| "Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat." |
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Staff
GorgeClan Leader
MistClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Abyss on May 22, 2019 15:54:55 GMT -5
 This thread is backdated!
Newleaf 12 - Clouds dot the sky and grasses dance in the wind, the valley is happy and green.
It had been two days since the new Treeclan Deputy was announced. Lionstar had stepped up to the plate and told the whole clan that Pumafang was to be the next Deputy in Gorsetail's wake. This had brought forth quite a few emotions in some cats. While some congratulated the tom and showed acceptance to his promotion, some others weren't quite sure about him. But, as to be expected, there was always one cat who completely disapproved of the choice and made that very known. In this situation, this cat was Foxfire.
After Pumafang's new rank had been announced, the deep red she-cat had disappeared from camp. She was seen walking out after the clan meeting was over, but was never seen returning back into camp. It was unknown where she went, for she told no one of her leaving. Occasionally she was scented around the territory in different areas, but her location was never confirmed. Considering that it wasn't a secret that she was upset, it wasn't much of a concern that she hadn't been to camp for a day or two.
At the Great Maple, a staple of the Treeclan territory, there was a fluffy red tail that hung from one of the higher branches, lashing quickly every few seconds. Narrowed and thin amber eyes glared down at the branch, unsheathed claws digging into the bark. Even though she may have seemed furious at that moment, her anger had actually died down since she left camp. The day of the announcement and part of the day after she had in fact been furious. There were likely multiple trees in the territory that brandished her claw-marks from where her anger rippled out at random. Her anger had revolved around the sheer fact that the clan she had worked so hard to catch the attention of and earn respect from had chosen a tom that, as far as she knew, had done nothing worth mentioning for the clan.
But now that the anger of Pumafang's promotion faded a bit, her thoughts now focused on her father. Scorchwing had raised a Deputy in Fox and expected nothing less from her, so the moment that the next Deputy was revealed to not be her, he was very clear in his displeasure. She had watched his face change. He had been watching that day, waiting for the moment that his daughter he had trained to gain power was given the power she deserved. He thought for sure that she would gain that satisfaction, that he would have been proud of her. Yet her name had not been called. His face had changed from a proud father and teacher to a cat that could care less about her well-being.
How quickly his confidence in her had disappeared...how quickly he assumed that it was her fault she hadn't gotten the position...how quick he was to turn his head away from her, despite her fully attentive efforts to gain the respect she was taught to expect from her clanmates.
In truth, there would always be a chance. Eventually, Lionstar would retire or would die. Pumafang would take his place and a new Deputy would be needed. But...did Foxfire really want to follow under the rule of the tom who had technically ripped her relationship with her father away from her? Who had stolen the position that was rightfully her's from her? Imagining her father's face at that moment in her mind, the she-cat bared her fangs down at her paws, raking her claws through the branch of the tree.
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Words: 593 | Ghost the Undead Goddess | Notes: |
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| "If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader
GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Jun 7, 2019 14:44:03 GMT -5
Redbird How High Can You Soar
There's nothing dragging Down me now Cause a girl gonna push it all out the way
Treeclan was in a tizzy.
The last few days had been tense and every cat from elders to kits knew that there was change coming with the winds as the seasons slowly trickled into each other. Nightclan had grown more violent as of late, even to the point of permanently maiming Gorsetail, the previous deputy under Lionstar. With such ill-fated incidents, the rather peaceful clan among the forest had to find another cat to set their strength and hope into, another cat to fill the position that had been held so long by the previous deputy before Darkstorm had sank her claws into him.
Pumafang had been chosen, and if the ginger coated feline allowed herself to mule over it, there had been a few good choices but the one picked was probably the best. Lionstar's new deputy didn't sit well with every cat though, some had their doubts towards the intimidatingly massive tomcat, while others were pleased, and others still were simply unsure as their lives were quickly changing.
One cat, however, had not taken the news well at all. In fact she had disapeared right after the ceremony and slipped off into the woods without returning home that night. Or the night after, or the night after.
Golden pools looked around the woodsy territory as she tried to find sight of her red coated kin. Redbird wasn't alone in this hunt, as her brother Foxfur and their cousin Squirrelstep, followed after her. The trio of Somalis had managed to latch onto Foxfire's scent not too far back, as she had obviously stayed within Treeclan's boundaries, just refused to return home for some reason unknown to several of the clanmates they lived with.
Redbird knew.
The ginger she-cat made her way towards a massive tree, the scent of her fire tempered cousin was strong. Feathered tail flickering, she hushed the rather loud conversation the toms were having behind her. Something about Pumafang that she hadn't really been interested enough to pay attention too. Her gaze scaling up the tree to find Foxfire's bright form, intensity still within her liquid pools as Redbird held gazes with the she-cat up in the tree.
"Last time I checked, you were a cat not a squirrel." Redbird's tone was even, a soft tease within her mew as she stood there under the great, outstretched branches above her. Her comment earned a snort of amusement from both Foxfur and Squirrelstep. The four Somalis hadn't actually grown up together, Foxfire and Squirrelstep were moons older than Redbird and Foxfur. Not to mention the family animosity between their fathers, or rather, it was mostly their father, Scorchwing, who caused all the hatred and drama and family splitting.
"Are you going to come home anytime soon, or would you prefer to stay in the tree?" Redbird finally asked, lowering herself to her haunches as she tipped back her head. It was not the funnest thing in the word, to stare at the tops of trees in hopes for a conversation. Though the ginger she-cat was unsure if Foxfire would actually respond, or communicate to her. Their whole life the red coated Somali had been intense and distant when it came to her kin. She had over heard their mothers, Silverflower and Rowanflower, blame Scorchwing for a lot of Foxfire's probelms and heated ambitions.
Redbird was sure Foxfire's current behavior had something to do with him once more, the old crippled badger within the elder's den.
Destined to break in I found my way Yeah Now ain't nobody gonna take it
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| "Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat." |
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Staff
GorgeClan Leader
MistClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Abyss on Jun 8, 2019 20:28:39 GMT -5
F O X F I R E Company was the last thing that the fire-coated she-cat desired. Especially not the company of her family. Her brother, perhaps, would have been bearable, had he been alone. But, as her luck would have it, he wasn't alone. He was accompanied by two other red-toned forms down below the overbearing shadows of the tree, two forms that she recognized as her cousins. Redbird, which the ill-tempered Warrior had hardly ever spoken to, and the tom of which she shared a prefix with, Foxfur, who she also had never really spoken to. Though, she had never had a desire to speak with either one. Nor did she have that desire now.
The intense amber gaze of the elevated she-cat turned from the clawed bark of the tree down to the ground, locking eyes with her much more kind and truly clan-devoted cousin. Her eyes narrowed further as she heard the other Warrioress call to her, stating that Fox was a cat and not a squirrel. A slight ping of irritation and the urge to ignore the cats below resulted from the teasing, yet she didn't look away. This was only because this was not what she had been expecting. She knew that if she didn't return soon, someone would probably come looking for her. She expected a scolding or a snap or an attempt to force her back to her home. Yet this was not any of that, at least not at first, anyway. This soon faded as she heard the call of her cousin once more, asking if she planned on returning to camp.
The dark form in the tree rose from where it previously laid across the thick branch, taking a few steps forward before pushing off of the branch, landing on a slightly lower branch. As she landed, she found the rays of sun that had managed to get through the leaves touching her pelt, somewhat warming it. While she wasn't fully a silhouette, the deep red of her fur and the fire within her eyes now shined brighter, only confirming that this was in fact Foxfire and not some random cat. Though, this was already confirmed, this only furthered the confirmation.
"I have no desire to see any of those fools. I will return when I see fit, " she growled, tail lashing behind her. Multiple faces appeared in her mind when she finished speaking. Her aunt. Her mother. Lionstar. Pumafang. Scorchwing... She currently wanted nothing to do with any of them. Had it been her choice, these three wouldn't be in her presence either. Was it not obvious when a cat wanted nothing more than time to themselves? Why else would the flaming cat had remained gone from camp for multiple days? Did they think she was going to run off or something? She was furious, yes, but not enough that she was willing to just up and leave. They were fools. All of them. Just about every single one of her clanmates held some form of stupidity, which in itself was hard to deal with on a daily basis. But she had spent many moons now seeking to catch their attention, to convince them all that she was the one cat in the clan who deserved power. Deserved the power to run the clan as it should be run. Unlike certain other cats, who she preferred not to think of at all times. And she wasn't about to run off and have all of that effort wasted. No, she would show them. She would show them all. Just...not right now.
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| "If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader
GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Jun 12, 2019 14:32:03 GMT -5
Redbird How High Can You Soar
There's nothing dragging Down me now Cause a girl gonna push it all out the way
The ginger she-cat gave an inaudible sigh at her cousin's words, unable to process why it was she felt the way she felt. Well, that wasn't completely true, the younger Somali was aware that Foxfire's father had a lot to do with her determination, ambition and severe attitude. What more gentle she-cat didn't know was why Foxfire seemed to loathe her clanmates so much, that obviously wasn't going to help her ever win the coveted title of deputy, or leader.
Treeclan wanted a cat they could look up to, inspire to be, trust with every problem whether important or mundane. And unfortunately for Foxfire, she didn't deal with mundane issues.
"Fools!" Oh no, Foxfur had spoken up, cutting off from his conversation with Squirrelstep. "The only fool around here is the one pouting in the tree because she didn't get what she wanted!" His tail lashed and his voice spoke before Redbird had been able to stop him. Though her brother played the part of the fun loving, laid back tomcat, he still loved his clan and those he lived with. Like any respectable Treeclanner, he'd protect his homesake with his life if it came down to it.
"Enough." Redbird's tone was sharp and quick as she turned to lock gazes with her brother, amber meeting green. She understood how he felt, both his frustrations with Foxfire and his love for their clan. But her singular word was enough for Foxfur to take a breath and settle back on his haunches next to their cousin, who looked oddly out of place for the time being. Squirrelskip kept glancing back and forth between Redbird, Foxfur and Foxfire, as if he expected all of them to suddenly explode into flames.
Which, the Somali within the tree might should Foxfur keep antagonizing her.
The ginger coated Somali tried to quell the annoyance rising within her chest, and she managed to keep her gaze clear of her internal feelings as she once again turned to face Foxfire up on her perch. Feathered tail flickering slightly, Redbird opened her maw to speak again, "Despite how he went about it, Foxfur is right you know." Perhaps not when it came to insulting their kin, but that was for another time. Redbird decided to go a different route for this conversation, hoping it would at least soothe Foxfire's temper.
"You can't expect Lionstar, or any cat for that matter, to choose you to lead if you disappear for days on end when something doesn't go your way." And yes, Foxfur was correct, the elder she-cat was actually very foolish. "You have acted fairly poorly and immature, if i must say." Though Redbird was not trying to anger her cousin, simply explain things in the way that she saw them, in the way that several Treeclanners saw it. She kept her tone netural and a gentle but stern light flickered within her pools.
Silverflower and Rowanflower had both warned Redbird of Foxfire's temperment and short fuse. She wasn't out here to set off her cousin, but merely bring her home or open her eyes to her foolishness.
"Perhaps, think of it this way. Let's say you, Foxstar, were looking for a deputy and the other choice got angry and stormed from camp." Knowing Foxfire, she'd likely kick that cat out of Treeclan for good, "Would you ever consider them for deputyship ever again?" It was a true and honest question that Redbird was curious about her answer.
Destined to break in I found my way Yeah Now ain't nobody gonna take it
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| "Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat." |
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Staff
GorgeClan Leader
MistClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Abyss on Jun 16, 2019 12:02:36 GMT -5
F O X F I R E The flaming she-cat’s Warrioress cousin said nothing at first, which was actually a good sign. Redbird choosing not to talk to her any further meant she had a chance to go back to being by herself, which was all she wanted at this point. But just as she turned to go and leap back to her perch, she froze. Her head slowly turned back in the direction of the three Warriors as a voice lashed out. Listening to Foxfur’s words, her eyes slowly but surely widened, but grew more fiery with each second. Before he had even ended his little spiel, the red she-cat leaped down from her perch and jumped a few steps forward, facing the tom head-on. Her ears laid flat against her head, her teeth were bared, and she let out a hiss, her claws still unsheathed from when she was in her higher perch.
Before she could even lunge forward, which she planned to had the interaction gone on any second longer, Redbird chimed in, raising her voice to say that it was enough. Foxfire didn’t lunge forward, but her furious eyes didn’t leave the face of Foxfur. It was when Redbird made her next statement that the eyes full of anger turned her direction, her pupils only growing even more narrow.
But what Redbird said next somewhat caught her off guard. Her body froze momentarily, her eyes still angered, but her tail frozen behind her. Slowly, very slowly, her jaws formed into that of...a smile? As a matter of fact, Foxfire took a step backwards and began to laugh, raking her claws across the ground. She did this for a solid minute before she calmed herself, looking back to her cousin with a smirk.
“Of course you would say something like that. You’re your mother’s perfect little daughter, so loyal and hard-working. All you’ve had to do is train under a mentor and do a little bit of work to get recognition.” She shook her head, that smile, so confusing in its meaning, remaining on her face. “If you were anything like me, you would know why that cat getting chosen as Deputy rather than me is so infuriating and shameful. But you don’t.”
But then, a question was presented to her.
“If I was Leader, and I was choosing between two cats for Deputy, and one of them ran off when they weren’t chosen, would I ever consider them as a Deputy again...” She more so whispered this to herself, thinking of the answer for a moment. But it didn’t take her too long. She lifted her head and looked back to Redbird, narrowing her eyes.
“Yes, I would consider them. As a matter of fact, as long as their skills and views didn’t change for the worse by the next time I needed a Deputy and I still deemed them worthy, they would be my first option. If a cat who has worked hard their whole life to get to a certain position doesn’t get chosen for that position and grows angry, that just shows that they are passionate about getting that spot. A cat who isn’t confident in their capabilities and doesn’t think they deserve the position they want truly doesn’t deserve it.” She narrowed her eyes, taking a single step forward towards the three of them.
“I am confident in what I can do and I have worked towards that position my whole life. I have spent a long time in this clan showing all of them that I have the ability to make a great Leader. All of my time and dedication has been spent towards trying to make this clan better and give it a Leader that can make the other clans know better than to mess with us. A Leader that would never let their clan suffer from hunger or disease or the pointless attacks from the other clans. If me working as hard as I have is considered foolish to you, then go ahead and call me a fool. At least I know my worth, ” she stated, letting out a low growl towards the end and turning, walking back towards the Great Oak.
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| "If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader
GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Jun 28, 2019 1:38:29 GMT -5
Redbird How High Can You Soar
There's nothing dragging Down me now Cause a girl gonna push it all out the way
Despite the lack of relationship between the two ginger coated she-cats, the younger of the two felt her heart squeeze at the sharp snap towards her being the perfect daughter. There was a spark of indignation that rose within her chest, but the more rusty colored feline pushed it away. There was no point in worsening the conversation any more than it already had been, especially since her brother had snapped only minutes before.
It stung, however, the fact that Foxfire had completely overlooked the extremes and difficulties that Redbird had gone through while an apprentice of the clan. She practically ran herself ragged trying to learn all she could, experience all she could, do all she could to help those around her that needed it. There had been several times as a 'paw that Redbird practically worked herself into the ground because that was who she was.
She was a hard worker, and a loyal warrior.
The words that left her cousin's maw sounded more like Scorchwing than the older warrioress, or at least that was what Redbird gathered from Rowanflower and Silverflower's conversations about the grumpy old elder. Though it seemed that Foxfire was putting her effort into such a position, it was merely only that. A position, a prize, a gamble to be won that would suddenly give you everything in life and more.
"Being deputy isn't going to bring you glory or honor or power." Redbird's rasp was calm as she spoke, and at first she was looking down at her paws. "It isn't something that you deserve or you are born into. It's something given, it's respect earned and a position protected." Her voice grew a little stronger as she lifted her head to fix Foxfire with a fierce but controlled golden gaze, feathered tail flickering slightly behind her as she stood in-front of both Foxfur and Squirrelstep.
"A deputy needs to be a dedicated warrior that cares about both her clan and the cats within it. They are kind, thoughtful and open-minded and they most certainly don't believe their clanmates to be fools or useless." Golden pools sparked ever so slightly at this, "Both the leader and deputy are suppose to protect those who cannot and care for those who cannot care for themselves. A leader is given nine lives not for her own personal agenda but to live nine times for those she is sworn to protect."
Redbird had always dreamed of being leader, but her ambitions were far from a personal need. She had always been the type to put others before her own needs, it was simply who she was, who she believed Redwing had been like. And so, she stood there, staring down her kin as she spoke in an attempt to show Foxfire how incorrectly she was going about things. Not because she wanted her to be wrong, but because Redbird understood the desire to become leader.
Only through different means.
"Manipulation and belittlement wont give you what you want. Or what Scorchwing wants you to have."
Destined to break in I found my way Yeah Now ain't nobody gonna take it
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| "Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat." |
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Staff
GorgeClan Leader
MistClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Abyss on Jul 12, 2019 22:43:56 GMT -5
F O X F I R E As Redbird spoke, all of her feelings and thoughts pouring out of her, Foxfire didn’t move. She had stopped mid-way back to the great tree, not a single muscle in her body moving an inch as her cousin spoke. It was unclear as to if Foxfire was ignoring her or not, but at least she had stopped.
Redbird’s words rang in the red she-cat’s mind as they were stated. A Deputy was someone who gained and earned the respect and recognition. They are dedicated and caring, thoughtful and welcoming to new ideas. It wasn’t a position that you worked for, it was one that was given to you. Seeing your clanmates as foolish or trying to deceive your way to where you wanted wasn’t something that should be done to try and earn respect.
The deep red Somali remained frozen for a long time, eyes staring hard at the ground in front of her. She didn’t speak. She didn’t move. She had become as solid and still as the tree she had found herself perched on. As her cousin’s words bounced through her mind, conflicting with everything she had been taught as she grew up, she was lost. Lost in her thoughts and her past. Lost in what she had been raised to be and what she should be. In reality, she had been lost for a long time. She knew she had been. But there was nothing she could do about it. Not now. It was too late for her. Others may not have seen it that way. But it was the truth.
“As I said before, you wouldn’t understand. You don’t, and you never will…, ” as she spoke, her voice had changed. Previously, her voice had been that of anger, frustration, and even a hint of insanity. Her laugh had echoed through the trees and the lace of fire in her voice had been so bright and clear. Yet now her voice was calm, somber almost. Her body still did not move, but she did speak at last.
“Scorchwing taught me more than what everyone assumes he did. Everyone thinks that all he taught me was to despise my clanmates, to expect recognition without earning it. But that wasn’t it.” Her head ever so slightly turned, only one of her deep amber eyes locking onto her cousin’s form, her usually grass-thin pupil slightly more dilated than she was ever seen with. “He taught me that my clanmates are foolish because they are so easily blinded. One cat does something heroic and suddenly they are seen as just that: a hero. They are willing to follow under anyone who shows that they can do as you said: be caring and thoughtful. They want someone who will do what is best to protect them at that moment.”
Her eyes turned back to the ground, but her head didn’t move. “I have tried. My whole life I have tried. I have worked to earn their respect. To earn a face within the clan. To be seen as something other than just Scorchwing’s child. Yet when anyone looks at me, all they see is him. He teaches me a few lessons without anyone’s knowledge and suddenly I am his puppet, his younger clone who just wants attention.”
Finally, her body shifted, turning sideways and her head lifting, eyes locking with her cousin’s once more. “Whether any of them think it or not, I do care about this clan. I do want what is best for them. I want to make them strong. I am not just Scorchwing’s tool. I am a cat who believes that she could make Treeclan better with my own way of doing things.” Her pupils, at last, thinned back to their normal state, and her voice regained that slight edge that it always contained. “But since everyone seems to think that I am the fool for working hard towards a certain goal, it is obvious they will never choose a cat who actually knows what they want in life and makes it clear. Since you seem to know so much about being a Deputy, how about you try. Step forward. Claim the position that they would likely give you just for the sheer fact that you are ‘kind’ and ‘considerate’ of what they want. All I will ever be is Scorchwing’s ill-tempered daughter to them. So why bother...”
Her head turned away again, looking ahead of her. “If this little family meeting is over, I would like to be left alone. Please.” Her paws carried her forward, going passed the large tree rather than towards it. Her tail hung without movement behind her and her exit was quiet as she disappeared into the bushes.
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