Dusk Syndicate Territory

[Tundra]

Thrush wiped his eyes with a paw and stood next to Feather.
"Maybe... We should go back and let the Medicine Cats look at that Broken Paw."

[Deerlie]

Originally Posted by Flameleaf

Thrush wiped his eyes with a paw and stood next to Feather.
"Maybe... We should go back and let the Medicine Cats look at that Broken Paw."

She stood up. "Ok."

[Tundra]

[Just teleport to camp]

[Ever]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

That one word held so much power behind it. So much strength, and there was a security in it that he could hear in her tone. The tabby stopped and looked at her, studying her, wishing - wishing things were different. If only he knew how to break the ice. It had been cracked, but it wasn't fully broken. There was still something, some border of cautiousness, keeping him secure. And he was both trying to push it down and keep it up, which was resulting in a mental war. Every cat had their own mental wars. Every cat had something they were hiding. Arrow was confident that Ebony was hiding something, something that made her this way, cautious and uncertain - and it made them similar.

"Good." It was the only thing he could think of to say, and in a way, this was very good. Someone like him. Someone that shared the same fears, at least it seemed that way. Although he guessed she had seen things that she probably wished she hadn't. No, Arrow had no idea what they could be. Just the fact that her brother was who he was, though, told him that something was probably wrong. There had to be. A cat like Hannibal couldn't just let the others live in peace, could he? Or was that only the rude ones? Perhaps if Arrow stayed out of his way and was polite, his friendship with Ebony could continue being developed. Perhaps he wouldn't be killed in his sleep, as he was thinking he would now.

Perhaps everything would turn out okay. Although he wasn't really one to think along the positive lines. "Where's your favorite place to go here?" What he was asking was something fairly simple. Because as much as the tom enjoyed the silence, if there was a chance - a fraction of hope that this, that the relationship he could feel developing between them could continue, he wanted to grab onto that. Even though his barrier was still there, it was beginning to fade away. As was the ice between them. And he could feel himself getting ready to jump, to take that leap, to jump and grab onto Ebony and prepare himself for a new friendship, but... it was too big of a gap. Too much for him.

He would never be able to make that jump and he knew it. The saddest thing about that was the fact that he really, really wanted to be Ebony's friend. She seemed like the type of cat who would make a good friend. But after so long of hiding, of trying not to get attached, Arrow was pretty sure that he couldn't do this. There was absolutely no way that he was going to be able to make friends with a cat who had a brother who was famous for killing, not to mention that he didn't know much about her. Maybe later. Maybe in the future. But he wanted so badly to believe that this could work, that they could be friends, that in the future everything would be alright, that he was desperate. If only there was a chance Arrow could let it go. Could lighten up and stop feeling like it was going to be the end of the world every time he wanted to make a friend. There had been other times, of course, but Arrow couldn't help but think that every time it would end in disaster.

There was the pretty she cat from across the clearing - but she could be flirtatious. The tom who always gave him a friendly 'good morning,' but Arrow knew that not every manipulative or evil cat started out by acting that way. The shy cat who sat in the corner, scared of the world around her, but Arrow wondered if it could be an act. The strong, nice tom who always appeared to be surrounded by admirers - but that was too dangerous. And then there was Ebony... a cat like him. A cat who had a past that was probably scarring, a cat who wasn't planning on hurting him as far as he could tell. But of course, his mind was on overdrive thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong. What if she was working with Hannibal? What if she was a killer on her own? What if something horrible happened to them? What if it wasn't safe out here at night? All those fears were holding him back. And yet that hope, that hope was what kept him from running.

All he wanted to do was be friends. And yet that seemed to be the one thing that he could not do, that was impossible for him to imagine doing. He couldn't be friends. No matter how badly he might want to. He couldn't allow himself to get involved in her life, to want to save her from whatever was going on. He couldn't allow himself to grow too concerned for her welfare because it might be his downfall in the end. It might end badly for him. And that was something else he didn't want.

For a moment silence hung heavy in the air as the two cats stared at each other. Both in equal surprise, and both trying to see the prospects of the relationship: was this worth it, was the risk of friendship worth the risk of death, of punishment? Neither knew what this would ultimately lead too, though both were very aware of all the risks that revolved around them, around her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought on his question. It was a simple question, though the meaning behind it ran much deeper. It was a response, a push, him showing that he wanted companionship as well perhaps. That he wasn't always willing to let the fears of life control his decisions. However, the task put her at risk too. Offering him that sort of information, she'd never let herself be that vulnerable. Lying was a possibility, or so she thought for a moment, and then decided that leading him to a fake place, a second best, would only lead to distrust and broken feelings down the road. So lying wasn't an option. But the black feline wasn't sure still if she trusted him enough. What if he meant her harm, what if he was trying to gain leverage on her. She didn't know anything useful about him and now he wanted to know her favorite place.

The voices in her head whispered anxious thoughts to her, to run, to hide from this. They had the vision of comfort, comfort and safety in solitude. Nobody could hurt you if there was nobody to hurt you. The fur along her spine prickled with the passing moments of debate, feeling a little put on the spot. However, she knew why he'd asked it too. If she were in his shoes and truly wanted to believe and trust the other, she'd want to see some aspect of vulnerability as well, to see if it was an honest attempt at friendship and not some sort of trap. She sucked in a breath and held onto the strand of hope that had calmed her nerves during this entire excursion, that this might end in something good and not in flames.

"There is a place." She said quietly, holding his gaze as she finally broke the silence. Her mismatched eyes were well guarded as she proceeded with a cautious voice, watching his expression to try and detect any sign that he might of bad intents. "There's a stream that runs through our territory, it- it falls into a little set of waterfalls. It's nothing spectacular but- I- I think it's peaceful, beautiful." She felt herself tumbling over the words, nervous, anxious, but she'd done it. Ebony had been able to make the leap and reveal something she'd never told a single other cat in her entire existence. Her chest felt light now that it was out and in the air and her breath returned, a giddiness making her mind spin. She felt like a kit that'd made it's first friend, happy. How long had it been since she felt this happy? She couldn't remember a time when a smile came to her maw out of happiness and not out of sheer force. Her tail flicked happily in the air before her as she finally broke her mismatched eyes from Arrow's and in a new direction. She jutted her chin to the right of them and glanced over at him.

"It's not far from here, follow me." She turned and began anew, on a trail that was only too familiar to her. She bet if she were blind she could still find her way to the tumbling rapids, their crashing sounds as soothing to her as a mother's purr. Her smile didn't falter as she picked up her pace, silencing the voices that told her that this would lead to his or her demise and actually enjoying herself. It was foreign, this ability to be care-free in a sense, if even for a few minutes before the guarded cat returned. It felt wrong in every way, her gut was twisted and her head spun with dizziness, but she pushed on in the darkness, eager to share some of her world with another; for the first and possibly the last time if he were to back away from this. Ebony didn't want to waste an instant.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Ever

For a moment silence hung heavy in the air as the two cats stared at each other. Both in equal surprise, and both trying to see the prospects of the relationship: was this worth it, was the risk of friendship worth the risk of death, of punishment? Neither knew what this would ultimately lead too, though both were very aware of all the risks that revolved around them, around her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought on his question. It was a simple question, though the meaning behind it ran much deeper. It was a response, a push, him showing that he wanted companionship as well perhaps. That he wasn't always willing to let the fears of life control his decisions. However, the task put her at risk too. Offering him that sort of information, she'd never let herself be that vulnerable. Lying was a possibility, or so she thought for a moment, and then decided that leading him to a fake place, a second best, would only lead to distrust and broken feelings down the road. So lying wasn't an option. But the black feline wasn't sure still if she trusted him enough. What if he meant her harm, what if he was trying to gain leverage on her. She didn't know anything useful about him and now he wanted to know her favorite place.

The voices in her head whispered anxious thoughts to her, to run, to hide from this. They had the vision of comfort, comfort and safety in solitude. Nobody could hurt you if there was nobody to hurt you. The fur along her spine prickled with the passing moments of debate, feeling a little put on the spot. However, she knew why he'd asked it too. If she were in his shoes and truly wanted to believe and trust the other, she'd want to see some aspect of vulnerability as well, to see if it was an honest attempt at friendship and not some sort of trap. She sucked in a breath and held onto the strand of hope that had calmed her nerves during this entire excursion, that this might end in something good and not in flames.

"There is a place." She said quietly, holding his gaze as she finally broke the silence. Her mismatched eyes were well guarded as she proceeded with a cautious voice, watching his expression to try and detect any sign that he might of bad intents. "There's a stream that runs through our territory, it- it falls into a little set of waterfalls. It's nothing spectacular but- I- I think it's peaceful, beautiful." She felt herself tumbling over the words, nervous, anxious, but she'd done it. Ebony had been able to make the leap and reveal something she'd never told a single other cat in her entire existence. Her chest felt light now that it was out and in the air and her breath returned, a giddiness making her mind spin. She felt like a kit that'd made it's first friend, happy. How long had it been since she felt this happy? She couldn't remember a time when a smile came to her maw out of happiness and not out of sheer force. Her tail flicked happily in the air before her as she finally broke her mismatched eyes from Arrow's and in a new direction. She jutted her chin to the right of them and glanced over at him.

"It's not far from here, follow me." She turned and began anew, on a trail that was only too familiar to her. She bet if she were blind she could still find her way to the tumbling rapids, their crashing sounds as soothing to her as a mother's purr. Her smile didn't falter as she picked up her pace, silencing the voices that told her that this would lead to his or her demise and actually enjoying herself. It was foreign, this ability to be care-free in a sense, if even for a few minutes before the guarded cat returned. It felt wrong in every way, her gut was twisted and her head spun with dizziness, but she pushed on in the darkness, eager to share some of her world with another; for the first and possibly the last time if he were to back away from this. Ebony didn't want to waste an instant.

Honestly, the tom hadn't been expecting an answer. This showed how badly Ebony wanted this. She wanted him to... what did she want? For him to be her friend? You can do this. Baby steps, Arrow - baby steps. This was a small step in the direction of making a friend, and a huge step (for him) in the direction of trust. What if she found him there and tried to kill him one day? What if something bad happened? What if - tell her. Answer her. Okay. So Arrow wanted to trust Ebony too, wanted to believe her with everything in him even as he watched her, to see that she was honest and vulnerable - like he was. He was vulnerable beneath his hard outer shell. He was hurt more easily then he wanted to believe. More fragile then he let himself believe. And braver then he thought. "It sounds beautiful." And with that, the guard over his expression went down. For an instant it went down. For moments he stared at her, watching her as though there was nothing to keep his guard up anymore and then he stopped with a sigh.

Was he being stupid? Crazy, just to think that even for a moment, he could have something to believe in? Something to believe in - it was what everyone wanted, wasn't it? No. Everyone wanted someone to believe in them. Even Arrow, sometimes, longed for at least one cat that he could trust to tell his fears and hopes to. This was a leap. And especially, when she told him to follow. Ebony - being similar to him - was actually asking him to follow her. And he went. He padded after her, head spinning, cautious in his movements and holding a certain boldness to them as well. He didn't have to be afraid anymore - he didn't have to - she was going to be okay. Not going to kill me. Will kill me. Not going to kill me. Will definitely murder me. This was the back and forth of his mind as he followed her. "Why." It was a statement, moreof then a question, but Arrow asked it. Half commanding an answer.

Why... what... he didn't know. Things were confusing him right now, things were going, and it felt like he couldn't hear all the words that were being said - might be being answered to him now, because his ears were ringing. Yet he was still following her. What was he doing? Didn't this have potential to be dangerous? Yes. But it was that something to believe in, something to believe in him, that Arrow had wanted for so very, very long. Had needed, even. And if he had needed and wanted it so badly, it couldn't be a bad thing. There was no way that something that was so good for him - so socially involved - could be bad. There just wasn't. And as afraid as Arrow was... because yes, he was still afraid, and he still wanted to know why... this was also good. Why. Why him? Why now? Why this? Why here? Why her? All those questions, and no answers so far. Perhaps these were those questions that would be revealed with time.

Just as slowly, over time, he would reveal himself to her. Show that he wasn't always like this. Just as he could see how happy she was. And, a smile - for the first time in a long time, a real, happy smile... not polite... broke out over his own maw. No one was ever this excited because of something he had done, or was doing, or anything like that. But here they were. And maybe, this wasn't going to end badly! Arrow could feel that there was potential for friendship there. It was an adventure, a long road, a long trek - and they were going to make it. He knew they would. He was almost excited, but not quite, it was a sort of... half and half thing. Worry and excitement mixed and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry or smile, and all he knew was that this was the start of something new.




Being in the Dusk Syndicate had it's ups and downs. For example, one of the unfortunate downsides was everything that was going on. So far? Obsidian had been sticking in the territory, going into the clearing every once in a while, and so far... no one had noticed that he didn't belong. The tom may not have joined officially but he considered himself to be an official part of the Syndicate now. There was no going back. Sometimes he missed the garden with Calia, other times he preferred being here in general. The tom slipped into a part of the territory that was quite pretty and settled down there. He had been sleeping out here - hiding, of course - his scent was almost like a Dusk Syndicate cat's now. Except for one thing. Sometimes, on some of the cats he had seen and yes, even talked to, Obsidian had noticed a distinct scent of... blood. Old, but it was there almost as though it were lingering on them. This had made him fear a good few of those cats, and a shudder went down his spine just at the thought. Picks of anxiety made his fur stand on end as he glanced around. So far - so good. No cats were there right now. Good, for the moment being, Obsidian was perfectly safe. He breathed a sigh of relief, the smallest of smiles coming over his maw as he headed onwards through the territory. The tom didn't hunt here often. He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to. Soon, perhaps, he would have officially joined and things would change. Then he would really be bound to this place. This hell. Where a cat like him might... belong.
@Gusty

[Aquarius]

@Constellation

---

The night stretched on, but Aquarius felt anything but comforted under it's cascade of dark. The night provided more to her than the day did, and she took joy in that, but it was often short-lasted. The stars were covered by a thick cloud of grayness, making the entire night ominous. One way or another, she had already come out to hunt, and she was determined not to go back to camp unless she had found something. Like many days before, she had not been able to catch anything with the rapidly changing weather, and hunger churned in her stomach like a monster. She bared through it, but it had finally been taking it's toll on her. Mixed with the reprimanding she got from the Fighters every day, it made her feel more than sick, and she felt like she was going to pass out.

Fortunately, it had been several days since her encounter with that... that odd, sardonic cat. Everytime Aquarius thought of the tom it made her sick, but it also sent strange chills down her spine. As if she loathed the thought of seeing him, but at the same time, she needed it to survive, the same way a cat would need prey or water. She shivered, and padded on through the night, trying to push the thoughts of the orange Fighter out of her mind, for her own good. For the past few days, she had been hunting and going out as usual, and she had seen no sign of him. It was terrible and great at the same time, and Aquarius's conflicting feelings made her feel like she was going to burst into fire at any moment, the flames consuming her. She could almost feel herself disintegrating away.

She opened her mouth slightly so that she could taste the air, holding her mottled muzzle low to the ground, her stomach growling so loud she was certain all of the Syndicate would hear it, even though she tried to go as far away from the camp as she could. Her ears flicked as nothing availed, and no prey seemed to be scurrying in the dark night. She growled in annoyance and dug her claws into the dirt, as if she could root herself to the ground. "Nothing. There's nothing." Her blue eyes glowed like ice as she looked around, but without no light from the sky, not even the moon or stars, she had nothing to go off of. Squinting, she focused on a small thicket to her left.

Just as she spoke, she saw a shape moving on the edge of her vision. Her head whipped around, but the same shadows filled her vision as before, nothing strange lurking in them as she had imagined. She saw something in the bushes, but when she blinked, the figure was gone. In confusion, she hoped that it would be some kind of prey, although it looked far too large for that. Aquarius hissed, leaping towards the bushes, determined to find out what - or who - was there. The branches made no rustle, nothing to tell her anything was there, and she landed neatly without issue. Glaring, she nudged the leaves aside and passed through them, swivelling her ears to hear the slightest sound in the bracken.

[wickedvirtues]

Originally Posted by Role

"Always," she purred, standing in a rather clumsy battle stance. The trainee had never battle trained before, but this was her chance to learn. Mango made sure her claws were sheathed, however. Harming one another wasn't a good idea. Mango was very well aware of the tensions between SkyClan and the Dusk Syndicate. Oh, how she despised the Clans. She never knew why, but she always hated the Clans. Perhaps it was just in her blood.

Allure chuckled at her apprentices clumsy stance,
herself in a better one. She'd learn. "Try to do more of this and less of..that."
She gestured to her pose then Mango's. For once she sheathed her claws,
she didn't want to hurt Mango. SkyClan and the Syndicate were in the middle of tension. Allure wanted to be in top shape, and her apprentice needed to be in the best shape as well. Battles were serious, they didn't need to be injurd if one rolled around.

[Role]

Originally Posted by CandyFlossCat

Allure chuckled at her apprentices clumsy stance,
herself in a better one. She'd learn. "Try to do more of this and less of..that."
She gestured to her pose then Mango's. For once she sheathed her claws,
she didn't want to hurt Mango. SkyClan and the Syndicate were in the middle of tension. Allure wanted to be in top shape, and her apprentice needed to be in the best shape as well. Battles were serious, they didn't need to be injurd if one rolled around.

Mango slowly steadied herself, and adjusted her stance to match Allure's. Mango set her gaze back on Allure, and bared her teeth in a mock snarl. "Ready when you are.." Mango lashed her tail to look fierce. After all, striking fear into her opponents was the best option in her opinion. But, Mango knew her feeble snarl wouldn't scare the stronger feline. Mango bunched her muscles, ready to pounce.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Aquarius

@Constellation

---

The night stretched on, but Aquarius felt anything but comforted under it's cascade of dark. The night provided more to her than the day did, and she took joy in that, but it was often short-lasted. The stars were covered by a thick cloud of grayness, making the entire night ominous. One way or another, she had already come out to hunt, and she was determined not to go back to camp unless she had found something. Like many days before, she had not been able to catch anything with the rapidly changing weather, and hunger churned in her stomach like a monster. She bared through it, but it had finally been taking it's toll on her. Mixed with the reprimanding she got from the Fighters every day, it made her feel more than sick, and she felt like she was going to pass out.

Fortunately, it had been several days since her encounter with that... that odd, sardonic cat. Everytime Aquarius thought of the tom it made her sick, but it also sent strange chills down her spine. As if she loathed the thought of seeing him, but at the same time, she needed it to survive, the same way a cat would need prey or water. She shivered, and padded on through the night, trying to push the thoughts of the orange Fighter out of her mind, for her own good. For the past few days, she had been hunting and going out as usual, and she had seen no sign of him. It was terrible and great at the same time, and Aquarius's conflicting feelings made her feel like she was going to burst into fire at any moment, the flames consuming her. She could almost feel herself disintegrating away.

She opened her mouth slightly so that she could taste the air, holding her mottled muzzle low to the ground, her stomach growling so loud she was certain all of the Syndicate would hear it, even though she tried to go as far away from the camp as she could. Her ears flicked as nothing availed, and no prey seemed to be scurrying in the dark night. She growled in annoyance and dug her claws into the dirt, as if she could root herself to the ground. "Nothing. There's nothing." Her blue eyes glowed like ice as she looked around, but without no light from the sky, not even the moon or stars, she had nothing to go off of. Squinting, she focused on a small thicket to her left.

Just as she spoke, she saw a shape moving on the edge of her vision. Her head whipped around, but the same shadows filled her vision as before, nothing strange lurking in them as she had imagined. She saw something in the bushes, but when she blinked, the figure was gone. In confusion, she hoped that it would be some kind of prey, although it looked far too large for that. Aquarius hissed, leaping towards the bushes, determined to find out what - or who - was there. The branches made no rustle, nothing to tell her anything was there, and she landed neatly without issue. Glaring, she nudged the leaves aside and passed through them, swivelling her ears to hear the slightest sound in the bracken.

The night lacked appreciation. The vast beauty had a way of making others...recoil. This was something Stephanotis failed to understand. Whereas, he adored the dark. It was magnificent. A lot of things got done in the dark. Successful crimes' shadows hidden in the dark. And, it was definitely fun to tell stories in the dark. Now, if it were storming - that would had perfected the day. Yes, a nice storm. Thunderstorm, snowstorm, any storm really. A storm was a pleasant thing to have. It made Stephanotis feel like he truly belonged in this twisted refulgent. Though the night never shone brightly. But, Stephanotis did.

At the moment, the brilliant pelted tom roamed the night lands. A walk always did him some good before bedtime. It was like walking with the spirits when it came to him. They lurked around, surely. They were angry. They were livid. Stephanotis thought about the many cats he could had killed, but instead they had killed themselves. What if these were their spirits? Haunting him, but being ignored? The thought made him laugh - pretty hard.

The large tom cleared his throat because it would had been awkward if anyone caught him in that moment. As far as he was concerned, everyone should had been in their respective nests. Everyone should had been sleep. Except for the night patrol, if there were one. His paws stomped through the grounds. Creating large indications of what path he had taken. Stephanotis didn't care much about how heavy his paws were. They were never light in the first place, and that was alright. He sounded like a beast prowling through the lands. Like a large lion ready to devour another.

His nose had twitched when he stopped next to a bush. Something was on the other side, surely. His ears flicked. Just the wind, he had assumed. Then, continued on - but no. There was something lurking in those bushes. Stephanotis tail lashed behind him, creating a powerful sound when it clashed with the wind. He growled, inwardly. Was someone following him? The tom was hardly paranoid. When he knew something was there; he was certain. They were hiding. But, they would be dead soon.

Stephanotis lowered himself into a fighting crouch, his muscles rippling from his thick pelt as he pushed himself forward, ready to collide with whatever was sneaking around. If they thought they would be able to mess with Stephanotis; they were messing with the wrong tom! Fore, he knew he wasn't weak. He had brute strength. He had powerful jaws, and though he pleasantly liked to keep his claws clean. He would rip the head off whoever thought it was grand to shelter in the bushes. Like they were observing him. Trying to gain his every move.

The orange tom felt the figure of soft fur when he crashed himself into it. It was a simple pounce, and his paws laid heavily against her chest. He was ready to unleash the sting of his talons, but when his eyes opened, a ferocious growl emitted from him -

He had not expected to see a mottled molly below him. The large tom stared at her dumbfounded for a moment. Completely lost of his desires, completely lost in general. When he realized it was the molly from earlier, he let out a huff, but jumped off her quickly to give her enough room to recover from his heavy weight. To think, he thought she was someone who was after him. The syndicate was never a place of trust. Everyone was after someone. Others wanted him dead, believe it or not. ''Great. You again.'' His voice was far from friendly. He was actually tired of her presence, yet wondered why she was even scavenging through the land at this time of night. Though, he refused to be in her business, because he truly had not cared.

''Don't ever. And, I mean - ever - sneak up on me like that again. I don't like surprises. Nor, do I like the likes of you. '' Exactly, why have you been up at this time of night?

[wickedvirtues]

Originally Posted by Role

Mango slowly steadied herself, and adjusted her stance to match Allure's. Mango set her gaze back on Allure, and bared her teeth in a mock snarl. "Ready when you are.." Mango lashed her tail to look fierce. After all, striking fear into her opponents was the best option in her opinion. But, Mango knew her feeble snarl wouldn't scare the stronger feline. Mango bunched her muscles, ready to pounce.

(Hiss I am late. I apologize.)

Allure gave a tiny nod of 'okay that's better' and flicked her tail slightly. "Alright" she mewed. Her attempt to look fierce didn't work on Allure, but she did it well and it was actually quite convincing. It would've scared a young cat or Clanner. Allure glanced at her potential options, then lunged to pin Mango, leaping into the air. She wondered how her trainee would reply, she was interested in her fighting style.