[Insidious]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=vAlign, top] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #D8D8D8; width: 110px; height: 22px; margin-right: 10px;] [/style] [STYLE=float: left; border: 5px solid #400F0F; margin-right: 10px; background-color: #400F0F; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;][/style] [STYLE=float: left; border: 5px solid #D8D8D8; margin-right: 10px; background-color: #D8D8D8; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;][/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #400F0F; width: 90px; height: 35px; margin-right: 10px; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 30px; font-family: arial narrow; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: left; letter-spacing: -2px;] NOTES ! [/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #D8D8D8; width: 100px; height: 200px; overflow: auto; margin-right: 10px; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; margin-top: 10px;] TAGS. you WORDS. #### INSPIRATION. #### NOTES. #### [/style]

[STYLE=float: right; background-color: #400F0F; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; width: 390px; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;]to the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim.[/style] [STYLE=float: right;][/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #D8D8D8; color: #400F0F; font-size: 30px; font-family: arial narrow; width: 380px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: right; letter-spacing: -2px;]Firejay[/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #400F0F; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; width: 360px; height: 400px; overflow: auto; padding: 20px; text-align: justify;] Where was that darn Coalfang? The dark red feline sighed mentally, lively green irises intent on searching the Nightclan camp for any trace of her brother's familiar, gray features. She hadn't gotten the chance to converse with the tom for the past few days, now. Mainly, because Coalfang had been so busy on border patrols. He had always been, almost, overly dedicated to providing for Nightclan. The she-cat rarely found the time to sit down and enjoy some time with him anymore. It was truly a pity, but, Firejay decided to move on from the thought and make use of her afternoon's remainder. Effortless strides were all it took for the dark red figure of Firejay to present herself to the heart of Nightclan camp. She settled herself into a neatly positioned seat, thinly furred tail overlapping her small paws. Who would ever truly understand what damage they were capable of. She quickly evaporated the thought, settling her mind with a cleansing session. Her light pink tongue lapped gently at the fur on her front limbs, soothing their ache with the most delicate of pressure her jaw could apply. The afternoon air was cold, but bearable. The she-cat shivered with a forceful rattle of her lithe frame, an agitated puff of air surging from her white hued mouth like a shock-wave as she attempted to calm her frozen nerves. Perhaps, there would be someone in camp able to occupy her time? With high hopes, Firejay's head twisted over her shoulders, skimming the Nightclan dens for a familiar face. She didn't necessarily care how her day was spent: whether it be a quick patrol, a hunt, or simply an exchange of words. The dark red feline's pink nose wrinkled with the inhalation of air, a few recognizable Nightclan scents intoxicating her nasal cavities. Ravenstar, Ratfur, Dogfang. She paused, feeling as if her heart was momentarily to burst due to transforming into a shattering ice sculpture. Whenever the posy was about, that normally meant the posy leader wasn't far behind. It wasn't that Firejay was obsessed with Blackwolf. If anything, she just saw a variety of things to like about the tom with black fur and mismatched eyes. Though, she'd surely never admit that to anyone. Especially Coalfang. Firejay knew all too well of Coalfang's protective instincts. He'd have a pair of wary, light gold eyes on Blackwolf every second of every day if he knew Firejay was even remotely interested. The good thing was: nobody knew she was interested. Firejay smiled lightly, but to any observing eyes, it would appear as if there wasn't really anything to be smiling about. The she-cat's tail tip brushed smoothly against the terrain beneath her seated stance, her alluring eyes following her tail's notion for a moment before she took it upon herself to stand. With a final glance around the clearing, and the brief shuffling of her paws. A realization was made: there was nothing worth doing. [/style]

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[/quote]

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

It wasn't so much that he was at a loss for conversation and company; rather, Dogfang, Ratfur and Silverfox were all skulking about the place somewhere, he just wasn't quite in the mood for his usual social circle, that's all. Stretching upon his return from a meager hunting trip, Blackwolf, after depositing a starling into the even more meager pile, slid his front legs forward, pulling back, body scrunching like a caterpillar's as he worked out any hypothetical kinks he may have gotten with all of that waiting around in the snow.

When the chill had finally crept from his bones, and Blackwolf had done a quick grooming of his dense though short-haired winter coat, the warrior at last let his mismatched gaze wander from the obsidian sheen of his fur. Though his nose was doing most of the work in terms of identifying his Clanmates, Blackwolf did let his eyes linger on the she-cats when he spotted them, and it wasn't until a rich splash of red caught in his peripherals like a fish snagged in a net that he paused, search seemingly completed.
Firejay.

Had he spoken to her recently? Probably not. She can't have been too much younger than he was, if she was, he would have remembered barking orders at her as though he were crowned Deputy, Overseer and general Boss of the Place until Ravenstar had appointed a new deputy. Remembering her to have been quite a fighter back in the day, Blackwolf found a small thread to link them, using that - and the fact that she made for easy conversation - as a good enough reason to saunter the red feline's way.

"Hey," mewed the brawny tom, the lack of proper food in NightClan having presented him in a slightly slimmer version of himself, and what little fat had actually been on his body had been converted into hard muscle, leaner than the usual, but muscle nonetheless. With the occasional flake of snow falling from an overhanging tree branch or two, Blackwolf was otherwise relatively free of any fidgety gestures, the leisurely S-shapes he was making with his tail reflective of his current temperament.
"Sitting out here just to freeze or are you waiting for someone?" There was obvious humor in his eyes and tone of voice, the cadence with which he spoke was definitely that of almost a rebellious teenager, the kind who would graffiti the nearest wall, flip the bird at any watching cameras, and then brag about it at school the next morning. But he wasn't all bad. A jerk, yes, but his loyalties were unquestionably with NightClan, which automatically made him loyal to NightClan cats.

Besides, even if he was a bit of a bigoted, egotistical, selfish braggart, he did have his good sides.

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[Insidious]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=vAlign, top] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #D8D8D8; width: 110px; height: 22px; margin-right: 10px;] [/style] [STYLE=float: left; border: 5px solid #400F0F; margin-right: 10px; background-color: #400F0F; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;][/style] [STYLE=float: left; border: 5px solid #D8D8D8; margin-right: 10px; background-color: #D8D8D8; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;][/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #400F0F; width: 90px; height: 35px; margin-right: 10px; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 30px; font-family: arial narrow; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: left; letter-spacing: -2px;] NOTES ! [/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #D8D8D8; width: 100px; height: 200px; overflow: auto; margin-right: 10px; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; margin-top: 10px;] TAGS. you WORDS. #### INSPIRATION. #### NOTES. #### [/style]

[STYLE=float: right; background-color: #400F0F; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; width: 390px; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;]to the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim.[/style] [STYLE=float: right;][/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #D8D8D8; color: #400F0F; font-size: 30px; font-family: arial narrow; width: 380px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: right; letter-spacing: -2px;]Firejay[/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #400F0F; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; width: 360px; height: 400px; overflow: auto; padding: 20px; text-align: justify;] Firejay had recognized Blackwolf's scent before she even knew him to be nearing. Facing the opposing direction, the dark red feline was almost oblivious to the fact he wasn't just traveling, but traveling in her direction. “Hey.” The smallest possible pinch of surprise tickled the back of her neck, twisting her head over lithe shoulders to meet Blackwolf's intriguing, mismatched gaze with her own, less so exciting with there not-as-unique, light green pigmentation. Nevertheless, their brightness seemed to thrive a fraction more than usual upon meeting the black furred warrior's gaze. “Hey,” she forced the word out of her throat, a common realization that if she at least greeted the handsome tom, her words would begin to flow more naturally. Firejay wasn't the nervous, nor awkward type. On occasion she could start off on a rough patch, though that heavily depended on whom she held the conversation with. Would it truly be a surprise that Blackwolf made the cut? Likely, not to anyone other than herself. "Sitting out here just to freeze or are you waiting for someone?" She never considered how unusual it probably appeared for a feline to be sitting in the heart of camp on a particularly chilly afternoon. However, she wasn't entirely embarrassed by it. After all, her journey outside had started with a hunt for someone. So, she wouldn't technically be lying if to make an excuse out of her brother. “Looking for someone.” A smirk lightly formed along the edge of her white jaw upon correcting Blackwolf's used term. Quickly, the thin-furred she-cat's head turned back in the earlier direction to perform a scan of the edges of Nightclan camp. That way, it appeared as if she was still looking for Coalfang, even though that train had left the station some time before Blackwolf had reached her side. Without success in the not-quite-a-real-search, search for Coalfang, Firejay returned her vibrant gaze to Blackwolf. The tip of her reddish brown tail flicked with amusement, her large ears pulling forward. “Though, I guess in their absence, your company will suffice...” It was impossible for Firejay to consume the entire desire to burst into laughter. Though thankfully, she was able to keep it to the bare minimum: only releasing a mild chuckle. From what Firejay knew of Blackwolf, he probably wasn't the best feline to use sarcasm on, like she had. Although, Firejay had no direct fear of offending Blackwolf. Sure, she'd prefer to stay away from it. But, no cat, not even Blackwolf, would be enough to make Firejay completely change her personality to suit their needs. She was a friendly, and active user of sarcasm when the time was right for it. A pity, it was, if Blackwolf turned out as not being fond of the trait. [/style]

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[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

His ego was not so fragile that a returning bite of sarcasm would ever damage or cause it to fray; if anything, the gleam in his eyes seemed to intensify, a humored, predatory look lurking just behind the mismatched irises.
"Guess you'll have to settle. Let me know when second-best gets here." Was his - presumably witty - retort, wearing his arrogance the same way someone wore their underwear on their head, unapologetically letting the whole world know just how highly he thought of himself. He had an inflated sense of his own importance, sure, but could anyone blame him?

It wasn't like his good looks, talent and 'there's no such thing as second place' personality were all one big ruse for a few laughs. Coming to a sitting position nearby, Blackwolf wasn't full on sitting directly in front of her, but was more casually lounging off to the side, his posture good but visibly relaxed, as noted by the leisurely sway and occasional twitch of his tail.
She's probably meeting her brother, Coalfang. Or an apprentice, maybe? The happenings of his Clanmates was never his immediate concern - if they were all still breathing and no one had died, he was usually content with leaving them as they were. However, with the untimely departure of their deputy, Blackwolf had found himself more and more pulled into the social issues and situations of his home, forced to expand his small circle of concern to encompass most of the Clan instead of just a select few.

Gone were the days when all he had to worry about was whether or not Harekit and Shadekit were getting enough to eat and staying warm. Now Boneshadow was dead, Harekit and Shadekit were both Harepaw and Shadepaw, he had successfully seen his first apprentice off into warriorhood, and was now onto his second, wrapping up the training of Ravenstar's beloved younger brother, Grimpaw. Things were complicated, but so wonderfully complicated that he couldn't bring himself to complain.

Well, sure, he could always find something to complain about, his cynicism and discourteous wit never far. Still, now was neither the place nor the time nor the company to strike up any rants. Instead, Blackwolf pulled back his shoulders, pink tongue unfurling into a cloudy, frosty exhale that morphed into a slight yawn, body momentarily rigid as a few late, late nights caught up with him, Blackwolf relaxing once more when it had passed.
"How long do you think it'll be? Before a new deputy is appointed?" He tossed out, by way of casual conversation, bringing to light a situation that involved all of them.

As of right now, Blackwolf more or less just hoped it was a good one; though he trusted Ravenstar's judgment, things were really[/i going to suck rocks if it was a deputy he didn't see himself getting along with. Way to put a dampen in his day-to-day activities...

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[Insidious]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=vAlign, top] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #D8D8D8; width: 110px; height: 22px; margin-right: 10px;] [/style] [STYLE=float: left; border: 5px solid #400F0F; margin-right: 10px; background-color: #400F0F; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;][/style] [STYLE=float: left; border: 5px solid #D8D8D8; margin-right: 10px; background-color: #D8D8D8; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;][/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #400F0F; width: 90px; height: 35px; margin-right: 10px; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 30px; font-family: arial narrow; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: left; letter-spacing: -2px;] NOTES ! [/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #D8D8D8; width: 100px; height: 200px; overflow: auto; margin-right: 10px; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; margin-top: 10px;] TAGS. you WORDS. #### INSPIRATION. #### NOTES. #### [/style]

[STYLE=float: right; background-color: #400F0F; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; width: 390px; padding: 5px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;]to the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim.[/style] [STYLE=float: right;][/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #D8D8D8; color: #400F0F; font-size: 30px; font-family: arial narrow; width: 380px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: right; letter-spacing: -2px;]Firejay[/style] [STYLE=float: right; background-color: #400F0F; color: #D8D8D8; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana; width: 360px; height: 400px; overflow: auto; padding: 20px; text-align: justify;] “Guess you'll have to settle. Let me know when second-best gets here.” The dark red she-cat lifted her head, light green irises finding their way to the humored gaze of Blackwolf. A grin lightly formed along the edge of her white jaw, tail tip twitching with amusement at his comment. “Oh, of course. I'll be sure to inform you of second bests arrival, without hesitation.” The Nightclan warrior playfully rolled her eyes before allowing a small glisten of her laugh to emit from her vocals, tugging her warm gaze away as Blackwolf shifted to a seated position. In order to full-on look at the large, black tom, she'd have to turn her head sideways ever so slightly due to his off location. Despite her greatest desires to make eye contact with Blackwolf and never turn away, or at least for a little while, she held her tongue, alongside her thoughts. No reason to seem any more interested in him than he likely was in her. Occasionally, she fixated a curious glance upon the tom, though. Mainly, due to the constant wonder of what he'd be up to while out of her direct line of sight. She didn't necessarily suspect him of trying anything tricky, but, you could never be too cautious in Nightclan. It was the tom's next question that caused the she-cat to glance at him more curiously, twisting her body to be angled in a direction facing him. “I'm not sure,” it was an honest reply. Firejay, truth be told, had no idea how long it'd be before Ravenstar decided to announce the next deputy of Nightclan. Her bond with former deputy, Boneshadow, was absolute. Likely, the black-pelted she-cat wouldn't present any interest in moving on any time soon. “Certainly, she'll be taking her time with this decision. I don't suspect she's keen on announcing a replacement any time in the near future.” Firejay turned her head to be perpendicular with her shoulder closest to Blackwolf, searching his expression for any trace of agreement or disagreement. “Do you have any ideas as to who her next choice will be?” Firejay, herself, drew a blank when that question came to mind. A large portion of Nightclan was suitable for the position. Of course, Blackwolf would easily be a likely candidate. If she had to make a thought out assumption, he'd be her first possible pick out of the Nightclan group. For a moment, she found herself wondering if Blackwolf too thought he was in line for the position. Surely, his posse wouldn't have any complaints. They'd be cheering him on, no doubt. [/style]

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[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

“Do you have any ideas as to who her next choice will be?”

This question did not surprise him, but the ebony tom did not have a ready-made answer just waiting on the tip of his tongue; it required some thought. Pensive, the arrogant gleam of his blue and golden eye traveled swiftly around the entirety of NightClan camp, as though if he looked hard enough, he would see the potential written all over each cat's face. A black tail tip touched against the ground, lifting and falling with some sort of rhythm. Gaze coming back full circle to rest on Firejay, the warmonger shrugged his scarred shoulders, finding the question harder to answer than he'd originally thought.
"Hard to say. Though anyone but me." Flashing a bright white green, the warrior's posture shifted into a more relaxed stance, his front limbs sliding down into a very 'sphinx' inspired pose, body angled towards the deep red she-cat.
"With Boneshadow gone, Smokefur being uncooperative and Ravenstar grieving, whoever gets the position had better be prepared for stress and annoyances and lack of cooperation." He mewed, shaking his head slightly as though the very thought of it were giving him a migraine. Blackwolf was actually not a power-hungry tom. He seemed to be content with settling into the role of warrior, born and bred. Training apprentices, bragging about his own accomplishments, bullying others onto the proper path - that's what he was good at. That was something he enjoyed.

To suddenly be "Mr. Concern" would likely be the death of his personality, and they just couldn't have that. A deputy as openly bigoted and sometimes nasty as he would not paint NightClan in the brightest of lights - but that was his problem. He was not a stand united kind of tom. He was a stand alone, the others are weak kind of tom. The world, in his eyes, was divided into those who were weak and those who were strong; NightClan in particular seemed to have a large majority of strong cats, of felines who were worthy of bearing the term "NightClanner". Though he could not say he had any experience in the other four Clans, Blackwolf could feel it in his bones, NightClan was by far the strongest, the Clan that did not fear any such oncoming storm, who were not afraid to break the code so that they may survive.

In Blackwolf's eyes, the Clan deputy would have to be the best of the best, the cat they WANTED to stand beside Ravenstar at the next gathering, who would hold his or her head proudly in spite of any opposition.

It wouldn't hurt, either, if they were a bit on the larger side... Can't have the rest of the forest thinking NightClan produces midgets, now can they?

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[Insidious]

(To add a bit more oomph to this thread, I'm going to bring in Hollowcry. He hasn't had any threads with Blackwolf yet. C: . He'll likely end up assuming Firejay is wasting Blackwolf's time, or bothering him.)

“Hard to say. Though anyone but me.” Firejay's light green eyes soon found their way toward Blackwolf's large, toothy grin; momentarily interested toward whether or not he meant those words. Surely, he couldn't possibly think he wasn't a candidate receiving Ravenstar's consideration. “Right,” she stated simply, “Anyone but you.” It was near impossible to keep that grin she was caging under wraps. Those words just didn't properly fit in her mouth. She had an appreciation for Blackwolf, one that not a soul knew about. The dark red feline saw no way possible to think anything below highly of the tom-cat with those captivating, mismatched eyes.

Nearly lost myself there. Giving her head a quick shake, the she-cat parted her white jaw in preperation to speak, desiring to bring up more conversation to distract herself from getting that close to appearing ridiculous in front of Blackwolf. “Did I miss anything good?” Firejay's jaw shut with a 'click' sound, light green eyes averting to the black-brown body of a lithely built tom-cat placed at Blackwolf's flank. Hollowcry. Firejay hadn't had any communication with Hollowcry that she could recall; she knew nothing passed his reputation as a Blackwolf follower.

It was almost sad, in a sense. Blackwolf had so many cats looking up to him, and he hardly gave them recognition for anything more than being a pet, of sorts. And now, she was seated before one of those followers. Hollowcry's pale yellow eyes were round with curiousity, seeming to peer passed Firejay's own eyes and see deeper than she preferred. It was uncomfortable. Shuffling lightly in her spot, Firejay's gaze briefly flickered to Blackwolf once more before allowing her gaze to fixate on Hollowcry. “Hello.” She honestly didn't have anything better to say to him. He was interrupting few of the precious moments she got to spend with Blackwolf.

Hollowcry offered a curt nod; short and simple. He didn't entirely understand why Blackwolf was having a conversation with this she-cat in particular. Was there something special about her that he wasn't seeing? The tom's left ear twitched, tail wrapping about his tucked forepaws to indicate he had no thoughts toward departing anytime soon. This she-cat, Firejay, wasn't about to waste Blackwolf's time. “What is going on here?”

[/i] Of course, Hollowcry didn't suspect any interest on Blackwolf's part. Firejay's? He glanced at her once more, pale yellow irises narrowing. Firejay simply looked away. Why get myself involved now? Then again, why not? The black-brown NightClan warrior offered Firejay an ominous smirk upon her gaze returning, his intentions behind it remaining unknown to her thoughtful gaze.[/blockquote][/size]

[Fawn]

(XD I figured I'd toss in Thornkit just for the heck of it!)

The grin Firejay produced along with her response had him snorting, about to speak to further convince her that he didn't want the job and wouldn't be a good match for it when the sudden arrival of another posse member momentarily distracted him. It was Hollowcry; never before had Blackwolf known a name to fit a cat so well. It described that tom's gluttony perfectly, Blackwolf never failed to note every time he met the hungered gaze of the warrior before him.

"Just a friendly conversation - stay or go, whichever." Replied Blackwolf coolly, another dry snort produced when he saw Hollowcry settle himself right down with clearly no intention of leaving whatsoever. Still, he didn't really mind - Hollowcry was an intelligent cat, if not a little spooky.
Though Firejay had gotten rather quiet since Hollowcry's arrival, Blackwolf assumed the awkwardness would dissipate once they actually started engaging Hollowcry in their conversation. "We were just talking about who Ravenstar's likely to pick for her next deputy." Informed the obsidian ring leader, and so he relaxed, posture more like that of a cat intending to doze in a patch of sunlight than go train an apprentice or something that required actual work. The tranquility lasted only a few seconds, unfortunately, as a limping kitten caught the corner of his eye...

~*~
Thornkit was doing his absolute best to soldier on, irony having struck when he'd least expected it to, the kitten's eyes watering as he tried not to favor his right front paw nor make a big display out of how much it hurt.
Stupid thorn! Who the heck leaves a thorn just lying around like that for anyone to step on, anyway? To be fair, Thornkit had been trying to sneak out of camp to go watch the training sessions for the mentor and apprentice pairs, but fate apparently had other plans. Making no attempt to go towards the Medicine Cat's den, Thornkit settled down, flopped onto his side and looked as though he were trying to gnaw his own paw off.

Blackwolf's ears went sideways, and he shared a look with Firejay and Hollowcry.

Well okay then. Did he even want to know?

[Insidious]

“We were just talking about who Ravenstar is likely to pick for her next deputy.” Dark brown hued ears swiveled in the direction of the posse leader, meeting his mismatched eyes with his own sharp yellow. His first pick would – without any traces of surprise – be Blackwolf. However, Hollowcry kept the thought of it chained inside of his own mind. His position in their posse had never included prodding Blackwolf with a never-ending supply of compliments. If anything, that was what Ratfur was there for.
In complete honesty, Hollowcry saw no reason not to strip his mind of the reasons why Blackwolf could be a good fit for deputy, and instead, replace them with an abundant amount of reasons as to why he should be deputy. Maybe, that was his greed talking. Nevertheless, Hollowcry surely wouldn't see any reason to turn down a position of ultimate power.
A world where Hollowstar was able to wreak havoc as the leader of NightClan. That would be the day the rest of the clans increase their border patrols to keep NightClan from moving in with a vicious desire for more of... everything.

The feline with a fur pigmentation of flames drew her thoughtful gaze away from the jet black warrior to examine the arising hunger glistening in Hollowcry's pale stare. She was curious as to what thoughts could possibly be blooming in that head of his, though, she was cautious enough to refrain from asking.

Not that she would have had time to ask, had she wanted to in the first place. From the corner of her eyes, a small bundle of fur was wobbling his way in the general direction of the three warriors with what seemed to be a thorn poking from his paw. An usual scenario, for sure: a feline getting brought to the terrain by the item of his own namesake.

With the natural motherly instincts that any she-cat could very well be accused of having somewhere within their hearts; she was the first to stand from her seated position and approach the young kit. “Thornkit,” she began, bordering a tone of humour. “The Medicine Cat's den is in the opposite direction.”
Hollowcry – being shaken from his greedy throne of imagination upon detecting Firejay's voice – glanced over lithe shoulders to spot the dark red she-cat attempting to talk the young kit into visiting the medicine cat for assistance with his thorn-in-a-paw. He chuckled with clear amusement, pale yellow eyes returning to Blackwolf. “The youth of NightClan shall end us all.” Hollowcry's sense of humour was often based off of the negative events of other cats. But, in a way, it was humorous to think that the kit before them now struggling with a thorn in his paw would one day stand as a warrior to defend their clan.

Standing from his seated position in one swift movement, Hollowcry approached Firejay and Thornkit with elegant strides, fixating a stare with mixed traits of amusement and disappointment upon the tom-kit. “Watch your step.” It would have been useful advice, had Hollowcry given it a moment before Thornkit stepped on the pointy thorn. Now, however, it could only be viewed as one thing: mockery.
From the corner of his eye, Firejay could been seen offering Hollowcry a glance of pure disapproval. He would have given the she-cat some recognition of him noticing, had he cared enough to do so. And upon noticing Hollowcry wasn't easily swayed from his path of finding humor in the innocence of a kit's misstep; she instead looked to Blackwolf. Maybe he would have the decency to put a stop to his 'friend'.

[Fawn]

Had Blackwolf been in a slightly more 'companionable' mood, he would have chided Hollowcry for standing there and mocking an orphan kit with a thorn stuck in it's pawpad, but this particular kitten was not like the others. As seen by his blatant refusal to go to the medicine cat's den, Thornkit insisting on pulling the offending thorn out of his paw with his own teeth. The ebony tom gave a tilt of his chin in the kitten's direction, as though to say 'just watch' to the flame-colored feline that had looked to him to point out the fault of Hollowcry's behavior.

Thornkit turned prideful eyes upon Firejay, quick to mutter out defensively, "I can take care of myself." The young buff colored kitten wanted absolutely nothing to do with Blackwolf and anyone associated with Blackwolf. It wasn't that he was particularly offended by the older, well-respected tom's behavior, it was that their personalities were likely to clash. Thornkit did not think a tom who had followers was a particularly strong or powerful creature, he viewed Blackwolf as someone greedy for attention. Needing no such spotlight on himself to walk with his head held high, Thornkit, surprisingly, thought of himself as superior to Blackwolf for his loner-like tendencies over the older cat's narcissistic ones.

I bet she's just another one of Blackwolf's crew, Thornkit decided, upon looking at Firejay with scrutinizing eyes.
...that aside, she was rather pretty...

“Watch your step.”

The fluffy pale fur seemed to grow even fluffier, bristling at Hollowcry's distasteful comment, his eyes narrowing as he responded with biting sarcasm;
"WOW, with wisdom like that, how are you not deputy? Just shut up." Jerk. Twisting his head and his paw in tandem, the would-be apprentice tried to latch his teeth around the thorn that was wedged in fairly deep, his eyes watering, nose wrinkling into a snarl of hatred at the thing that was afflicting him.

Blackwolf was the only one who had not rushed over to Thornkit's aid, the jet black feline instead settling for grooming his lush black pelt in the absence of any actual attention. When it looked as though Thornkit was never going to successfully get that thorn out of his paw - or go to the Medicine Cat's den, for that matter, Blackwolf finally snorted, rolling his eyes and calling in a lackadaisical tone;
"You could always try numbing your paw first. Go stick it in some snow and count to 50."

When the insolent stare of young Thornkit rested on him, Blackwolf couldn't help but laugh. Was this kitten seriously getting an attitude with him? Oh well wasn't that just hilarious. Blackwolf was not so insecure in his position nor so easily riled up that he would yell at a kit for looking at him the same way Thornkit had. If Thornkit had been an apprentice, however, there would have been no mercy in the verbal cut-down he would have delivered, only 'a moon and a half' being what saved the buff colored kitten from Blackwolf's ire.

Thornkit wasn't in a rush to do as Blackwolf said. He didn't want to come off as compliant or weak for listening to him. I'll just wait until he goes away, until they ALL go away. Gaze shifting back to the creepy, graceful tom nearby, Thornkit awaited the backlash of the well-delivered sarcasm.

[Insidious]

As quickly as Firejay had set her sights on Blackwolf in hopes of him unleashing a fury on Hollowcry for his behavior toward the kit, her gaze had been withdrawn upon taking recognition of the fact he didn't seem entirely swayed to do so. Momentarily, you could say her 'crush' on the black tom-cat faded, but, that thought didn't last very long. For, she soon realized why Blackwolf didn't consider Hollowcry's words as punishable. That young kit she had moment's earlier considered innocent and unable to defend himself from the lashing tone of a warrior like Hollowcry, surely proved her wrong.
“I can take care of myself.” Firejay's light green eyes glazed over with doubt, though, she refrained from allowing such thoughts to slip from her white jaw and into the, clearly aggravated, eardrums of this young kit. Instead, she grew content with sitting back and watching him struggle with the thorn in his paw. Firejay, by no means, found joy in watching the youth of NightClan suffer. It was just that her advice to visit the Medicine Cat had been reasonable and really, his only option. If he wanted to get defensive, she would settle comfortably in wait of the young feline realizing his fault.

“WOW, with wisdom like that, how are you not deputy? Just shut up.”
Firejay's eyes widened in clear surprise, glancing to Hollowcry in preparation for his reaction. Surely, he wouldn't hold it against a kit, right?

No, he would, so it seemed.

Pale yellow irises that once glimmered with intelligent mockery were now shielded by a flaming exterior. Unlike Blackwolf, Hollowcry was seemingly heartless enough to hold such a response against even a kit. There was no certain age limit on Hollowcry's willingness to unleash a stubborn ire. “Is there a thorn stuck in your head to? With comments like that, I'd assume you're half mouse-brained.”
If only Thornkit went by the name of Thornpaw, or even better, a warrior name. Hollowcry would have given him a personal clawing to not easily be forgotten. Thankfully, there was a few things being a kit could save you from. Hollowcry wasn't so blinded by a fiery rage that he would attack a kit.

“I think that would be enough of that, Hollowcry.” Firejay stated simply, approaching the dark brown warrior to place herself in front of him, briefly shielding Thornkit from the tom-cat's sharp yellow gaze. For a moment, the fury that had once been implanted on Thornkit and Thornkit only, averted upward to redirect its course for Firejay. She had the nerve to stand between him and a sorry excuse for a kit? However, that rage soon diminished until there was nothing other than a short-tempered stare fixated within the depths of Firejay's light green eyes, far calmer in comparison to his own.
The dark red she-cat turned toward the kit, now, her gaze a fraction more harsh than it had been with Hollowcry. “We'll leave you to your business. Good luck.” She gestured toward Thornkit's paw, a smirk decorating her expression before she pivoted and took her approach to Blackwolf.
“I'll hope to StarClan that kit doesn't receive Hollowcry as his mentor after this exchange.” Her voice had been just low enough to escape the hearing of Thornkit and Hollowcry, meant for Blackwolf to detect and no other. A small trace of humour laced across her expression, though she erased it just in time for the flanking of the dark brown warrior at her side; still wearing a scowl, so it seemed.

[Fawn]

THORNKIT ! _{of NightClan}

“Is there a thorn stuck in your head to? With comments like that, I'd assume you're half mouse-brained.”

The buff colored kitten fluffed up immediately, glowering at Hollowcry as if he were not a Clanmate, but an enemy. "And I'd assume that you're a rotten piece of crowfood. I didn't ask for your help or your comments, so just butt out, wouldya?" He spat on the ground in front of the older warrior, his skin burning beneath his pelt from the response he'd gotten earlier (as if he didn't deserve it). Turning his back on the jet black tom, Thornkit attempted to control his facial expression as he moved away from the group of older cats, ears flattened as though he were being made to walk around a dozen sink holes, trying to step as evenly as he could without driving the thorn even deeper into his pad.

Stupid Hollowcry. What was that guy's problem, anyway? He'd been minding his own business and Captain Nosy had just had to say something, didn't he? Being a particularly defensive youth, Thornkit likely wouldn't have been able to hold his tongue, even with all the self control in the world. Quick to rise to the bait and attempting to be extremely independent, he was a strong, proud young kitten, and it was likely that this would not be the last of his clashes with Hollowcry.

♠BLACKWOLF♠ 

---

NightClan

“I'll hope to StarClan that kit doesn't receive Hollowcry as his mentor after this exchange.”

"You and me both," snorted Blackwolf, having the good sense to keep his voice down. "Ravenstar would know better though, there's no way she'd assign the two most short-tempered cats in the whole Clan as mentor and apprentice."Unless there wasn't anyone else. He might've volunteered to take on Thornkit, had he not already been doubled up on apprentices as it was. Just as Grimpaw was reaching the end of his training, Applepaw had just started his, and therefore Blackwolf was a little bit stretched thin in terms of mentoring anyone else.

Speaking of apprentices, though, Blackwolf glanced from Firejay to Hollowcry, his tail-tip twitching as a sudden curiosity filled up each golden and blue orb. "Actually, don't you two have apprentices who hate each other? I had to break up one of their fights when they were still in the nursery. Have things gotten any better?" He could already foresee the apprentices' den as becoming rather boisterous and violent in the next few weeks, with the addition of Thornpaw, Ashpaw and Oakpaw - Thorn wasn't one to back down, neither was Ash. With two more fiery-souled kittens thrown into the apprentices' den, Blackwolf couldn't see how the den could possibly hold them all. He anticipated breaking up quite a few more squabbles in the future, some a little bloodier than others, depending on who took whose side, etc.

[Deleted]

. : p o i s o n l e a f : .

they say pride comes before the fall...

The calico she-cat slid through the camp entrance, a skinny pair of mice dangling from her jaws. She dropped the prey onto the fresh-kill pile, the small offering doing little to bulk up the pile. Poisonleaf shook her head, eyes narrowed. The calico turned away, intending to go back out and try again.

"Watch your step." Poisonleaf stopped and cast her gaze across the camp, her fluffy, mostly black tail flicking out behind her. She saw Hollowcry, source of the noise, standing over a kit, Thornkit, next to a she-cat, Firejay. Just beyond the trio, Poisonleaf caught sight of Blackwolf. A small grin spread across her maw, but not a happy-looking one. More a sarcastic, I'm-better-than-you grin, eyes narrowed just the perfect amount.

Poisonleaf made her way to the four cats, flicking her tail dismissively as she passed the warriors and Thornkit. The black, white, and orange she-cat tilted her head downward slightly as she neared Blackwolf, before moving to sit beside him, curling her tail over her white forepaws.

"I'll hope to StarClan that kit doesn't receive Hollowcry as his mentor after this exchange." Poisonleaf looked up at Firejay with her typical narrowed eyes. "You and me both." The multicolored she-cat turned her head to gaze at Blackwolf. "Personally, I think it would be interesting to watch." Poisonleaf flicked her gaze to Firejay, flashing a laced smile.

Hollowcry stepped close soon after, and Poisonleaf fixed her sultry gaze on him. "What's the matter, Hollowcry? Not brave enough to pick on someone your own size?" Poisonleaf's smile turned to a smirk. Oh, how she loved to push buttons.

...but i am pride, and i am the fall

[Insidious]

"Actually, don't you two have apprentices who hate each other? I had to break up one of their fights when they were still in the nursery. Have things gotten any better?"

Firejay was the first to prick her dark red ears, light green eyes averting into the depths of Blackwolf's mismatched eyes. She had heard about the scuffle her apprentice had gotten into with Hollowcry's own, however, she had never actually had the initiative to bring it up to Oxpaw. She assumed he was capable of handling his own problems, but with the way Blackwolf spoke of it, perhaps their hatred for one another routed deeper than she originally thought. Her white furred jaws parted to offer her response, though she was quickly cut off by the snort of the dark brown warrior at her side. “I heard about that scuffle. Strawberrypaw doesn't speak about Oxpaw during our training. Not that she has a reason to, anyway. After I'm finished with her, Oxpaw will be sent running with his tail tucked between his legs the second he thinks to challenge her.”
At this comment, the usual brightness of Firejay's eyes dulled. The fur along the back of her neck pricked in mild agitation, though she was swift to flatten it. There was no need to allow Hollowcry's insults to arise anger from her. “What makes you so sure of that? Strawberrypaw isn't the only apprentice handling training exceptionally.” Hollowcry's pale yellow eyes flickered toward Firejay, seeming as if he had a well thought-out counter on the tip of his tongue. However, he found his thoughts pulled elsewhere by Poisonleaf's arrival.

The she-cat flanked herself beside Blackwolf, this alone causing the slightest emotion of annoyance to flicker through Firejay's eyes. "What's the matter, Hollowcry? Not brave enough to pick on someone your own size?" The dark brown warrior narrowed his pale yellow eyes, fixating his stare upon Poisonleaf with a clear agitation toward her prideful nature. He had never favoured her personality; it rubbed him the wrong way. Besides, Hollowcry never was the type to sit back and allow another cat's insults – intentionally rude or not – to go without response. “Personally, I don't consider size a factor. Small or not, you're prone to a scratch.”

Hollowcry flashed Poisonleaf an ominous smirk, the kind that only lightly tugged at the left corner of his dark brown lips. With the hollow-like stature his prefix was based upon, Poisonleaf wouldn't have the slightest indication as to whether or not her words had stung like she may have intended them to. Hollowcry allowed his gaze to trail toward Blackwolf. From past experiences, it was obvious he too didn't always appreciate the way Poisonleaf tended to talk. Hollowcry oh so much wished she would continue. He wouldn't mind witnessing the she-cat get a lesson taught to her by Blackwolf himself.

[Fawn]

♠BLACKWOLF♠ 

---

NightClan

Blackwolf should have had the good sense to realize that discussing those two apprentices would cause a little bit of an argument to boil up between Firejay and Hollowcry, but he'd brought it up anyway, perhaps out of a desire to see what would happen if he did. An amused low chuckle slid out of black jaws as his mismatched eyes flickered from one face to the other, before they were drawn to the arriving presence of Poisonleaf, another one of his posse, and quite possibly the only one who got on his nerves worse than Ratfur. While Ratfur's sniveling and cowardice rubbed his fur the wrong way, Poisonleaf's frequent challenges both excited and infuriated him, forever taunting her that if she didn't get used to the hierarchy in their little group, she was going to be arguing with him until they died.

He could hardly imagine what it was going to be like having the entire group in the elders' den, squabbling and spitting and hissing at one another as each one had a personality that conflicted with someone else's, and Blackwolf, embittered by the thought, silently hoped he didn't quite live that long. Maybe he'd die heroically before he could retire, going out in a very Blackwolf-style blaze of glory? Then they could all squabble amongst themselves and he'd be in StarClan, reveling in the benefits that came with having lived a full life down there in the forest.

A loud yawn split the ebony tom's jaws wide, tongue curling between ivory fangs before he snapped it closed, and had he been a dragon he likely would've blew out a few smoke rings of boredom, expression shifting into lazy arrogance as he looked from Poisonleaf to Hollowcry. "Oh here we go. Get a nest, why don't you? You fight like an old mated couple." He growled with obvious humor, tail-tip lashing to show that he wasn't actually mad. He would prefer a different form of entertainment, however, besides watching his friends snipe at each other. Besides bullying Ratfur, he couldn't think of anything else that would possibly put an end to his boredom.
Fixing mismatched eyes back upon Firejay, he grimaced, finally deciding to shed his boredom once and for all. About to suggest they come up with some sort of game, Blackwolf was abruptly distracted by a furious face passing through his peripherals, the ebony tom recognizing the dark tabby creature to be none other than his father, Hawkscreech.

And boy did he look angry.

Ears flattening, Blackwolf didn't shy away at his father's aggressive striding, and instead raised his chin, fixing the older warrior with an insolent stare. He could feel it - Hawkscreech was about to say something he was likely going to make him regret.