Dusk Syndicate Clearing

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Noting her struggle, the tom stood there for just a moment... he wasn't sure whether this was one of those times when Skipper would want to do this herself or if she needed his help. Paying attention to the pain and desperation that showed through in her eyes, the sandy feline sprang foward in an alarmingly quick movement, landing nearby and moving over so that she had him for support - only if she wanted it. It was important to be independant, Gavin knew, but there was nothing wrong with having somebody to lean on if you needed it. "Don't... don't try to walk, it's okay... I've got you..." Not sure how she would respond to the command, he unconciously flinched.
　
But didn't move away from her side. Her words surprised him... this fiery cat wanted a friend? Wanted someone who cared? The Dusk Syndicate was always surprising him. And this was no exception to those times. "I care." Two words, so simple, and yet they held so much meaning to some cats. I care. What was the big deal about Gavin caring? Did it really mean that much to say something like that?
　
To her, it might make all the difference. "And I'll be your friend." Why not? He liked making new friends, and if Skipper needed one, then Gavin was definitely a good start. He might not be the toughest, or the best fighter... but he was loyal and he was willing to do what it took to prove that loyalty. So, Gavin was honestly the best bet at this point. "Are you ready to go to the Healers' Den now?" His voice was quieter, and once more he flinched - not wanting her to tell him that she wasn't because it was 'weak.' What was wrong with getting help? Gavin didn't understand.
　
He'd never understood. This place seemed like the type of area to crush your spirits, and yet his remained soaring high. Because Gavin had never known what it was like to have a broken heart. He'd never known what it was like to watch someone you loved die, or be hurt... all he had ever known was what his parents had told him. That with kindness came strength. If he were kind, he would be strong... even if sometimes the tom didn't feel like he was either.

(i think this'll be the endpost for this roleplay; maybe we could shift gears to after she's healed, and they end up in the territory?)

She leaned against Gavin, a grateful rush soaring through her; it was so much more comfortable to keep weight off of her injured self, even if it meant she displaced some of it to him. Her tail twitched slightly, a strange twinge of guilt growing inside her; was it wrong for her to rely so heavily on the pure gratitude of a stranger? Skipper's ears twitched at the thought, but she didn't move, keeping herself planted firmly next to him.

"Yes... I think," she muttered in response to his inquiry, her words short and tightly clipped; she didn't really want to go have some strange cat poking and prodding her, telling her everything that was wrong, and then finally trying to heal her; but if someone she already looked up to as wiser thought so, than she probably ought to listen.

She looked over at Gavin, finally calm enough to examine his features; they were gentle, and his mouth looked like it was always caught up into a permanent smile. His eyes were shockingly bright, and yet remained deep, and a bit mysterious; what was he thinking, in that mind of his? In short, he was handsome and mysterious, and Skipper found herself intrigued, but she shook her head, and quickly forgot about her moment of interest.

[lone]

A sandy colored tom took his place in the clearing - a spot where he could normally be found, it was partly shady and partly sunny. It made him look like somewhat of a mixed up character - with part of his sandy pelt being illuminated by the sunlight and the other part dulled by the shadows. But, Gavin was far from a mixed up character. Or dark in any way. Anyone who thought otherwise was convincing themselves of a lie, for the tom was one of the friendliest you could meet here. Sitting in this comfortable spot, stretched out so that his pelt was half dark and half light as it often was in that particular area, Gavin's mind turned to the fiery feline he had met a while back. Had it been a long or short while ago?
　
Either way, she was on his mind right now. Skipper. Yes, he had seen her around, but a true conversation hadn't been had in a while either... not as far as he could remember. She seemed to be doing better since the first time they met, which had ended in quite the accident... something that Gavin didn't wish to witness again. It was one of the things he disliked about the Syndicate. There was always someone getting hurt.
　
Though he supposed the same could be said of any place, really. Accidents couldn't be avoided. But different safety measures could be taken, in his opinion. He wished the Healers were more knowledgeable, as well. Although he wasn't complaining for their care - certainly he would never be able to do what they did. It was hard to heal a cat! That same friendly smile stayed on the tom's maw as he thought about what he would do for the day. Maybe he would seek out Skipper - catch up with her some, or something like that. Truth be told, Gavin quite missed the feline. So perhaps they could... hang out once more.
　
A flickering excitement, almost like that of butterflies, seemed to be set off in the tom's stomach. What a weird feeling! He thought, now almost giddy. But it was a different type of giddy. That was funny - Gavin hadn't felt like that in a long, long time. Not that it really mattered to him. Everything was going to turn out just fine. That was, and always had been, his belief... his way of looking at the world. Everything would turn out fine.
@Clover

[seasalt]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

{Agh, so sorry about how long this took! ;0;}

It was always a hard choice for Icarius, between wanting to become really good at what he was training to do, and wanting to always check in on his siblings. He felt he held responsibility over them, since he was the biggest of the litter. He felt that he was the one to keep them safe, and personally he felt that there was no cat better suited than the job than him. He was big, he was scary and he thought he had the brains and strength to do it. Sure, Icarius was a pretty clumsy kit, but he had great courage and confidence, there was nothing that this kit was afraid of doing or saying and it didn't matter who he was talking to either. If some cat was threatening him or his siblings, there would be a reckoning. He liked to imagine that lightning would form in the sky and the wind would start blowing, making him look all cool as he brought down the fury of the dark forest upon his foe, and then his siblings would be all happy and safe and it would make him smile.
But lately it seems he's been focusing more on his studies of becoming a healer, so that he could help take care of his siblings even better, if they ever needed it. Besides, he could teach himself how to fight any time, healing was where it took skill and brains and he wanted to learn. He didn't care about how he would be treated, or what other cats would think, all he cared about was being able to take care of his siblings.

Blinking and lifting his head, the fluffy tom would turn his attention to the she-cat that greeted him, his brow arching for a moment as he sit up before he recognized her as his half-sister, purring out loudly. "Oh hey, Iesha!
I'm just trying to get my mind wrapped around a few things! You know, secret healer stuff!" He smiled a wide, toothy grin, the tip of his fluffy tail curling in the air.
"Aren't you a um.. A.."
Shoot I forgot...
"Training to be a fighter...?" While he wasn't sure, Icarius sure made it seem like he knew exactly what she was, even if he didn't. That's one thing that confidence and pride in himself allowed him to do.

(Its fine ^_^) @Duskflight
Iesha gave a small, innocent, and content grin back at his reply. She was rather curious on what he was doing. And it appeared to be studying herbs, for whatever reason. The kit wasn't really interested on why, all she was caring about was her half brother could spare some time to chat. "Right'! Cool!" She giggled excitedly at the "secret healer stuff", tilting her head at the herbs, a curious expression on her face as she studied them, more out of curiosity, than interest in the healing field. Iesha didn't really want to be stuck healing other cats anyways. She wanted to fight! Her father had been a guard, and she wanted to be just like her father in that sense. Protecting the commander, and the co-commander, whoever that would be. She didn't really care about that stuff, she really only cared if they were good cats or not. And good cats could probably lead well. Iesha didn't know much about that kind of stuff anyways. She lifted her head to look at her older half brother, a grin on her face, as her tail lashed, her face slightly scrunched up in thought, before unscrunching it, as she called it. "Ye ye! I want to be a fighter! And maybe a guard like dad, that would be so cool!" She bounced up and down in excitement, babbling childishly. Iesha always had something to be excited about usually all the time, and this was time for it, for her mostly.

[Zero]

Originally Posted by Zero to Hero

[FONT="Times New Roman" @Lilly

Ferox watched Alya as she responded to his and Donovan's words. He saw what seemed to be... hurt?... travel across the young kit's features and was surprised when his heart responded with a longing to make her feel better. Had he already grown that fond of this other cat? Stop being a sissy... Was his instant thought in response to himself, conditioned into him at even his young age. However, he was snapped from his thoughts as the she-cat spoke, a ice-cold look of hatred emerging from the hurt. It sent a chill down his spine, and the tom was momentarily confused. He didn't know if he was afraid and disturbed by the look, or entirely and utterly impressed. All he knew was that he wanted to stay on her good side... and that this was a cat he wanted to be his friend in this type of group. The look was gone as quickly as it came with his suggestion to play, though; so the young tom turned his thoughts from that to coming up with something to do.

He nodded as Donovan turned to leave, knowing the older cat wouldn't be interested in a kitten's game. The tom kit was kind of secretly relieved that he wouldn't have to come up with some sort of cool new game that would maybe impress him a little. He continued to watch Ayla coolly from a foot away, only turning his intense gaze away when she turned to look at him. "... we could practice our fighting?" Play fighting was the most popular game in the Dusk Syndicate, especially for those his age that we going to be trainees soon.

Bump for @Lilly

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Skjoldolfr

Horseradish eyed her curiously, watching to see if there was anything that set her apart from the rest if the Syndicate. He liked to see just who might be was worthy of his "love", and often, it was those who he could have good, string and beautiful kits with. He had to choose carefully, find someone with traits he liked and hope that they would have kits, and that those kits would turn out with the more desirable traits. He waited, then ducked his head and bit into the vole, eating it in rapid bites that weren't neat, but were clean and made little mess. It wasn't delicate, but it had an air of savagery to it that he liked to retain, as he didn't want to seem soft, and he did like it when others feared him.

There was something kittypet-ish about the molly, the way she ate, looked,
and how well groomed she was, but also something that spoke of the Syndicate, wild and fierce, and it was odd that such a cat would live in the Syndicate, although Horseradish guessed that it was probably something used to her own advantage. He shrugged slightly and gulped down the last bite of the vole, bones, fur and all, before licking his maw, which had a bit of blood on it from the vole, and it wouldn't have been a problem to him had the fur around his mouth not been white, but it was, and he didn't want to look like a complete mess. He watched her as he groomed his thick, mottled pelt, which was soft and silky, never puffed up and dirty, although the occasional blood staining his paws, but he always removed that before it got too bothersome. He needed ever bit of flexibility he could muster, and if his fur was stiff, it hampered his abilities.

He caught her staring at him, and gave a satisfied half smile that was hardly noticeable unless you were right up next to him. He tucked his paws under his chest and looked away, waiting for her eyes to leave him before looking back with interest flashing across his amber-green irises, studying her frame, but seeing nothing that looked like a soft kittypet, which lead him to the conclusion that she was definitely not a kittypet, and that got him absolutely nowhere, because a kittypet wouldn't survive a second in this place, let alone a couple seasons. That was just not possible, and Horseradish discarded the idea without a second thought.

He realized that a molly like her probably caught they eye of every tom that saw her, and for a moment, he wondered if perhaps she was already taken. There was a good chance of it, but if she was, maybe he just had to get the other tom out of the picture. Of course, only if there was another tom. If there wasn't, this could very well be Horseradish's lucky day, and he smiled softly, hopeful that it was and that he would have the luck of catching her eye, and judging by the way she'd been staring at him, he was fairly sure that that wouldn't be very hard. She'd caught his attention, and under normal circumstances, he would've fine up to her, but this time, since he already seemed to have her, he might as well test his idea and see if she would come to him.

He was rather pleased when the graceful looking fighter stood and started in his direction, although Horseradish his it quite well, not wanting her to know what his thoughts were. He took notice of the way she got a little too close, her tail brushing his side, but he didn't react to it, just wrapped his own busy tail against his side so that the tip touched his chest with long, straight furs that tickled his nose a bit, so Horseradish raised his head. If I sneeze now . . . . He thought, shaking his head slowly. “'Ay” Horseradish meowed, dipping his head in greeting, his accent showing through as he left out the "H" in "hey", as Horseradish had always had difficulty making that sound, and always forgot to add it to his words, though he didn't understand why.

He eyed her curiously as she circled him, rather enjoying the moment once he realized what she was doing, so he held still so she could see every marking splotched across his black, white and brown mottled pelt. The brown was less visible unless he was in sunlight, but it was still plainly there, and although it could easily be missed, if you looked close enough, it would become quite clear. “I made sure you saw.” Horseradish purred, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he spoke. “And maybe, I'm still deciding.” Horseradish replied, studying her up and down, the dipping his head in a half bow. “Have you seen anything that you like?” he purred, studying the sandy brown tabby's pelt, then her leafy eyes.

‘’Maybe...I’m still deciding.’’ The sandy pelted feline teased. As her eyes narrowed, she figured he was trying to play that type of game. For Labrynn, games were fun. A bit of a waste of time, but it made the chase all the more while! For her, she liked to get straight to the point, but things such as these? They needed to be built precisely with time. Only time. And, playing games? Usually made time go faster. The she flicked her out-turned ears, bending her head down slightly to take a gander at her chest fur--as if it weren’t clean enough already. Her pelt laid around her like a blanket, glossy to the core and shining around her. It was as if she made her own type of sun, if that were even possible. How her pelt glowed under the sunlight, the moonlight, or even had its own glowing matter--others did not know or understand.

Labrynn was a pretty sweet cat. Secretive to most with her femme fatale ways, and no one ever figured how she got into the Syndicate. Truth be told, the she cat was born here. Albeit a mistake that she never liked to talk about. So, she remained a mystery and focused more on her outer appearance to anchor her potential suitors into her paws. A little sweet words, a small game of chase, lots of affectionate touches, and would win the game. The only hard part was leaving them behind. She didn’t want to stay so long where she figured they were hooked to her. That was not how the she cat worked. Although she didn’t like to play games, there was one thing for sure...she adored winning them.

Labrynn’s leafy eyes trailed back over to him, admiring his build. He was a much larger cat than herself. Probably too large, but that was another thing this she cat liked. She didn’t go for the average cat, but more the bigger ones. The ones that looked muscular for they were as close protection as she can get. Why would she ever want to fight her own battles? That was definitely not a thing for Labrynn to do, though she did like to put in a bit of effort every now and then. As long as it didn’t ruin her pelt or make it lose its touch.

After much admiration, she perked her ears. Getting up to her paws slowly, allowing her pelt to become more flat against her body. She had to admit that he was something else, but it seemed that everything was going good so far. So, she once again walked up to him, letting out a soft singing of purrs as she constantly paced around him in an elegant manner. ‘’Although, I have to admit,’’ She stops, her leaf green eyes searching for his own orbs. ‘’I’m pretty impressed.’’ Didn’t toms enjoy getting complimented? Knowing that they were doing something good, and Labrynn wanted this tom to know what he was doing...it was right, in her eyes.

For a finishing touch, the feline went back to her spot, placed in front of him, but edging herself a little closer before delicately laying herself down on the ground--in the most comfortable and clean manner. She eyed him curiously once more, ‘’A clean pelt, an accent,’’ She purred, ‘’A strong build, defined muscles, and really pretty eyes,’’ it seemed like she was sucking up to him. In a way, she was, which she did with most of her victims. ‘’I’m positive you have a rocking personality that goes with it... the complete package.’’ She finishes, then collapses on her side, rolling over onto her back, so that she was looking up at him with a tilt of her head. A signature move that she had perfected since her trainee days. The little flirt she had always been, but behind that, there was definitely a sweet molly with an innocent appearance. ‘’And, I don’t even know your name, handsome.’’ She half-whispered, making sure to keep her voice laced with sweet seduction, which was really honestly a gift from the above, if she believed in one.

Again, Labrynn knew flirting was never the answer. Especially when it came to toms as they would brush off her motives. For a feline like Labrynn, she had desires, yet unfulfilled because she never seem to find the right victim, but looking at this tom in front of her? He seemed like the perfect specimen that she would enjoy toying around for a bit. Of course, he didn’t believe it would last forever, and that was something Labrynn dreaded, but she wanted him to believe that she was a friend more than a foe. The best way to get on that side would be to act submissive towards him. He looked to be an understanding tom that she could become friends with. Again, she didn’t know this tom, nor his name, and she wondered if he appeared to be a mystery. Labrynn liked mysteries, or perhaps she needed to impress him in order for him to accept her. Labrynn knew she could do that. The only thing she didn’t know was how to approach the idea.

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

A sandy colored tom took his place in the clearing - a spot where he could normally be found, it was partly shady and partly sunny. It made him look like somewhat of a mixed up character - with part of his sandy pelt being illuminated by the sunlight and the other part dulled by the shadows. But, Gavin was far from a mixed up character. Or dark in any way. Anyone who thought otherwise was convincing themselves of a lie, for the tom was one of the friendliest you could meet here. Sitting in this comfortable spot, stretched out so that his pelt was half dark and half light as it often was in that particular area, Gavin's mind turned to the fiery feline he had met a while back. Had it been a long or short while ago?
　
Either way, she was on his mind right now. Skipper. Yes, he had seen her around, but a true conversation hadn't been had in a while either... not as far as he could remember. She seemed to be doing better since the first time they met, which had ended in quite the accident... something that Gavin didn't wish to witness again. It was one of the things he disliked about the Syndicate. There was always someone getting hurt.
　
Though he supposed the same could be said of any place, really. Accidents couldn't be avoided. But different safety measures could be taken, in his opinion. He wished the Healers were more knowledgeable, as well. Although he wasn't complaining for their care - certainly he would never be able to do what they did. It was hard to heal a cat! That same friendly smile stayed on the tom's maw as he thought about what he would do for the day. Maybe he would seek out Skipper - catch up with her some, or something like that. Truth be told, Gavin quite missed the feline. So perhaps they could... hang out once more.
　
A flickering excitement, almost like that of butterflies, seemed to be set off in the tom's stomach. What a weird feeling! He thought, now almost giddy. But it was a different type of giddy. That was funny - Gavin hadn't felt like that in a long, long time. Not that it really mattered to him. Everything was going to turn out just fine. That was, and always had been, his belief... his way of looking at the world. Everything would turn out fine.
@Clover

Everything had been so... different for Skipper, after her encounter with Gavin. She couldn't explain why; it was just a feeling that nagged at the edge of her mind, a fleeting emotion that was ever-present, yet hesitant to present itself fully. It felt like she was looking at the world through a pair of rose-coloured glasses; hard edges were smoothed, rough surfaces sanded down, and colors made brighter. No matter what she experienced, she always had the thought of spying a glimpse of Gavin to keep her going.

It was always Gavin; everything seemed to lead back to him, towards his smile, or the way he put her at ease; she always felt so relaxed, so safe, so loved. That was an odd feeling for her to receive; love, or even just compassion. Every part of her life in the Syndicate had been filled with some level of caution, of danger, of cold calculation; always hardship, always strife, never a moment to just be happy. And yet, there was Gavin, an unexpected beacon of hope in an otherwise featureless landscape. She didn't know how or why he was so cheery and kind, but it was, and yet he remained shockingly strong; always reliable and ready.

The clearing was warm and quiet, a rarity during the surprisingly busy summer moons. Her footsteps were light; Skipper was not a hefty cat, but still muscular, built onto a small frame, with hard muscle. Her skinny legs helped her move quietly, too. She closed her brilliant jade eyes for a moment, head turned skyward, deep scarlet fur dyed a lighter shade of autumn orange. Her smile was genuine but fleeting; despite her effort to change for the better, she still often found herself slipping back into old habits of thinking herself superior. Opening her eyes, Skipper gave the clearing a quick once-over, looking for one cat in particular. To her shock and delight, there here was, spread out in a partially shady spot near the edge, his fur turned a strange shade by the dark patch.

She felt her ears heating up at seeing him; a strange fluttering appeared in her stomach, a flock of a million birds beating their wings in disjointed fashion. She could feel her heart skip a beat, her breath choked in her throat; quickly, she smoothed over this reaction, but still, the thudding in her chest was a constant reminder of her inexplicable crush on the kind tom. Without thinking, she began walking towards him, a sudden bounce accompanying her usual gate. Skipper finally plopped down unceremoniously in front of him, trying to feign her usual laid-pack, sassy nature. Before she layed down, she momentarily pressed her muzzle against his; not an unusual greeting, but one reserved for those you highly respected. Her ears were definetely red now; he would notice the steam wafting off of them, they were so hot; there was no way Gavin couldn't. "Hi.. Hi, Gavin. How ya' doin?"she mewed, tail twitching nervously out of sight.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Clover

Everything had been so... different for Skipper, after her encounter with Gavin. She couldn't explain why; it was just a feeling that nagged at the edge of her mind, a fleeting emotion that was ever-present, yet hesitant to present itself fully. It felt like she was looking at the world through a pair of rose-coloured glasses; hard edges were smoothed, rough surfaces sanded down, and colors made brighter. No matter what she experienced, she always had the thought of spying a glimpse of Gavin to keep her going.

It was always Gavin; everything seemed to lead back to him, towards his smile, or the way he put her at ease; she always felt so relaxed, so safe, so loved. That was an odd feeling for her to receive; love, or even just compassion. Every part of her life in the Syndicate had been filled with some level of caution, of danger, of cold calculation; always hardship, always strife, never a moment to just be happy. And yet, there was Gavin, an unexpected beacon of hope in an otherwise featureless landscape. She didn't know how or why he was so cheery and kind, but it was, and yet he remained shockingly strong; always reliable and ready.

The clearing was warm and quiet, a rarity during the surprisingly busy summer moons. Her footsteps were light; Skipper was not a hefty cat, but still muscular, built onto a small frame, with hard muscle. Her skinny legs helped her move quietly, too. She closed her brilliant jade eyes for a moment, head turned skyward, deep scarlet fur dyed a lighter shade of autumn orange. Her smile was genuine but fleeting; despite her effort to change for the better, she still often found herself slipping back into old habits of thinking herself superior. Opening her eyes, Skipper gave the clearing a quick once-over, looking for one cat in particular. To her shock and delight, there here was, spread out in a partially shady spot near the edge, his fur turned a strange shade by the dark patch.

She felt her ears heating up at seeing him; a strange fluttering appeared in her stomach, a flock of a million birds beating their wings in disjointed fashion. She could feel her heart skip a beat, her breath choked in her throat; quickly, she smoothed over this reaction, but still, the thudding in her chest was a constant reminder of her inexplicable crush on the kind tom. Without thinking, she began walking towards him, a sudden bounce accompanying her usual gate. Skipper finally plopped down unceremoniously in front of him, trying to feign her usual laid-pack, sassy nature. Before she layed down, she momentarily pressed her muzzle against his; not an unusual greeting, but one reserved for those you highly respected. Her ears were definetely red now; he would notice the steam wafting off of them, they were so hot; there was no way Gavin couldn't. "Hi.. Hi, Gavin. How ya' doin?"she mewed, tail twitching nervously out of sight.

The approach of the reddish feline startled Gavin - he hadn't seen her coming, although he had expected to see that familiar scarlet pelt coming from miles away. Though, on this day, it was a different shade, dyed a lighter orange color. He thought it looked pretty. Though, not knowing if it was something that was more of a sensitive subject for her, he kept quiet. To him it was important to make sure Skipper was comfortable. He had seen a change in the reddish molly - she had become different. Although, by the way she landed in front of him, Gavin had to try to bite back a laugh. Maybe she wasn't one to change, as she had told him before, but at least she was willing to trust. Trust him, that was.
　
Which almost surprised the feline. After all... Skipper, trusting him? That was not something he had seen happening when he had first met her all those moons ago. He had just imagined her anger with him, but now... it seemed as though he had a chance here. The butterflies were more active in Gavin's stomach as he looked at her - expression never changing, or at least that's what he was hoping, the smile remaining fairly steadfast although there seemed to be a half-expression of wonder gleaming in his bright eyes. Sometimes he looked sweet and kit like when he appeared that way... other times it was more creepy.
　
Feeling her muzzle brush against his, Gavin felt his own ears heat up - and not only that, but his entire pelt felt warm and tingly and partly pleasant, partly weird. It was the type of feeling he would get playing with other cats... and the type of feeling that was similar to that you would get on a rollercoaster. That same drop was in his stomach, but at the same time... the excitement was there too. Like anything could happen. Gavin felt basically drunk with his giddy state - a strange occurance, but one that wasn't too much of a stranger for him. And besides, he rather liked the feeling. But when she actually spoke to him, the giddiness seemed to drain, although the look of pleasure and the smile on his face still remained.
　
Okay. Now he needed to say something back. It was funny, normally the tom considered himself good at holding conversation... but here he was, unable to so much as utter a word to Skipper. "H-hey! I've been doing great... h-hunting and stuff, you know, but t-there's not a lot going on with me, I've just been hanging around... o-on my o-own... it's really good to see you, how've you been?" That was the only thing he had managed to say without a pause or a stutter. It's really good to see you, how've you been? Was it good enough? The feelings inside him were still buzzing from her earlier touch - even though he knew it was just out of respect for him.
　
A tom was allowed to dream, wasn't he?

[Ever]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

As she was doing, Arrow kept a watch on the cat. He had learned that, no matter how well you might know someone, you could never completely know them. Not unless they wanted you to. And, he was quite certain that Ebony was hiding some secrets. She must have been, right? Because she didn't tell you anything about herself, or because you just want to suspect someone? The thought seemed to be scolding Arrow, almost teasing him for his caution. But he couldn't help it. Right now he was nervous. He was worried. And he was scared. For his life, and for the mysterious feline's. See, Arrow had never been a big fan of the 'kill or be killed' type theme that seemed to hang around the Syndicate.
　
It was an unspoken rule. Everyone understood it. Everyone except for the tom. Ebony's words made his eyes open just a little wider in surprise and he looked at her as though seeing her in a new light. Did she just... did she make a joke? The thought was stunning. Although a smile did begin to play at the corners of his maw. "Right. Morning." Was it just his imagination, or did this entire conversation seem strangely familiar? Oh yes. Their last conversation, not too long ago. While it wasn't absolutely identical, seeing as it was a different time of day, it was fairly similar to the last one. "Anywhere in particular you want to go?" Arrow asked after a moment's silence.

Ebony shrugged, trying to play the question cool. She would really love to show him, or any cat that would pay her some sort of friendship, her nightly routine in hopes of gaining a companion, but she didn't trust Arrow enough yet for that, though she truly hoped to soon. "We can go patrol the east border. Make sure there haven't been any trespassers." She suggested, she knew it wasn't the most exciting idea but it would at least lead to a hopefully relaxing evening. Plus that would give her the necessary time to actually question the tom, get to know who he was beneath the surface a little. If he was able to open up that was, and she was also very constricted feeling herself. If he wanted to open up a little she did know that she would have to too. To be vulnerable like that was not really something she ever did, not for many moons. Though she was willing to try. What was the worst that could happen after all? Had she not already been through the worst? At this point in her life the black feline just didn't want to die completely alone, so she was trying desperately to change from her secluded and secretive ways. Maybe it would lead to a premature death, but in her mismatched eyes that honestly wouldn't be the worst: at least she'd find peace.
(feel free to post in territory!)

[RedHead]

Originally Posted by Nighty

[so so sorry for this overly late reply]

Cassius took a quick glance to make sure no other cat was watching him. Silently he bolted over to where the ferns were. Using his teeth, he bit the stems of several of the leafy plants. He laid them down in a pile beside him so he could quickly gather them up at the sign of a cat. Seeing no one, and having collected a decent amount, he snatched up the ferns and darted around the edge of the clearing, heading for Donovan. His flanks heaving from the sprint, he laid the ferns down in front of the bush where the brambles were hid. "There's the ferns!" He chirped proudly. "Now I'll go find his nest." A mischievous smirk crossed his maw as he padded back around to the fighters den. Sneaking silently up to the entrance, he peered inside. There was no sign of the Savannah tom. He crept inside, his fluffy grey pelt melting in with the shadows. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the darkness. He began his slow process of sniffing each nest. As he worked his way along, different scents mingling in his nose, a sound at the entrance startled him. He. Whipped around to see a fluffy tom appear. Quickly he crouched down, hoping not to be seen.

The tom had spotted him and made his way over. "Yer the son of that Onyx fella aren't ya?" The creamy tom meowed in his heavy set Southern accent.

Cassius, knowing the tom from somewhere nodded quietly. "Yes sir." He mumbled.

Calixto gave a nod of thought. "Say, what're ya doin' in here anyways?" He asked, sitting down to question the kit.

"I'm looking for someone's nest." He replied bashfully. Know he'd done it. Some excuse would need to be made up now, because surely Calixto wouldn't accept him and Donovan playing a prank on Singe.

"Well, who would that be? Maybe I can help ya find 'em." He asked, standing up again.

"Singe."

"Well for what reason do you want to know that?"

There it was, time for the lying part... "My Dad wanted to see him and asked me to see if he had been out long." Cassius replied in his most confident tone.

"Ah I see." Calixto replied. "It's two down on the left side." He purred. "Good luck to Onyx if he insults that fellow. Singe ain't exactly the most forgiving cat." He mumbled to himself as he exited the den.

Cassius, a little shook by the words of warning, paused and made sure Calixto was gone for good. "Two down on the left..." He muttered, finding the nest. The scent was stale. He hadn't been here for some time. Happy with his finding, he ran back out to Donovan.

He skidded to a halt. "Found it!" He laughed a little bit. He wrapped his small mouth around the ferns, eager to get started. "He hasn't been there since early this morning." He said, his voice muffled a bit by the fern stems.

When Cassius left to go find Singe's nest, Donovan set to work weaving the fees around the brambles. His paws worked swiftly and skillfully, his sharp olive colored eyes watching every movement his paws made. He weaves enough fern onto the bramble tendrils that it covered up most of it, but still allowed thorns to peek through. He had also gathered moss, to mix in with the old moss still in Singe's nest. That way, it wouldn't smell too fresh, and hopefully the older fighter wouldn't notice the difference in its scent.
As Cassius returned, Donovan was just finishing up weaving ferns around the last tendril. He listened to what Cassius had discovered, and tightened a fern with his teeth before answering. "Alright, excellent. But we need to hurry, because of he hasn't been there since this morning than he might be returning soon." Donovan picked up the nest outline he had made, and gestured with his tail for Cassius to pick up the loss he had gathered. "Lead the way." He mumbled around the ferns. Excitement flared up in Donovan's chest. This is what he lived for, and soon the two would be able to watch the reward for all of their hard work. That was Donovan's favorite part. For being such a troublemaker, the young fighter was actually quite a hard worker, and amazingly witty and smart. If he used his brain for things other than pranking helpless cats, Donovan could do some great things. But the serious, guard-like life wasn't for Donovan. He preferred to have a lot of free-time to goof around, much to his mother's dismay. Donovan's mother wanted him to prove himself that he could become a guard, and that he was one of the strongest cats in the Syndicate. But Donovan did not want that life. He wanted to be free to cause mischief and perform pranks. That's what he lived for, right?

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by tawny~

(Its fine ^_^) @Duskflight
Iesha gave a small, innocent, and content grin back at his reply. She was rather curious on what he was doing. And it appeared to be studying herbs, for whatever reason. The kit wasn't really interested on why, all she was caring about was her half brother could spare some time to chat. "Right'! Cool!" She giggled excitedly at the "secret healer stuff", tilting her head at the herbs, a curious expression on her face as she studied them, more out of curiosity, than interest in the healing field. Iesha didn't really want to be stuck healing other cats anyways. She wanted to fight! Her father had been a guard, and she wanted to be just like her father in that sense. Protecting the commander, and the co-commander, whoever that would be. She didn't really care about that stuff, she really only cared if they were good cats or not. And good cats could probably lead well. Iesha didn't know much about that kind of stuff anyways. She lifted her head to look at her older half brother, a grin on her face, as her tail lashed, her face slightly scrunched up in thought, before unscrunching it, as she called it. "Ye ye! I want to be a fighter! And maybe a guard like dad, that would be so cool!" She bounced up and down in excitement, babbling childishly. Iesha always had something to be excited about usually all the time, and this was time for it, for her mostly.

It wasn't hard for him to find happiness in seeing that content grin on her muzzle; sure while Icarius tried to make himself look big and scary {though the act never really fooled anyone, he thought it did}, he was a big softy and found happiness in the happiness and well being of other cats. His pride and confidence tended to push others away, but other than that he truly did have a good heart and was certainly a sight for sore eyes here in the Syndicate. Many cats, as you may already know, are of the darker nature and really truly only care about themselves, their next meal, and blood. There were very few, if any, that held any sort of compassion for other cats, but Icarius was one of them.
"You're right, it is pretty cool! I get to study these magical herbs that can make you feel better when you're hurt or sick, and I'm doing pretty great too, I think I'm just about ready to start treating patients all by myself!" Boasted the young tom with a delighted and bright grin, even though he had barely even started his training in becoming a healer. Then again, that was just him and how he had been since he was much younger. And really, that confidence in himself was much needed for nearly every cat in the Syndicate aside from the healers themselves would be dogging him and treating him like crowfood. He's lucky he's strong, or else he wouldn't make it.
"Hm.. Yeah, yeah, that would be pretty cool I guess! Not cooler than being a healer, but pretty cool!" Mewed Icarius, the smile still on his muzzle, his tail raising up happily to hear the excitement in her voice, his own eyes starting to twinkle with her excitement.
"So what brings you over here anyways sis? You bored or something?"