to say about that? Nothing good. She knew that now. He was going to make sure that she stayed with him forever. Forever being for good, until they parted ways. Because... Asterpaw was quite sure that he wouldn't be going to StarClan. Maybe then, finally, she could be with Azulpaw. The question was, did she want to? It was a question that she wasn't sure how to answer yet. Certainly, she wanted to be friends. But... did she want to be with him? Maybe.
　
You know a lot about that, don't you , Asterpaw? Why was he asking her? And why had he sounded so... hurt? Broken? Angry? All of the above? Asterpaw wasn't sure, and she didn't know whether she could answer or not. This whole time through her thought process, she had been staying right beside Bluepaw like an obedient girl, brushing up against him and winding her tail with his to make sure that he stayed calm. The most disturbing thing to her was that Bluepaw had growled when she wasn't upset... he had every right to say as he pleased. No one should stop another cat from speaking their mind. But Asterpaw didn't have to answer him. And, then those frightening words... hopefully something will spring out and end my life. Why did he want his life to be ended? It frightened her, and she wished she could ask him about that as well, but she couldn't. She couldn't ask.
　
"Race you to that tree?" The blue feline asked, flicking her tail towards a tree a little ways away and glancing at Bluepaw with a mischievous expression, giving him a light nudge at the same time. Time to make the best of her future here. She couldn't fix it. And she couldn't stop Azulpaw from being with her sister. The day he had almost lost his life for her, Asterpaw remembered telling him later to 'go and be with her sister.' Why, she couldn't remember. But she remembered the conversation later that night. Perhaps she had been hurt. Angry. Scared. Maybe all of those things, as she assumed he was. But never had she thought that her words would actually come true. And yet here he was with her sister, staying with her forever. Promising to love her. The thought stung, it really did. It stung more then anything else. And the worst part? There was nothing - absolutely nothing - that she could do about it now.
　
@Constellation

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Moving out into the territory brought so many memories back for Alabasterpaw. Both good and bad, to be honest. She now had Azulpaw within her grasp. He was hers now, and he had made a promise to her that he would stay with her. That he would try to love her. This made the white feline very excited, knowing that now she would no longer have to worry about competition. She might not have taken him out in the way that Bluepaw had been thinking but hey, he should be glad that his once-competition was no longer trying to steal his "love" from him. She would discuss this later. Honestly, the territory was not one of Alabasterpaw's favorite places, but because she was outnumbered by the others, she had agreed. To be honest, no matter if she seemed like a leader or not, Alabasterpaw was a follower. She was going to go with whatever was 'in' at the time.
　
And it had seemed that going for a walk was very 'in.' Blue hues sparkling as she walked alongside Azulpaw, making sure that she stayed very close... close enough so that an accident wouldn't happen... the white cat glanced ahead at Bluepaw. "So, Asterpaw finally stopped trying to escape the inevitable, hmm? I knew it was just a matter of time before the two of you ended up together. You were practically made for each other, I mean, come on!" She laughed, smiling at the piebald tom as she did so. "And we were made for each other, isn't that right, Azulpaw?" She asked, brushing up against him in her usual loving manner. Though there was no true love showing in her hues. Just admiration and the sort of star-struck way any apprentice looked at their crush. There was no guilt in Alabasterpaw's expression, only triumph as she glanced over at her sister.
　
She felt as though Asterpaw would not be a part of the picture anymore. No - she knew it for a fact. Asterpaw was going to be one hundred percent gone from her future with Azulpaw, and that thought gave Alabasterpaw hope. After all, he had promised her, hadn't he? And as he had said back in the clearing... you must keep your promises. She felt confident that he would keep his promise to her. He wouldn't so much as look at the blue feline walking with them... would he? "I'm glad we can all walk together without any fighting. I don't think it'll be needed anymore... I think everyone's happy right where they are, aren't they?" She asked, flashing a meaningful look at the tom and then glancing at Bluepaw. Would he understand what she was getting at? Surely there was no need for arguing and hostility when the grey tom and the blue feline were kept seperate.
　
Which was nice... to be honest, Alabasterpaw was still the mind-game-playing, devious feline that she had always been, but she no longer felt the urge to hurt Azulpaw. After all, he clearly wasn't interested in her sister anymore... and even if he was, Bluepaw would soon make sure that those feelings were gone. And Alabasterpaw was able to play a part in that as well. She was good at hurting others, making them feel worthless and small. She was good at twisting the truth into a lie and being certain that it was so great no one could figure it out. She was good at a lot of things, but anything involving trickery or deceit was certainly the thing she was best at. And she was glad that Azulpaw hadn't picked up on her lies yet. Truthfully she found him to be very strong. What's wrong with taking the safe path? He had asked, and she had answered 'oh sweetheart. So innocent, aren't you? It makes you weaker. Unable to protect those you love.'
　
Alabasterpaw needed protection. Which was why, in the beginning, she had thought Bluepaw would be the better victim for her. She would hold onto this tom now, and suck all the love and emotion and strength from him before she left him to die. Once she was no longer interested? Once he was boring and she was through? She wouldn't care about him whatsoever. He wouldn't even be like a clanmate to her. More like a cat that she had once known. Had once loved. And then she would move on to another tom. There was no difference between him and every other tom in the Clan. He had just caught her eye first... unfortunately. For Alabasterpaw, a love interest was easy to replace. Just find someone else that catches your eye, share a few sweet words, and you're done. That's all there was to it for her. If only it were that simple in the real world.
　
I promised Alli I would love her. For one thing, Alli? And for another, love? That was a strong word for the tom to be using. That was a strong word for anyone to be using. Asterpaw couldn't believe that Azulpaw had really been involved in something like that. What did he think he was going to get from being like that? What did he believe would happen if he continued on as he was, just staying with Alabasterpaw until the end? What does he think he's going to win by acting like me? Okay, so maybe not just like her. She had a reason. Did Azulpaw? Or did he just find the white feline attractive, from her crystal blue hues to her sparkling laugh... neither of which Asterpaw had. Her laugh was warm and friendly. Her hues were a greyish green. Her pelt was a duller blue color, not the gorgeous long, snowy white of her half-sister's. She remembered a long time ago when this wouldn't have bothered her. Now? It did very much.
　
And, you must keep your promises. At least he had some sense of honor. Keeping promises was important, but why would he make a promise that he wasn't going to keep? Asterpaw had every intention of keeping her own. She would stay until Bluepaw no longer needed her. The one thing she wanted to do more then anything else was confront the tom, but confrontations normally turned to serious conversations, to comfort and warmth with the two of them. And what would Bluepaw have to say about that? Nothing good. She knew that now. He was going to make sure that she stayed with him forever. Forever being for good, until they parted ways. Because... Asterpaw was quite sure that he wouldn't be going to StarClan. Maybe then, finally, she could be with Azulpaw. The question was, did she want to? It was a question that she wasn't sure how to answer yet. Certainly, she wanted to be friends. But... did she want to be with him? Maybe.
　
You know a lot about that, don't you , Asterpaw? Why was he asking her? And why had he sounded so... hurt? Broken? Angry? All of the above? Asterpaw wasn't sure, and she didn't know whether she could answer or not. This whole time through her thought process, she had been staying right beside Bluepaw like an obedient girl, brushing up against him and winding her tail with his to make sure that he stayed calm. The most disturbing thing to her was that Bluepaw had growled when she wasn't upset... he had every right to say as he pleased. No one should stop another cat from speaking their mind. But Asterpaw didn't have to answer him. And, then those frightening words... hopefully something will spring out and end my life. Why did he want his life to be ended? It frightened her, and she wished she could ask him about that as well, but she couldn't. She couldn't ask.
　
"Race you to that tree?" The blue feline asked, flicking her tail towards a tree a little ways away and glancing at Bluepaw with a mischievous expression, giving him a light nudge at the same time. Time to make the best of her future here. She couldn't fix it. And she couldn't stop Azulpaw from being with her sister. The day he had almost lost his life for her, Asterpaw remembered telling him later to 'go and be with her sister.' Why, she couldn't remember. But she remembered the conversation later that night. Perhaps she had been hurt. Angry. Scared. Maybe all of those things, as she assumed he was. But never had she thought that her words would actually come true. And yet here he was with her sister, staying with her forever. Promising to love her. The thought stung, it really did. It stung more then anything else. And the worst part? There was nothing - absolutely nothing - that she could do about it now.
　
@Constellation

"Ah, the territory." Azulpaw spoke, his eyes fleeting around as it did bring back so many memories to him as well. The painful ones, and the good ones. Especially the good ones what he shared with Asterpaw a while back. Before this whole thing started, but the tom tried to remain happy and bury those memories in the back of his head. "Where I almost died a couple times. Seen the light. Can any of you say the same thing? See a blinding white light?" He chuckled, a very sarcastic chuckled, but he kept close to Alabasterpaw as he should. "We should take a trip back to the training area too. That'll trigger some of our best memories." He let out an exasperated sigh. He was quite tired already.

Bluepaw was fed up with the other tom's presence. He acted the same way when they first took a walk all those moons ago. He finally snapped, "Stop talking." Azulpaw had snorted, but he didn't even give a glance towards Bluepaw or Asterpaw. He kept his eyes in front of him, or behold...Alabasterpaw. Didn't she just love the attention? His ears had pinned for a moment, and he got lost in thought upon hearing her words.

Bluepaw simply smile, a small purr emitting from his throat. He knew that Asterpaw kept close to him, and that she wouldn't glance in the direction of the grey tom. Why would she need to when she had him? Bluepaw thought it was stupid that the two formed some type of emotional energy. That they connected in ways that was hard to describe. Alabasterpaw's words made him think differently, on the other hand. "A promise is a promise. I thought she would had disappointed me." Like others...he wouldn't say aloud. The fact that Azulpaw was still living, but he forgave his partner in crime. As long as she was happy, the blue eyed tom knew he could try to be as well. "I will make Asterpaw the happiest she cat in the world." He winked.

Azulpaw was still lost in thought, staring at his paws as they padded along the path. His ears closed out everything around them, but he knew they was still there. His whiskers quivered, and he looked up once. He gave a quick glance towards Alabasterpaw trying to figure out what she had said. All he could do was agree. She wouldn't know if he was listening or not, would she? "Hm? Yeah, yeah. Of course." His tone was rather rushed, but he hoped that he said something that was along the lines of the conversation. She had brushed up against him once more, and instead of fighting her advances, he succumbed to them, purring lightly at her touch. Why fight her any longer? He did promise...and he would try.

The fact that Asterpaw was right there felt wrong. He could remember days when she tried to persuade him to be with her sister so he could be safe. The point was he didn't need her to protect him. The tom knew it was a kill or be killed world. If he were to be killed, he rather for it to be for a reason he cared about. Alabasterpaw could had been a good cat, but he would never know now. And, Asterpaw would care anymore. She hadn't glance at him before they went on they walk, and perhaps she was busying herself thinking of her grand future with Bluepaw. Azulpaw was accepting to many things. Maybe they would all be happy together. Alabasterpaw could be right about that part...hopefully.

"If Azulpaw stop being such an idiot, then we wouldn't have to worry about fighting." Bluepaw snorted.

The other tom's ears twitched. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Azulpaw lifted his head, scrunching his nose. "It seems you're the one starting stuff right now."

Bluepaw narrowed his eyes, staring at the tom. His aggression state was kept at bay from Asterpaw being neared him. The fact that he promised he wouldn't hurt the grey feline was starting to take a toll on him. Azulpaw took this as a victory, and glowed at his once friend. "What's wrong? You don't-"

"Watch it, grey boy." Bluepaw snarled. "Keep your pest in order, Alabasterpaw. I don't want him talking to me."

Azulpaw simply huffed, and he turned away. He didn't have time to be arguing with someone as Bluepaw. He was already tired of being in their presence. As they continued to walk on, Azulpaw decided to stay quiet, and only admire the world around them. The pretty birds, the large trees, the green grass. Anything that made him feel comfortable, because at the moment he was long from being comfortable. Though Alabasterpaw's touch helped him only a tad bit. Yet, she was no Asterpaw.

The tom greatly remembered her touch. And, he had loved it. It made him rejuvenated, like he could take on anything in his path. She was nothing like her sister. Which made it all the more better. The tom didn't want her to be like her sister. She was unique in her own way, and that's what he endearingly loved about her. But, now she kept a promise that she said she would break. Azulpaw knew he should had known better. When she left him because he was testing to see if she would really leave...and she had. When he didn't want her to leave. The fact that she did leave, never entering in his life again. Asterpaw made the choice to be with Bluepaw. He had heard her words. He had accepted Alabasterpaw's lies to the reality of truth. He basked in the future that was waiting for him. He just hoped he lived long enough to see it.

She had left...she didn't come to him...what was she depressed about? Looking so down? He could had helped her! He was always there for her! Azulpaw widened his eyes, and he shook his head. It was a bad time for him to be thinking about Asterpaw at the moment. It wasn't a smart idea either. But, if she was going to try than he would.

Bluepaw was quite surprised as well. She was being calm. Mellow. Not looking at Azulpaw in any way, let alone thinking about him. He figured that she was holding him to his promise that he would leave the sore loser alone. For now, that was. The girls were behaving themselves more than they were. Everything Bliepaw said, Azulpaw had a retort. This ignited the piebald tom. Why couldn't Azulpaw shut up for once?

At her words, Bluepaw let out a dry chuckle. "Race? Asterpaw c'mon, we're not kits anymore." He chided her. He didn't want to race. He wanted her to act mature. Playfulness was all gone. Soon they would be warriors, and their real lives would be starting. Azulpaw snorted himself. The grey tom loved games, but he had no right to take Bluepaw's place when Asterpaw clearly wanted to play with him. Another thing the grey tom would miss; their fun.

"We don't have time to play games." He gave her a light nuzzle.

Azulpaw decided to step in. Even though he wasn't the happiest with the current decision, he felt that Asterpaw needed a bit of fun in her life. One thing he did know was that Bluepaw was a competitive feline. He never backed down without s fight. Ever. A few teasing words, and the tom would be dumb enough to fall in his trap. In a way, he was helping Asterpaw, wasn't he? "Dude, you're only eleven moons old. What? You trying to push thirty moons?" He teased.

"Was I talking to you?" Bluepaw flicked his tail.

"Nah, you're just scared because you don't want to be beat by a girl." Azulpaw says, his eyes flashing calmly. "And, we all know you will lose."

Bluepaw stepped up, snarling at Azulpaw. Azulpaw remained calm, a smirk plastered on his handsome face. "Is that a challenge?"

"Believe so. Are you motivated?" Check. Bluepaw lashed his tail. At least Azulpaw knew that his old best friend was still in there--a small piece of him. The competitive side that never let anyone down. It was the only way to get the tom to cooperate in playing games. Bluepaw turned back to Asterpaw, his head held high as he approached her.

"Alright I'll race you to the tree." He flicked his tail, giving her a smile. Bluepaw never failed to impress others. He was quite a skillful tom, more than Azulpaw in some fields more than others. But each tom shared a different trait that made them unique. One conquered one skill while the other managed to conquer the second skill. Which was why others thought Bluepaw was better than the two. Azulpaw never cared in the first place of how others saw him. He was more of a cat who showed improvement, and sometimes boasted about it. He was definitely still a pompous jerk. A smile flashed on his maw before disappearing entirely of remembering that fond memory that was now a ghost in his mind.

As Bluepaw took off towards the tree, he looked back once to keep his eyes on Asterpaw. Azulpaw only watched from the distance as the two played. For some odd reason, he wouldn't feel right at being apart of that type of fun. It wasn't his relationship to be around, so he stuck close to Alabasterpaw. Probably too close than he needed.

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Trees

The young tuxedo feline followed the older she-cat through the trees that filled the course lines of the territory, paws and legs flicking up lightly as she walked in a near trot, a step behind and to the side of Mousejump's tail out of habit for the way she had so often followed the spiritual form of Aconiteheart through these same woods not so very long ago.
She watched her paw steps as they padded against the floor, rhythmic and calming to her for a time until Ebonyfrost turned the sharp blue of her eyes up towards the form of the feline ahead of her. Mousejump. Her mother.
Since she had left the nest and the nursery and been assigned a mentor — even for a short time — to train as a warrior – and beyond that point to when she had been chosen to take the path of a medicine cat – the amount of proper conversations that she had with her mother had plummeted. Perhaps now that could be remedied.

Sensing the slowing of Mousejump's pawsteps, Ebonyfrost lessened her pace and eventually – as Mousejump stopped – came to pull up beside her and stand next to her.
The subtle flick of Mousejump's tail against her side startled the young tuxedo, causing her to tense slightly as she turned her head to face the older feline.
"As good as I can be, I suppose." She mewed, trailing her eyes along the form of the former queen's face, hoping maybe to see some kind of emotion. They remained out of her grasp though, hiding just out of her paws' reach, and so she carefully kept her face emotionless as well.
"And, how have you been?"

[ I sorta just assumed Mousejump isn't aware of Ebonyfrost's lack of ability to recognize emotions, if that's okie =3 & good luck with the new house! ]

Mousejump would never adjust to Ebonyfrost's zany nature, yet she continued to endlessly adore her daughter. It surprised her when her offspring acted shocked whenever Mousejump touched her, or Ebonyfrost's lack of emotion when her own mother spoke to her. It almost angered her. Was Ebonyfrost afraid of her? Did Ebonyfrost have something against Mousejump? But she never confronted her daughter, figuring the younger she-cat would share when she was comfortable, but Mousejump's fiery and blunt personality was not exactly patient.

``I've been alright; missing my kits, though.`` Mousejump cast Ebonyfrost a soft smile, her voice expressing a motherly tone. She was aware that her children would be busy with their responsibilities, but she constantly wished that they'd put some time aside to visit her. She missed them oh-so terribly. She had observed the way Ebonyfrost had studied her face, fueling her curiosity as to just what Ebonyfrost felt about her.

Finally, it became too much. Mousejump just had to bring it up. Inhaling heavily and exhaling a sigh, she looked over at Ebonyfrost. Her features were not ones of anger or irritation, but those of concern. Mousejump had immediately assumed something was wrong, filling her with concern. ``Why - Why did my touch startle you? Why do you not express emotion? Is something wrong, dear?``

[Brooklyn Trees]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

[ I sorta just assumed Mousejump isn't aware of Ebonyfrost's lack of ability to recognize emotions, if that's okie =3 & good luck with the new house! ]

Mousejump would never adjust to Ebonyfrost's zany nature, yet she continued to endlessly adore her daughter. It surprised her when her offspring acted shocked whenever Mousejump touched her, or Ebonyfrost's lack of emotion when her own mother spoke to her. It almost angered her. Was Ebonyfrost afraid of her? Did Ebonyfrost have something against Mousejump? But she never confronted her daughter, figuring the younger she-cat would share when she was comfortable, but Mousejump's fiery and blunt personality was not exactly patient.

``I've been alright; missing my kits, though.`` Mousejump cast Ebonyfrost a soft smile, her voice expressing a motherly tone. She was aware that her children would be busy with their responsibilities, but she constantly wished that they'd put some time aside to visit her. She missed them oh-so terribly. She had observed the way Ebonyfrost had studied her face, fueling her curiosity as to just what Ebonyfrost felt about her.

Finally, it became too much. Mousejump just had to bring it up. Inhaling heavily and exhaling a sigh, she looked over at Ebonyfrost. Her features were not ones of anger or irritation, but those of concern. Mousejump had immediately assumed something was wrong, filling her with concern. ``Why - Why did my touch startle you? Why do you not express emotion? Is something wrong, dear?``

(She hasn't told anybody about it as of current so yeah. =^^=) (And thank you! &#128516

The wiry feline had not expected something like this to be said from Mousejump, and the sudden question – the reasons for she did not want to explain – made the younger she-cat become defensive towards her mother, bright eyes narrowing slightly.
"It didn't." She said, not questioning the sudden dryness that her voice had assumed. Anger was still something that Ebonyfrost was learning to control. She was by nature easily irritated, and those things that pressed the boundaries of what she shared with anyone but her own mind often set her on edge. She knew that her defensive nature did not help to hide it, but she couldn't really help it.

"And I show nothing because I feel nothing. What's the use in emotion?" She knew that the lie could easily be seen through. Nobody felt nothing, and she often felt deeply, but it was easier than having to explain something which she herself did not fully understand. Perhaps the tuxedo would be seen as weak in her own mother's eyes if she dared to reveal that she different, perhaps lesser, than the others of the clan. Stupid thoughts, she knew, but she couldn't end how she had always reacted to such things.

"Nothing's wrong at all."