Post by Abyss on Oct 16, 2019 23:51:12 GMT -5
It wasn’t normal for him to pace. It wasn’t normal for him to be away from camp. It wasn’t normal for his mind to be so preoccupied and distracted that he didn’t notice the presence of another cat. Yet that was how Leopardheart found himself. Only a few days after he had become a Warrior, as well. It wasn’t often recommended that any cats left camp alone, especially with the constant threat of Nightclan inevitable. But he couldn’t stay in camp. He needed somewhere to be alone. Somewhere to think.
So here he was, walking in circles atop a small hill located at the center of the Wildflower Clearing. His yellow eyes remained trained on the ground, his tail flicked almost impatiently behind him, and his ears were somewhat pinned back against his head. He kept mumbling under his breath to himself, which was even more of something he never did.
I can’t fight this anymore. I have to come to terms with it now. I need to figure it out. I’m a Warrior. I can’t be stuck on this. If it is nothing, or if it is something, I have to decide that now. But how do I even decide? How does someone just sort out something like this? Is it this difficult for everyone? How do I even come to terms with it? What do others think when they find out that they love-
“Leopardheart?” The ginger-yellow tom came to a stop and his head lifted, ears perked and eyes wide as he turned his head to find someone at the base of the hill. How had he not noticed them show up?
“Mother?” A gentle smile formed on the tan tabby she-cat’s face as she began to climb the hill. She gave her son a loving nuzzle against the side of his face and his neck, standing at his side as she pulled away. “Did you need something?”
Robinflight’s eyes narrowed and an expression formed on her face, a look that screamed “seriously?” One of Leopardheart’s ears pinned back against his head again as his gaze turned away from her. She knew something was up. She had to, else she wouldn’t have given him a look like that. He let out a small sigh, slightly turning and taking a few steps away from her, facing out towards the surrounding field.
Her face returning to more of a concerned mother, Robinflight remained where she stood, looking over her son. He had grown so much since he was a kit. When he was first born he was just a little ball of orange fur with tiny black markings that resembled spots and the smallest and most adorable little face. How many times had she cooed over his cute face, as well as the faces of her other kits? The number was probably higher than she could ever count. But now here he stood before her, a brand new Warrior of Treeclan with gorgeous fur and quite handsome features. He was skilled, kind, polite, thoughtful, brave, and just so welcoming to all. In her eyes, he was already an amazing Warrior, even though he had only just been made one a few days prior.
In all of her time being with him, raising him into the cat he was today, she had never seen him do this before. He was a very social cat, always seeking the company of others at all times of the day. He always had a sound mind and didn’t often find his thoughts leaking from his mind into his body. Yet that morning she was surprised to find him missing from his nest. Upon asking, she learned he hadn’t been assigned to any patrols. So where was he?
She eventually caught his scent and followed it, discovering him at the large clearing, displaying many things that he never did. “I know when something isn’t right. What’s the matter, son?” She approached him, briefly rubbing her head against his shoulder as she took a seat next to him. Just looking at his face she could tell that something was on his mind.
Out of all cats, Leopard was glad it was his mother that had found him. Had it been anyone else, he wasn’t sure he would be able to explain his predicament quite as well. He didn’t even know how he was going to explain it, if he even could. He kept his eyes locked on the ground, thoughts running through his head of how he was going to tell her. For a few moments, the two of them sat in silence. Finally, Leopard spoke.
“Mother...how do you know when...you love someone?”
Before he could even turn his head, he felt Robinflight throw herself against him, wrapping her paws around him and what he could only describe as a squeal coming from her jaws. For a moment, she seemed to freak out, rubbing her head against him and her tail almost wagging behind her, curling and uncurling so quickly he couldn’t even follow it. When she did pull away, her voice was full of excitement.
“Oh my goodness! My baby loves someone?! Who is it?!” Robin suddenly pulled her head back, paws still on his shoulders. She stared at him for a moment, almost looking as though she was trying to read his mind. Suddenly, it was like a light appeared in her mind, for her face lit up. “Wait, is it Cinderstream?! She is so pretty and kind and lovely! You two have been friends ever since you were kits! What a perfect pairing! She has had a crush on you since-”
“No, mom! It isn’t Cinder!” Saying that phrase out loud sent a small ping of pain through his heart. He knew what he had just said, and he did feel guilty as soon as he said it. Cinderstream had a crush on him, she had for a long time. He hadn’t discovered this until after the target of his affection had come into his life, which brought conflicting feelings into his mind. His mom was right. Cinderstream was very pretty and was an overall wonderful cat. Any tom would be very lucky to have her as a mate. In any other situation, Leopardheart likely would have been that tom, and he knew it. Yet that wasn’t the case. Robin’s head slightly tilted, almost seeming sad for a second before she pushed it aside and replaced it with curiosity once more.
Leopard’s gaze turned away again, looking towards the ground as he tried to think of how to say it. His eyes darted between multiple points on the ground, the tip of his tail twitching nervously. Finally, he swallowed down the lump in his throat and just said what he could. “Her name..is Windpaw.”
Much more intense confusion formed across Robinflight’s face at his words. She looked away for a moment, throwing around that name in her head for a minute or two. Leopard looked back to her, watching as she tried to figure out who it was he was talking about. When her eyes came back to him, she looked even more confused. “But I don’t believe that we have any cats named Wind-” Her eyes suddenly widened as realization hit her. “O-....Oh.”
Leopardheart pulled away from his mother, still facing her but looking away. He was waiting for her to say something. Yet silence was all that passed between them for what felt like forever. Finally, she spoke. “Where is she from?”
“L-Lightningclan.” Leopard couldn’t look at her. What was she thinking? Was she disappointed? Was she happy? Was she still confused? He didn’t want to find out. Not yet. After what once again felt like forever, he felt something touch his head. When he looked, his mom had placed a single paw on his forehead and there was a tiny smile on her face. “Tell me what has been going on with you.”
The two of them sat together on the hill talking about everything. He told her how he first met Windpaw during a patrol, how he had wandered off and ran into her. He told her how Windpaw was the Apprentice he had been with when he was attacked by the fox and how he saved her. He told her about when they ran into one another again somewhat more recently, and how that encounter was when he started to fully realize what he felt was more than just a little crush. He described Windpaw to her, talking about her shimmery silver coat that glowed in the moonlight with those long black stripes, the way that she didn’t speak much yet her facial expressions and body language alone showed so much emotion, how when she did speak her voice was quiet but so gentle and sweet. And her eyes. They were pale green, much like newly-grown leaves in New-Leaf, and were almost always shining with pure beauty.
Robinflight felt her heart slowly melt as she listened to her son speak of this she-cat from Lightningclan. The way he talked about their encounters with one another, the way his voice was so loving as he spoke, and the way that he described how she looked and acted. She could see it just by looking at him. Her son really did love this she-cat. As his story came to a close, she couldn’t stop herself from staring at him with a sense of admiration.
“You are most definitely in love with her.” Leopard’s eyes widened and he turned to look at his mother. Her face held a smile and a loving look. He could see that slight confliction in her eyes that he knew would be there, though. “I...I don’t know what to tell you, son. All that I can really do is give you one piece of advice.”
Mother and son locked eyes. “Follow your heart.” Robinflight offered a motherly smile, her face appearing that of a supportive mother for her son. A tiny smile formed on Leopardheart’s face. He leaned forward and pressed the side of his head against his mother’s, a purr rumbling through his chest.
Robin would always support her son. He was an intelligent cat. She had every bit of confidence that he could make it through this. She did want Leopardheart to follow his heart. She knew he would make the right choice, and she knew that she would support him no matter what. Yet the thought of his heart possibly taking him from her resulted in a deep sadness within her heart. This was the job of a mother. She had to be behind him every step of the way, even if it meant that her own heart would some day end up broken.
Ghost the Undead Goddess (Very obvious Windpaw/spirit mention) Aqua (extremely sad Cinder mention
)
So here he was, walking in circles atop a small hill located at the center of the Wildflower Clearing. His yellow eyes remained trained on the ground, his tail flicked almost impatiently behind him, and his ears were somewhat pinned back against his head. He kept mumbling under his breath to himself, which was even more of something he never did.
I can’t fight this anymore. I have to come to terms with it now. I need to figure it out. I’m a Warrior. I can’t be stuck on this. If it is nothing, or if it is something, I have to decide that now. But how do I even decide? How does someone just sort out something like this? Is it this difficult for everyone? How do I even come to terms with it? What do others think when they find out that they love-
“Leopardheart?” The ginger-yellow tom came to a stop and his head lifted, ears perked and eyes wide as he turned his head to find someone at the base of the hill. How had he not noticed them show up?
“Mother?” A gentle smile formed on the tan tabby she-cat’s face as she began to climb the hill. She gave her son a loving nuzzle against the side of his face and his neck, standing at his side as she pulled away. “Did you need something?”
Robinflight’s eyes narrowed and an expression formed on her face, a look that screamed “seriously?” One of Leopardheart’s ears pinned back against his head again as his gaze turned away from her. She knew something was up. She had to, else she wouldn’t have given him a look like that. He let out a small sigh, slightly turning and taking a few steps away from her, facing out towards the surrounding field.
Her face returning to more of a concerned mother, Robinflight remained where she stood, looking over her son. He had grown so much since he was a kit. When he was first born he was just a little ball of orange fur with tiny black markings that resembled spots and the smallest and most adorable little face. How many times had she cooed over his cute face, as well as the faces of her other kits? The number was probably higher than she could ever count. But now here he stood before her, a brand new Warrior of Treeclan with gorgeous fur and quite handsome features. He was skilled, kind, polite, thoughtful, brave, and just so welcoming to all. In her eyes, he was already an amazing Warrior, even though he had only just been made one a few days prior.
In all of her time being with him, raising him into the cat he was today, she had never seen him do this before. He was a very social cat, always seeking the company of others at all times of the day. He always had a sound mind and didn’t often find his thoughts leaking from his mind into his body. Yet that morning she was surprised to find him missing from his nest. Upon asking, she learned he hadn’t been assigned to any patrols. So where was he?
She eventually caught his scent and followed it, discovering him at the large clearing, displaying many things that he never did. “I know when something isn’t right. What’s the matter, son?” She approached him, briefly rubbing her head against his shoulder as she took a seat next to him. Just looking at his face she could tell that something was on his mind.
Out of all cats, Leopard was glad it was his mother that had found him. Had it been anyone else, he wasn’t sure he would be able to explain his predicament quite as well. He didn’t even know how he was going to explain it, if he even could. He kept his eyes locked on the ground, thoughts running through his head of how he was going to tell her. For a few moments, the two of them sat in silence. Finally, Leopard spoke.
“Mother...how do you know when...you love someone?”
Before he could even turn his head, he felt Robinflight throw herself against him, wrapping her paws around him and what he could only describe as a squeal coming from her jaws. For a moment, she seemed to freak out, rubbing her head against him and her tail almost wagging behind her, curling and uncurling so quickly he couldn’t even follow it. When she did pull away, her voice was full of excitement.
“Oh my goodness! My baby loves someone?! Who is it?!” Robin suddenly pulled her head back, paws still on his shoulders. She stared at him for a moment, almost looking as though she was trying to read his mind. Suddenly, it was like a light appeared in her mind, for her face lit up. “Wait, is it Cinderstream?! She is so pretty and kind and lovely! You two have been friends ever since you were kits! What a perfect pairing! She has had a crush on you since-”
“No, mom! It isn’t Cinder!” Saying that phrase out loud sent a small ping of pain through his heart. He knew what he had just said, and he did feel guilty as soon as he said it. Cinderstream had a crush on him, she had for a long time. He hadn’t discovered this until after the target of his affection had come into his life, which brought conflicting feelings into his mind. His mom was right. Cinderstream was very pretty and was an overall wonderful cat. Any tom would be very lucky to have her as a mate. In any other situation, Leopardheart likely would have been that tom, and he knew it. Yet that wasn’t the case. Robin’s head slightly tilted, almost seeming sad for a second before she pushed it aside and replaced it with curiosity once more.
Leopard’s gaze turned away again, looking towards the ground as he tried to think of how to say it. His eyes darted between multiple points on the ground, the tip of his tail twitching nervously. Finally, he swallowed down the lump in his throat and just said what he could. “Her name..is Windpaw.”
Much more intense confusion formed across Robinflight’s face at his words. She looked away for a moment, throwing around that name in her head for a minute or two. Leopard looked back to her, watching as she tried to figure out who it was he was talking about. When her eyes came back to him, she looked even more confused. “But I don’t believe that we have any cats named Wind-” Her eyes suddenly widened as realization hit her. “O-....Oh.”
Leopardheart pulled away from his mother, still facing her but looking away. He was waiting for her to say something. Yet silence was all that passed between them for what felt like forever. Finally, she spoke. “Where is she from?”
“L-Lightningclan.” Leopard couldn’t look at her. What was she thinking? Was she disappointed? Was she happy? Was she still confused? He didn’t want to find out. Not yet. After what once again felt like forever, he felt something touch his head. When he looked, his mom had placed a single paw on his forehead and there was a tiny smile on her face. “Tell me what has been going on with you.”
The two of them sat together on the hill talking about everything. He told her how he first met Windpaw during a patrol, how he had wandered off and ran into her. He told her how Windpaw was the Apprentice he had been with when he was attacked by the fox and how he saved her. He told her about when they ran into one another again somewhat more recently, and how that encounter was when he started to fully realize what he felt was more than just a little crush. He described Windpaw to her, talking about her shimmery silver coat that glowed in the moonlight with those long black stripes, the way that she didn’t speak much yet her facial expressions and body language alone showed so much emotion, how when she did speak her voice was quiet but so gentle and sweet. And her eyes. They were pale green, much like newly-grown leaves in New-Leaf, and were almost always shining with pure beauty.
Robinflight felt her heart slowly melt as she listened to her son speak of this she-cat from Lightningclan. The way he talked about their encounters with one another, the way his voice was so loving as he spoke, and the way that he described how she looked and acted. She could see it just by looking at him. Her son really did love this she-cat. As his story came to a close, she couldn’t stop herself from staring at him with a sense of admiration.
“You are most definitely in love with her.” Leopard’s eyes widened and he turned to look at his mother. Her face held a smile and a loving look. He could see that slight confliction in her eyes that he knew would be there, though. “I...I don’t know what to tell you, son. All that I can really do is give you one piece of advice.”
Mother and son locked eyes. “Follow your heart.” Robinflight offered a motherly smile, her face appearing that of a supportive mother for her son. A tiny smile formed on Leopardheart’s face. He leaned forward and pressed the side of his head against his mother’s, a purr rumbling through his chest.
Robin would always support her son. He was an intelligent cat. She had every bit of confidence that he could make it through this. She did want Leopardheart to follow his heart. She knew he would make the right choice, and she knew that she would support him no matter what. Yet the thought of his heart possibly taking him from her resulted in a deep sadness within her heart. This was the job of a mother. She had to be behind him every step of the way, even if it meant that her own heart would some day end up broken.
Ghost the Undead Goddess (Very obvious Windpaw/spirit mention) Aqua (extremely sad Cinder mention
)