[Deleted]

    After his talk with Russethawk, Blizzardclaw had decided it was time for a change. One of his biggest failings had been with the now leader of Rainclan, Razorstar. This was of course one of the worst cats to have a rocky relationship with, and he was a bit nervous as he knew it most certainly went both ways. Even with Blizzardclaw willing to make a change, there was no guarantee that his leader was even willing to give him a second chance let alone wish to kindle a friendship. It was no secret even before he had become the clans’ deputy Blizzard found him a bit hard to get along with, perhaps it was his non-existent sense of humor. The senior warrior however had spent time as of late wondering if he was being unfair to Razorstar, he had a friend in the kind hearted young tom Russethawk so how bad could he be?


    The biggest factor forcing his change was Razorstars rocky relationship with much of Rainclan, and he had always seen this as a shame. Blizzardclaw was in no way in a bigoted cat, and he actually thought Razorstars’ rise to greatness was rather inspiring. He knew that if there was one thing Razorstar needed it was support from the most respected senior warriors, and he planned to offer him his support. He had decided to catch the leader when he was in his den so they could have a secluded conversation, as it would be impossible to get him outside of camp. He had thought that was a possibility when he cooked up this plan but realized Razorstar would probably think it was an attempt on his life.


    He hovered around the freshkill pile wondering if he could bring prey as a form of a peace offering, however after quite a long time decided that it would be a waste. Taking excess prey for a social call was something he didn’t approve of, and he knew Razorstar was going to agree. This instantly reaffirmed why he was going to try and mend their relationship, they both had a dedication and drive to take care of their clan. So walking over to Razorstars’ den Blizzard stopped outside the entrance taking a moment before calling in “Razorstar, can I speak with you?”


Insidious

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
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To say he was surprised when the sound of Blizzardclaw’s voice boomed from just beyond the leader’s den was an understatement, beckoning the senior warrior inside with a polite you may enter, though there was a reasonable element of wariness underneath his calm, level-headed acceptance of his company. His relationship with Blizzardclaw had never been easy, or simple, and although that was a shame, he hadn’t expected it to change anytime soon. The duo had merely never been capable of getting along, clashing heads at every bend. He had assumed that it had something to do with his rise to leadership, but had never genuinely inquired, for it was much too unlike the pair to sit down together and communicate without it amounting to violence of some kind.

Which was partially why he was reluctant to invite Blizzardclaw inside of his den, where no prying eyes could witness their conversation and see that, if both of them emerged bloody afterwards, that it had been an act of self-defense. His caution was revealed by nothing more than the soft flutter of his black tail-tip, greenish-gray eyes firm and slightly narrowed upon the entrance, awaiting the familiar white, black-striped form of the senior warrior. Thinking about it, there was little that Blizzardclaw could be seeking him out for, unless he happened to want to wish him well in the journey of fatherhood that had just opened up before his eyes. That seemed rather unlikely, but he would not yet dismiss the possibility . . . not until he knew what he actually wanted to talk about.

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Tags: @poptart
Word Count: 261.
Notes: Sorry about how short this is! Not much I can have Razorstar do except invite Blizzardclaw inside. cx Next one should be longer!

[Deleted]

    As Blizzardclaw received permission to enter the quarters of Rainclans illustrious leader he wasted no time crossing the threshold into the dimly lit den. His eyes quickly adjusted as he took in the scene before him, and he had to give Razorstar credit. If he hadn't known exactly what he was looking for in the other cat's eyes Blizzardclaw wouldn't have even seen the wariness present there. It reaffirmed his decision to try and mend their relationship, as Razorstar had worked hard to become the fair leader he needed to be changing many of his less than desirable behaviors.


    He had 'calmed down' as many would say, and if other newly made fathers were an indication he would only be softening more in the future. Blizzardclaw had just begun his journey to calming down himself, albeit taking a different path. He had of course come to blows with other cats before however he was not overly violent or quick to anger. His problem had been his unwavering stubbornness and his sense of indignation regarding his fate in Rainclan, and his lack of true friends or kin. He was going to attempt to to kill two birds today by gaining a friend in Razorstar he could add to his measly collection of just Russethawk, and working to aid and support his leadership instead of causing problems whenever he didn't agree with him. "Congratulations on the kits Razorstar." The white warrior said after only a few moments after entering the den, he hoped it was the best way he could have chosen to break the ice. "Have you got time to talk?"

[Insidious]

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He had given thought to the potential of the senior warrior wishing to congratulate him on the birth of his and Roselight’s kittens, but nonetheless the words directed towards him with some element of kindness to them, coming from the mouth of this particular tom, was surprising and, at best, questionable. He didn’t want to make the mistake of assuming Blizzardclaw more sincere than he actually was, and so he accepted his congratulations with nothing more complex than a curt tip of his head, attempting a smile that hopefully didn’t look as forced as it felt. He had expected that Blizzardclaw sought to discuss something with him, and so his asking resulted in the leader shifting into a position that was more comfortable, his greenish-gray eyes never wavering from the tom’s facial features.

He tried not to be the kind of leader that picked favourites, but it was hard to do, especially since he had picked favourites prior to becoming the leader. Russethawk and Roselight were on that list, no questions asked, and his relationship with Mallowleaf had evolved into something akin to favouritism, as well. Of course, Timberwing was worming into his heart, and he found himself enjoying the company of his deputy as frequently as he could have it. That didn’t leave much room for other felines to find a spot on Razorstar’s good side; and right now, in the company of someone he had never particularly liked, his good side was closed off.

“Of course I have time,” he affirmed, curiousity growing. “What do you want to talk about, Blizzardclaw?” He didn’t want to hate anybody in RainClan, but he had gotten close with Blizzardclaw, and he was genuinely hoping this conversation would go better than he was expecting it to. Despite his expectations, he would give the senior warrior a chance, because he was a respectable member of RainClan and it was only fair of him, as leader, to make sure every voice was heard regardless of his personal opinion of them.

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Tags: @poptart
Word Count: 336.

[Deleted]

    "Thank you." Blizzardclaw quickly replied as he was granted the audience he needed, he took a few steps towards Razorstar then sat down. He hoped moving in a relaxed way wouldn't alarm the leader, as he figured Razorstar wouldn't be caught off guard if he tried to bring violence upon him. "I was hoping we could talk about us." It was a cheesy response, and it was probably an awkward one as well. Most likely it had been uttered by mates who had fallen upon hard times, but between two straight cats who most likely considered themselves rather macho it was obviously going to get weird.


    Blizzardclaw regretted using those words as soon as they left his maw, and he tried to append his statement but was finding it hard to make one any better. "That sounded weird, I'm sorry... I don't want us to be at each others throats anymore." To the rest of the clan the true nature of their relationship was unknown, they each kept it hidden and tried to appear fair. This was far from the truth as a bitter conflict raged just beneath the surface, and it was time for it to stop. "So can we take some time to work this out? I think the clan will be better for it." Perhaps he was putting too much stock in his position in the clan, he figured he was an important figure as a respected Senior Warrior. This might not have been the case however, as Razorstar might not see him that way at all, perhaps the only influential clan members in his eyes were those he cared for. As the clans' leader her certainly had the power to make this the case.

Insidious

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
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If someone was to have told him that Blizzardclaw would come in the high spirit of rekindling their non-existent friendship, he would have scoffed in complete disbelief, but standing before him right now was the senior warrior in question, and seeing no signs of insincerity in his eyes, a small portion of him actually found himself willing to believe that there was hope for them yet. His wording had been a tad awkward, the click of the leader’s jaw the only proof that it had made him slightly uncomfortable, and his eyes instinctively traveled over the white, black-striped feline’s head to look towards the exit of his den, finding more comfort there then in the unbearable weight of Blizzardclaw’s eye-contact as he waited for Razorstar to either accept his offer, understand where he was coming from, or turn him away without another moment’s hesitation, far too opinionated to dare reconsider the way he had always thought of him.

“I don’t want to make an enemy out of my Clan.” He left it at that, not directly concurring with Blizzardclaw’s statement, but making it clear enough that he sought to be on mildly good terms with all of his Clanmates. It was time that he put aside all of his past hatreds, his past conflicts, disagreements, and tried to be the kind of figure of leadership that RainClan needed in order to truly prosper. He couldn’t say with certainty that Blizzardclaw and him were incapable of reaching a point of mutual understanding, because until this point, neither of them had tried to converse, clouded by the negativity that seemed to fill the air whenever they were near. If Blizzardclaw was willing to try, then Razorstar would not go out of his way to be the lesser person. At least, this way, even if it failed miserably in the end, they would both know that it had been attempted.

“If we’re going to work this out, Blizzardclaw, then there is something I want to know . . .” Razorstar’s greenish-gray eyes narrowed considerably, taking in the entirety of the senior warrior’s facial features, wanting him to understand that he was being completely serious. “What about me is it that fueled your dislike?” Initially, Razorstar hadn’t had any problems with Blizzardclaw, but then his dislike had become apparent and, at the time, he had not been the kind of cat to try his best to settle disputes. He had been irrational, even a little angry, unable to understand why he had been singled out from the rest of his Clanmates and made the core of Blizzardclaw’s - and many others - disapproval. If everything wrong between them was going to be settled today, in one sitting, then Razorstar wanted an answer to the question that had been on his mind for as long as he could remember.

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Tags: @poptart
Word Count: 469.

[Deleted]

    Blizzardclaw didn't plan on sugar coating any part of the conversation, and he wasn't going to start now. Razorstar asked the senior warrior what had fueled his dislike and it was the easiest question in the world to answer; however there was always the possibility that the answer would shut down the conversation and cause even more tension between the two. Blizzardclaw decided to put his faith in Razorstar, hoping he would appreciate a straight forward answer, with that in mind he answered truthfully. "I remember when you were brought into the clan, I had already been working hard for my clan for moons and moons. I was passed up as a deputy when I was young which was more than fair." His tone stayed even as he spoke not hinting at any anger he had once held, "I however was in my prime, and had been working for this clan as one of its most dedicated and skilled warriors for ages. After everything you got named deputy, the goal I had been striving for since I was an apprentice." It was honest, and he had chosen his words carefully so as to not seem arrogant. Blizzardclaw wished to seemed aware and confident in his ability, but didn't wish to seem like he had an over sized ego.



    Now that it was all out in the open Blizzardclaw hoped they could quickly move on to fixing the situation, "I'm surprised you didn't put it together earlier, I know I don't share with the rest of my clan much, but when I got cold after you became deputy? That doesn't seem that hard to figure out." It might have unfair to question Razorstars' analytic skills as it was likely he just didn't care to pay attention to Blizzardclaw.

Insidious

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
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When he had been brought into the Clan, like he was an unwelcome guest that deserved to be living out his days as a senior warrior while someone born of true RainClan blood, much like Blizzardclaw, stood proudly in his place. It made sense to him that someone could hold a grudge based on that principle, because only moons before this, it had been Violetclaw, wondering why she had been passed up when she had been born in their nursery and he had simply been brought into it. He couldn’t summon Sandstar from StarClan to enlighten everyone why it was him, and not very well anybody else, but there was one thing he knew with total certainty and it was that he was sick and tired of being viewed as lesser because of the background he couldn’t do anything to change. He understood where Blizzardclaw was coming from, because deputy was something that plentiful a cat aspired to be, but there were some that were far too crazed by their ambition - drove to the brink of hatred. He had always known that Blizzardclaw envied what he had, but there was not a single thing that he sought to do about it. He was not sorry that he had been made deputy. There had been no doubt about what Blizzardclaw would say in response to his question, but he had simply wanted to hear it spoken aloud and genuinely admitted to him in a mildly pleasant fashion for once. He didn’t want anymore cats going behind his back, questioning his worth, judging him, and so he was thankful that Blizzardclaw was finished with that business.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t already have the answer, but rather that I wanted to hear it from you in your own words. So many are deserving of the title, but only one can have it. I’m not going to say that I deserved it any more or any less than somebody else, somebody like you, because at the time it didn’t matter what either of us thought. Sandstar was our leader, and he made a choice that he saw fit for RainClan - even though it hadn’t been a favourable one.” Razorstar wasn’t the type to ignore the hostilities that he faced. Becoming deputy had been a hard thing for him to do, because there hadn’t been many at his side to support him, and although he had served well, he had served coldly. To say that he hadn’t truly accustomed to his role in RainClan until becoming a warrior, even a deputy, was an understatement, because it wasn’t until much, much later into his life that he found some things worth fighting for. He knew with his heart and soul that RainClan was where he was supposed to be, and he knew it with such absoluteness that it no longer mattered who disagreed. He wasn’t concerned with who planned on continuing to frown upon his reign, because one way or another he would lead this Clan, and he would lead those who loved him, and even those who hated him, through bright times and dark times and everything in between. “Nonetheless, I’m glad to hear that this animosity between us can finally be put at rest. You would have been a fantastic deputy, and I acknowledge this, Blizzardclaw, but as you are there is still much that you accomplish for this Clan. You don’t have to be a leader or a deputy for that to be recognized.” And though his greenish-gray eyes were sincere, there remained the flecks of a lingering warning, as though he couldn’t quite yet compel himself to fully trust in Blizzardclaw’s decision to turn his back on what he once thought of Razorstar. He looked forward to seeing if they could form a prosperous friendship with one another, but he would not allow himself to truly believe that their childish rivalry had come to an end until it had been put into action and not just words.

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Tags: @poptart
Word Count: 666. DEVIL'S WORD COUNT.

[Deleted]

    Blizzardclaw was surprised at the kind words Razorstar spoke, he had never in a million years thought his leader would share he thought he would be a good deputy. The white striped warrior couldn't figure out of his counterpart was sincere, he concluded he was most likely being honest as he was far to serious to spend his time lying; however he wasn't convinced Razorstar wasn't phoning it in a tad to make him feel good. "You don't have to be kind to my ego Razorstar, there is far too much work that needs done to spend any sort of time worrying about how I feel." He answered without a moments hesitation once the stage to speak had come back to him. "Besides it was never really about being recognized for my hard work, I think the work speaks for itself." He paused slightly before continuing to explain himself, "I suppose I had all these plans, and there was so much work I wanted to see done to improve the clan, they were just fleeting dreams anyway."


    A flash of anger could be clearly seen in Blizzardclaw's eyes, and at the same moment he muttered "Products of an overactive imagination, something I have rid myself of in my time as a warrior." The anger he had felt when Razorstar had been chosen was still present, however he found it had had been redirected on himself. Blizzardclaw was angry that he had spent so much time fantasizing instead of living in the real world, he should have learned long ago that dreams didn't come true. "I can stay and talk about whatever you wish, or I can get back to work with whatever you want done." He added after having stuffed the anger deep inside.

Insidious

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
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He hadn’t been trying to caress the senior warrior’s ego, though nonetheless it had been a sensible thing to assume; even though Blizzardclaw didn’t think that his own feelings were worthy of holding any merit, Razorstar did care when he shoved aside his former dislike and, instead, regarded him with an unfamiliar kind of comradeship. He didn’t say any of this aloud, however, content to simply let Blizzardclaw speak his mind and leave it at that. He didn’t like when others tried to alter his perception, or make him see faults in his opinions, so even though he disagreed with the senior warrior completely giving up on the dreams that he had, he wasn’t about to tell him to keep seeing hope where, as of now, he couldn’t find any. There was no way of knowing for sure whether Blizzardclaw still aspired to be RainClan’s deputy one day or not - he could ask, of course, but Razorstar was rarely so outright - so he settled with mere observation, wondering what the answer would be if he dared to inquire about it. No part of him doubted entrusting Timberwing with the deputyship, but he wouldn’t be bashful about the fact that she was steadily approaching the elderly stage of her life, so when the time did come for her to either step down from the position or for, StarClan forbid, her to pass on, he didn’t want to be completely clueless about who would be a good deputy for RainClan. Giving his head a quick shake, he diverted himself from such an unpleasant trail of thought; Timberwing was his deputy, and he was thrilled that she was still at his side.

He realized, then, that Blizzardclaw had left an opening in which Razorstar could issue an order, and his surprise was fleeting but present nonetheless. Even though it had been made clear that their rivalry was now free to become a part of their pasts, he had not fully accustomed to the idea of them having something along the lines of friendship, and so it was still foreign to him to have Blizzardclaw seated inside of his den, prepared to listen to what he had to say. The hazelnut faced leader cleared his throat, swiftly rising to his paws and walking along the white, black striped tom’s flank to near the exit to his den. He paused mid-stride to glance over his shoulders, gesturing with a curt motioning of his head that he was leaving, and that he could do so as well. “I plan to do some hunting while I’m free. You can accompany me if you’d like.” The offer was put on the table, but it was entirely up to Blizzardclaw whether or not he accepted; they were trying to be friends, but that didn’t mean that everything between them had immediately changed in a heartbeat. Razorstar was going to put in as much of an effort as could be expected from him, but he wouldn’t expect that Blizzardclaw would be comfortable hunting alongside him, as though they were long-time companions, when such wasn’t true of them at all. Having wasted as much time as he was willing to, the leader turned away from the senior warrior that had admittedly surprised him today, ears rotated backwards so that he might listen for the potential of pawsteps on his heel.

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Tags: @poptart
Word Count: 559
Notes: End thread? They don't actually have to go hunting, I just figured it could end that way so that they were spending bro-time together and bonding, lol.